University students' perspectives on diagnostic testing in mathematics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

fhloinn, Eabhnat Ní; Macan Bhaird, Ciarán; Nolan, Brien

2014-01-01

Many universities issue mathematical diagnostic tests to incoming first-year students, covering a range of the basic concepts with which they should be comfortable from secondary school. As far as many lecturers are concerned, the purpose of this test is to determine the students' mathematical knowledge on entry. It should also provide an early indication of which students are likely to need additional help, and hopefully encourage such students to avail of extra support mechanisms at an early stage. However, it is not clear that students recognize these intentions and there is a fear that students who score poorly in the test will have their confidence further damaged in relation to mathematics and will be reluctant to seek help. To this end, a questionnaire was developed to explore students' perspectives on diagnostic testing. Analysis of responses received to the questionnaire provided an interesting insight into students' perspectives including the optimum time to conduct such a test, their views on the aims of diagnostic testing, whether they feel that testing is a good idea, and their attitudes to the support systems put in place to help those who scored poorly in the test.

Age and Its Effect on Language Arts Achievement: A Longitudinal Study of California Standards Tests (CST) for 2nd through 6th Grade

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

DeBerry, Karen E.

2011-01-01

Entrance age in kindergarten has been a controversial issue as the range from the youngest to the oldest student spans up to 24 months. This range leaves a heterogeneous gap for teachers who are already differentiating for their English Language Learners, struggling students, and high achieving students. This is compounded by the fact that the…

Students' Conceptions of Chemical Change.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hesse, Joseph J., III; Anderson, Charles W.

1992-01-01

Presents results of intensive clinical interviews with 11 high school chemistry students representing a broad range of achievement levels as selected from 180 students who completed a written test upon completion of an instructional unit on chemical change. Results indicate that students commonly experience difficulties in chemical knowledge,…

HIV health literacy, sexual behaviour and self-reports of having tested for HIV among students.

PubMed

Naidoo, Saloshni; Taylor, Myra

2015-01-01

The HIV prevalence among young South African adults makes it important to understand their HIV knowledge, sexual behaviour and HIV counselling and testing (HCT) behaviour in this group. This paper presents the demographics, knowledge, sexual behaviour and cues to action as reported by sexually active students' who had HCT. A cross-sectional study conducted in 10 high schools in the eThekwini and Ugu districts, KwaZulu-Natal, surveyed students' HIV knowledge, sexual behaviour and HCT behaviour. Complete information was available from 1 114 (97.9%) students who participated in the survey. Of these, 378 (33.9%) were sexually active and were included in this analysis. Logistic regression models tested for significant associations between the independent and the dependent variables under study, nesting the students within schools and controlling for age, sex, grade and school location (urban/rural).The median age of students was 17 years (range: 14-23 years) with most being male (n=287; 75.9%). The lifetime median number of sexual partners of students was 3 (range: 1-27). Students who used condoms with their regular partners were more likely to have had counselling for HIV (OR :1.79; 95% CI: 1.06-3.01). Those students who were more likely to have been tested for HIV were female (OR: 44.90; 95% CI: 7.77-259.38), those who had always used a condom with their non-regular partner (OR: 2.75; 95% CI: 1.01-7.47), and those who knew a person who had tested for HIV (OR: 15.28; 95% CI: 5.16-45.23). Targeting students, especially males early in adolescence and reinforcing safe sex behaviour messages through their high school years, can encourage HCT among students.

The Effects of Student Engagement, Student Satisfaction, and Perceived Learning in Online Learning Environments

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gray, Julie A.; DiLoreto, Melanie

2016-01-01

Studies have shown that course organization and structure, student engagement, learner interaction, and instructor presence have accounted for considerable variance in student satisfaction and perceived learning in online learning environments through a range of pathways, although no research to date has tested the mediational relationship…

Natural Selection in a Petri Dish.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McCarty, Robbie V.; Marek, Edmund A.

1997-01-01

Presents an activity to teach natural selection that involves students in a microbiological investigation. Students discover that a change in environmental conditions tests a species' range of adaptations. (DDR)

Device Comparability of Tablets and Computers for Assessment Purposes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Davis, Laurie Laughlin; Kong, Xiaojing; McBride, Yuanyuan; Morrison, Kristin M.

2017-01-01

The definition of what it means to take a test online continues to evolve with the inclusion of a broader range of item types and a wide array of devices used by students to access test content. To assure the validity and reliability of test scores for all students, device comparability research should be conducted to evaluate the impact of…

Test Anxiety Among College Students With Specific Reading Disability (Dyslexia): Nonverbal Ability and Working Memory as Predictors.

PubMed

Nelson, Jason M; Lindstrom, Will; Foels, Patricia A

2015-01-01

Test anxiety and its correlates were examined with college students with and without specific reading disability (RD; n = 50 in each group). Results indicated that college students with RD reported higher test anxiety than did those without RD, and the magnitude of these differences was in the medium range on two test anxiety scales. Relative to college students without RD, up to 5 times as many college students with RD reported clinically significant test anxiety. College students with RD reported significantly higher cognitively based test anxiety than physically based test anxiety. Reading skills, verbal ability, and processing speed were not correlated with test anxiety. General intelligence, nonverbal ability, and working memory were negatively correlated with test anxiety, and the magnitude of these correlations was medium to large. When these three cognitive constructs were considered together in multiple regression analyses, only working memory and nonverbal ability emerged as significant predictors and varied based on the test anxiety measure. Implications for assessment and intervention are discussed. © Hammill Institute on Disabilities 2013.

Reliability and validity of the Safe Routes to school parent and student surveys

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background The purpose of this study is to assess the reliability and validity of the U.S. National Center for Safe Routes to School's in-class student travel tallies and written parent surveys. Over 65,000 tallies and 374,000 parent surveys have been completed, but no published studies have examined their measurement properties. Methods Students and parents from two Charlotte, NC (USA) elementary schools participated. Tallies were conducted on two consecutive days using a hand-raising protocol; on day two students were also asked to recall the previous days' travel. The recall from day two was compared with day one to assess 24-hour test-retest reliability. Convergent validity was assessed by comparing parent-reports of students' travel mode with student-reports of travel mode. Two-week test-retest reliability of the parent survey was assessed by comparing within-parent responses. Reliability and validity were assessed using kappa statistics. Results A total of 542 students participated in the in-class student travel tally reliability assessment and 262 parent-student dyads participated in the validity assessment. Reliability was high for travel to and from school (kappa > 0.8); convergent validity was lower but still high (kappa > 0.75). There were no differences by student grade level. Two-week test-retest reliability of the parent survey (n = 112) ranged from moderate to very high for objective questions on travel mode and travel times (kappa range: 0.62 - 0.97) but was substantially lower for subjective assessments of barriers to walking to school (kappa range: 0.31 - 0.76). Conclusions The student in-class student travel tally exhibited high reliability and validity at all elementary grades. The parent survey had high reliability on questions related to student travel mode, but lower reliability for attitudinal questions identifying barriers to walking to school. Parent survey design should be improved so that responses clearly indicate issues that influence parental decision making in regards to their children's mode of travel to school. PMID:21651794

EFL reading goals of grade 11 students across public and non-public schools in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

PubMed

Ferede, Tekle; Nchindila, B M

2017-09-01

This study investigated the EFL reading goals of Grade 11 students across public and non-public schools in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa. To this end, quantitative data were collected from 556 (375 public and 181 non-public) students via pre-tested structured questionnaire and analyzed into means, medians, standard deviations, ranges and Mann-Whitney U test scores. The results show that non-public school students were found better than public school students in possessing components of both extrinsic and intrinsic goals for reading. The notable exception in this regard is that public school students had higher social motivation for reading than their non-public school counterparts. Based on this finding, it has been concluded that non-public school students have a better chance of evolving as persistent self-initiated EFL readers since they have various goals which urge them to engage in reading a range of texts. It is thus recommended that English language teachers in public schools should constantly take actions to enable their students to develop appropriate EFL reading goals.

Improving Scores on the IELTS Speaking Test

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Issitt, Steve

2008-01-01

This article presents three strategies for teaching students who are taking the IELTS speaking test. The first strategy is aimed at improving confidence and uses a variety of self-help materials from the field of popular psychology. The second encourages students to think critically and invokes a range of academic perspectives. The third strategy…

Comprehensive Adult Student Assessment Systems Braille Reading Assessment: An Exploratory Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Posey, Virginia K.; Henderson, Barbara W.

2012-01-01

Introduction: This exploratory study determined whether transcribing selected test items on an adult life and work skills reading test into braille could maintain the same approximate scale-score range and maintain fitness within the item response theory model as used by the Comprehensive Adult Student Assessment Systems (CASAS) for developing…

Student Consumer Knowledge: Results of a Nationwide Test.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brobeck, Stephen

A nationwide test of consumer knowledge of high school students conducted in 1991 found that seniors are unprepared for critical purchasing decisions needed after they graduate. Random samples of the population, 428 high school seniors, were asked 250 questions about a range of consumer subjects such as credit, checking/saving accounts, auto…

Using Technology to Create and Administer Accessible Tests

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Salend, Spencer

2009-01-01

Technology is transforming many aspects of society including the ways teachers teach and students learn. Although technology has been firmly established as a teaching tool across a range of content areas, educators are realizing that technology also offers innovative ways to help their students take standardized tests that comply with the mandates…

Can Assessment Mirror Instruction? A Look at Peer Response and Revision in a Large-Scale Writing Test.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Goldberg, Gail Lynn; Roswell, Barbara Sherr; Michaels, Hillary

1996-01-01

Student engagement during testing in the full range of writing process activities they had been taught was studied. Results with 28 third-grade draft sets, 21 fifth-grade sets, and 38 eighth-grade sets on the Maryland School Performance Assessment writing test show that students' peer responses are unengaged, minimal, and formulaic, and that their…

[Health risk factors in pedagogy students' educational needs in state school of higher vocational education in Biala Podlaska].

PubMed

Kublńska, Zofia; Pańczuk, Anna

2006-01-01

The health conditions encompass also the risk factors. The cognition and showing the range of social pedagogy students' interest in the knowledge and abilities useful for minimizing the causes and consequences of the health risk factors was the aim of the work. There were 154 social pedagogy students tested. The questionnaire was applicated within the confess of researches. The results, which were received, showed that the tested students are the most interested in knowledge and abilities within the confess of the factors like: alcoholism, drug addiction, poverty, unemployment, impracticality and different forms and kinds of violence in selected social groups. To the sources of the knowledge from which the students would like to use in the future were ranked post conference materials and the archival sources. The majority of students would like to participate in meetings with authority and work in support groups if we talk about the methods enabling them to gain the prophylactic abilities in the minimizing range of the risk factors.

Anxiety (Low Ago Strength) And Intelligence Among Students Of High School Mathematics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Naderi, Habibollah

2008-01-01

The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between anxiety (low ago strength) and intelligence among student's mathematics. All the effects of anxiety were studied within the sample of 112 subjects (boys). 56 of them were regular of students (RS) and 56 were intelligent of students (IS) of high schools. Mean age was (17.1 years), SD (.454) and range age was 16-18 years in 3 classes of regular of high school mathematics was for regular students. For the IS, mean age was (16.75 years), SD (.436) and range age was l6-17 years in 4 classes of students exceptional talent for high school mathematics. The sampling method in this study was the simple randomization method. In this studied, for analysis of method used both descriptive and inference of research, which for description of analysis used Average and analysis of covariance and Variance, also for inference of analysis, used with t-test between two the groups of students. The Cattell of Anxiety Test (1958) (CTAT) has been used in a number of studies for measurement trait anxiety in Iran. In general, the findings were found not statistical significant between the RS and the IS of students in that factorial of low of ago strength (C-). Further research is needed to investigate whether the current findings hold for student populations by others anxiety tests.

The development of Metacognition test in genetics laboratory for undergraduate students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

A-nongwech, Nattapong; Pruekpramool, Chaninan

2018-01-01

The purpose of this research was to develop a Metacognition test in a Genetics Laboratory for undergraduate students. The participants were 30 undergraduate students of a Rajabhat university in Rattanakosin group in the second semester of the 2016 academic year using purposive sampling. The research instrument consisted of 1) Metacognition test and 2) a Metacognition test evaluation form for experts focused on three main points which were an accurate evaluation form of content, a consistency between Metacognition experiences and questions and the appropriateness of the test. The quality of the test was analyzed by using the Index of Consistency (IOC), discrimination and reliability. The results of developing Metacognition test were summarized as 1) The result of developing Metacognition test in a Genetics Laboratory for undergraduate students found that the Metacognition test contained 56 items of open - ended questions. The test composed of 1) four scientific situations, 2) fourteen items of open - ended questions in each scientific situation for evaluating components of Metacognition. The components of Metacognition consisted of Metacognitive knowledge, which were divided into person knowledge, task knowledge and strategy knowledge and Metacognitive experience, which were divided into planning, monitoring and evaluating, and 3) fourteen items of scoring criteria divided into four scales. 2) The results of the item analysis of Metacognition in Genetics Laboratory for undergraduate students found that Index of Consistency between Metacognitive experiences and questions were in the range between 0.75 - 1.00. An accuracy of content equaled 1.00. The appropriateness of the test equaled 1.00 in all situations and items. The discrimination of the test was in the range between 0.00 - 0.73. Furthermore, the reliability of the test equaled 0.97.

Academic profile of students who transferred to Zagreb School of Medicine from other medical schools in Croatia.

PubMed

Dusek, Davorka; Dolovcak, Svjetlana; Kljaković-Gaspić, Marko

2004-02-01

To assess the academic performance of students who transferred to the Zagreb School of Medicine from other three medical schools in Croatia. Academic performance of medical students who moved from Rijeka, Osijek, or Split University Medical Schools to the Zagreb University School of Medicine at the second or third year was compared with academic performance of students enrolled at the Zagreb University School of Medicine. Using the Zagreb Medical School's registry, we made a list of 57 transfer students to Zagreb Medical School in the 1985-1994 period. Control group was formed of students enrolled at the Zagreb School of Medicine in the same period, whose names followed in alphabetical order after the names of transfer students. Students' performance was analyzed according to their grade average before transfer, grade average in the first year after transfer, total grade average after transfer, overall grade average, and duration of studies. We also analyzed the proportion of students in each group who did not pass the admission test at the Zagreb School of Medicine in the year before the enrollment in Zagreb, Osijek, Rijeka, and Split Medical Schools. Nineteen transfer students, transferred between 1985 and 1988, and their controls were excluded from the analysis because of incomplete data. Transfer students had significantly lower grade average before transfer (3.2-/+0.6 vs 3.5-/+0.7, p=0.03, Student t-test), lower grade average in the first year after transfer (3.2-/+0.6 vs 3.5-/+0.7, p=0.03), lower total grade average after transfer (3.6-/+0.5 vs 4.0-/+0.6, p<0.001), and lower overall grade average (3.5-/+0.5 vs 3.9-/+0.6, p<0.001) than control students. Median time to graduate for transfer students was 7 years (range, 5-9) and 6 years (range, 5-9) for control students (p=0.375, Mann-Whitney test). There were significantly more students among transfer students who did not pass the admission test at the Zagreb School of Medicine in the year before the final enrollment than their controls (15/38 vs 4/38, p=0.009, chi-square test). Transfer students had poorer academic performance than students who passed the admission test and were enrolled at the Zagreb School of Medicine from the first year of studies.

Verbal Final Exam in Introductory Biology Yields Gains in Student Content Knowledge and Longitudinal Performance

PubMed Central

Luckie, Douglas B.; Rivkin, Aaron M.; Aubry, Jacob R.; Marengo, Benjamin J.; Creech, Leah R.; Sweeder, Ryan D.

2013-01-01

We studied gains in student learning over eight semesters in which an introductory biology course curriculum was changed to include optional verbal final exams (VFs). Students could opt to demonstrate their mastery of course material via structured oral exams with the professor. In a quantitative assessment of cell biology content knowledge, students who passed the VF outscored their peers on the medical assessment test (MAT), an exam built with 40 Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT) questions (66.4% [n = 160] and 62% [n = 285], respectively; p < 0.001);. The higher-achieving students performed better on MCAT questions in all topic categories tested; the greatest gain occurred on the topic of cellular respiration. Because the VF focused on a conceptually parallel topic, photosynthesis, there may have been authentic knowledge transfer. In longitudinal tracking studies, passing the VF also correlated with higher performance in a range of upper-level science courses, with greatest significance in physiology, biochemistry, and organic chemistry. Participation had a wide range but not equal representation in academic standing, gender, and ethnicity. Yet students nearly unanimously (92%) valued the option. Our findings suggest oral exams at the introductory level may allow instructors to assess and aid students striving to achieve higher-level learning. PMID:24006399

Verbal final exam in introductory biology yields gains in student content knowledge and longitudinal performance.

PubMed

Luckie, Douglas B; Rivkin, Aaron M; Aubry, Jacob R; Marengo, Benjamin J; Creech, Leah R; Sweeder, Ryan D

2013-01-01

We studied gains in student learning over eight semesters in which an introductory biology course curriculum was changed to include optional verbal final exams (VFs). Students could opt to demonstrate their mastery of course material via structured oral exams with the professor. In a quantitative assessment of cell biology content knowledge, students who passed the VF outscored their peers on the medical assessment test (MAT), an exam built with 40 Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT) questions (66.4% [n = 160] and 62% [n = 285], respectively; p < 0.001);. The higher-achieving students performed better on MCAT questions in all topic categories tested; the greatest gain occurred on the topic of cellular respiration. Because the VF focused on a conceptually parallel topic, photosynthesis, there may have been authentic knowledge transfer. In longitudinal tracking studies, passing the VF also correlated with higher performance in a range of upper-level science courses, with greatest significance in physiology, biochemistry, and organic chemistry. Participation had a wide range but not equal representation in academic standing, gender, and ethnicity. Yet students nearly unanimously (92%) valued the option. Our findings suggest oral exams at the introductory level may allow instructors to assess and aid students striving to achieve higher-level learning.

[Reliability and validity of Meaningful Life Measure-Chinese Revised in Chinese college students].

PubMed

Xiao, Rong; Lai, Qiao-Zhen; Yang, Jia-Ping

2016-04-20

To test the reliability and validity of Meaningful Life Measure-Chinese Revised (MLM-CR) in Chinese college students. A total of 1035 college students were evaluated with MLM-CR, Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS), Purpose in Life (PIL) and Patient Health Questionnaire-2 (PHQ-2), and 120 of the students were examined with PIL-SF twice. All the items in MLM-CR had good discrimination indexes (r=0.753-0.838, P<0.001). Confirmatory factor analysis confirmed the hypothesized five-factor model of MLM-CR (Χ 2 /df=3.4, GFI=0.946, AGFI=0.924, RMR=0.069, NFI=0.953, CFI=0.966, RMSEA=0.048). The total internal consistency reliability of MLM-CR was 0.942, and the alpha coefficients of the 5 dimensions ranged from 0.782 to 0.877; the total split-half reliability was 0.920, and the split-half reliability of the 5 dimensions ranged from 0.752 to 0.830; the total test-retest reliability was 0.871, and the test-retest reliability of the 5 dimensions ranged from 0.783 to 0.805. The criterion validity of MLM-CR in correlation with SWLS, PIL and PHQ-2 was 0.66, 0.755 and -0.388, respectively (P<0.01). The Average score of MLM-CR of the college students was 5.20∓0.90, and the scores were significantly higher in female students than in the male students (P<0.001). MLM-CR has good psychometric properties for application in comprehensive evaluation of personal meaning in life.

Assessment of the trauma evaluation and management (TEAM) module in Australia.

PubMed

Ali, Jameel; Danne, Peter; McColl, Geoff

2004-08-01

To assess the immediate effect on trauma-related knowledge of the trauma evaluation and management (TEAM) program applied to medical students in Australia. 73 final year medical students from Melbourne were randomly assigned to two experimental groups (E1 and E2 who completed the TEAM program after a 20 item MCQ pre-test on trauma resuscitation and a second MCQ exam after the TEAM program) and two control groups (C1 and C2 who completed the pre- and post-MCQ exams before completing the TEAM module). All 73 students completed an evaluation questionnaire. Paired and unpaired t-tests were used for within and between groups comparisons. Groups C1 and C2 had similar mean scores in pre- and post-tests ranging from 57.2 to 60.5%. Groups E1 and E2 had similar pre-test scores but increased their post-test scores (pre-test range 53.8-57.1% and post-test 68.8-77.4%, P < 0.05). On a scale of 1-5 with five being the highest, a score of four or greater was assigned by over 74% of the students that the objectives were met, over 80% that trauma knowledge was improved, 25-40% that clinical skills were improved with over 74% overall satisfaction. Over 75% assigned a score of four or greater suggesting the module be mandatory. After the TEAM program there was significant improvement in cognitive skills. The students strongly supported its introduction in the undergraduate curriculum.

Collaborative Educational Experiences through Higher Education-Industry Partnerships

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pinelli, Thomas E.; Hall, Cathy W.

2012-01-01

This paper examines the perceptions of mentors and student interns from NASA's Langley Aerospace Research Summer Scholars (LARSS) program in Hampton, Virginia. Data for the current study are from student interns and mentors participating in the 2010, 10-week summer internship. Students are chosen from around the country based upon their applications and mentoring opportunities to participate in a summer program focusing on a range of specialty areas including: aeronautics; earth science research; exploration and flight; systems and concepts; systems engineering; subsonic/transonic testing; supersonic/hypersonic testing; and structures testing. This study presents information on mentors perceptions of academic preparedness brought to the workplace by student interns; student interns perceptions of how the internship helped develop key skill areas; and self-reports from student interns and their mentors about their internship experience.

High-Stakes Collaborative Testing: Why Not?

PubMed

Levine, Ruth E; Borges, Nicole J; Roman, Brenda J B; Carchedi, Lisa R; Townsend, Mark H; Cluver, Jeffrey S; Frank, Julia; Morey, Oma; Haidet, Paul; Thompson, Britta M

2018-01-01

Phenomenon: Studies of high-stakes collaborative testing remain sparse, especially in medical education. We explored high-stakes collaborative testing in medical education, looking specifically at the experiences of students in established and newly formed teams. Third-year psychiatry students at 5 medical schools across 6 sites participated, with 4 participating as established team sites and 2 as comparison team sites. For the collaborative test, we used the National Board of Medical Examiners Psychiatry subject test, administering it via a 2-stage process. Students at all sites were randomly selected to participate in a focus group, with 8-10 students per site (N = 49). We also examined quantitative data for additional triangulation. Students described a range of heightened emotions around the collaborative test yet perceived it as valuable regardless if they were in established or newly formed teams. Students described learning about the subject matter, themselves, others, and interpersonal dynamics during collaborative testing. Triangulation of these results via quantitative data supported these themes. Insights: Despite student concerns, high-stakes collaborative tests may be both valuable and feasible. The data suggest that high-stakes tests (tests of learning or summative evaluation) could also become tests for learning or formative evaluation. The paucity of research into this methodology in medical education suggests more research is needed.

Web-based versus traditional lecture: are they equally effective as a flexible bronchoscopy teaching method?

PubMed

Mata, Caio Augusto Sterse; Ota, Luiz Hirotoshi; Suzuki, Iunis; Telles, Adriana; Miotto, Andre; Leão, Luiz Eduardo Vilaça

2012-01-01

This study compares the traditional live lecture to a web-based approach in the teaching of bronchoscopy and evaluates the positive and negative aspects of both methods. We developed a web-based bronchoscopy curriculum, which integrates texts, images and animations. It was applied to first-year interns, who were later administered a multiple-choice test. Another group of eight first-year interns received the traditional teaching method and the same test. The two groups were compared using the Student's t-test. The mean scores (± SD) of students who used the website were 14.63 ± 1.41 (range 13-17). The test scores of the other group had the same range, with a mean score of 14.75 ± 1. The Student's t-test showed no difference between the test results. The common positive point noted was the presence of multimedia content. The web group cited as positive the ability to review the pages, and the other one the role of the teacher. Web-based bronchoscopy education showed results similar to the traditional live lecture in effectiveness.

Meeting the Needs of All Students: A Universal Design Approach to Computer-Based Testing

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Russell, Michael; Hoffmann, Thomas; Higgins, Jennifer

2009-01-01

Michael Russell, Thomas Hoffmann, and Jennifer Higgins describe how the principles of universal design were applied to the development of an innovative computer-based test delivery system, NimbleTools, to meet the accessibility and accommodation needs of students with a wide range of disabilities and special needs. Noting the movement to…

Children's Perceptions of Brazilian Cerrado Landscapes and Biodiversity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bizerril, Marcelo X. A.

2004-01-01

In this study, the author evaluated Brazilian students' environmental perceptions of Cerrado (savanna-like vegetation). The author administered tests of knowledge and perception of the Cerrado biome's wildlife to students of different social classes. The students (age range: 11-17 years) generally exhibited low identification with the region, and…

Stability of scores for the Slosson Full-Range Intelligence Test.

PubMed

Williams, Thomas O; Eaves, Ronald C; Woods-Groves, Suzanne; Mariano, Gina

2007-08-01

The test-retest stability of the Slosson Full-Range Intelligence Test by Algozzine, Eaves, Mann, and Vance was investigated with test scores from a sample of 103 students. With a mean interval of 13.7 mo. and different examiners for each of the two test administrations, the test-retest reliability coefficients for the Full-Range IQ, Verbal Reasoning, Abstract Reasoning, Quantitative Reasoning, and Memory were .93, .85, .80, .80, and .83, respectively. Mean differences from the test-retest scores were not statistically significantly different for any of the scales. Results suggest that Slosson scores are stable over time even when different examiners administer the test.

The effectiveness of psychoeducation and systematic desensitization to reduce test anxiety among first-year pharmacy students.

PubMed

Rajiah, Kingston; Saravanan, Coumaravelou

2014-11-15

To analyze the effect of psychological intervention on reducing performance anxiety and the consequences of the intervention on first-year pharmacy students. In this experimental study, 236 first-year undergraduate pharmacy students from a private university in Malaysia were approached between weeks 5 and 7 of their first semester to participate in the study. The completed responses for the Westside Test Anxiety Scale (WTAS), the Kessler Perceived Distress Scale (PDS), and the Academic Motivation Scale (AMS) were received from 225 students. Out of 225 students, 42 exhibited moderate to high test anxiety according to the WTAS (score ranging from 30 to 39) and were randomly placed into either an experiment group (n=21) or a waiting list control group (n=21). The prevalence of test anxiety among pharmacy students in this study was lower compared to other university students in previous studies. The present study's anxiety management of psychoeducation and systematic education for test anxiety reduced lack of motivation and psychological distress and improved grade point average (GPA). Psychological intervention helped significantly reduce scores of test anxiety, psychological distress, and lack of motivation, and it helped improve students' GPA.

Epistemological beliefs and epistemological practices in elementary science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kittleson, Julie M.

In this study, I examined the reciprocal relationship between third graders' epistemological beliefs and practices in the context of science instruction. Epistemological beliefs describe students' ideas about the nature of knowledge. Epistemological practices describe how students interact with dimensions of scientific knowledge. Examining the intersection between beliefs and practices involves describing how participating in science learning activities influences and is influenced by ideas about science. To examine beliefs and practices, I used interviews and classroom observations. Interview data were analyzed to ascertain students' ideas about the purpose of science and the justification, certainty, and structure/coherence of scientific knowledge. Additionally, lessons in the FOSS Human Body unit and the STC Chemical Tests unit were video taped. These data were analyzed to examine epistemological practices. Interview and classroom data were used in combination to explore the intersection between beliefs and practices. Students held multifaceted ideas about science. They indicated that science involves description, but they also indicated that science involves generating evidence and drawing conclusions. Students indicated that ideas can change in relation to new evidence. Epistemological practices, in contrast, revealed that the investigation strategies invoked in these units underestimated students' ideas about science. Students used matching strategies to complete investigations. In the Chemical Tests unit, the teacher helped students move beyond matching by introducing the idea of molecules. Students discussed molecules in relation to their empirical investigations, indicating that when elementary students are provided with appropriate scaffolds they can expand their range of practices which also potentially expands their beliefs. Students approached science as a repertoire of tests. They recalled ideas about the purpose of a test in one context and applied those ideas to another context. Additionally, they suggested that certain tests are appropriate for certain situations. Although students understood the purpose of the tests, they did not seem to recognize the full range of purposes underlying scientific investigations. This study highlights the challenge of designing learning environments that scaffold productive epistemological beliefs. This study also highlights the complexity of the relationship between beliefs and practices, particularly in terms of understanding the role instruction might play in mediating this relationship.

School-based prevention program associated with increased short- and long-term retention of safety knowledge.

PubMed

Klas, Karla S; Vlahos, Peter G; McCully, Michael J; Piche, David R; Wang, Stewart C

2015-01-01

Validation of program effectiveness is essential in justifying school-based injury prevention education. Although Risk Watch (RW) targets burn, fire, and life safety, its effectiveness has not been previously evaluated in the medical literature. Between 2007 and 2012, a trained fire service public educator (FSPE) taught RW to all second grade students in one public school district. The curriculum was delivered in 30-minute segments for 9 consecutive weeks via presentations, a safety smoke house trailer, a model-sized hazard house, a student workbook, and parent letters. A written pre-test (PT) was given before RW started, a post-test (PT#1) was given immediately after RW, and a second post-test (PT#2) was administered to the same students the following school year (ranging from 12 to 13 months after PT). Students who did not complete the PT or at least one post-test were excluded. Comparisons were made by paired t-test, analysis of variance, and regression analysis. After 183 (8.7%) were excluded for missing tests, 1,926 remaining students scored significantly higher (P = .0001) on PT#1 (mean 14.8) and PT#2 (mean 14.7) than the PT (mean 12.1). There was 1 FSPE and 36 school teachers with class size ranging from 10 to 27 (mean 21.4). Class size was not predictive of test score improvement (R = 0%), while analysis of variance showed that individual teachers trended toward some influence. This 6-year prospective study demonstrated that the RW program delivered by an FSPE effectively increased short-term knowledge and long-term retention of fire/life safety in early elementary students. Collaborative partnerships are critical to preserving community injury prevention education programs.

Comparisons between students' learning achievements of their conventional instruction and the science, technology and social conceptual instructional design on digestion system issue of secondary students at the 10th grade level

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wichalek, Supattra; Chayaburakul, Kanokporn; Santiboon, Toansakul

2018-01-01

The purposes of this action research study were 1) to develop learning activities according to the instructional designing model of science, technology, and social (STS) on Digestion Issue, 2) to compare students' learning achievements between their learning activities with the conventional instructional (CIM) and conceptual instructional designing methods of science, technology, and social (STS) on digestion system of secondary students at the 10th grade level with a sample size of 35 experimental student group of their STS learning method, and 91 controlling group in two classes in the first semester in academic year 2016. Using the 4-Instructional Innovative Lesson Plans, the Students' Learning Behaviour Observing Form, the Questionnaire on Teacher Behaviour Interaction (QTBI), the Researcher's Recording Form, the Learning Activity Form, and the Parallel Learning Achievement Test (LAT) were assessed. The results of this research have found that; the Index of Item Objective Congruence (IOC) value ranged from 0.67 to 1.00; the difficulty values were 0.47 and 0.79 for the CIM and STS methods, respectively, the discriminative validity for the LAT was ranged from 0.20 to 0.75. The reliability of the QTBI was 0.79. Students' responses of their learning achievements with the average means scores indicted of the normalized gain values of 0.79 for the STS group, and 0.50 and 0.36 for the CIM groups, respectively. Students' learning achievements of their post-test indicated that of a higher than pre-test, the pre-test and post-test assessments were also differentiated evidence at the 0.05 levels for the STS and CIM groups, significantly. The 22-students' learning outcomes from the STS group evidences at a high level, only of the 9-students' responses in a moderate level were developed of their learning achievements, responsibility.

Science Literacy: How do High School Students Solve PISA Test Items?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wati, F.; Sinaga, P.; Priyandoko, D.

2017-09-01

The Programme for International Students Assessment (PISA) does assess students’ science literacy in a real-life contexts and wide variety of situation. Therefore, the results do not provide adequate information for the teacher to excavate students’ science literacy because the range of materials taught at schools depends on the curriculum used. This study aims to investigate the way how junior high school students in Indonesia solve PISA test items. Data was collected by using PISA test items in greenhouse unit employed to 36 students of 9th grade. Students’ answer was analyzed qualitatively for each item based on competence tested in the problem. The way how students answer the problem exhibits their ability in particular competence which is influenced by a number of factors. Those are students’ unfamiliarity with test construction, low performance on reading, low in connecting available information and question, and limitation on expressing their ideas effectively and easy-read. As the effort, selected PISA test items can be used in accordance teaching topic taught to familiarize students with science literacy.

A Conceptual Model for Promoting Study Skills and Test-Taking Techniques among Secondary School Students: Curricular, Instructional/Guidance, and Assessment Perspectives.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Guedry-Hymel, Linda; Hymel, Glenn M.

This paper develops a conceptual model involving curricular, instructional/guidance, and assessment perspectives on the promotion of study skills and test-taking techniques among secondary school students. From the curricular standpoint, consideration is given to a recommended range of topical coverage and a diversified array of printed/mediated…

What Can U.S. Schools Learn from Foreign Counterparts?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Finkel, Ed

2012-01-01

If the results of the most recent international achievement tests were graded on a curve, U.S. students probably would rank somewhere in the B range. They placed 14th in reading, 17th in science and 25th in mathematics among 70 countries whose 15-year-olds participated in the 2009 Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) testing, the…

The DELF in Canada: Perceptions of Students, Teachers, and Parents

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vandergrift, Larry

2015-01-01

The "Diplôme d'études de langue française" (DELF) has recently gained attention in Canada for its potential as a national French second language (FSL) proficiency test. This article explores the perceptions of students, teachers, and parents in various school jurisdictions across Canada on a range of issues related to the DELF test and…

Reliability and validity of the Safe Routes to school parent and student surveys.

PubMed

McDonald, Noreen C; Dwelley, Amanda E; Combs, Tabitha S; Evenson, Kelly R; Winters, Richard H

2011-06-08

The purpose of this study is to assess the reliability and validity of the U.S. National Center for Safe Routes to School's in-class student travel tallies and written parent surveys. Over 65,000 tallies and 374,000 parent surveys have been completed, but no published studies have examined their measurement properties. Students and parents from two Charlotte, NC (USA) elementary schools participated. Tallies were conducted on two consecutive days using a hand-raising protocol; on day two students were also asked to recall the previous days' travel. The recall from day two was compared with day one to assess 24-hour test-retest reliability. Convergent validity was assessed by comparing parent-reports of students' travel mode with student-reports of travel mode. Two-week test-retest reliability of the parent survey was assessed by comparing within-parent responses. Reliability and validity were assessed using kappa statistics. A total of 542 students participated in the in-class student travel tally reliability assessment and 262 parent-student dyads participated in the validity assessment. Reliability was high for travel to and from school (kappa > 0.8); convergent validity was lower but still high (kappa > 0.75). There were no differences by student grade level. Two-week test-retest reliability of the parent survey (n=112) ranged from moderate to very high for objective questions on travel mode and travel times (kappa range: 0.62-0.97) but was substantially lower for subjective assessments of barriers to walking to school (kappa range: 0.31-0.76). The student in-class student travel tally exhibited high reliability and validity at all elementary grades. The parent survey had high reliability on questions related to student travel mode, but lower reliability for attitudinal questions identifying barriers to walking to school. Parent survey design should be improved so that responses clearly indicate issues that influence parental decision making in regards to their children's mode of travel to school. © 2011 McDonald et al; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.

The validity of ACT-PEP test scores for predicting academic performance of registered nurses in BSN programs.

PubMed

Yang, J C; Noble, J

1990-01-01

This study investigated the validity of three American College Testing-Proficiency Examination Program (ACT-PEP) tests (Maternal and Child Nursing, Psychiatric/Mental Health Nursing, Adult Nursing) for predicting the academic performance of registered nurses (RNs) enrolled in bachelor's degree BSN programs nationwide. This study also examined RN students' performance on the ACT-PEP tests by their demographic characteristics: student's age, sex, race, student status (full- or part-time), and employment status (full- or part-time). The total sample for the three tests comprised 2,600 students from eight institutions nationwide. The median correlation coefficients between the three ACT-PEP tests and the semester grade point averages ranged from .36 to .56. Median correlation coefficients increased over time, supporting the stability of ACT-PEP test scores for predicting academic performance over time. The relative importance of selected independent variables for predicting academic performance was also examined; the most important variable for predicting academic performance was typically the ACT-PEP test score. Across the institutions, student demographic characteristics did not contribute significantly to explaining academic performance, over and above ACT-PEP scores.

Making a Chemical Rainbow

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Angelin, Marcus; Ramstrom, Olof

2010-01-01

In this laboratory experiment, high school students are challenged to prepare a six-layered chemical "rainbow" in a test tube. Students start with six unknown, colorless liquids and six pigments ranging from violet to red. The experiment is problem based and forces the students to apply their knowledge of solubility and density and combine it with…

Exploring factors that influence students' attitudes toward midwifery in Jordan: Measuring psychometric properties of a newly developed tool.

PubMed

Al Hadid, Lourance A; Al-Rajabi, Omaymah; AlBarmawi, Marwa; Yousef Sayyah, Najah Sayyah; Toqan, Lwiza Moh'd

2018-03-01

Students' professional choice to proceed in midwifery is influenced by many factors. This study validated an instrument developed to assess students' attitudes toward midwifery in Jordan. It also addressed the motivating and de-motivating factors influencing students' decision concerning joining and continuing in midwifery. A descriptive, cross-section study was conducted on a convenience sample of 374 midwifery students representing private, governmental, and military midwifery colleges. The researchers developed the study questionnaire through conducting a comprehensive literature review, organizing common themes and consulting experts. Exploratory factor analysis and tests of normality and reliability, including Cronbach's Alpha and Bartlett's test, were used in the analysis. The result was three factors were explained by 23 items. They were as follows: professional knowledge, professional motivation factors, and de-motivating professional factors. The first 8 items explained nearly 61% of the variance. Cronbach's Alpha was 0.834 with a range of 0.835-0.839. The Spearman-Brown coefficient was 0.81 and Guttman Split-Half coefficient was 0.83. Issues of reliability and validity require a repetitive process of testing under a range of circumstances to ensure both stability and representation of the construct. However, addressing factors found to have impact of students' decisions is crucial to improve retention of high quality students. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

The Effectiveness of Psychoeducation and Systematic Desensitization to Reduce Test Anxiety Among First-year Pharmacy Students

PubMed Central

Saravanan, Coumaravelou

2014-01-01

Objective: To analyze the effect of psychological intervention on reducing performance anxiety and the consequences of the intervention on first-year pharmacy students. Methods: In this experimental study, 236 first-year undergraduate pharmacy students from a private university in Malaysia were approached between weeks 5 and 7 of their first semester to participate in the study. The completed responses for the Westside Test Anxiety Scale (WTAS), the Kessler Perceived Distress Scale (PDS), and the Academic Motivation Scale (AMS) were received from 225 students. Out of 225 students, 42 exhibited moderate to high test anxiety according to the WTAS (score ranging from 30 to 39) and were randomly placed into either an experiment group (n=21) or a waiting list control group (n=21). Results: The prevalence of test anxiety among pharmacy students in this study was lower compared to other university students in previous studies. The present study’s anxiety management of psychoeducation and systematic education for test anxiety reduced lack of motivation and psychological distress and improved grade point average (GPA). Conclusion: Psychological intervention helped significantly reduce scores of test anxiety, psychological distress, and lack of motivation, and it helped improve students’ GPA. PMID:25525278

Mobile Phone Intervention to Reduce Youth Suicide in Rural Communities: Field Test.

PubMed

Pisani, Anthony R; Wyman, Peter A; Gurditta, Kunali; Schmeelk-Cone, Karen; Anderson, Carolyn L; Judd, Emily

2018-05-31

Suicide is a leading cause of death among 10- to 19-year-olds in the United States, with 5% to 8% attempting suicide each year. Suicide risk rises significantly during early adolescence and is higher in rural and underserved communities. School-based universal prevention programs offer a promising way of reducing suicide by providing strategies for emotion regulation and encouraging help-seeking behaviors and youth-adult connectedness. However, such programs frequently run into difficulties in trying to engage a broad range of students. Text messaging is a dominant medium of communication among youths, and studies show both efficacy and uptake in text messaging interventions aimed at adolescents. Text-based interventions may, thus, offer a means for school-based universal prevention programs to engage adolescents who would otherwise be difficult to reach. We field tested Text4Strength, an automated, interactive text messaging intervention that seeks to reach a broad range of early adolescents in rural communities. Text4Strength extends Sources of Strength, a peer-led school suicide prevention program, by encouraging emotion regulation, help-seeking behaviors, and youth-adult connectedness in adolescents. The study tested the appeal and feasibility of Text4Strength and its potential to extend universal school-based suicide prevention. We field tested Text4Strength with 42 ninth-grade students. Over 9 weeks, students received 28 interactive message sequences across 9 categories (Sources of Strength introduction, positive friend, mentors, family support, healthy activities, generosity, spirituality, medical access, and emotion regulation strategies). The message sequences included games, requests for advice, questions about students' own experiences, and peer testimonial videos. We measured baseline mental health characteristics, frequency of replies, completion of sequences and video viewing, appeal to students, and their perception of having benefited from the program. Of the 42 participating students, 38 (91%) responded to at least one sequence and 22 (52%) responded to more than a third of the sequences. The proportion of students who completed multistep sequences they had started ranged from 35% (6/17) to 100% (3/3 to 28/28), with responses dropping off when more than 4 replies were needed. With the exception of spirituality and generosity, each of the content areas generated at least a moderate number of student replies from both boys and girls. Students with higher and lower levels of risk and distress interacted with the sequences at similar rates. Contrary to expectations, few students watched videos. Students viewed the intervention as useful-even those who rarely responded to messages. More than 70% found the texts useful (3 items, n range 29-34) and 90% (36) agreed the program should be repeated. Text4Strength offers a potentially engaging way to extend school-based interventions that promote protective factors for suicide. Text4Strength is ready to be revised, based on findings and student feedback from this field test, and rigorously tested for efficacy. ©Anthony R Pisani, Peter A Wyman, Kunali Gurditta, Karen Schmeelk-Cone, Carolyn L Anderson, Emily Judd. Originally published in JMIR Mental Health (http://mental.jmir.org), 31.05.2018.

The Genetic Drift Inventory: A Tool for Measuring What Advanced Undergraduates Have Mastered about Genetic Drift

PubMed Central

Price, Rebecca M.; Andrews, Tessa C.; McElhinny, Teresa L.; Mead, Louise S.; Abraham, Joel K.; Thanukos, Anna; Perez, Kathryn E.

2014-01-01

Understanding genetic drift is crucial for a comprehensive understanding of biology, yet it is difficult to learn because it combines the conceptual challenges of both evolution and randomness. To help assess strategies for teaching genetic drift, we have developed and evaluated the Genetic Drift Inventory (GeDI), a concept inventory that measures upper-division students’ understanding of this concept. We used an iterative approach that included extensive interviews and field tests involving 1723 students across five different undergraduate campuses. The GeDI consists of 22 agree–disagree statements that assess four key concepts and six misconceptions. Student scores ranged from 4/22 to 22/22. Statements ranged in mean difficulty from 0.29 to 0.80 and in discrimination from 0.09 to 0.46. The internal consistency, as measured with Cronbach's alpha, ranged from 0.58 to 0.88 across five iterations. Test–retest analysis resulted in a coefficient of stability of 0.82. The true–false format means that the GeDI can test how well students grasp key concepts central to understanding genetic drift, while simultaneously testing for the presence of misconceptions that indicate an incomplete understanding of genetic drift. The insights gained from this testing will, over time, allow us to improve instruction about this key component of evolution. PMID:24591505

Programs for Children with Specific Learning Disabilities. P.L. 91-230, Title VI-G Formal Final Evaluation. (Statistical Analysis of Data).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Murphy, Philip J.

The paper reports the final evaluation of a program for approximately 143 learning disabled (LD) students (grades 6-to-12) from six school districts. A number of test instruments were used to evaluate student progress during the program, including the Wide Range Achievement Test (WRAT), the Durrell Analysis of Reading Difficulty, and the…

Satisfactory reliability among nursing students using the instrument PVC ASSESS to evaluate management of peripheral venous catheters.

PubMed

Ahlqvist, Margary; Berglund, Britta; Nordström, Gun; Klang, Birgitta; Johansson, Eva

2014-01-01

Nursing students should be given opportunities to participate in clinical audits during their education. However, audit tools are seldom tested for reliability among nursing students. The aim of this study was to present reliability among nursing students using the instrument PVC assess to assess management of peripheral venous catheters (PVCs) and PVC-related signs of thrombophlebitis. PVC assess was used to assess 67 inserted PVCs in 60 patients at ten wards at a university hospital. One group of nursing students (n=4) assessed PVCs at the bedside (inter-rater reliability) and photographs of these PVCs were taken. Another group of students (n=3) assessed the PVCs in the photographs after 4 weeks (test-retest reliability). To determine reliability, proportion of agreement [P(A)] and Cohen's kappa coefficient (κ) were calculated. For bedside assessment of PVCs, P(A) ranged from good to excellent (0.80-1.0) in 55% of the 26 PVC assess items that were tested. P(A) was poor (<0.70) for two items: "adherence of inner dressing to the skin" and "PVC location." In 81% of the items, κ was between moderate and almost perfect: moderate (n=5), substantial (n=3), almost perfect (n=5). For edema at insertion site and two items on PVC dressing, κ was fair (0.21-0.40). Regarding test-retest reliability, P(A) varied between good and excellent (0.81-1) in 85%-95% of the items, and the κ ranged between moderate and almost perfect (0.41-1) in 90%-95%. PVC assess demonstrated satisfactory reliability among nursing students. However, students need training in how to use the instrument before assessing PVCs.

The Dominance Concept Inventory: A Tool for Assessing Undergraduate Student Alternative Conceptions about Dominance in Mendelian and Population Genetics

PubMed Central

Perez, Kathryn E.; Price, Rebecca M.

2014-01-01

Despite the impact of genetics on daily life, biology undergraduates understand some key genetics concepts poorly. One concept requiring attention is dominance, which many students understand as a fixed property of an allele or trait and regularly conflate with frequency in a population or selective advantage. We present the Dominance Concept Inventory (DCI), an instrument to gather data on selected alternative conceptions about dominance. During development of the 16-item test, we used expert surveys (n = 12), student interviews (n = 42), and field tests (n = 1763) from introductory and advanced biology undergraduates at public and private, majority- and minority-serving, 2- and 4-yr institutions in the United States. In the final field test across all subject populations (n = 709), item difficulty ranged from 0.08 to 0.84 (0.51 ± 0.049 SEM), while item discrimination ranged from 0.11 to 0.82 (0.50 ± 0.048 SEM). Internal reliability (Cronbach's alpha) was 0.77, while test–retest reliability values were 0.74 (product moment correlation) and 0.77 (intraclass correlation). The prevalence of alternative conceptions in the field tests shows that introductory and advanced students retain confusion about dominance after instruction. All measures support the DCI as a useful instrument for measuring undergraduate biology student understanding and alternative conceptions about dominance. PMID:26086665

Inventory of college challenges for ethnic minority students: psychometric properties of a new instrument in Chinese Americans.

PubMed

Ying, Yu-Wen; Lee, Peter Allen; Tsai, Jeanne L

2004-11-01

The Inventory of College Challenges for Ethnic Minority Students (ICCEMS) is a newly developed instrument that assesses challenges faced by ethnic minority college students across a range of cultural, academic, social, and practical domains. The present study tested the ICCEMS among Chinese American students in an attempt to identify its factor structure and assess its psychometric properties. A total of 13 factor domains emerged. The Cronbach's alpha and 1-month test-retest reliability of the subscales and the overall scale supported their reliability. Both criterion and construct validities were also demonstrated. Chinese American college students faced the greatest challenges in terms of unclear career direction and academic demands. 2004 APA

Using Elementary Mechanics to Estimate the Maximum Range of ICBMs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Amato, Joseph

2018-04-01

North Korea's development of nuclear weapons and, more recently, intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) has added a grave threat to world order. The threat presented by these weapons depends critically on missile range, i.e., the ability to reach North America or Europe while carrying a nuclear warhead. Using the limited information available from near-vertical test flights, how do arms control experts estimate the maximum range of an ICBM? The purpose of this paper is to show, using mathematics and concepts appropriate to a first-year calculus-based mechanics class, how a missile's range can be estimated from the (observable) altitude attained during its test flights. This topic—while grim—affords an ideal opportunity to show students how the application of basic physical principles can inform and influence public policy. For students who are already familiar with Kepler's laws, it should be possible to present in a single class period.

Test anxiety in mathematics among early undergraduate students in a British university in Malaysia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Karjanto, Natanael; Yong, Su Ting

2013-03-01

The level of test anxiety in mathematics subjects among early undergraduate students at the University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus is studied in this article. The sample consists of 206 students taking several mathematics modules who completed the questionnaires on test anxiety just before they entered the venue for midterm examinations. The sample data include the differences in the context of academic levels, gender groups and nationality backgrounds. The level of test anxiety in mathematics is measured using seven Likert questionnaire statements adapted from the Test Anxiety Inventory describing one's emotional feeling before the start of an examination. In general, the result shows that the students who had a lower score expectation were more anxious than those who had a higher score expectation, but that they obtained a better score than the expected score. In the context of academic levels, gender groups and nationality backgrounds, there were no significant correlations between the level of test anxiety and the students' academic performance. The effect size of the correlation values ranged from extremely small to moderate.

Development of Predicted Paths for ACT Aspire Score Reports. WP-2014-06

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Allen, Jeff

2014-01-01

This report focuses on the initial development of the predicted score paths for ACT Aspire reporting. The paths provide predicted score ranges for the next two years--as well as predicted ACT score ranges for tests administered at grades 9 and 10. Longitudinal ACT Aspire data for students tested in spring 2013 and spring 2014, as well as…

A comparative appraisal of two equivalence tests for multiple standardized effects.

PubMed

Shieh, Gwowen

2016-04-01

Equivalence testing is recommended as a better alternative to the traditional difference-based methods for demonstrating the comparability of two or more treatment effects. Although equivalent tests of two groups are widely discussed, the natural extensions for assessing equivalence between several groups have not been well examined. This article provides a detailed and schematic comparison of the ANOVA F and the studentized range tests for evaluating the comparability of several standardized effects. Power and sample size appraisals of the two grossly distinct approaches are conducted in terms of a constraint on the range of the standardized means when the standard deviation of the standardized means is fixed. Although neither method is uniformly more powerful, the studentized range test has a clear advantage in sample size requirements necessary to achieve a given power when the underlying effect configurations are close to the priori minimum difference for determining equivalence. For actual application of equivalence tests and advance planning of equivalence studies, both SAS and R computer codes are available as supplementary files to implement the calculations of critical values, p-values, power levels, and sample sizes. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

A New Student Performance Analysing System Using Knowledge Discovery in Higher Educational Databases

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Guruler, Huseyin; Istanbullu, Ayhan; Karahasan, Mehmet

2010-01-01

Knowledge discovery is a wide ranged process including data mining, which is used to find out meaningful and useful patterns in large amounts of data. In order to explore the factors having impact on the success of university students, knowledge discovery software, called MUSKUP, has been developed and tested on student data. In this system a…

Knowledge of the Relationships between Oral Health, Diabetes, Body Mass Index and Lifestyle among Students at the Kuwait University Health Sciences Center, Kuwait.

PubMed

Ali, Dena A

2016-01-01

To evaluate the level of knowledge regarding the relationships between oral health, diabetes, body mass index (BMI; obesity) and lifestyle among students of the Health Sciences Center (HSC), Kuwait, and to explore any possible correlation between students' oral health knowledge, BMI and lifestyle choices. A stratified random sample was proportionally selected according to the size of each faculty from the 1,799 students. The questionnaire was divided into 3 sections (i.e. demographics, evaluation of oral health knowledge in relation to diabetes, and evaluation of diabetes knowledge in relation to lifestyle) and distributed to 532 students. Oral health knowledge was categorized as limited, reasonable or knowledgeable. Lifestyle was classified as healthy or nonhealthy. The BMI was calculated as weight (kg) divided by the square of the height (m). ANOVA and χ2 tests were used to test for differences between independent variables. A Pearson correlation coefficient test was used to assess correlations. p < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Of the 532 questionnaires, 498 (93.6%) were completed. The mean knowledge score was 47.7 ± 25.2; of the 498 students, 235 (47.3%) had a BMI within the normal range, 184 (37.0%) were pre-obese and 67 (13.5%) were obese. Of the 498 students, 244 (49%) had a healthy lifestyle. There was no correlation between oral health knowledge and the other variables; however, there was a correlation between lifestyle and obesity. In this study, the majority of the students had limited knowledge of oral health in association with diabetes and lifestyle. More than half of the students fell in the pre-obese/obese range. © 2015 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Technical analysis of the Slosson Written Expression Test.

PubMed

Erford, Bradley T; Hofler, Donald B

2004-06-01

The Slosson Written Expression Test was designed to assess students ages 8-17 years at risk for difficulties in written expression. Scores from three independent samples were used to evaluate the test's reliability and validity for measuring students' written expression. Test-retest reliability of the SWET subscales ranged from .80 to .94 (n = 151), and .95 for the Written Expression Total Standard Scores. The median alternate-form reliability for students' Written Expression Total Standard Scores was .81 across the three forms. Scores on the Slosson test yielded concurrent validity coefficients (n = 143) of .60 with scores from the Woodcock-Johnson: Tests of Achievement-Third Edition Broad Written Language Domain and .49 with scores on the Test of Written Language-Third Edition Spontaneous Writing Quotient. Exploratory factor analytic procedures suggested the Slosson test is comprised of two dimensions, Writing Mechanics and Writing Maturity (47.1% and 20.1% variance accounted for, respectively). In general, the Slosson Written Expression Test presents with sufficient technical characteristics to be considered a useful written expression screening test.

Making It Count: A Report on a Project to Provide Better Financial Aid Information to Students.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

College Entrance Examination Board, New York, NY. Coll. Scholarship Service.

The data presented represent the current status of an ongoing project to develop, test, implement, and evaluate a wide range of new and different ways to providing information to students about costs and aid. The data, examples, and recommendations reflect the state of the art in better information for student choice in December 1976. The report…

Building BRIDGES: A Design Experiment to Improve Reading and United States History Knowledge of Poor Readers in Eighth Grade

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

O'Connor, Rollanda E.; Beach, Kristen D.; Sanchez, Victoria M.; Bocian, Kathleen M.; Flynn, Lindsay J.

2015-01-01

We tested the effects of teaching reading skills through U.S. history content for 38 eighth-grade poor readers whose reading ability ranged from second-to fourth-grade levels. Half of the students received special education services, and half of the students were English language learners. Students were taught to decode multisyllabic words, learn…

Planning abilities of children aged 4 years and 9 months to 8 ½ years: Effects of age, fluid intelligence and school type on performance in the Tower of London test

PubMed Central

Malloy-Diniz, Leandro Fernandes; Cardoso-Martins, Cláudia; Nassif, Elaine Pacheco; Levy, Angela Maria; Leite, Wellington Borges; Fuentes, Daniel

2008-01-01

The present study investigated the relationship between age and one type of environmental factor, namely, type of school (i.e., private vs. public), and the development of mental planning ability, as measured by the Tower of London (TOL) test. Methods Participants comprised 197 public and 174 private school students, ranging in age from 4 years and 9 months to 8 years and 6 months. Besides the TOL test, students were administered Raven's Colored Matrices. Results Results confirmed the findings of previous studies that both age and school type are important predictors of mental planning. Furthermore, results also suggest that the relationship between type of school and mental planning ability cannot be accounted for by differences in students' fluid intelligence. Conclusion In the present study, the TOL test continued to differentiate public from private school students, even after we controlled for the effect of differences on the Raven test. PMID:29213536

Decreasing Math Anxiety in College Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Perry, Andrew B.

2004-01-01

This paper examines the phenomenon of mathematics anxiety in contemporary college and university students. Forms of math anxiety range from moderate test anxiety to extreme anxiety including physiological symptoms such as nausea. For each of several types of math anxiety, one or more case studies is analyzed. Selected strategies for coping with…

Assessing the life science knowledge of students and teachers represented by the K-8 national science standards.

PubMed

Sadler, Philip M; Coyle, Harold; Smith, Nancy Cook; Miller, Jaimie; Mintzes, Joel; Tanner, Kimberly; Murray, John

2013-01-01

We report on the development of an item test bank and associated instruments based on the National Research Council (NRC) K-8 life sciences content standards. Utilizing hundreds of studies in the science education research literature on student misconceptions, we constructed 476 unique multiple-choice items that measure the degree to which test takers hold either a misconception or an accepted scientific view. Tested nationally with 30,594 students, following their study of life science, and their 353 teachers, these items reveal a range of interesting results, particularly student difficulties in mastering the NRC standards. Teachers also answered test items and demonstrated a high level of subject matter knowledge reflecting the standards of the grade level at which they teach, but exhibiting few misconceptions of their own. In addition, teachers predicted the difficulty of each item for their students and which of the wrong answers would be the most popular. Teachers were found to generally overestimate their own students' performance and to have a high level of awareness of the particular misconceptions that their students hold on the K-4 standards, but a low level of awareness of misconceptions related to the 5-8 standards.

Use of information and communication technologies for teaching physics at the Technical University

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Polezhaev, V. D.; Polezhaeva, L. N.; Kamenev, V. V.

2017-01-01

The paper discusses the ways to improve methods and algorithms of the automated control of knowledge, approaches to the establishment and effective functioning of electronic teaching complexes, which include tests of a new generation, and their use is not limited control purpose only. Possibilities of computer-based testing system SCIENTIA are presented. This system is a tool to automate the control of knowledge that can be used for the assessment and monitoring of students' knowledge in different types of exams, self-control of students' knowledge, making test materials, creating a unified database of tests on a wide range of subjects etc. Successful operation of informational system is confirmed in practice during the study of the course of physics by students at Technical University.

Performance of medical students on a virtual reality simulator for knee arthroscopy: an analysis of learning curves and predictors of performance.

PubMed

Rahm, Stefan; Wieser, Karl; Wicki, Ilhui; Holenstein, Livia; Fucentese, Sandro F; Gerber, Christian

2016-03-25

Ethical concerns for surgical training on patients, limited working hours with fewer cases per trainee and the potential to better select talented persons for arthroscopic surgery raise the interest in simulator training for arthroscopic surgery. It was the purpose of this study to analyze learning curves of novices using a knee arthroscopy simulator and to correlate their performance with potentially predictive factors. Twenty medical students completed visuospatial tests and were then subjected to a simulator training program of eight 30 min sessions. Their test results were quantitatively correlated with their simulator performance at initiation, during and at the end of the program. The mean arthroscopic performance score (z-score in points) at the eight test sessions were 1. -35 (range, -126 to -5) points, 2. -16 (range, -30 to -2), 3. -11 (range, -35 to 4), 4. -3 (range, -16 to 5), 5. -2 (range, -28 to 7), 6. 1 (range, -18 to 8), 7. 2 (range, -9 to 8), 8. 2 (range, -4 to 7). Scores improved significantly from sessions 1 to 2 (p = 0.001), 2 to 3 (p = 0.052) and 3 to 4 (p = 0.001) but not thereafter. None of the investigated parameters predicted performance or development of arthroscopic performance. Novices improve significantly within four 30 min test virtual arthroscopy knee simulator training but not thereafter within the setting studied. No factors, predicting talent or speed and magnitude of improvement of skills could be identified.

An enrichment program for South Carolina high school students interested in future biomedical science professions.

PubMed

McLean, A H; Gibbs, T; Sugimoto, T; Altekruse, J M

1983-06-01

The Biomedical Sciences Program of the University of South Carolina intends to increase the number of qualified, economically disadvantaged minority students graduating from educational programs that lead to careers in the health field. The objective is to provide students with an overview of the health care delivery system in the United States and to acquaint students with a wide range of health care occupations and opportunities in the health care field. Experience-based learning, through site visits to different health care centers, is used in this program.In 1981, 100 ninth-grade students from rural school districts in South Carolina were recruited to participate in the program from 1981 through 1985. To assist in evaluation of the summer program, each student completed a self-administered questionnaire composed of questions related to background information and a pre-test covering factual material derived from information provided by visits to health care delivery agencies. At the completion of the summer program, the same test (excluding the collection of background material) was administered as a post-test.Of the 113 students who took the pre-test, 89 students also took the post-test. The decrease in students was accounted for by early withdrawal from the summer program or conflicts in scheduled events. Of the post-test group, 75 (84.3 percent) were nonwhite and 14 (15.7 percent) were white. The sex distribution was 60 women (67.4 percent) and 29 men (32.6 percent).Follow-up on academic advancement and career development progress is planned for each student over the next five years.

Developing the Assessment Literacy of University Proficiency Test Users

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

O'Loughlin, Kieran

2013-01-01

The rapidly increasing use of English language proficiency test scores by universities around the world to select international students has resulted in a range of admissions, marketing, academic and teaching support staff interacting with the tests in different ways. To date, there has been little research investigating the assessment literacy…

Extended Time Testing Accommodations: What Does the Research Say?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lovett, Benjamin J.

2011-01-01

Extended time is among the most common testing accommodations given to students with a wide range of disabilities. However, although school psychologists are often involved in accommodation decisions, many are unaware of research from the past decade that has changed their understanding of extended time. Used properly, testing accommodations let…

A multimedia patient simulation for teaching and assessing endodontic diagnosis.

PubMed

Littlefield, John H; Demps, Elaine L; Keiser, Karl; Chatterjee, Lipika; Yuan, Cheng H; Hargreaves, Kenneth M

2003-06-01

Teaching and assessing diagnostic skills are difficult due to relatively small numbers of total clinical experiences and a shortage of clinical faculty. Patient simulations could help teach and assess diagnosis by displaying a well-defined diagnostic task, then providing informative feedback and opportunities for repetition and correction of errors. This report describes the development and initial evaluation of SimEndo I, a multimedia patient simulation program that could be used for teaching or assessing endodontic diagnosis. Students interact with a graphical interface that has four pull-down menus and related submenus. In response to student requests, the program presents patient information. Scoring is based on diagnosis of each case by endodontists. Pilot testing with seventy-four junior dental students identified numerous needed improvements to the user interface program. A multi-school field test of the interface program using three patient cases addressed three research questions: 1) How did the field test students evaluate SimEndo I? Overall mean evaluation was 8.1 on a 0 to 10 scale; 2) How many cases are needed to generate a reproducible diagnostic proficiency score for an individual student using the Rimoldi scoring procedure? Mean diagnostic proficiency scores by case ranged from .27 to .40 on a 0 to 1 scale; five cases would produce a score with a 0.80 reliability coefficient; and 3) Did students accurately diagnose each case? Mean correct diagnosis scores by case ranged from .54 to .78 on a 0 to 1 scale. We conclude that multimedia patient simulations offer a promising alternative for teaching and assessing student diagnostic skills.

Light and optics conceptual evaluation findings from first year optometry students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thapa, Damber; Lakshminarayanan, Vasudevan

2014-07-01

The Light and Optics Conceptual Evaluation (LOCE) was developed to examine conceptual understanding of basic geometric and physical optics for the Active Learning in Optics and Photonics program administered by UNESCO. This 50 item test (46 multiple choice, 4 ray-tracing short answer) was administered to entering students in the Optometry professional degree (OD) program. We wanted to determine how much of the physics/optics concepts from undergraduate physics courses (a pre-requisite for entry to the OD program) were retained. In addition, the test was administered after the first year students had taken a required course in geometric and visual optics as part of their first semester courses. The LOCE was completed by two consecutive classes to the program in 2010 (n=89) and 2011 (n=84). The tests were administered the first week of the term and the test was given without any prior notice. In addition, the test was administered to the class of 2010 students after they had completed the course in geometric and visual optics. The means of the test were 22.1 (SD=4.5; range: 12-35) and 21.3(SD=5.1; range: 11-35) for the two entering classes. There was no statistical significance between the two classes (t-test, p<0.05). Similarly there was no difference between the scores in terms of gender. The post-course test (administered during the first week of the second term) showed a statistically significant improvement (mean score went from 22.1 to 31.1, a 35% improvement). It should be noted that both groups of students performed worse in questions related to physical optics as well as lens imaging, while scoring best in questions related to refraction and reflection. These data should be taken into consideration when designing optics curricula for optometry (and other allied health programs such as opticianry or ophthalmology).

[Prevalence of hymenoptera sting allergy in veterinary medicine students from Monterey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico].

PubMed

Arias Cruz, Alfredo; Monsiváis Toscano, Gina; Gallardo Martínez, Gabriela; González Díaz, Sandra Nora; Galindo Rodríguez, Gabriela

2007-01-01

The reported prevalence of allergic systemic reactions to hymenoptera venom occur in up to 3.3% and large local reactions occur in 17% in the general population. To investigate the prevalence of hymenoptera sting allergy in a group of veterinary medicine students from Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico. A transverse and observational study was done with 64 students of veterinary medicine. We conducted a questionnaire about the students' history of insect allergy and atopy. Skin test with allergenic extracts of bee and ant were practiced to all subjects. We performed aeroallergen skin prick test to the subjets with suspected atopy. Students age ranged from 17 to 25 years (mean 20.2) and 37 were males. Twenty students (31.3%) had clinical history of atopy and positive skin tests to aeroallergens. On the other hand, 5 students (7.8%), including 2 atopic, had suffered large local reactions, but none of them had suffered systemic reactions. Bee and ant skin tests were positive in 15.6% and 31.3% of the students respectively. There was no difference in the prevalence of hymenoptera allergy between atopic and non atopic subjects (p < 0.05). Further, the frequency of atopy in subjects with positive skin tests for bee and ant was 50%. The prevalence of large local reactions and hymenoptera sensitization found in this group was similar to that found in other epidemiologic studies.

Glucose as the Sole Metabolic Fuel: A Study on the Possible Influence of Teachers' Knowledge on the Establishment of a Misconception among Brazilian High School Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

da Luz, Mauricio Roberto Motta Pinto

2008-01-01

In the present work, I investigated the origin of the misconception that glucose is the sole metabolic fuel previously described among Brazilian high school students. The results of a multiple-choice test composed of 24 questions about a broad range of biology subjects were analyzed. The test was part of a contest and was answered by a sample…

Assessing medical students' perceptions of patient safety: the medical student safety attitudes and professionalism survey.

PubMed

Liao, Joshua M; Etchegaray, Jason M; Williams, S Tyler; Berger, David H; Bell, Sigall K; Thomas, Eric J

2014-02-01

To develop and test the psychometric properties of a survey to measure students' perceptions about patient safety as observed on clinical rotations. In 2012, the authors surveyed 367 graduating fourth-year medical students at three U.S. MD-granting medical schools. They assessed the survey's reliability and construct and concurrent validity. They examined correlations between students' perceptions of organizational cultural factors, organizational patient safety measures, and students' intended safety behaviors. They also calculated percent positive scores for cultural factors. Two hundred twenty-eight students (62%) responded. Analyses identified five cultural factors (teamwork culture, safety culture, error disclosure culture, experiences with professionalism, and comfort expressing professional concerns) that had construct validity, concurrent validity, and good reliability (Cronbach alphas > 0.70). Across schools, percent positive scores for safety culture ranged from 28% (95% confidence interval [CI], 13%-43%) to 64% (30%-98%), while those for teamwork culture ranged from 47% (32%-62%) to 74% (66%-81%). They were low for error disclosure culture (range: 10% [0%-20%] to 27% [20%-35%]), experiences with professionalism (range: 7% [0%-15%] to 23% [16%-30%]), and comfort expressing professional concerns (range: 17% [5%-29%] to 38% [8%-69%]). Each cultural factor correlated positively with perceptions of overall patient safety as observed in clinical rotations (r = 0.37-0.69, P < .05) and at least one safety behavioral intent item. This study provided initial evidence for the survey's reliability and validity and illustrated its applicability for determining whether students' clinical experiences exemplify positive patient safety environments.

Making Test Anxiety a Laughing Matter: A Quantitative Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Repass, Jim T.

2017-01-01

Relieving test anxiety actions range from relaxation exercises to prescription medication. Humor can be a simple method of test anxiety relief. The current study was used to determine if humor, in the form of a cartoon, placed on the splash page of an online exam improved the test scores of students who have high test anxiety. In the current…

Grade 9 Pilot Test. Mathematics. June 1988 = 9e Annee Test Pilote. Mathematiques. Juin 1988.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alberta Dept. of Education, Edmonton.

This pilot test for ninth grade mathematics is written in both French and English. The test consists of 75 multiple-choice items. Students are given 90 minutes to complete the examination and the use of a calculator is highly recommended. The test content covers a wide range of mathematical topics including: decimals; exponents; arithmetic word…

Comparison of Earth Science Achievement between Animation-Based and Graphic-Based Testing Designs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wu, Huang-Ching; Chang, Chun-Yen; Chen, Chia-Li D.; Yeh, Ting-Kuang; Liu, Cheng-Chueh

2010-01-01

This study developed two testing devices, namely the animation-based test (ABT) and the graphic-based test (GBT) in the area of earth sciences covering four domains that ranged from astronomy, meteorology, oceanography to geology. Both the students' achievements of and their attitudes toward ABT compared to GBT were investigated. The purposes of…

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

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Khan, S.

2011-01-01

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

Building BRIDGES: A Design Experiment to Improve Reading and United States History Knowledge of Poor Readers in 8th Grade

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

O'Connor, Rollanda E.; Beach, Kristen D.; Sanchez, Victoria; Bocian, Kathleen M.; Flynn, Lindsay

2015-01-01

We tested the effects of teaching reading skills through U.S. History content for 38 eighth-grade poor readers whose reading ability ranged from 2nd to 4th grade levels. Half of the students received special education services and half of the students were English Language Learners. Students were taught to decode multisyllabic words, learn…

The Dominance Concept Inventory: A Tool for Assessing Undergraduate Student Alternative Conceptions about Dominance in Mendelian and Population Genetics.

PubMed

Abraham, Joel K; Perez, Kathryn E; Price, Rebecca M

2014-01-01

Despite the impact of genetics on daily life, biology undergraduates understand some key genetics concepts poorly. One concept requiring attention is dominance, which many students understand as a fixed property of an allele or trait and regularly conflate with frequency in a population or selective advantage. We present the Dominance Concept Inventory (DCI), an instrument to gather data on selected alternative conceptions about dominance. During development of the 16-item test, we used expert surveys (n = 12), student interviews (n = 42), and field tests (n = 1763) from introductory and advanced biology undergraduates at public and private, majority- and minority-serving, 2- and 4-yr institutions in the United States. In the final field test across all subject populations (n = 709), item difficulty ranged from 0.08 to 0.84 (0.51 ± 0.049 SEM), while item discrimination ranged from 0.11 to 0.82 (0.50 ± 0.048 SEM). Internal reliability (Cronbach's alpha) was 0.77, while test-retest reliability values were 0.74 (product moment correlation) and 0.77 (intraclass correlation). The prevalence of alternative conceptions in the field tests shows that introductory and advanced students retain confusion about dominance after instruction. All measures support the DCI as a useful instrument for measuring undergraduate biology student understanding and alternative conceptions about dominance. © 2014 J. K. Abraham et al. CBE—Life Sciences Education © 2014 The American Society for Cell Biology. This article is distributed by The American Society for Cell Biology under license from the author(s). It is available to the public under an Attribution–Noncommercial–Share Alike 3.0 Unported Creative Commons License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0).

Identification and analysis of student conceptions used to solve chemical equilibrium problems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Voska, Kirk William

This study identified and quantified chemistry conceptions students use when solving chemical equilibrium problems requiring the application of Le Chatelier's principle, and explored the feasibility of designing a paper and pencil test for this purpose. It also demonstrated the utility of conditional probabilities to assess test quality. A 10-item pencil-and-paper, two-tier diagnostic instrument, the Test to Identify Student Conceptualizations (TISC) was developed and administered to 95 second-semester university general chemistry students after they received regular course instruction concerning equilibrium in homogeneous aqueous, heterogeneous aqueous, and homogeneous gaseous systems. The content validity of TISC was established through a review of TISC by a panel of experts; construct validity was established through semi-structured interviews and conditional probabilities. Nine students were then selected from a stratified random sample for interviews to validate TISC. The probability that TISC correctly identified an answer given by a student in an interview was p = .64, while the probability that TISC correctly identified a reason given by a student in an interview was p=.49. Each TISC item contained two parts. In the first part the student selected the correct answer to a problem from a set of four choices. In the second part students wrote reasons for their answer to the first part. TISC questions were designed to identify students' conceptions concerning the application of Le Chatelier's principle, the constancy of the equilibrium constant, K, and the effect of a catalyst. Eleven prevalent incorrect conceptions were identified. This study found students consistently selected correct answers more frequently (53% of the time) than they provided correct reasons (33% of the time). The association between student answers and respective reasons on each TISC item was quantified using conditional probabilities calculated from logistic regression coefficients. The probability a student provided correct reasoning (B) when the student selected a correct answer (A) ranged from P(B| A) =.32 to P(B| A) =.82. However, the probability a student selected a correct answer when they provided correct reasoning ranged from P(A| B) =.96 to P(A| B) = 1. The K-R 20 reliability for TISC was found to be.79.

Context Sensitivity in the Force Concept Inventory

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stewart, John; Griffin, Heather; Stewart, Gay

2007-01-01

The force concept inventory and a 10-question context-modified test were given to 647 students enrolled in introductory physics classes at the University of Arkansas. Context changes had an effect ranging from -3% to 10% on the individual questions. The average student score on the ten transformed questions was 3% higher than the average student…

Steroids: To Test or to Educate?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

LaFee, Scott

2006-01-01

In February 2005, The Dallas Morning News published a multipart series on steroid use among high school students in Texas. The paper's four-month investigation was wide-ranging, but shined a particular spotlight upon alleged abuses in the 13,700-student Grapevine-Colleyville Independent School District, north of Dallas. Use of steroids and other…

Outcomes and Perceptions of Annotated Video Feedback Following Psychomotor Skill Laboratories

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Truskowski, S.; VanderMolen, J.

2017-01-01

This study sought to explore the effectiveness of annotated video technology for providing feedback to occupational therapy students learning transfers, range of motion and manual muscle testing. Fifty-seven first-year occupational therapy students were split into two groups. One received annotated video feedback during a transfer lab and…

High-School Exit Examinations and the Schooling Decisions of Teenagers: Evidence From Regression-Discontinuity Approaches

PubMed Central

Papay, John P.; Murnane, Richard J.; Willett, John B.

2014-01-01

We examine whether barely failing one or more state-mandated high school exit examinations in Massachusetts affects the probability that students enroll in college. We extend the exit examination literature in two ways. First, we explore longer term effects of failing these tests. We find that barely failing an exit examination, for students on the margin of passing, reduces the probability of college attendance several years after the test. Second, we explore potential interactions that arise because students must pass exit examinations in both mathematics and English language arts in order to graduate from high school. We adopt a variety of regression-discontinuity approaches to address situations where multiple variables assign individuals to a range of treatments; some of these approaches enable us to examine whether the effect of barely failing one examination depends on student performance on the other. We document the range of causal effects estimated by each approach. We argue that each approach presents opportunities and limitations for making causal inferences in such situations and that the choice of approach should match the question of interest. PMID:25606065

Effects of Classroom Ventilation Rate and Temperature on Students' Test Scores.

PubMed

Haverinen-Shaughnessy, Ulla; Shaughnessy, Richard J

2015-01-01

Using a multilevel approach, we estimated the effects of classroom ventilation rate and temperature on academic achievement. The analysis is based on measurement data from a 70 elementary school district (140 fifth grade classrooms) from Southwestern United States, and student level data (N = 3109) on socioeconomic variables and standardized test scores. There was a statistically significant association between ventilation rates and mathematics scores, and it was stronger when the six classrooms with high ventilation rates that were indicated as outliers were filtered (> 7.1 l/s per person). The association remained significant when prior year test scores were included in the model, resulting in less unexplained variability. Students' mean mathematics scores (average 2286 points) were increased by up to eleven points (0.5%) per each liter per second per person increase in ventilation rate within the range of 0.9-7.1 l/s per person (estimated effect size 74 points). There was an additional increase of 12-13 points per each 1°C decrease in temperature within the observed range of 20-25°C (estimated effect size 67 points). Effects of similar magnitude but higher variability were observed for reading and science scores. In conclusion, maintaining adequate ventilation and thermal comfort in classrooms could significantly improve academic achievement of students.

Sequential Objective Structured Clinical Examination based on item response theory in Iran.

PubMed

Hejri, Sara Mortaz; Jalili, Mohammad

2017-01-01

In a sequential objective structured clinical examination (OSCE), all students initially take a short screening OSCE. Examinees who pass are excused from further testing, but an additional OSCE is administered to the remaining examinees. Previous investigations of sequential OSCE were based on classical test theory. We aimed to design and evaluate screening OSCEs based on item response theory (IRT). We carried out a retrospective observational study. At each station of a 10-station OSCE, the students' performance was graded on a Likert-type scale. Since the data were polytomous, the difficulty parameters, discrimination parameters, and students' ability were calculated using a graded response model. To design several screening OSCEs, we identified the 5 most difficult stations and the 5 most discriminative ones. For each test, 5, 4, or 3 stations were selected. Normal and stringent cut-scores were defined for each test. We compared the results of each of the 12 screening OSCEs to the main OSCE and calculated the positive and negative predictive values (PPV and NPV), as well as the exam cost. A total of 253 students (95.1%) passed the main OSCE, while 72.6% to 94.4% of examinees passed the screening tests. The PPV values ranged from 0.98 to 1.00, and the NPV values ranged from 0.18 to 0.59. Two tests effectively predicted the results of the main exam, resulting in financial savings of 34% to 40%. If stations with the highest IRT-based discrimination values and stringent cut-scores are utilized in the screening test, sequential OSCE can be an efficient and convenient way to conduct an OSCE.

The Effects of Item by Item Feedback Given during an Ability Test.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Whetton, C.; Childs, R.

1981-01-01

Answer-until-correct (AUC) is a procedure for providing feedback during a multiple-choice test, giving an increased range of scores. The performance of secondary students on a verbal ability test using AUC procedures was compared with a group using conventional instructions. AUC scores considerably enhanced reliability but not validity.…

Science Library of Test Items. Volume Four: Practical Testing Guide.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

New South Wales Dept. of Education, Sydney (Australia).

As one in a series of test items collections developed by the Assessment and Evaluation Unit of the Directorate of Studies, the guide gives a wide range of questions and activities for the manipulation of scientific equipment to allow assessment of students' practical laboratory skills. Instructions are given to make norm-referenced or…

Differential effects of oral reading to improve comprehension with severe learning disabled and educable mentally handicapped students.

PubMed

Chang, S Q; Williams, R L; McLaughlin, T F

1983-01-01

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of oral reading as a teaching technique for improving reading comprehension of 11 Educable Mentally Handicapped or Severe Learning Disabled adolescents. Students were tested on their ability to answer comprehension questions from a short factual article. Comprehension improved following the oral reading for students with a reading grade equivalent of less than 5.5 (measured from the Wide Range Achievement Test) but not for those students having a grade equivalent of greater than 5.5. This association was statistically significant (p = less than .01). Oral reading appeared to improve comprehension among the poorer readers but not for readers with moderately high ability.

Testing the development of student conceptual and visualization understanding in quantum mechanics through the undergraduate career

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Robinett, Richard

2003-04-01

In order to probe various aspects of student understanding of some of the core ideas of quantum mechanics, and especially how they develop over the undergraduate curriculum, we have developed an assessment instrument designed to test conceptual and visualization understanding in quantum theory. We report data obtained from students ranging from sophomore-level modern physics courses, through junior-senior level quantum theory classes, to first year graduate quantum mechanics courses in what may be the first such study of the development of student understanding in this important core subject of physics through the undergraduate career. We discuss the results and their possible relevance to the standard curriculum as well as to the development of new curricular materials.

Assessing the Life Science Knowledge of Students and Teachers Represented by the K–8 National Science Standards

PubMed Central

Sadler, Philip M.; Coyle, Harold; Smith, Nancy Cook; Miller, Jaimie; Mintzes, Joel; Tanner, Kimberly; Murray, John

2013-01-01

We report on the development of an item test bank and associated instruments based on the National Research Council (NRC) K–8 life sciences content standards. Utilizing hundreds of studies in the science education research literature on student misconceptions, we constructed 476 unique multiple-choice items that measure the degree to which test takers hold either a misconception or an accepted scientific view. Tested nationally with 30,594 students, following their study of life science, and their 353 teachers, these items reveal a range of interesting results, particularly student difficulties in mastering the NRC standards. Teachers also answered test items and demonstrated a high level of subject matter knowledge reflecting the standards of the grade level at which they teach, but exhibiting few misconceptions of their own. In addition, teachers predicted the difficulty of each item for their students and which of the wrong answers would be the most popular. Teachers were found to generally overestimate their own students’ performance and to have a high level of awareness of the particular misconceptions that their students hold on the K–4 standards, but a low level of awareness of misconceptions related to the 5–8 standards. PMID:24006402

Reasoning and Comprehension Processes of Linguistic Minority Persons Learning from Text

DTIC Science & Technology

1989-08-25

scores for the ESL speakers are typical for this population. Performance on the Test of English as a Foreign Language ( TOEFL ) is the language proficiency...fluctuated around 500 for the past several years. An additional 7 ESL students reported scores on the Test of English as a Foreign Language ( TOEFL ) and 2...students reported both SAT and TOEFL scores. The mean TOEFL was 564.7, with scores ranging from 510 to 630. 0 The mean TOEFL score is representative of

Physical fitness and academic performance in middle school students.

PubMed

Bass, Ronald W; Brown, Dale D; Laurson, Kelly R; Coleman, Margaret M

2013-08-01

The purpose of this study was to determine whether physical fitness is linked to academic success in middle school students. The FITNESSGRAM test battery assessed students (n = 838) in the five components of health-related fitness. The Illinois Standardized Achievement Test (ISAT) was used to assess academic achievement in reading and math. The largest correlations were seen for aerobic fitness and muscular endurance (ranging from 0.12 to 0.27, all p < 0.05). Boys in the Healthy Fitness Zone (HFZ) for aerobic fitness or muscular endurance were 2.5-3 times more likely to pass their math or reading exams. Girls in the HFZ for aerobic fitness were approximately 2-4 times as likely to meet or exceed reading and math test standards. Aerobic capacity and muscular endurance seem to positively affect academic achievement in middle school students. ©2013 Foundation Acta Paediatrica. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Grade six students' understanding of the nature of science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cochrane, Donald Brian

The goal of scientific literacy requires that students develop an understanding of the nature of science to assist them in the reasoned acquisition of science concepts and in their future role as citizens in a participatory democracy. The purpose of this study was to investigate and describe the range of positions that grade six students hold with respect to the nature of science and to investigate whether gender or prior science education was related to students' views of the nature of science. Two grade six classes participated in this study. One class was from a school involved in a long-term elementary science curriculum project. The science curriculum at this school involved constructivist epistemology and pedagogy and a realist ontology. The curriculum stressed hands-on, open-ended activities and the development of science process skills. Students were frequently involved in creating and testing explanations for physical phenomena. The second class was from a matched school that had a traditional science program. Results of the study indicated that students hold a wider range of views of the nature of science than previously documented. Student positions ranged from having almost no understanding of the nature of science to those expressing positions regarding the nature of science that were more developed than previous studies had documented. Despite the range of views documented, all subjects held realist views of scientific knowledge. Contrary to the literature, some students were able to evaluate a scientific theory in light of empirical evidence that they had generated. Results also indicated that students from the project school displayed more advanced views of the nature of science than their matched peers. However, not all students benefited equally from their experiences. No gender differences were found with respect to students' understanding of the nature of science.

Validity and Reliability of the Clinical Competency Evaluation Instrument for Use among Physiotherapy Students: Pilot study.

PubMed

Muhamad, Zailani; Ramli, Ayiesah; Amat, Salleh

2015-05-01

The aim of this study was to determine the content validity, internal consistency, test-retest reliability and inter-rater reliability of the Clinical Competency Evaluation Instrument (CCEVI) in assessing the clinical performance of physiotherapy students. This study was carried out between June and September 2013 at University Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. A panel of 10 experts were identified to establish content validity by evaluating and rating each of the items used in the CCEVI with regards to their relevance in measuring students' clinical competency. A total of 50 UKM undergraduate physiotherapy students were assessed throughout their clinical placement to determine the construct validity of these items. The instrument's reliability was determined through a cross-sectional study involving a clinical performance assessment of 14 final-year undergraduate physiotherapy students. The content validity index of the entire CCEVI was 0.91, while the proportion of agreement on the content validity indices ranged from 0.83-1.00. The CCEVI construct validity was established with factor loading of ≥0.6, while internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha) overall was 0.97. Test-retest reliability of the CCEVI was confirmed with a Pearson's correlation range of 0.91-0.97 and an intraclass coefficient correlation range of 0.95-0.98. Inter-rater reliability of the CCEVI domains ranged from 0.59 to 0.97 on initial and subsequent assessments. This pilot study confirmed the content validity of the CCEVI. It showed high internal consistency, thereby providing evidence that the CCEVI has moderate to excellent inter-rater reliability. However, additional refinement in the wording of the CCEVI items, particularly in the domains of safety and documentation, is recommended to further improve the validity and reliability of the instrument.

High-Stakes Cheating

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dessoff, Alan

2011-01-01

Administrators and teachers in several large districts nationwide have cheated on standardized tests to make achievement levels look better than they actually were. The offenses range from giving students advance answers to questions on standardized tests, to erasing and changing unsatisfactory answers. As a result of district and state…

Re-evaluating Traditional Predictors of Incoming Knowledge in Astronomy 101 and Implications for Course Revitalization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Berryhill, K. J.; Slater, T. F.; Slater, S. J.; Harbour, C.; Forrester, J. H.

2016-12-01

A wide range of incoming knowledge is seen in students taking introductory astronomy courses. Using the Test Of Astronomy STandards (TOAST) as a pre-course measure of incoming knowledge, an evaluation was completed to discover any explanation for this variation. It would be reasonable to suggest that this could result from the variety we see in student's motivation, self-efficacy, general scholastic achievement, their high school science experience, or even whether one or more of their parents is in a STEM field. In this re-evaluation, there was no correlation seen between the above and the student's pre-test scores. Instead, the only predictor of pretest scores was student's exposure to astronomy through informal learning opportunities. This leads to important implications for faculty revitalizing their courses to improve student learning.

[Perception of undergraduate medical students of the educational environment at Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social].

PubMed

Morales-Gómez, Antonio; Medina-Figueroa, Alda María

2007-01-01

To ascertain the perception of third and fourth year medical students and interns (fifth year) about the educational environment during the clinical education phase and during the internship at Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social (IMSS). A questionnaire with 120 items was developed to evaluate whether IMSS educational environment encourages reflection and criticism among medical students and interns. The highest possible score of the questionnaire was 240 points. A t test was used to compare the score of the students who were classified according to the term in which they were enrolled. 1997 medical students and 1075 interns from 46 IMSS clinical settings answered the previously validated questionnaire. Seventy percent of the students considered that the educational environment was not very favorable for reflection and criticism; 19% perceived it as favorable and 11% as unfavorable. The median score of third and fourth year medical students, was 134.9 (range 80-193; p = 0.27), interns' score was 130.4 (range 80-208; p = 0.001). The perception of the medical students in clinical settings other than Mexico City was less unfavourable (median 132.8; range 63.5-208); p = 0.003). apparently, the occupational environment influences the educational environments where the courses take place. As long as the students advance in their courses and get involved in clinical practice, their perception of the educational environment becomes unfavorable.

A three-day anatomy revision course taught by senior peers effectively prepares junior students for their national anatomy exam.

PubMed

Rengier, Fabian; Rauch, Philipp Julian; Partovi, Sasan; Kirsch, Joachim; Nawrotzki, Ralph

2010-12-20

this study examines whether peer-teaching, in the setting of a three-day revision course in anatomy, is effective in preparing medical students for their national anatomy exam. the anatomy course was designed for candidates taking the first part of the German national medical exam. Increase of knowledge during the course was assessed by tests before and after the course (group A). To test equivalence, two control groups participated in the pre-test (group B) or in the course and in the post-test (group C). Participants anonymously rated 14 feedback items on a five-point Likert scale ranging from 1 (full agreement) to 5 (full disagreement). group A students' performance improved significantly during the course with a mean increase of 7.15 points (11.9% improvement; p<0.001). Equivalence testing showed that performance of group A students in the pre-/post-tests was equal to those of group B pre-tests and group C post-tests, respectively. Agreement on the 14 feedback items was highly significant (p<0.001 for all items), with a global median of 1. this study shows that a three-day anatomy revision course is effective and highly appreciated by medical students in their preparation for the national exam. Moreover, peer-teaching is reliable at this stage of the medical curriculum. 2010 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

Men's Media Use, Sexual Cognitions, and Sexual Risk Behavior: Testing a Mediational Model

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ward, L. Monique; Epstein, Marina; Caruthers, Allison; Merriwether, Ann

2011-01-01

Efforts to link media use to adolescents' sexual initiation have produced somewhat inconsistent results, perhaps as a result of the limited framing of the question. This study sought to expand current approaches by sampling college students instead of high school students, by investigating a range of sexual behaviors and media formats, and by…

Goal Orientations and Perceptions of the Motivational Climate in Physical Education Classes among Colombian Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Flores, Jairo; Salguero, Alfonso; Marquez, Sara

2008-01-01

This study examined the relationships of achievement goal orientations and perceptions of the motivational climate in physical education classes among Colombian students, and tested gender and age differences in goal orientations and perceived motivational climate. Participants (1378 boys and 1615 girls, ranging in age from 9 to 18 yr) completed…

Effect of Knowledge Integration Activities on Students' Perception of the Earth's Crust as a Cyclic System.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kali, Yael; Orion, Nir; Eylon, Bat-Sheva

2003-01-01

Characterizes students' understanding of the rock cycle system. Examines effects of a knowledge integration activity on their system thinking. Interprets answers to an open-ended test using a systems thinking continuum ranging from a completely static view of the system to an understanding of the system's cyclic nature. Reports meaningful…

Academic status and progress of deaf and hard-of-hearing students in general education classrooms.

PubMed

Antia, Shirin D; Jones, Patricia B; Reed, Susanne; Kreimeyer, Kathryn H

2009-01-01

The study participants were 197 deaf or hard-of-hearing students with mild to profound hearing loss who attended general education classes for 2 or more hours per day. We obtained scores on standardized achievement tests of math, reading, and language/writing, and standardized teacher's ratings of academic competence annually, for 5 years, together with other demographic and communication data. Results on standardized achievement tests indicated that, over the 5-year period, 63%-79% of students scored in the average or above-average range in math, 48%-68% in reading, and 55%-76% in language/writing. The standardized test scores for the group were, on average, half an SD below hearing norms. Average student progress in each subject area was consistent with or better than that made by the norm group of hearing students, and 79%-81% of students made one or more year's progress annually. Teachers rated 69%-81% of students as average or above average in academic competence over the 5 years. The teacher's ratings also indicated that 89% of students made average or above-average progress. Students' expressive and receptive communication, classroom participation, communication mode, and parental participation in school were significantly, but moderately, related to academic outcomes.

The evaluation of an open source online training system for teaching 12 lead electrocardiographic interpretation.

PubMed

Breen, Cathal; Zhu, Tingting; Bond, Raymond; Finlay, Dewar; Clifford, Gari

2016-01-01

The aim of this study is to present and evaluate the integration of a low resource JavaScript based ECG training interface (CrowdLabel) and a standardised curriculum for self-guided tuition in ECG interpretation. Participants practiced interpreting ECGs weekly using the CrowdLabel interface to assist with the learning of the traditional didactic taught course material during a 6 week training period. To determine competency students were tested during week 7. A total of 245 unique ECG cases were submitted by each student. Accuracy scores during the training period ranged from 0-59.5% (median = 33.3%). Conversely accuracy scores during the test ranged from 30 - 70% (median = 37.5%) (p < 0.05). There was no correlation between students who interpreted high numbers of ECGs during the training period and their marks obtained. CrowdLabel is shown to be a readily accessible dedicated learning platform to support ECG interpretation competency. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Perceived barriers mediate the association between self-efficacy and fruit and vegetable consumption among students attending alternative high schools

PubMed Central

Bruening, Meg; Kubik, Martha Y.; Kenyon, DenYelle; Davey, Cynthia; Story, Mary

2010-01-01

Compared to students attending regular high schools, alternative high schools (AHS) students are more likely to be racial/ethnic minorities, have higher levels of poverty, and higher rates of risky and poor health behaviors, including weight-related behaviors, such as limited fruit/vegetable intake. However, little is known about fruit/vegetable intake among AHS students. This study examined whether perceived barriers to healthy eating mediated association between self-efficacy to eat healthy foods and fruit/vegetable consumption among AHS students. The cross-sectional study population consisted of students (n=145) attending 6 alternative high schools in the St. Paul/Minneapolis, MN area who were participants in an obesity prevention pilot study and completed a baseline survey in Fall 2006. Mixed model linear regression, adjusting for sociodemographic characteristics was used to test a series of regression models performed according to mediation analysis procedures. Students' mean age was 17.3 years, 52% were male, 63% were low-income, and 61% were from racial/ethnic minorities. Students reported a mean fruit/vegetable intake of 3.6 servings per day, mean self-efficacy to eat healthy score of 22.2 (range 3-35), and mean barriers to eating healthy score of 6.9 (range 3-13). Perceived barriers to healthy eating fully mediated the relationship between self-efficacy and fruit/vegetable consumption (Sobel test statistic=2.7, p=0.007). Interventions targeting the dietary practices of AHS students should include components to decrease perceived barriers as a way to increase self-efficacy and ultimately fruit/vegetable intake. PMID:20869495

A Litmus Test for Performance Assessment.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Finson, Kevin D.; Beaver, John B.

1992-01-01

Presents 10 guidelines for developing performance-based assessment items. Presents a sample activity developed from the guidelines. The activity tests students ability to observe, classify, and infer, using red and blue litmus paper, a pH-range finder, vinegar, ammonia, an unknown solution, distilled water, and paper towels. (PR)

Factor Structure of Psychoeducational and Neuropsychological Measures of Learning-Disabled Children.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chittooran, Mary Mathai; And Others

1993-01-01

Administered Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised, Halstead-Reitan Neuropsychological Battery, Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test, and Wide Range Achievement Test to 934 learning-disabled students between ages 8 and 16. Principal-components analysis with varimax rotation indicated existence of seven factors: Verbal Reasoning, Academic…

Comparison of the Properties of the Handwriting Speed Test (HST) and Detailed Assessment of Speed of Handwriting (DASH): An Exploratory Study.

PubMed

Francis, Anna; Wallen, Margaret; Bundy, Anita

2017-05-01

Handwriting speed is an important component of students' ability to adequately express their ideas, knowledge and creativity in a timely and effective manner. Psychometric properties of the Handwriting Speed Test (HST) and Detailed Assessment of Speed of Handwriting (DASH) and accuracy of the norms for identifying current Australian students with handwriting speed difficulties were examined. An exploratory, cross-sectional study was conducted involving students, with and without handwriting difficulties, in Years 3-12 (mean age: 12.0 yrs, SD = 3.0 yrs; range = 7 to 18 yrs) in New South Wales (NSW; Australia). Participants were recruited through occupational therapists and schools. Students completed the HST and all DASH subtests. Thirty-two students with, and 139 students without, handwriting difficulties participated. Intra-rater and inter-rater reliability were found to be excellent; sensitivity was low and specificity high for the HST and DASH. No significant differences were found between test scores and normative data for students without handwriting difficulties (year/age groups with n > 10). The HST and DASH are reliable assessments of handwriting speed. Further research is required into discriminant validity of the HST and DASH and need for updated norms.

Assessment of learning and study strategies of university students in Qatar using an Arabic translation of the Learning and Study Strategies Inventory.

PubMed

Alkhateeb, Haitham M; Nasser, Ramzi

2014-06-01

413 (119 men, 294 women) undergraduate university students in Qatar completed an Arabic version of the Learning and Study Strategies Inventory (LASSI) measuring Anxiety, Attitude, Concentration, Information Processing, Motivation, Self-testing, Selecting Main Ideas, Study Aids, Time Management, and Test Strategies. The students' learning and study strategies scores were similar to those reported in the literature. Factor analysis indicated the same general factors as in the original study. Internal consistency estimates ranged from .62 to .88. Nine of the 10 scales (i.e., all with the exception of the Study Aids) significantly correlated with students' GPAs. Scores obtained from these scales provide valid assessments of Qatar University students' use of learning and study strategies related to skill, will, and self-regulation components of strategic learning and also academic achievement. There also were statistically significant differences between higher and lower achieving students in their learning and study strategies. This study also explored the use of the LASSI as a predictive measure of academic achievement. Anxiety and test strategies were significant predictors of academic achievement as measured by students' GPA.

[Development of critical thinking skill evaluation scale for nursing students].

PubMed

You, So Young; Kim, Nam Cho

2014-04-01

To develop a Critical Thinking Skill Test for Nursing Students. The construct concepts were drawn from a literature review and in-depth interviews with hospital nurses and surveys were conducted among students (n=607) from nursing colleges. The data were collected from September 13 to November 23, 2012 and analyzed using the SAS program, 9.2 version. The KR 20 coefficient for reliability, difficulty index, discrimination index, item-total correlation and known group technique for validity were performed. Four domains and 27 skills were identified and 35 multiple choice items were developed. Thirty multiple choice items which had scores higher than .80 on the content validity index were selected for the pre test. From the analysis of the pre test data, a modified 30 items were selected for the main test. In the main test, the KR 20 coefficient was .70 and Corrected Item-Total Correlations range was .11-.38. There was a statistically significant difference between two academic systems (p=.001). The developed instrument is the first critical thinking skill test reflecting nursing perspectives in hospital settings and is expected to be utilized as a tool which contributes to improvement of the critical thinking ability of nursing students.

The Effect of Background Knowledge and Reading Comprehension Test Items on Male and Female Performance

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yazdanpanah, Khatereh

2007-01-01

The present article reports on a study investigating the interaction of a reading comprehension test with gender in a formal testing context and the performance of males and females on reading test items with regard to demands on strategy use. Participants were 187 (59 = female and 128 = male) international students ranging from 17 to 20 years of…

Zebrafish as a Model System for Environmental Health Studies in the Grade 9–12 Classroom

PubMed Central

Hesselbach, Renee; Carvan, Michael John; Goldberg, Barbara; Berg, Craig A.; Petering, David H.

2014-01-01

Abstract Developing zebrafish embryos were used as a model system for high school students to conduct scientific investigations that reveal features of normal development and to test how different environmental toxicants impact the developmental process. The primary goal of the module was to engage students from a wide range of socio-economic backgrounds, with particular focus on underserved inner-city high schools, in inquiry-based learning and hands-on experimentation. In addition, the module served as a platform for both teachers and students to design additional inquiry-based experiments. In this module, students spawned adult zebrafish to generate developing embryos, exposed the embryos to various toxicants, then gathered, and analyzed data obtained from control and experimental embryos. The module provided a flexible, experimental framework for students to test the effects of numerous environmental toxicants, such as ethanol, caffeine, and nicotine, on the development of a model vertebrate organism. Students also observed the effects of dose on experimental outcomes. From observations of the effects of the chemical agents on vertebrate embryos, students drew conclusions on how these chemicals could impact human development and health. Results of pre-tests and post-tests completed by participating students indicate statistically significant changes in awareness of the impact of environmental agents on fish and human beings In addition, the program's evaluator concluded that participation in the module resulted in significant changes in the attitude of students and teachers toward science in general and environmental health in particular. PMID:24941301

The effect of moderate altitude on some respiratory parameters of physical education and sports' students.

PubMed

Orhan, O; Bilgin, U; Cetin, E; Oz, E; Dolek, B Ertas

2010-08-01

Analysis of the effects of moderate altitude on some respiratory functions of students enrolled in School of Physical Education and Sports. The study group comprised of 9 female and 10 male volunteers who were attending a 5-day skiing training camp. All participants were enrolled in School of Physical Education and Sports at Gazi University. The male students had an age range of 22.2 +/- 1.7 years, height of 175.0 +/- 4.3 cm, and body weight of 71.0 +/- 10.4 kg; the female students had an age range of 21.2 +/- 1.7 years, height of 167.1 +/- 4.9 cm, and body weight of 53.7 +/- 4.8 kg. Respiratory tests were performed on the 1st and 5th days (the first and second measurements) at an altitude of 1880 m (in Ilgaz Mountain); 10 days after being exposed to high altitude, further tests were performed at an altitude of 856 m (in Ankara) (the third measurement). Data were analyzed using SPSS software (version 10.0). Intragroup differences were analyzed using repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA). According to the results of normality test results, an independent-sample t test was used in comparisons between the groups. A significance level of p < .05 was used in analysis. Statistical analysis indicated that there was no significant difference between the intragroup comparisons of female and male students. Intergroup comparisons showed significant differences in forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume (FEV), peak expiratory flow (PEF), maximal voluntary ventilation (MVV), and VC parameters (p < .05). The authors conclude that moderate altitude does not have any effect on some respiratory parameters after 5 days of skiing camp.

Self-Reported Dental Fear among Dental Students and Their Patients

PubMed Central

Serra-Negra, Junia; Paiva, Saul M.; Oliveira, Mauricio; Ferreira, Efigenia; Freire-Maia, Fernanda; Pordeus, Isabela

2011-01-01

The aim of the present study was to compare self-reported dental fear among dental students and patients at a School of Dentistry in Belo Horizonte, Brazil. Eighty students ranging in age from 20 to 29 years and 80 patients ranging in age from 18 to 65 years participated in the study. A self-administered pre-tested questionnaire consisting of 13 items was used for data acquisition. The city of Belo Horizonte Social Vulnerability Index (SVI) was employed for socioeconomic classification. The chi-square test and binary and multinomial logistic regression were employed in the statistical analysis, with the significance level set at 0.05. The majority of dental students (76.5%) sought the dentist for the first time for a routine exam, while patients (77.3%) mostly sought a dentist for the treatment of dental pain. Dental fear was more prevalent among the patients (72.5%) than the students (27.5%). A total of 47.1% of the students and 52.9% of the patients reported having had negative dental experiences in childhood. The logistic model revealed an association between dental fear and a pain-related experience (OR: 1.8; 95%CI: 1.3–2.6). Patients were more prone to dental fear (OR: 2.2; 95%CI: 1.0–5.0). Although at different percentages, both students and patients experienced dental fear. Current patient with previous experience of dental pain had more dental fear. PMID:22470277

Characteristics of Third-Grade Learning Disabled Children.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cullen, Joy L.; And Others

1981-01-01

The Developmental Test of Visual-Motor Integration, the Wide Range Achievement Test, and the Student's Perception of Ability Scale were administreed to 70 learning disabled and 73 normally achieving third-grade children who had been stratified on full scale Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised (WISC-R) IQ scores. (Author)

In-class use of clickers and clicker tests improve learning and enable instant feedback and retests via automated grading

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Burnham, Nancy A.; Kadam, Snehalata V.; DeSilva, Erin

2017-11-01

An audience response system (‘clickers’) was gradually incorporated into introductory physics courses at Worcester Polytechnic Institute during the years 2011-14. Clickers were used in lectures, as a means of preparing for labs, and for collection of exam data and grading. Average student grades were 13.5% greater, as measured by comparing exam results with a previous year. Student acceptance of clickers was high, ranging from 66% to 95%, and grading time for exams was markedly reduced, from a full day to a few hours for approximately 150 students. The streamlined grading allowed for a second test on the same material for the students who failed the first one. These improvements have the immediate effects of engagement, learning, and efficiency, and ideally, they will also provide an environment in which more students will succeed in college and their careers.

Using Generalizability Theory to Assess the Score Reliability of the Special Ability Selection Examinations for Music Education Programmes in Higher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Atilgan, Hakan

2008-01-01

The "Special Ability Selection Examination" (SASE), which is used to select appropriate students for the music education departments of educational faculties in Turkey, has many subsections and must evaluate highly competitive cohorts of students according to a broad range of criteria. The test consists of three subsections, with a large…

First Year Engagement & Retention: A Goal-Setting Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tuffley, David; Antonio, Amy

2013-01-01

First year students face a daunting range of challenges as they make the transition to university life. Their experiences in the first months of university have a defining influence on their success or otherwise in their studies. The purpose of this paper is to report on the results of a case study that tests the efficacy of a student engagement…

Feeding the pipeline: academic skills training for predental students.

PubMed

Markel, Geraldine; Woolfolk, Marilyn; Inglehart, Marita Rohr

2008-06-01

This article reports the outcomes of an evaluation conducted to determine if an academic skills training program for undergraduate predental students from underrepresented minority backgrounds increased the students' standardized academic skills test scores for vocabulary, reading comprehension, reading rates, spelling, and math as well as subject-specific test results in biology, chemistry, and physics. Data from standardized academic skill tests and subject-specific tests were collected at the beginning and end of the 1998 to 2006 Pipeline Programs, six-week summer enrichment programs for undergraduate predental students from disadvantaged backgrounds. In total, 179 students (75.4 percent African American, 7.3 percent Hispanic, 5.6 percent Asian American, 5 percent white) attended the programs during these nine summers. Scores on the Nelson-Denny Reading Test showed that the students improved their vocabulary scores (percentile ranks before/after: 46.80 percent/59.56 percent; p<.001), reading comprehension scores (47.21 percent/62.67 percent; p<.001), and reading rates (34.01 percent/78.31 percent; p<.001) from the beginning to the end of the summer programs. Results on the Wide Range Achievement Test III showed increases in spelling (73.58 percent/86.22 percent; p<.001) and math scores (56.98 percent/81.28 percent; p<.001). The students also improved their subject-specific scores in biology (39.07 percent/63.42 percent; p<.001), chemistry (20.54 percent/51.01 percent; p<.001), and physics (35.12 percent/61.14 percent; p<.001). To increase the number of underrepresented minority students in the dental school admissions pool, efforts are needed to prepare students from disadvantaged backgrounds for this process. These data demonstrate that a six-week enrichment program significantly improved the academic skills and basic science knowledge scores of undergraduate predental students. These improvements have the potential to enhance the performance of these students in college courses and thus increase their level of competitiveness in the dental school admissions process.

Using a Math Pre-Test in a Large General Education Geoscience Course: How Effective?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Richardson, R. M.

2006-12-01

Teaching large (150 or more students) General Education Geoscience courses presents many challenges, but one of the most important is how to effectively incorporate quantitative literacy. Many students are math phobic, and will run to General Education courses that minimize quantitative aspects. I will present results from one approach that we have used successfully for at least two years: a math pre-test. Our General Education Geoscience course has no prerequisites other than admission to the University, and is designed for first and second year non-science students. Fortunately, with limited exceptions, all entering students at the University of Arizona take a Math Readiness Test (MRT) for math placement. With the cooperation of the Mathematics Department, we have used old MRT exams to selectively use questions that are of the highest utility for the course material `understanding graphs, linear equations and extrapolations, scientific notation and large numbers, word problems, and scaling/unit conversions. We administer the exam in the first discussion section. Students receive full credit for a `serious effort', and we score the exam. In recent semesters the percentage of correct answers has varied from just under 50% to nearly 90% on individual questions. The pre-test has several important benefits. First, it lets students know clearly up front that there will be mathematics in the class. Second, it lets students know the range of skills expected to be successful. Third, because the average score is between 70-80% it gives students confidence that they can do the math in the course. Fourth, we contact all students who score less than 50%, and offer help, including referral to tutoring service in Mathematics. Feedback from students has been positive. Unfortunately, when we compared scores on the math pre-test to final grades in the course, we found essentially no correlation. We are exploring a number of possible explanations. We are also seeing if our math pre-test scores correlate with the initial MRT score, and overall student success.

Demographic attributes and knowledge acquisition among graduate-entry medical students.

PubMed

Finucane, Paul; Flannery, Denise; McGrath, Deirdre; Saunders, Jean

2013-01-01

Recent changes to undergraduate (basic) medical education in Ireland have linked an expansion of student numbers with wide-ranging reforms. Medical schools have broadened access by admitting more mature students from diverse backgrounds and have increased their international student numbers. This has resulted in major changes to the demographic profile of students at Irish medical schools. To determine whether the demographic characteristics of students impact on their academic performance and specifically on their rate of knowledge acquisition. As a formative assessment exercise, we administered a progress test to all students twice each year during a 4 year graduate-entry medical programme. We compared scores over time between students from different age cohorts, of different gender, of different nationalities and from different academic backgrounds. In the 1143 tests taken by 285 students to date, there were no significant differences in the rate of knowledge acquisition between the various groups. Early in the course, students from a non-biological science background performed less well than others but outperformed their peers by the time of graduation. Neither age, gender, nationality nor academic background impacts on the rate of knowledge acquisition among graduate-entry medical students.

The learning environment in remediation: a review.

PubMed

Cleland, Jennifer; Cilliers, Francois; van Schalkwyk, Susan

2018-02-01

The focus of this concise article is how best to support students to achieve success at medical school. Our aim is not to provide a guide to remediating under-performance in medical students. This, in our view, implies an approach that fundamentally is about quick fixes for addressing individual student deficits, such as intensive coaching of clinical skills to help a student scrape through a resit examination. Instead, we believe that student success is not solely the result of individual factors but rather relies on a complex range of factors, including the provision of a supportive environment. We drew on our knowledge of a wide range of literature related to remediation and other medical education structures and functions. Our aim was to take a different perspective on the different dimensions of 'remediation' - the structural, curricular, ideological and individual - to consider how best to provide a supportive environment for all learners to progress towards the required outcomes. Medical students are becoming increasingly diverse and medical curricula must create learning environments that support all students to thrive. Effective remediation should not be about intensive 'teaching to test' after examination failure. Rather, both the context and the individual have a role to play in ensuring the selection, teaching, assessment and feedback practices support the learning journeys of individuals. We provide guidance for faculty member development and engaging with students to help achieve this goal. Effective remediation should not be about intensive 'teaching to test' after examination failure. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd and The Association for the Study of Medical Education.

The Screening Test for Emotional Problems--Teacher-Report Version (Step-T): Studies of Reliability and Validity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Erford, Bradley T.; Butler, Caitlin; Peacock, Elizabeth

2015-01-01

The Screening Test for Emotional Problems-Teacher Version (STEP-T) was designed to identify students aged 7-17 years with wide-ranging emotional disturbances. Coefficients alpha and test-retest reliability were adequate for all subscales except Anxiety. The hypothesized five-factor model fit the data very well and external aspects of validity were…

Development and validation of an energy-balance knowledge test for fourth- and fifth-grade students.

PubMed

Chen, Senlin; Zhu, Xihe; Kang, Minsoo

2017-05-01

A valid test measuring children's energy-balance (EB) knowledge is lacking in research. This study developed and validated the energy-balance knowledge test (EBKT) for fourth and fifth grade students. The original EBKT contained 25 items but was reduced to 23 items based on pilot result and intensive expert panel discussion. De-identified data were collected from 468 fourth and fifth grade students enrolled in four schools to examine the psychometric properties of the EBKT items. The Rasch model analysis was conducted using the Winstep 3.65.0 software. Differential item functioning (DIF) analysis flagged 1 item (item #4) functioning differently between boys and girls, which was deleted. The final 22-item EBKT showed desirable model-data fit indices. The items had large variability ranging from -3.58 logit (item #10, the easiest) to 1.70 logit (item #3, the hardest). The average person ability on the test was 0.28 logit (SD = .78). Additional analyses supported known-group difference validity of the EBKT scores in capturing gender- and grade-based ability differences. The test was overall valid but could be further improved by expanding test items to discern various ability levels. For lack of a better test, researchers and practitioners may use the EBKT to assess fourth- and fifth-grade students' EB knowledge.

Development and psychometric testing of the Carter Assessment of Critical Thinking in Midwifery (Preceptor/Mentor version).

PubMed

Carter, Amanda G; Creedy, Debra K; Sidebotham, Mary

2016-03-01

develop and test a tool designed for use by preceptors/mentors to assess undergraduate midwifery students׳ critical thinking in practice. a descriptive cohort design was used. participants worked in a range of maternity settings in Queensland, Australia. 106 midwifery clinicians who had acted in the role of preceptor for undergraduate midwifery students. this study followed a staged model for tool development recommended by DeVellis (2012). This included generation of items, content validity testing through mapping of draft items to critical thinking concepts and expert review, administration of items to a convenience sample of preceptors, and psychometric testing. A 24 item tool titled the XXXX Assessment of Critical Thinking in Midwifery (CACTiM) was completed by registered midwives in relation to students they had recently preceptored in the clinical environment. ratings by experts revealed a content validity index score of 0.97, representing good content validity. An evaluation of construct validity through factor analysis generated three factors: 'partnership in practice', 'reflection on practice' and 'practice improvements'. The scale demonstrated good internal reliability with a Cronbach alpha coefficient of 0.97. The mean total score for the CACTiM scale was 116.77 (SD=16.68) with a range of 60-144. Total and subscale scores correlated significantly. the CACTiM (Preceptor/Mentor version) was found to be a valid and reliable tool for use by preceptors to assess critical thinking in undergraduate midwifery students. given the importance of critical thinking skills for midwifery practice, mapping and assessing critical thinking development in students׳ practice across an undergraduate programme is vital. The CACTiM (Preceptor/Mentor version) has utility for clinical education, research and practice. The tool can inform and guide preceptors׳ assessment of students׳ critical thinking in practice. The availability of a reliable and valid tool can be used to research the development of critical thinking in practice. Crown Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Predictors of professional behaviour and academic outcomes in a UK medical school: A longitudinal cohort study.

PubMed

Adam, Jane; Bore, Miles; Childs, Roy; Dunn, Jason; Mckendree, Jean; Munro, Don; Powis, David

2015-01-01

Over the past 70 years, there has been a recurring debate in the literature and in the popular press about how best to select medical students. This implies that we are still not getting it right: either some students are unsuited to medicine or the graduating doctors are considered unsatisfactory, or both. To determine whether particular variables at the point of selection might distinguish those more likely to become satisfactory professional doctors, by following a complete intake cohort of students throughout medical school and analysing all the data used for the students' selection, their performance on a range of other potential selection tests, academic and clinical assessments throughout their studies, and records of professional behaviour covering the entire five years of the course. A longitudinal database captured the following anonymised information for every student (n = 146) admitted in 2007 to the Hull York Medical School (HYMS) in the UK: demographic data (age, sex, citizenship); performance in each component of the selection procedure; performance in some other possible selection instruments (cognitive and non-cognitive psychometric tests); professional behaviour in tutorials and in other clinical settings; academic performance, clinical and communication skills at summative assessments throughout; professional behaviour lapses monitored routinely as part of the fitness-to-practise procedures. Correlations were sought between predictor variables and criterion variables chosen to demonstrate the full range of course outcomes from failure to complete the course to graduation with honours, and to reveal clinical and professional strengths and weaknesses. Student demography was found to be an important predictor of outcomes, with females, younger students and British citizens performing better overall. The selection variable "HYMS academic score", based on prior academic performance, was a significant predictor of components of Year 4 written and Year 5 clinical examinations. Some cognitive subtest scores from the UK Clinical Aptitude Test (UKCAT) and the UKCAT total score were also significant predictors of the same components, and a unique predictor of the Year 5 written examination. A number of the non-cognitive tests were significant independent predictors of Years 4 and 5 clinical performance, and of lapses in professional behaviour. First- and second-year tutor ratings were significant predictors of all outcomes, both desirable and undesirable. Performance in Years 1 and 2 written exams did not predict performance in Year 4 but did generally predict Year 5 written and clinical performance. Measures of a range of relevant selection attributes and personal qualities can predict intermediate and end of course achievements in academic, clinical and professional behaviour domains. In this study HYMS academic score, some UKCAT subtest scores and the total UKCAT score, and some non-cognitive tests completed at the outset of studies, together predicted outcomes most comprehensively. Tutor evaluation of students early in the course also identified the more and less successful students in the three domains of academic, clinical and professional performance. These results may be helpful in informing the future development of selection tools.

FACTOR ANALYSIS OF A SOCIAL SKILLS SCALE FOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS.

PubMed

Wang, H-Y; Lin, C-K

2015-10-01

The objective of this study was to develop a social skills scale for high school students in Taiwan. This study adopted stratified random sampling. A total of 1,729 high school students were included. The students ranged in age from 16 to 18 years. A Social Skills Scale was developed for this study and was designed for classroom teachers to fill out. The test-retest reliability of this scale was tested by Pearson's correlation coefficient. Exploratory factor analysis was used to determine construct validity. The Social Skills Scale had good overall test-retest reliability of .92, and the internal consistency of the five subscales was above .90. The results of the factor analysis showed that the Social Skills Scale covered the five domains of classroom learning skills, communication skills, individual initiative skills, interaction skills, and job-related social skills, and the five factors explained 68.34% of the variance. Thus, the Social Skills Scale had good reliability and validity and would be applicable to and could be promoted for use in schools.

Teaching Cell Biology to Nonscience Majors Through Forensics, or How to Design a Killer Course

PubMed Central

Arwood, Laura

2004-01-01

Nonscience majors often do not respond to traditional lecture-only biology courses. However, these students still need exposure to basic biological concepts. To accomplish this goal, forensic science was paired with compatible cell biology subjects. Several topics such as human development and molecular biology were found to fulfill this purpose. Another goal was to maximize the hands-on experience of the nonscience major students. This objective was fulfilled by specific activities such as fingerprinting and DNA typing. One particularly effective teaching tool was a mock murder mystery complete with a Grand Jury trial. Another objective was to improve students' attitudes toward science. This was successful in that students felt more confident in their own scientific abilities after taking the course. In pre/post tests, students answered four questions about their ability to conduct science. All four statements showed a positive shift after the course (p values ranging from .001 to .036, df = 23; n = 24). The emphasis on experiential pedagogy was also shown to increase critical thinking skills. In pre/post testing, students in this course significantly increased their performance on critical thinking assessment tests from 33.3% correct to 45.3% (p = .008, df = 4; n = 24). PMID:15257341

Readiness for interprofessional learning among healthcare professional students.

PubMed

Talwalkar, Jaideep S; Fahs, Deborah B; Kayingo, Gerald; Wong, Risa; Jeon, Sangchoon; Honan, Linda

2016-05-12

The purpose of this study was to investigate attitudes toward interprofessional learning among first year medical, nursing, and physician associate students at an American university at the start of their training. First year medical (n=101), nursing (n=81), and physician associate (n=35) students were invited to complete an anonymous online survey which included items related to demographic information and the Readiness for Interprofessional Learning Scale. Scores were compared by the general linear model and Duncan's multiple range test while controlling for demographic differences. All three groups scored in the high range, indicating readiness for shared learning. Female students, those with advanced degrees, and those with healthcare experience prior to enrolment in health professional school had significantly higher scores than their counterparts. After controlling for differences in demographic factors, nursing students scored significantly higher than physician associate and medical students (F = 6.22, 0.0025). Health professions students demonstrated readiness for interprofessional learning early in their academic programs, however important differences in baseline readiness emerged. These findings suggest that educators consider baseline attitudes of students when designing interprofessional education curricula, and use caution when extrapolating data from other geographies or cultures.

Should Non-Cognitive Skills Be Included in School Accountability Systems? Preliminary Evidence from California's CORE Districts. Evidence Speaks Reports, Vol 1, #13

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

West, Martin R.

2016-01-01

Evidence confirms that student skills other than academic achievement and ability predict a broad range of academic and life outcomes. This evidence, along with a new federal requirement that state accountability systems include an indicator of school quality or student success not based on test scores, has sparked interest in incorporating such…

The Relationships among Students' Future-Oriented Goals and Subgoals, Perceived Task Instrumentality, and Task-Oriented Self-Regulation Strategies in an Academic Environment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tabachnick, Sharon E.; Miller, Raymond B.; Relyea, George E.

2008-01-01

The authors performed path analysis, followed by a bootstrap procedure, to test the predictions of a model explaining the relationships among students' distal future goals (both extrinsic and intrinsic), their adoption of a middle-range subgoal, their perceptions of task instrumentality, and their proximal task-oriented self-regulation strategies.…

A Turkish study of medical student learning styles.

PubMed

Kalaca, S; Gulpinar, M

2011-12-01

A good understanding of the learning styles of students is necessary for optimizing the quality of the learning process. There are few studies in Turkey on the subject of the learning characteristics of medical students. The aim of this study was to define the learning patterns of Turkish medical students based on the Turkish version of Vermunts Inventory of Learning Styles (ILS). The Turkish version of the ILS was developed and administered to 532 medical students. Learning patterns were investigated using factor analysis. Internal consistencies of scales ranged from 0.43 to 0.80. The Turkish version of the ILS identified four learning styles among medical students. In comparing the pre-clinical and clinical phases of medical students related to mental models of learning, statistically significant differences (p < .01) were found between the two groups for the learning characteristics: lack of regulation; certificate; self-test and ambivalent orientation; intake of knowledge; and use of knowledge. The Turkish version of the ILS can be used to identify learning styles of medical students. Our findings indicate an intermediate position for our students on a teacher-regulated to student-regulated learning continuum. A variety of teaching methods and learning activities should be provided in medical schools in order to address the range of learning styles.

The effects of flipped learning for bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation on undergraduate medical students.

PubMed

Nakanishi, Taizo; Goto, Tadahiro; Kobuchi, Taketsune; Kimura, Tetsuya; Hayashi, Hiroyuki; Tokuda, Yasuharu

2017-12-22

To compare bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation skills retention between conventional learning and flipped learning for first-year medical students. A post-test only control group design. A total of 108 participants were randomly assigned to either the conventional learning or flipped learning. The primary outcome measures of time to the first chest compression and the number of total chest compressions during a 2-minute test period 6 month after the training were assessed with the Mann-Whitney U test. Fifty participants (92.6%) in the conventional learning group and 45 participants (83.3%) in the flipped learning group completed the study. There were no statistically significant differences 6 months after the training in the time to the first chest compression of 33.0 seconds (interquartile range, 24.0-42.0) for the conventional learning group and 31.0 seconds (interquartile range, 25.0-41.0) for the flipped learning group (U=1171.0, p=0.73) or in the number of total chest compressions of 101.5 (interquartile range, 90.8-124.0) for the conventional learning group and 104.0 (interquartile range, 91.0-121.0) for the flipped learning group (U=1083.0, p=0.75). The 95% confidence interval of the difference between means of the number of total chest compressions 6 months after the training did not exceed a clinically important difference defined a priori. There were no significant differences between the conventional learning group and the flipped learning group in our main outcomes. Flipped learning might be comparable to conventional learning, and seems a promising approach which requires fewer resources and enables student-centered learning without compromising the acquisition of CPR skills.

Drug Testing Incoming Residents and Medical Students in Family Medicine Training: A Survey of Program Policies and Practices.

PubMed

Bell, Paul F; Semelka, Michael W; Bigdeli, Laleh

2015-03-01

Despite well-established negative consequences, high rates of substance use and related disorders continue to be reported. Physicians in training are not immune from this, or the associated risks to their health and careers, while impaired physicians are a threat to patient safety. We surveyed family medicine residency programs' practices relating to drug testing of medical students and incoming residents. The survey asked about the extent to which residency programs are confronted with trainees testing positive for prohibited substances, and how they respond. The survey was sent to the directors of family medicine residency programs. A total of 205 directors (47.2%) completed the survey. A majority of the responding programs required drug testing for incoming residents (143, 68.9%). Most programs did not require testing of medical students (161, 81.7%). Few programs reported positive drug tests among incoming residents (9, 6.5%), and there was only 1 reported instance of a positive result among medical students (1, 3.3%). Respondents reported a range of responses to positive results, with few reporting that they would keep open training spots or offer supportive services for a medical student who tested positive. Changing laws legalizing certain drugs may require corresponding changes in the focus on drug testing and associated issues in medical training; however, many residency program directors were not aware of their institution's current policies. Programs will need to reexamine drug testing policies as new generations of physicians, growing up under altered legal circumstances concerning drug use, progress to clinical training.

A Comparison of Grade Level Scores on the Wide Range Achievement Test (WRAT) and the Comprehensive Test of Basic Skills (CTBS).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Myers, Douglas D.

Regression analysis was employed to determine if there were any similarities between the tests administered to participants of the Mountain-Plains program, a residential, family-based education program developed to improve the economic potential and lifestyle of selected student families in a six-state area. The study compared the Wide Range…

Helping Students Select Appropriately Challenging Text: Application to a Test of Second Language Reading Ability. Research Report. ETS RR-17-33

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sheehan, Kathleen M.

2017-01-01

A model-based approach for matching language learners to texts of appropriate difficulty is described. Results are communicated to test takers via a targeted reading range expressed on the reporting scale of an automated text complexity measurement tool (ATCMT). Test takers can use this feedback to select reading materials that are well matched to…

Argumentation in Science Class: Its Planning, Practice, and Effect on Student Motivation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Taneja, Anju

Studies have shown an association between argumentative discourse in science class, better understanding of science concepts, and improved academic performance. However, there is lack of research on how argumentation can increase student motivation. This mixed methods concurrent nested study uses Bandura's construct of motivation and concepts of argumentation and formative feedback to understand how teachers orchestrate argumentation in science class and how it affects motivation. Qualitative data was collected through interviews of 4 grade-9 science teachers and through observing teacher-directed classroom discourse. Classroom observations allowed the researcher to record the rhythm of discourse by characterizing teacher and student speech as teacher presentation (TP), teacher guided authoritative discussion (AD), teacher guided dialogic discussion (DD), and student initiation (SI). The Student Motivation Towards Science Learning survey was administered to 67 students before and after a class in which argumentation was used. Analysis of interviews showed teachers collaborated to plan argumentation. Analysis of discourse identified the characteristics of argumentation and provided evidence of students' engagement in argumentation in a range of contexts. Student motivation scores were tested using Wilcoxon signed rank tests and Mann-Whitney U-tests, which showed no significant change. However, one construct of motivation---active learning strategy---significantly increased. Quantitative findings also indicate that teachers' use of multiple methods in teaching science can affect various constructs of students' motivation. This study promotes social change by providing teachers with insight about how to engage all students in argumentation.

Dental Hygiene Students' Perceptions of Importance and Confidence in Applying Motivational Interviewing During Patient Care.

PubMed

Mills, Angela; Kerschbaum, Wendy E; Richards, Philip S; Czarnecki, Gail A; Kinney, Janet S; Gwozdek, Anne E

2017-02-01

Purpose: Motivational Interviewing (MI) is an evidence-based, patient-centered counseling approach for eliciting behavior change. In 2012, the University of Michigan (U-M) Dental Hygiene Program significantly enhanced their behavior change curriculum by reinforcing and building upon the Motivational Interviewing segment. The purpose of this study was to examine students' perceptions of the importance of MI and their confidence in applying it during patient care. Methods: A convenience sample of 22 U-M Class of 2015 dental hygiene students who had received an enhanced curriculum participated in this study, utilizing a retrospective, pre-test/post-test design. Results: A Wilcoxon signed rank test was used to compare the differences in average ranks between T1 (Retrospective Pre-Test) and T4 (Post-Test 3) for the importance and confidence questions at each time point for the Class of 2015. Students' perceptions of importance increased with statistical significance in five out of eight MI strategies. Perceptions in confidence increased in seven out of eight strategies. Effect size ranged from .00 to .55. Assessment of qualitative data provided additional insight on student experiences. Conclusion: Student perceptions of importance of using MI and their confidence in applying MI increased in a majority of the strategy categories. Successes with patient health behavior change and challenges with time to integrate this in practice were noted. Research on the longitudinal impact and faculty feedback calibration is recommended. Copyright © 2017 The American Dental Hygienists’ Association.

Design and testing of classroom and clinical teaching evaluation tools for nursing education.

PubMed

Emerson, Roberta J; Records, Kathie

2007-01-01

Student evaluations of teaching provide administrators an overall picture of the effectiveness of personnel and contribute data for promotion and merit decisions. These evaluations must be assessed for their relevance, validity, and reliability. This paper describes the development process and psychometric testing for clinical (n = 149) and didactic (n = 148) student evaluation of teaching forms for undergraduate and graduate courses in one college of nursing. Validity and reliability results were quite strong for the instruments, both of which evidenced a one-factor solution with factor loadings ranging from .68-.88 and Cronbach's alphas of .96 (Classroom) and .95 (Clinical). The clinical and classroom evaluation tools are relatively short, decreasing the burden on students who need to complete the instruments for multiple instructors in any one semester. Initial testing of the psychometric properties of the tools supports their continued use in colleges of nursing.

Association between substandard classroom ventilation rates and students' academic achievement.

PubMed

Haverinen-Shaughnessy, U; Moschandreas, D J; Shaughnessy, R J

2011-04-01

This study focuses on the relationship between classroom ventilation rates and academic achievement. One hundred elementary schools of two school districts in the southwest United States were included in the study. Ventilation rates were estimated from fifth-grade classrooms (one per school) using CO(2) concentrations measured during occupied school days. In addition, standardized test scores and background data related to students in the classrooms studied were obtained from the districts. Of 100 classrooms, 87 had ventilation rates below recommended guidelines based on ASHRAE Standard 62 as of 2004. There is a linear association between classroom ventilation rates and students' academic achievement within the range of 0.9-7.1 l/s per person. For every unit (1 l/s per person) increase in the ventilation rate within that range, the proportion of students passing standardized test (i.e., scoring satisfactory or above) is expected to increase by 2.9% (95%CI 0.9-4.8%) for math and 2.7% (0.5-4.9%) for reading. The linear relationship observed may level off or change direction with higher ventilation rates, but given the limited number of observations, we were unable to test this hypothesis. A larger sample size is needed for estimating the effect of classroom ventilation rates higher than 7.1 l/s per person on academic achievement. The results of this study suggest that increasing the ventilation rates toward recommended guideline ventilation rates in classrooms should translate into improved academic achievement of students. More studies are needed to fully understand the relationships between ventilation rate, other indoor environmental quality parameters, and their effects on students' health and achievement. Achieving the recommended guidelines and pursuing better understanding of the underlying relationships would ultimately support both sustainable and productive school environments for students and personnel. © 2010 John Wiley & Sons A/S.

Development and psychometric testing of the nursing student mentors' competence instrument (MCI): A cross-sectional study.

PubMed

Tuomikoski, Anna-Maria; Ruotsalainen, Heidi; Mikkonen, Kristina; Miettunen, Jouko; Kääriäinen, Maria

2018-06-05

Mentors require competence at a diverse array of skills to mentor students during clinical practice. According to the latest evidence, competence at mentoring includes: knowledge, skills and attributes of individual students' learning objectives, core elements of nursing, learning processes, a reciprocal and trustful relationship, feedback, evaluation, cooperation with stakeholders, and the mentor's personal qualities. The purpose of the study was to test psychometric properties of a mentor's competence instrument developed to self-evaluate mentors' competence at mentoring nursing students in clinical practice. A cross-sectional, descriptive, explorative study design was used. Data were collected from mentors at five university hospitals in Finland in 2016. A total of 576 mentors participated in this study. The instrument was developed through systematic review, experts' evaluations, and pilot versions of the instrument tested in previous studies. The construct validity and reliability of the instrument were tested using exploratory factor analysis (EFA) with promax rotation and Cronbach's alpha. A 10-factor model showed that the instrument has acceptable construct validity. Cronbach's alpha values for the subscales observed ranged from 0.76 to 0.90. The instrument exhibited acceptable psychometric properties, thereby proving itself a valuable tool for evaluating mentors' competence at mentoring students. Further assessments of its reliability, validity and generality for measuring mentor's competence for mentoring students in different contexts and cultures are recommended. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Testing the Efficacy of Student Explorations of Earth Science Museum Exhibits

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kirkby, K.; Phipps, M.; Tzenis, C.; Morin, P. J.; Hamilton, P.

2009-12-01

With their rock and mineral displays, fossil exhibits and hands-on nature, museum exhibits are a proven resource for elementary and secondary earth science education. However, due to a number of obstacles this success has not been emulated at the undergraduate level. Self-guided student explorations of science museum exhibits appear to be an effective way to circumvent these obstacles and easily expand earth science programs to include museum resources and tap their potential. Preliminary testing of this concept as an extra credit option by the University of Minnesota and the Science Museum of Minnesota not only showed that students enthusiastically respond to such explorations, but that explorations can be remarkably effective in changing student understanding of science concepts. Previously, a number of factors discouraged the integration of museum resources into undergraduate programs. Museum displays geared towards the general public often lack the level of detailed information necessary to integrate them into undergraduate science curriculum. Consequently, without an experienced guide (such as the course instructor), exhibits are of limited use. The logistics of arranging class visits can be daunting and given the limited opportunities for class trips, earth science instructors justifiably tend to choose field over museum experiences. However, well-designed explorations of the exhibits allow students to guide themselves through the exhibits, on their own or with friends and family, greatly expanding the range of course experiences with minimal cost to the program infrastructure. Student response to the preliminary testing of an exploration of dinosaur and pterosaur displays was very encouraging. Nearly half the class, 84 out of 176 students, volunteered to travel the eight miles to the museum to complete an exploration of the fossil gallery. When asked their likeliness of recommending the experience to others on a scale of 1-10 with 1 being “I would not recommend this to anyone” and 10 being “I would recommend this experience to anyone” the median response was 9 with 41% choosing 10. More importantly, pre-instruction and post-instruction testing showed significant gains among students who completed the module, compared to traditional instruction, demonstrating that the explorations were not only popular, but effective. An unexpected bonus was that these explorations appear to resonate well with students traditionally underrepresented in science careers. Women and minority students volunteered to complete the self-guided exploration in disproportionate numbers. In addition, students who struggled with the traditional course instruction posted significant improvements in test performance as a result of their participation in the exhibit exploration. Providing a more varied range of experiences in earth science courses may prove to be a way to not only make science more accessible, but to create a more diverse scientific community.

Effects of various runway lighting parameters upon the relation between runway visual range and visual range of centerline and edge lights in fog

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Haines, R. F.

1973-01-01

Thirty six students and 54 commercial airline pilots were tested in the fog chamber to determine the effect of runway edge and centerline light intensity and spacing, fog density, ambient luminance level, and lateral and vertical offset distance of the subject from the runway's centerline upon horizontal visual range. These data were obtained to evaluate the adequacy of a balanced lighting system to provide maximum visual range in fog viewing both centerline and runway edge lights. The daytime system was compared against two other candidate lighting systems; the nighttime system was compared against other candidate lighting systems. The second objective was to determine if visual range is affected by lights between the subject and the farthestmost light visible through the fog. The third objective was to determine if college student subjects differ from commercial airline pilots in their horizontal visual range through fog. Two studies were conducted.

Measuring cultural awareness of nursing students: a first step toward cultural competency.

PubMed

Krainovich-Miller, Barbara; Yost, Jennifer M; Norman, Robert G; Auerhahn, Carolyn; Dobal, May; Rosedale, Mary; Lowry, Melissa; Moffa, Christine

2008-07-01

This pilot study was designed to measure nursing students' level of cultural awareness. It replicated phase II of Rew, Becker, Cookston, Khosropour, & Martinez's (2003) methodological study that developed and tested a Cultural Awareness Scale (CAS). Using a cross-sectional design, the CAS was distributed to nursing students in three nursing programs' (bachelor's, master's, doctoral) beginning and end courses. Cronbach's alpha for the CAS Total instrument was 0.869, with subscale scores ranging from 0.687 to 0.902, comparable to the findings of Rew et al. Given the limitations of this study, results must be viewed with a degree of caution. Recommendations include further educational research in the form of psychometric testing of the CAS among nursing students, including refinement of both the CAS instrument and the demographic tool. The authors also recommend that studies be conducted to determine the validity and reliability of the CAS with nurses in the health care arena.

The Geography of Racial/Ethnic Test Score Gaps. CEPA Working Paper No. 16-10

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Reardon, Sean F.; Kalogrides, Demetra; Shores, Ken

2017-01-01

We estimate racial/ethnic achievement gaps in several hundred metropolitan areas and several thousand school districts in the United States using the results of roughly 200 million standardized math and reading tests administered to public school students from 2009-2013. We show that achievement gaps vary substantially, ranging from nearly 0 in…

Errors Analysis of Students in Mathematics Department to Learn Plane Geometry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mirna, M.

2018-04-01

This article describes the results of qualitative descriptive research that reveal the locations, types and causes of student error in answering the problem of plane geometry at the problem-solving level. Answers from 59 students on three test items informed that students showed errors ranging from understanding the concepts and principles of geometry itself to the error in applying it to problem solving. Their type of error consists of concept errors, principle errors and operational errors. The results of reflection with four subjects reveal the causes of the error are: 1) student learning motivation is very low, 2) in high school learning experience, geometry has been seen as unimportant, 3) the students' experience using their reasoning in solving the problem is very less, and 4) students' reasoning ability is still very low.

Effect of Table Tennis Trainings on Certain Physical and Physiological Parameters in Children Aged 10-12

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tas, Murat; Sinanoglu, Ahmet

2017-01-01

In the research it was aimed to examine the effects of basic table tennis trainings, which were implemented on girls aged 10-12 for 16 weeks, on certain physical and physiological parameters. A total of 40 students, as randomly selected 20 test groups and 20 control groups at an age range of 10-12 participated in the research. These students were…

Genetics at school level: addressing the difficulties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chu, Yu-Chien; Reid, Norman

2012-11-01

Background : A wide range of studies has offered suggestions why genetics is difficult and some of their key findings are summarised. Underpinning all of this is the way the brain works when handling information. The limitations of working memory capacity offer an interpretation of these difficulties Purpose : The aim is to confirm that working memory capacity (and the related concept of field dependency) controls performance in understanding genetics and whether it is possible to improve performance by changing the teaching approach to mininise overload. Programme description : The curriculum in Taiwan in genetics is outlined briefly. A wide range of measurements were made. Using a diagnostic test of understanding of underpinning ideas, the key areas of weakness were detected before the pupils started the course. Sample : Stage 1: 141 students in Taiwan, aged 13, boys and girls, drawn from a cross-section of Taiwanese pupils at this age, following their first course in genetics. Stage 2: 361 students, drawn from a cross-section of Taiwanese pupils at the same age, and divided into two groups (experimental-control) which both encompass the same ability range. Design and methods : Stage 1: test of pre-knowledge using structural communication grids, applied before the course commenced; working memory capacity using the figural intersection test; extent of field dependency using the group embedded figure test; understanding of genetics was measured at end of course; school test data collated. Stage 2: following a completely revised approach, performance in genetics was measured using traditional school tests and a word association test. Student perspectives were measured. Results : The test of pre-knowledge revealed key areas of difficulty. In addition, it was found that working memory capacity and extent of field dependency both correlated extremely highly with all measures of performance. Given that it has been established that working memory capacity controls performance, working memory demand explains why genetics is difficult. It was found that re-structuring the teaching approach to minimise mental overload brought about a very marked improvement in performance. Conclusions : The findings suggest that it is possible to reduce difficulties in understanding genetics by means of teaching re-design to minimise potential working memory overload, with concomitant improvements in learner confidence.

Aerobic fitness of Anglo-Saxon and Indian students.

PubMed

Hardy, C P; Eston, R G

1985-12-01

The purpose of this study was to compare the aerobic fitness of two groups of male college students: 32 Anglo-Saxon males (age range 16-18 years) with 27 Indian males, born in England, (age range 16-23 years), none of whom was highly active in any particular sport. Maximal oxygen uptake was estimated by submaximal test on a cycle ergometer and percent body fat was assessed by skinfold calipers. The Anglo-Saxon group had higher absolute and relative maximal oxygen consumption values and higher body weight. There was no difference in percent fat between the two groups. Strength data were also provided for descriptive purposes.

Item analysis of university-wide multiple choice objective examinations: the experience of a Nigerian private university.

PubMed

Odukoya, Jonathan A; Adekeye, Olajide; Igbinoba, Angie O; Afolabi, A

2018-01-01

Teachers and Students worldwide often dance to the tune of tests and examinations. Assessments are powerful tools for catalyzing the achievement of educational goals, especially if done rightly. One of the tools for 'doing it rightly' is item analysis. The core objectives for this study, therefore, were: ascertaining the item difficulty and distractive indices of the university wide courses. A range of 112-1956 undergraduate students participated in this study. With the use of secondary data, the ex-post facto design was adopted for this project. In virtually all cases, majority of the items (ranging between 65% and 97% of the 70 items fielded in each course) did not meet psychometric standard in terms of difficulty and distractive indices and consequently needed to be moderated or deleted. Considering the importance of these courses, the need to apply item analyses when developing these tests was emphasized.

Learning the scientific method using GloFish.

PubMed

Vick, Brianna M; Pollak, Adrianna; Welsh, Cynthia; Liang, Jennifer O

2012-12-01

Here we describe projects that used GloFish, brightly colored, fluorescent, transgenic zebrafish, in experiments that enabled students to carry out all steps in the scientific method. In the first project, students in an undergraduate genetics laboratory course successfully tested hypotheses about the relationships between GloFish phenotypes and genotypes using PCR, fluorescence microscopy, and test crosses. In the second and third projects, students doing independent research carried out hypothesis-driven experiments that also developed new GloFish projects for future genetics laboratory students. Brianna Vick, an undergraduate student, identified causes of the different shades of color found in orange GloFish. Adrianna Pollak, as part of a high school science fair project, characterized the fluorescence emission patterns of all of the commercially available colors of GloFish (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple). The genetics laboratory students carrying out the first project found that learning new techniques and applying their knowledge of genetics were valuable. However, assessments of their learning suggest that this project was not challenging to many of the students. Thus, the independent projects will be valuable as bases to widen the scope and range of difficulty of experiments available to future genetics laboratory students.

The Musician as (In)Active Athlete?: Exploring the Association Between Physical Activity and Musculoskeletal Complaints in Music Students.

PubMed

Baadjou, Vera A E; Verbunt, Jeanine A M C F; van Eijsden-Besseling, Marjon D F; Huysmans, Stephanie M D; Smeets, Rob J E M

2015-12-01

Musicians are often compared to athletes because of the physical exertion required to play music. The aim of this study was to explore the physical activity level of music students and to study its relationship with musculoskeletal complaints. A second goal was to assess associations between physical activity and pain, quality of life, and disability. This cross-sectional study among third- and fourth-year music students used an electronic survey including measures for physical activity (SQUASH-Short Questionnaire to Assess Health-enhancing physical activity), musculoskeletal complaints (DMQ-Dutch Musculoskeletal Questionnaire), disability (DASH-Disability Arm, Shoulder, Hand questionnaire) and quality of life (Short Form-12). Students were classified as compliers or non-compliers with moderate- and vigorous-intensity physical activity recommendations. Statistical analysis was done using (non)parametric tests (t-test, Pearson chi-square test, Mann-Whitney U-test) and correlational testing. Participants were 132 students, 63.6% female, with a median age of 23 yrs (range 21.3-25.0). 67% reported musculoskeletal complaints in the past 7 days. Their median physical activity level was 6,390 MET-min/wk, and 62% and 10% of the students accomplished recommendations for moderate-intensity and vigorous-intensity physical activity levels, respectively. No significant differences were found in prevalence of musculoskeletal complaints between students who met moderate- or vigorous-intensity physical activity recommendations and students who did not. Physical activity level was not associated with musculoskeletal complaints (r=0.12, p=0.26). Higher pain intensity was associated with a lower quality of life (r=-0.53 p<0.01) and higher disability (r=0.43, p<0.01). Music students are mainly involved in light- to moderate-intensity physical activities and rarely in vigorous-intensity activities. No correlation was found between physical activity level in the past months and musculoskeletal complaints in music students.

Factors influencing students' performance in a Brazilian dental school.

PubMed

Silva, Erica Tatiane da; Nunes, Maria de Fátima; Queiroz, Maria Goretti; Leles, Cláudio R

2010-01-01

Comprehensive assessment of students' academic performance plays an important role in educational planning. The aim of this study was to investigate variables that influence student's performance in a retrospective sample including all undergraduate students who entered in a Brazilian dental school, in a 20-year period between 1984 and 2003 (n=1182). Demographic and educational variables were used to predict performance in the overall curriculum and course groups. Cluster analysis (K-means algorithm) categorized students into groups of higher, moderate or lower performance. Clusters of overall performance showed external validity, demonstrated by Chi-square test and ANOVA. Lower performance groups had the smallest number of students in overall performance and course groups clusters, ranging from 11.8% (clinical courses) to 19.2% (basic courses). Students' performance was more satisfactory in dental and clinical courses, rather than basic and non-clinical courses (p<0.001). Better student's performance was predicted by lower time elapsed between completion of high school and dental school admission, female gender, better rank in admission test, class attendance rate and student workload hours in teaching, research and extension (R(2)=0.491). Findings give evidence about predictors of undergraduate students' performance and reinforce the need for curricular reformulation focused on with improvement of integration among courses.

Review of frequency of dysmenorrhea and some associated factors and evaluation of the relationship between dysmenorrhea and sleep quality in university students.

PubMed

Sahin, Sevil; Ozdemir, Kevser; Unsal, Alaattin; Arslan, Refika

2014-01-01

To determine the frequency of dysmenorrhea in university students, review some associated factors and evaluate the relationship between dysmenorrhea and sleep quality. The study group included 520 students. Survey forms prepared previously in line with the study objective were completed by the students under supervision. The severity of dysmenorrhea was rated with Visual Analogue Scale. Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index was used to evaluate the sleep quality. The χ(2) test, Mann-Whitney U test and Kruskal-Wallis test were used for the analyses. Statistical significance level was accepted at p < 0.05. Mean age of the students was 20.23 ± 1.59 years (range 17-25). Frequency of dysmenorrhea was determined to be 69.0% (n = 359). Frequency of dysmenorrhea was higher in smokers, those with menstrual irregularity, those who use drugs for menstrual regulation and those having a family history (p < 0.05 for each). The most frequent symptoms in those having dysmenorrhea history were weakness (59.6%), fatigue (58.5%) and breast tenderness (45.4%), respectively. Sleep quality was found to be poorer in the students having a history of dysmenorrhea (p < 0.05). Dysmenorrhea is an important health problem in young women. Dysmenorrhea affects the sleep quality negatively. © 2014 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Development of the Central Dogma Concept Inventory (CDCI) Assessment Tool

PubMed Central

Newman, Dina L.; Snyder, Christopher W.; Fisk, J. Nick; Wright, L. Kate

2016-01-01

Scientific teaching requires scientifically constructed, field-tested instruments to accurately evaluate student thinking and gauge teacher effectiveness. We have developed a 23-question, multiple select–format assessment of student understanding of the essential concepts of the central dogma of molecular biology that is appropriate for all levels of undergraduate biology. Questions for the Central Dogma Concept Inventory (CDCI) tool were developed and iteratively revised based on student language and review by experts. The ability of the CDCI to discriminate between levels of understanding of the central dogma is supported by field testing (N = 54), and large-scale beta testing (N = 1733). Performance on the assessment increased with experience in biology; scores covered a broad range and showed no ceiling effect, even with senior biology majors, and pre/posttesting of a single class focused on the central dogma showed significant improvement. The multiple-select format reduces the chances of correct answers by random guessing, allows students at different levels to exhibit the extent of their knowledge, and provides deeper insight into the complexity of student thinking on each theme. To date, the CDCI is the first tool dedicated to measuring student thinking about the central dogma of molecular biology, and version 5 is ready to use. PMID:27055775

Social factors affecting education quality of Iranian medical & dental students.

PubMed

Zafarmand, A Hamid; Sabour, Siamak

2014-09-01

Positive social behavior of student is an important factor in the integrity of educational quality. Unbalanced behavior can disrupt the progress of students in learning. The present study evaluates the effect of social factors on education quality of dental and medical students. This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted on 227 randomly selected students (109 dental and 118 medical). The questionnaire contained three domains of cultural collectivism, self-concept, and social adjustment adapted from California Test of Personality. It also included demographic questions like; field of study, gender and home city of residence. Data was analyzed using SPSS (version#19) software. Pearsons' correlation coefficient and independent t-test were used at the P-value of 0.05. Generally, girl students showed higher cultural collectivism (P=0.028) and social adjustment (P=0.04). On the contrary, boys were better in self-concept behavior (P=0.34). Home city of residence evidenced with no significant effect on any aspects of social attitudes of subjects. Pearsons' correlation coefficient test showed a weak correlation between cultural collectivism and self-concept (r=0.134, P=0.04) and between cultural collectivism and social adjustment, as well. (r=0.252, P=0.001) Independent t-test showed a significant difference between male and female students concerning cultural collectivism and social adjustment. Reliability of cultural collectivism, self-concept and social adjustment scales ranged from very good to moderate, α=0.83, α=0.63, and α=0.54 respectively. The results of this study indicated that female students show better cultural collectivism and social adjustment skills. It also proved that home city of residence has no significant effect upon social behavior of either medical or dental students.

Internet use and its addiction level in medical students

PubMed Central

Upadhayay, Namrata; Guragain, Sanjeev

2017-01-01

Objective To compare the Internet addiction levels between male and female medical students. Methods One hundred medical students (male: 50, female: 50) aged 17–30 years were included in a cross-sectional study. A standardized questionnaire was used to assess their Internet addiction level. Additionally, a self-designed questionnaire was used to identify the various purposes of Internet use among the students. The Internet addiction score (based on the Internet Addiction Test) was compared between male and female students by using the Mann–Whitney U test (p≤0.05). After knowing their addiction level, we interviewed students to know if Internet use had any bad/good impact on their life. Results The Internet Addiction Test scores obtained by the students were in the range of 11–70. Out of 100 students, 21 (male: 13, female: 8) were found to be slightly addicted to the Internet. The remaining 79 students were average online users. There was no significant difference between male and female students in the addiction level (score). However, males were more addicted than females. The major use of Internet was to download and watch movies and songs and to communicate with friends and family (76/100). Some students (24/100) used the Internet to assess information that helped them in their educational and learning activities. Some students mentioned that overuse of the Internet lead to insufficient amounts of sleep and affected their concentration levels in the classroom during lectures. Conclusion Medical students are experiencing problems due to Internet overuse. They experience poor academic progress and lack of concentration while studying. The main use of the Internet was for entertainment and to communicate with friends and family. PMID:28989293

Internet use and its addiction level in medical students.

PubMed

Upadhayay, Namrata; Guragain, Sanjeev

2017-01-01

To compare the Internet addiction levels between male and female medical students. One hundred medical students (male: 50, female: 50) aged 17-30 years were included in a cross-sectional study. A standardized questionnaire was used to assess their Internet addiction level. Additionally, a self-designed questionnaire was used to identify the various purposes of Internet use among the students. The Internet addiction score (based on the Internet Addiction Test) was compared between male and female students by using the Mann-Whitney U test ( p ≤0.05). After knowing their addiction level, we interviewed students to know if Internet use had any bad/good impact on their life. The Internet Addiction Test scores obtained by the students were in the range of 11-70. Out of 100 students, 21 (male: 13, female: 8) were found to be slightly addicted to the Internet. The remaining 79 students were average online users. There was no significant difference between male and female students in the addiction level (score). However, males were more addicted than females. The major use of Internet was to download and watch movies and songs and to communicate with friends and family (76/100). Some students (24/100) used the Internet to assess information that helped them in their educational and learning activities. Some students mentioned that overuse of the Internet lead to insufficient amounts of sleep and affected their concentration levels in the classroom during lectures. Medical students are experiencing problems due to Internet overuse. They experience poor academic progress and lack of concentration while studying. The main use of the Internet was for entertainment and to communicate with friends and family.

Reading skills, creativity, and insight: exploring the connections.

PubMed

Mourgues, Catalina V; Preiss, David D; Grigorenko, Elena L

2014-08-04

Studies of the relationship between creativity and specific reading disabilities have produced inconclusive results. We explored their relationship in a sample of 259 college students (age range: 17 to 38 years-old) from three Chilean universities. The students were tested on their verbal ability, creativity, and insight. A simple linear regression was performed on the complete sample, and on high- and low-achievement groups that were formed based on reading test scores. We observed a significant correlation in the total sample between outcomes on the verbal ability tasks, and on the creativity and insight tasks (range r =. 152 to r =. 356, ps <.001). Scores on the reading comprehension and phonological awareness tasks were the best predictors of performance on creativity and insight tasks (range β = .315 to β = .155, ps <.05). A comparison of the low- and high-scoring groups on verbal ability tasks yielded results to the same effect. These findings do not support the hypothesis that specific reading disability is associated with better performance on creative tasks. Instead, higher verbal ability was found to be associated with higher creativity and insight.

Effect of topical anesthetics on intraocular pressure and pachymetry.

PubMed

Montero, J A; Ruiz-Moreno, J M; Fernandez-Munoz, M; Rodriguez-Palacios, M I

2008-01-01

The determination of intraocular pressure (IOP) by noncontact tonometry (NCT) has been reported to be affected by central corneal thickness (CCT) and by the instillation of topical anesthetics. In order to determine the influence of topical anesthetics on CCT and IOP measured by NCT, 80 eyes from 49 patients were examined before and after the instillation of topical anesthetics. Average age was 55.3 years (SD 18.4, range 18 to 93). Twenty-eight patients were female and 21 were male. Average basal IOP was 16.1 mmHg (SD 5.2, range 8 to 35.3). IOP was 14.8 mmHg (SD 4.6, 7.4 to 32.4) (p=0.0005, Student t test for paired data) 5 minutes after topical anesthetics instillation. CCT averaged 541 micronm (SD 32, range 482 to 604) before topical anesthetic drops and 541 micronm (SD 32, 490 to 607, p=0.89, Student t test for paired data) 5 minutes after topical anesthetics instillation. The study confirms that the instillation of topical anesthetics causes a reduction in IOP. These changes do not seem to be associated with changes in CCT.

The frequency of dyscalculia among primary school children.

PubMed

Jovanović, Gordana; Jovanović, Zoran; Banković-Gajić, Jelena; Nikolić, Anđelka; Svetozarević, Srđana; Ignjatović-Ristić, Dragana

2013-06-01

Formal education, daily living activities and jobs require knowledge and application skills of counting and simple mathematical operations. Problems with mathematics start in primary school and persist till adulthood. This is known as dyscalculia and its prevalence in the school population ranges from 3 to 6.5%. The study included 1424 third-grade students (aged 9-10) of all primary schools in the City of Kragujevac, Serbia. Tests in mathematics were given in order to determine their mathematical achievement. 1078 students (538 boys and 540 girls) completed all five tests. The frequency of dyscalculia in the sample was 9.9%. The difference between boys and girls according to the total score on the test was statistically significant (p<0.005). The difference between students according to their school achievement (excellent, very good, good, sufficient and insufficient) was statistically significant for all tests (p<0.0005). The influence of place of residence/school was significant for all tests (p<0.0005). Independent prognostic variables associated with dyscalculia are marks in mathematics and Serbian language. Frequency of dyscalculia of 9.9% in the sample is higher than in the other similar studies. Further research should identify possible causes of such frequency of dyscalculia in order to improve students` mathematical abilities.

Using Structural Equation Modeling to Understand Prescription Stimulant Misuse: A Test of the Theory of Triadic Influence

PubMed Central

Bavarian, Niloofar; Flay, Brian R.; Ketcham, Patricia L.; Smit, Ellen; Kodama, Cathy; Martin, Melissa; Saltz, Robert F.

2014-01-01

Objective To test a theory-driven model of health behavior to predict the illicit use of prescription stimulants (IUPS) among college students. Participants A probability sample of 554 students from one university located in California (response rate = 90.52%). Methods Students completed a paper-based survey developed with guidance from the Theory of Triadic Influence. We first assessed normality of measures and checked for multicollinearity. A single structural equation model of frequency of IUPS in college was then tested using constructs from the theory’s three streams of influence (i.e., intrapersonal, social situation/context, and sociocultural environment) and four levels of causation (i.e., ultimate causes, distal influences, proximal predictors, and immediate precursors). Results Approximately 18% of students reported engaging in IUPS during college, with frequency of use ranging from never to 40 or more times per academic term. The model tested had strong fit and the majority of paths specified within and across streams were significant at the p<.01 level. Additionally, 46% of the variance in IUPS frequency was explained by the tested model. Conclusions Results suggest the utility of the TTI as an integrative model of health behavior, specifically in predicting IUPS, and provide insight on the need for multifaceted prevention and intervention efforts. PMID:24647369

Learning with Interactive Computer Graphics in the Undergraduate Neuroscience Classroom

PubMed Central

Pani, John R.; Chariker, Julia H.; Naaz, Farah; Mattingly, William; Roberts, Joshua; Sephton, Sandra E.

2014-01-01

Instruction of neuroanatomy depends on graphical representation and extended self-study. As a consequence, computer-based learning environments that incorporate interactive graphics should facilitate instruction in this area. The present study evaluated such a system in the undergraduate neuroscience classroom. The system used the method of adaptive exploration, in which exploration in a high fidelity graphical environment is integrated with immediate testing and feedback in repeated cycles of learning. The results of this study were that students considered the graphical learning environment to be superior to typical classroom materials used for learning neuroanatomy. Students managed the frequency and duration of study, test, and feedback in an efficient and adaptive manner. For example, the number of tests taken before reaching a minimum test performance of 90% correct closely approximated the values seen in more regimented experimental studies. There was a wide range of student opinion regarding the choice between a simpler and a more graphically compelling program for learning sectional anatomy. Course outcomes were predicted by individual differences in the use of the software that reflected general work habits of the students, such as the amount of time committed to testing. The results of this introduction into the classroom are highly encouraging for development of computer-based instruction in biomedical disciplines. PMID:24449123

Student understanding development in chemistry concepts through constructivist-informed laboratory and science camp process in secondary school

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pathommapas, Nookorn

2018-01-01

Science Camp for Chemistry Concepts was the project which designed to provide local students with opportunities to apply chemistry concepts and thereby developing their 21st century skills. The three study purposes were 1) to construct and develop chemistry stations for encouraging students' understandings in chemistry concepts based on constructivist-informed laboratory, 2) to compare students' understandings in chemistry concepts before and after using chemistry learning stations, and 3) to study students' satisfactions of using their 21st century skills in science camp activities. The research samples were 67 students who attended the 1-day science camp. They were levels 10 to 11 students in SumsaoPittayakarn School, UdonThani Province, Thailand. Four constructivist-informed laboratory stations of chemistry concepts were designed for each group. Each station consisted of a chemistry scenario, a question, answers in tier 1 and supporting reasons in tier 2, and 4 sets of experimental instruments. Four to five-member subgroups of four student groups parallel participated in laboratory station for an hour in each station. Student activities in each station concluded of individual pretest, group prediction, experimental design, testing out and collection data, interpreting the results, group conclusion, and individual post-test. Data collection was done by station mentors using two-tier multiple choice questions, students' written work and interviews. Data triangulation was used for interpreting and confirming students' understandings of chemistry concepts which divided into five levels, Sound Understanding (SU), Partial Understanding (PU), Specific Misconception (SM), No Understanding (NU) and No Response (NR), before and after collaborating at each station. The study results found the following: 1) four constructivist-laboratory stations were successfully designed and used to investigate student' understandings in chemistry concepts via collaborative workshop of chemistry teachers and researcher, 2) the percentage of students having understandings of chemistry concepts before and after learning at the four stations ranged from 15.92-54.23% and 83.89-97.02%, respectively, and 3)students' opinions of using their 21st century skills in the science camp after finishing the camp activities were at a high level of satisfactions, ranged from 4.09-4.47 of 5 rating scores.

Identifying students with dyslexia in higher education.

PubMed

Tops, Wim; Callens, Maaike; Lammertyn, Jan; Van Hees, Valérie; Brysbaert, Marc

2012-10-01

An increasing number of students with dyslexia enter higher education. As a result, there is a growing need for standardized diagnosis. Previous research has suggested that a small number of tests may suffice to reliably assess students with dyslexia, but these studies were based on post hoc discriminant analysis, which tends to overestimate the percentage of systematic variance, and were limited to the English language (and the Anglo-Saxon education system). Therefore, we repeated the research in a non-English language (Dutch) and we selected variables on the basis of a prediction analysis. The results of our study confirm that it is not necessary to administer a wide range of tests to diagnose dyslexia in (young) adults. Three tests sufficed: word reading, word spelling and phonological awareness, in line with the proposal that higher education students with dyslexia continue to have specific problems with reading and writing. We also show that a traditional postdiction analysis selects more variables of importance than the prediction analysis. However, these extra variables explain study-specific variance and do not result in more predictive power of the model.

Academic Effort and Achievement in Science: Beyond a Gendered Relationship

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Adamuti-Trache, Maria; Sweet, Robert

2013-12-01

This study employs the 2004 School Achievement Indicators Program (SAIP) data to examine whether academic effort manifested by greater investments in school and homework does result in higher literacy scores in science for Canadian students. The study compares four gender-immigrant profiles: Canadian-born males, immigrant males, Canadian-born females, and immigrant females on their scores on teacher-assigned grades in science and on the SAIP science literacy test, and across a range of dispositions, beliefs, and behaviors suggested in the literature as predictive of achievement in science. Study findings show that Canadian-born students, particularly boys, have higher performance in the science literacy test despite their lower achievement in the science classroom and the least investments of time in doing science homework. In contrast, immigrant female students demonstrate the highest academic effort and achievement in science courses which are not matched by similar results in the science literacy test. We discuss these results in relation to different socialization experiences with science and technology that limit female and immigrant students' abilities to transfer knowledge to new situations that have not been learned in the classroom.

Use of Multi-Response Format Test in the Assessment of Medical Students' Critical Thinking Ability.

PubMed

Mafinejad, Mahboobeh Khabaz; Arabshahi, Seyyed Kamran Soltani; Monajemi, Alireza; Jalili, Mohammad; Soltani, Akbar; Rasouli, Javad

2017-09-01

To evaluate students critical thinking skills effectively, change in assessment practices is must. The assessment of a student's ability to think critically is a constant challenge, and yet there is considerable debate on the best assessment method. There is evidence that the intrinsic nature of open and closed-ended response questions is to measure separate cognitive abilities. To assess critical thinking ability of medical students by using multi-response format of assessment. A cross-sectional study was conducted on a group of 159 undergraduate third-year medical students. All the participants completed the California Critical Thinking Skills Test (CCTST) consisting of 34 multiple-choice questions to measure general critical thinking skills and a researcher-developed test that combines open and closed-ended questions. A researcher-developed 48-question exam, consisting of 8 short-answers and 5 essay questions, 19 Multiple-Choice Questions (MCQ), and 16 True-False (TF) questions, was used to measure critical thinking skills. Correlation analyses were performed using Pearson's coefficient to explore the association between the total scores of tests and subtests. One hundred and fifty-nine students participated in this study. The sample comprised 81 females (51%) and 78 males (49%) with an age range of 20±2.8 years (mean 21.2 years). The response rate was 64.1%. A significant positive correlation was found between types of questions and critical thinking scores, of which the correlations of MCQ (r=0.82) and essay questions (r=0.77) were strongest. The significant positive correlations between multi-response format test and CCTST's subscales were seen in analysis, evaluation, inference and inductive reasoning. Unlike CCTST subscales, multi-response format test have weak correlation with CCTST total score (r=0.45, p=0.06). This study highlights the importance of considering multi-response format test in the assessment of critical thinking abilities of medical students by using both open and closed-ended response questions.

Report of the Evaluation of the Race/Human Relations Program. Student and Staff Program and Long Range Goals. Baseline Year 1982-83. Evaluation Services Department Report No. 348.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tomblin, Elizabeth A.; And Others

In response to a 1982 Superior Court order, a centrally developed, sequential program for improving race/human relations in the San Diego City Schools was developed and field tested or implemented during the 1982-83 school year. This systematic evaluation reports on the student program, "Conflict"; the staff program; and baseline data…

A randomised controlled trial of extended immersion in multi-method continuing simulation to prepare senior medical students for practice as junior doctors

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Many commencing junior doctors worldwide feel ill-prepared to deal with their new responsibilities, particularly prescribing. Simulation has been widely utilised in medical education, but the use of extended multi-method simulation to emulate the junior doctor experience has rarely been reported. Methods A randomised controlled trial compared students who underwent two, week-long, extended simulations, several months apart (Intervention), with students who attended related workshops and seminars alone (Control), for a range of outcome measures. Results Eighty-four third year students in a graduate-entry medical program were randomised, and 82 completed the study. At the end of the first week, Intervention students scored a mean of 75% on a prescribing test, compared with 70% for Control students (P = 0.02) and Intervention teams initiated cardiac compressions a mean of 29.1 seconds into a resuscitation test scenario, compared with 70.1 seconds for Control teams (P < 0.01). At the beginning of the second week, an average of nine months later, a significant difference was maintained in relation to the prescribing test only (78% vs 70%, P < 0.01). At the end of the second week, significant Intervention vs Control differences were seen on knowledge and reasoning tests, a further prescribing test (71% vs 63% [P < 0.01]) and a paediatric resuscitation scenario test (252 seconds to initiation of fluid resuscitation vs 339 seconds [P = 0.05]). Conclusions The study demonstrated long-term retention of improved prescribing skills, and an immediate effect on knowledge acquisition, reasoning and resuscitation skills, from contextualising learning activities through extended multi-method simulation. PMID:24886098

The Reliability of Pedalling Rates Employed in Work Tests on the Bicycle Ergometer.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bolonchuk, W. W.

The purpose of this study was to determine whether a group of volunteer subjects could produce and maintain a pedalling cadence within an acceptable range of error. This, in turn, would aid in determining the reliability of pedalling rates employed in work tests on the bicycle ergometer. Forty male college students were randomly given four…

Fluid Intelligence as a Predictor of Learning: A Longitudinal Multilevel Approach Applied to Math

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Primi, Ricardo; Ferrao, Maria Eugenia; Almeida, Leandro S.

2010-01-01

The association between fluid intelligence and inter-individual differences was investigated using multilevel growth curve modeling applied to data measuring intra-individual improvement on math achievement tests. A sample of 166 students (88 boys and 78 girls), ranging in age from 11 to 14 (M = 12.3, SD = 0.64), was tested. These individuals took…

Understanding the Black-White Test Score Gap in the First Two Years of School. NBER Working Paper Series.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fryer, Roland G., Jr.; Levitt, Steven D.

In previous research, a substantial gap in test scores between white and black students persists, even after controlling for a wide range of observable characteristics. Using a data set made available by the National Center for Education Statistics, the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, this paper demonstrates that in stark contrast to earlier…

Predictors of medical school clerkship performance: a multispecialty longitudinal analysis of standardized examination scores and clinical assessments.

PubMed

Casey, Petra M; Palmer, Brian A; Thompson, Geoffrey B; Laack, Torrey A; Thomas, Matthew R; Hartz, Martha F; Jensen, Jani R; Sandefur, Benjamin J; Hammack, Julie E; Swanson, Jerry W; Sheeler, Robert D; Grande, Joseph P

2016-04-27

Evidence suggests that poor performance on standardized tests before and early in medical school is associated with poor performance on standardized tests later in medical school and beyond. This study aimed to explore relationships between standardized examination scores (before and during medical school) with test and clinical performance across all core clinical clerkships. We evaluated characteristics of 435 students at Mayo Medical School (MMS) who matriculated 2000-2009 and for whom undergraduate grade point average, medical college aptitude test (MCAT), medical school standardized tests (United States Medical Licensing Examination [USMLE] 1 and 2; National Board of Medical Examiners [NBME] subject examination), and faculty assessments were available. We assessed the correlation between scores and assessments and determined USMLE 1 cutoffs predictive of poor performance (≤10th percentile) on the NBME examinations. We also compared the mean faculty assessment scores of MMS students vs visiting students, and for the NBME, we determined the percentage of MMS students who scored at or below the tenth percentile of first-time national examinees. MCAT scores correlated robustly with USMLE 1 and 2, and USMLE 1 and 2 independently predicted NBME scores in all clerkships. USMLE 1 cutoffs corresponding to poor NBME performance ranged from 220 to 223. USMLE 1 scores were similar among MMS and visiting students. For most academic years and clerkships, NBME scores were similar for MMS students vs all first-time examinees. MCAT, USMLE 1 and 2, and subsequent clinical performance parameters were correlated with NBME scores across all core clerkships. Even more interestingly, faculty assessments correlated with NBME scores, affirming patient care as examination preparation. USMLE 1 scores identified students at risk of poor performance on NBME subject examinations, facilitating and supporting implementation of remediation before the clinical years. MMS students were representative of medical students across the nation.

Computer and Internet use among Undergraduate Medical Students in Iran

PubMed Central

Ayatollahi, Ali; Ayatollahi, Jamshid; Ayatollahi, Fatemeh; Ayatollahi, Reza; Shahcheraghi, Seyed Hossein

2014-01-01

Objective: Although computer technologies are now widely used in medicine, little is known about its use among medical students in Iran. The aim of this study was to determine the competence and access to computer and internet among the medical students. Methods: In this descriptive study, medical students of Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Science, Yazd, Iran from the fifth years were asked to answer a questionnaire during a time-tabled lecture slot. The chi-square test was used to compare the frequency of computer and internet use between the two genders, and the level of statistical significance for all test was set at 0.05. Results: All the students have a personal computer and internet access. There were no statistically significant differences between men and women for the computer and internet access, use wireless device to access internet, having laptop and e-mail address and the difficulties encountered using internet. The main reason for less utilization of internet was slow speed of data transfer. Conclusions: Because of the wide range of computer skills and internet information among medical students in our institution, a single computer and internet course for all students would not be useful nor would it be accepted. PMID:25225525

Relationships between Physical Activity Levels, Self-Identity, Body Dissatisfaction and Motivation among Spanish High School Students.

PubMed

Sánchez-Miguel, Pedro Antonio; Leo, Francisco Miguel; Amado, Diana; Pulido, Juan José; Sánchez-Oliva, David

2017-10-01

The aim of this study was to examine the relationships between gender and the educational grade on the one hand, and physical activity levels, motivation, self-identity, body dissatisfaction, the intention to be physically active and daily sitting time on the other, in a sample of Spanish high school adolescents. The sample consisted of 2087 Spanish students from the 3rd (n = 1141) and 4th grade (n = 946), both male (n = 1046) and female (n = 1041), ranging in age from 15 to 17 years old (M = 15.42; SD = .86). Students completed questionnaires to assess their levels of physical activity, self-identity, motivation, intention to be physically active and daily sitting time. The students' perceptions of their body height and mass were also tested. With the exception of walking MET values, the results showed gender differences in the variables tested. Male participants showed higher intrinsic motivation and lower amotivation than female participants. Furthermore, male students revealed higher levels of physical activity than female students. Finally, the research concluded with the importance of promoting intrinsic reasons for physical activity in order to encourage positive consequences in high school students.

Critical evaluation of the usability of augmented reality ophthalmoscopy for the training of inexperienced examiners.

PubMed

Leitritz, Martin A; Ziemssen, Focke; Suesskind, Daniela; Partsch, Michael; Voykov, Bogomil; Bartz-Schmidt, Karl U; Szurman, Gesine B

2014-04-01

To measure the value of augmented reality technology usage to teach the medical students performing binocular indirect ophthalmoscopy. Thirty-seven medical students were randomly assigned to the training of binocular indirect ophthalmoscopy either in the conventional way or with augmented reality ophthalmoscopy (ARO). For testing student's skills, they had to examine a real person using a conventional ophthalmoscopy system and draw the optic disk. They also had to fill out a questionnaire. Subjective and objective evaluations were performed. Thirty-seven students were randomly assigned to two groups. Eighteen students were trained with conventional ophthalmoscopy and 19 students with ARO. The questionnaires showed no differences. Performing an objective analysis, the median ophthalmoscopy training score for the conventional ophthalmoscopy group was 1.2 (range, 0.67-2) and showed a significant difference (P < 0.0033) to the ARO group (median 2; range, 0.67-2). The study provides evidence that a single ARO training is efficient to improve ophthalmoscopy skills. As the objective analysis showed, the ARO group had a significantly superior performance. Our study also indicates that subjective evaluation of the fundus drawings without systematic analysis is prone to errors.

Nasal carriage of Staphylococcus aureus in Australian (pre-clinical and clinical) medical students.

PubMed

Stubbs, E; Pegler, M; Vickery, A; Harbour, C

1994-06-01

The nasal carriage of Staphylococcus aureus in 808 Australian medical students was studied. Five groups of students experienced varying degrees of clinical exposure in a hospital environment ranging from 0 to 42 months. The overall percentage of carriers among the five groups did not vary. However, with increasing clinical exposure there was a decrease in the percentage of isolates sensitive to all antibiotics tested, and an increase in the carriage of S. aureus resistant to three or more antibiotics. No carriers of methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) were detected. The comparative rates of S. aureus carriage between female and male students varied. The relevance of medical students as nasal carriers of S. aureus in the hospital environment today is discussed.

Investigation on Internet addiction disorder in adolescents in Anhui, People’s Republic of China

PubMed Central

Chen, Yan; Kang, Yaowen; Gong, Weizhi; He, Lianping; Jin, Yuelong; Zhu, Xiaoyue; Yao, Yingshui

2016-01-01

Background and aim The purpose of this study was to describe the characteristics and prevalence of Internet addiction (IA) in adolescents so as to provide a scientific basis for the communities, schools, and families. Methods We conducted a survey by randomized cluster sampling on 5,249 students, grades ranging from 7 to 12, in Anhui province, People’s Republic of China. The questionnaire consisted of general information and IA test. Chi-square test was used to compare the status of IA disorder (IAD). Results In our results, the overall detection rate of IAD and non-IAD in students was 8.7% (459/5,249) and 76.2% (4,000/5,249), respectively. The detection rate of IAD in males (12.3%) was higher than females (4.9%). The detection rate of IAD was statistically different between students from rural (8.2%) and urban (9.3%) areas, among students from different grades, between students from only-child families (9.5%) and non-only-child families (8.1%), and among students from different family types. Conclusion Prevalence of IA is high among Chinese adolescents. IAD has more effect on male students, single-child families, single-parent families, and higher grade students. We should take more care of male students, only-child students, and students living with their fathers, and related education should be strengthen for susceptible subjects of IDA. PMID:27621633

Aerobic fitness of Anglo-Saxon and Indian students.

PubMed Central

Hardy, C P; Eston, R G

1985-01-01

The purpose of this study was to compare the aerobic fitness of two groups of male college students: 32 Anglo-Saxon males (age range 16-18 years) with 27 Indian males, born in England, (age range 16-23 years), none of whom was highly active in any particular sport. Maximal oxygen uptake was estimated by submaximal test on a cycle ergometer and percent body fat was assessed by skinfold calipers. The Anglo-Saxon group had higher absolute and relative maximal oxygen consumption values and higher body weight. There was no difference in percent fat between the two groups. Strength data were also provided for descriptive purposes. Images p217-a p217-b PMID:4092143

Developing and validating a chemical bonding instrument for Korean high school students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jang, Nak Han

The major purpose of this study was to develop a reliable and valid instrument designed to collect and investigate on Korean high school students' understanding about concepts regarding chemical bonding. The Chemical Bonding Diagnostic Test (CBDT) was developed by the procedure by previously relevant researches (Treagust, 1985; Peterson, 1986; Tan, 1994). The final instrument consisted of 15 two-tier items. The reliability coefficient (Cronbach alpha) for the whole test was 0.74. Also, the range of values for the discrimination index was from 0.38 to 0.90 and the overall average difficulty index was 0.38. The test was administered to 716 science declared students in Korean high school. The 37 common misconceptions on chemical bonding were identified through analysis of the items from the CBDT. The grade 11 students had slightly more misconceptions than the grade 12 students for ionic bonding, covalent bonding, and hydrogen bonding while the grade 12 students had more misconceptions about octet rule and hydrogen bonding than the grade 11 students. From the analysis of ANCOVA, there was no significant difference in grades, and between grade levels and gender on the mean score of CBDT. However, there was a significant difference in gender and a significant interaction between grade levels and chemistry preference. In conclusion, Korean high school students had the most common misconception about the electron configuration on ionic bonding and the water density on hydrogen bonding. Korean students' understanding about the chemical bonding was dependent on the interaction between grade levels and the chemistry preference. Consequently, grade 12 chemistry-preferred students had the highest mean scores among student groups concerned by this study.

Serosurveillance of varicella and hepatitis B infection after reported cases in medical students and the relationship between past varicella disease history and immunity status.

PubMed

Suwanpakdee, Detchvijitr; Laohapand, Chalida; Moolasart, Visal; Lomtong, Prasong; Krairojananan, Nat; Srisawat, Phutsapong; Watanaveeradej, Veerachai

2012-05-01

To identify seroprevalence of varicella and the relationship with their histories of experiences of varicella diseases and to provide appropriate immunization against varicella, mumps, measles, rubella and hepatitis B to medical students. All of the medical students were eligible for participation after informed consents. Immunization history against varicella, mumps, measles, rubella (MMR) and hepatitis B were obtained from a questionnaire. A blood sample was obtained from each student for IgG antibody against VZV by ELISA. Medical students with an uncertain history or no documentation of hepatitis B vaccination were tested for HBsAg and anti-HBcIgG by ELISA. There were 383 medical students enrolled. The mean age at enrollment was 21.6 years (median 21.4 years; range 18-25.8 years). Of 383 medical students, 372 (97.2%) had documents of receiving MMR immunizations. The blood samples were obtained from 374 of 383 (97.6%) medical students to identify the immunity against varicella zoster virus (VZV) and the seroprevalence rate was 92%. Using VZVIgG antibody detection as a standard test, history of experience of varicella disease provided positive predictive value of 99.3% (148/149). Of 383 medical students, 277 (72.3%) were tested for hepatitis B markers and 243 (87.7%) students showed negative results. The prevalence of HBsAg carriers was 0.01% (4/383). Suboptimal immunities against vaccine preventable diseases could be demonstrated in the medical students including varicella and hepatitis B. New recommendations of immunizations against varicella, MMR and hepatitis B viruses for a particular group of the population were provided.

Absolute pitch among students at the Shanghai Conservatory of Music: a large-scale direct-test study.

PubMed

Deutsch, Diana; Li, Xiaonuo; Shen, Jing

2013-11-01

This paper reports a large-scale direct-test study of absolute pitch (AP) in students at the Shanghai Conservatory of Music. Overall note-naming scores were very high, with high scores correlating positively with early onset of musical training. Students who had begun training at age ≤5 yr scored 83% correct not allowing for semitone errors and 90% correct allowing for semitone errors. Performance levels were higher for white key pitches than for black key pitches. This effect was greater for orchestral performers than for pianists, indicating that it cannot be attributed to early training on the piano. Rather, accuracy in identifying notes of different names (C, C#, D, etc.) correlated with their frequency of occurrence in a large sample of music taken from the Western tonal repertoire. There was also an effect of pitch range, so that performance on tones in the two-octave range beginning on Middle C was higher than on tones in the octave below Middle C. In addition, semitone errors tended to be on the sharp side. The evidence also ran counter to the hypothesis, previously advanced by others, that the note A plays a special role in pitch identification judgments.

Promoting medical students' reflection on competencies to advance a global health equities curriculum.

PubMed

Mullan, Patricia B; Williams, Joy; Malani, Preeti N; Riba, Michelle; Haig, Andrew; Perry, Julie; Kolars, Joseph C; Mangrulkar, Rajesh; Williams, Brent

2014-05-03

The move to frame medical education in terms of competencies - the extent to which trainees "can do" a professional responsibility - is congruent with calls for accountability in medical education. However, the focus on competencies might be a poor fit with curricula intended to prepare students for responsibilities not emphasized in traditional medical education. This study examines an innovative approach to the use of potential competency expectations related to advancing global health equity to promote students' reflections and to inform curriculum development. In 2012, 32 medical students were admitted into a newly developed Global Health and Disparities (GHD) Path of Excellence. The GHD program takes the form of mentored co-curricular activities built around defined competencies related to professional development and leadership skills intended to ameliorate health disparities in medically underserved settings, both domestically and globally. Students reviewed the GHD competencies from two perspectives: a) their ability to perform the identified competencies that they perceived themselves as holding as they began the GHD program and b) the extent to which they perceived that their future career would require these responsibilities. For both sets of assessments the response scale ranged from "Strongly Disagree" to "Strongly Agree." Wilcoxon's paired T-tests compared individual students' ordinal rating of their current level of ability to their perceived need for competence that they anticipated their careers would require. Statistical significance was set at p < .01. Students' ratings ranged from "strongly disagree" to "strongly agree" that they could perform the defined GHD-related competencies. However, on most competencies, at least 50 % of students indicated that the stated competencies were beyond their present ability level. For each competency, the results of Wilcoxon paired T-tests indicate - at statistically significant levels - that students perceive more need in their careers for GHD-program defined competencies than they currently possess. This study suggests congruence between student and program perceptions of the scope of practice required for GHD. Students report the need for enhanced skill levels in the careers they anticipate. This approach to formulating and reflecting on competencies will guide the program's design of learning experiences aligned with students' career goals.

Student Mentors' system in the Higher European Education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saa-Requejo, Antonio; Medina-Rojas, Silvia; Sanchez, Maria Elena; Gascó, Gabriel; Moratiel, Ruben; Antón, Jose Manuel; Durán-Altisent, Jose Maria; Tarquis, Ana Maria

2013-04-01

For several years the Spanish University has been experiencing changes that affect not only the educational area but also innovation and investigation in the classroom. Even the use of so-called New Technologies has been focus of much attention in the Higher Educational System, student mentoring has been revealed as an important factor in the first university courses. In this sense, we carried out a first step in a senior student mentor project in order to facilitate adaptation of the new students, providing information, advice and guidance on different academic and social aspects. Here, we understand mentoring as a relationship between a more senior student (mentor) and a few junior lesser experienced students (mentees). Mentoring is intended to develop and grow the skills, knowledge, confidence, and cultural understanding of the mentees aiming to help them succeed. Consequently, this work arises from our concern about students need. A test has been designed to assess students interest in the three fundamental aspects of mentoring: academic, social and administrative orientation. The test involved 16 questions related to these three different aspects on mentoring, evaluating each question from 1 (none) to 4 (totally). Surveys have been conducted on this topic at the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM) with students on different levels and modules of degrees in Agricultural Engineering. The same activity has been applied to the new degrees that have started at 2010-11 course in the Bologna Plan's requirements and are replacing the precedents progressively. We have analysed the answers performing a multifactor analysis of variance for each question. It constructs various tests and graphs to determine which questions have statistically significant interactions, given sufficient data. The F-tests in the ANOVA table allowed identifying the significant ones. For each significant factor, the Multiple Range Tests (MRT) tells which means are significantly different from which others. We have applied it to Bologna Plan and Plan 96 separately. The results are discussed. Acknowledgements Funded provided by educational innovation projects "Training of mentors' students in different subjects in the first degree and postgraduate ETSI Agrónomos" and "Students mentoring system in undergraduate and graduate courses at ETS Ingenieros Agrónomos" given by UPM are gratefully appreciated.

The relationship of the Reynolds Intellectual Assessment Scales and the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Third Edition.

PubMed

Smith, Billy L; McChristian, Chrystal L; Smith, Teresa D; Meaux, Julie

2009-08-01

The purpose of this study was to compare scores on the Reynolds Intellectual Assessment Scales (RIAS) with scores on the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Third Edition (WAIS-III) in a group of college students diagnosed with a Learning Disability, Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), or a combination of the two. The RIAS Composite Index score was significantly higher than the WAIS-III Full Scale IQ, although scores on both tests were in the average range. Correlations between the two tests were significant on all measures. Male students were significantly higher than female students on both the RIAS Composite Index and on the WAIS-III Full Scale IQ. Although the ADHD group was higher on IQ than the Learning Disabled and combined disorder groups on all IQ measures, no significant differences were found.

AMONG TURKISH DENTAL STUDENTS.

PubMed

Eren, Hakan; Huri, Meral; Bağış, Nilsun; Başıbüyük, Onur; Şahin, Sedef; Umaroğlu, Mutlu; Orhan, Kaan

2016-11-01

The aim of the present study was to investigate the prevalence of burnout and occupational participation limitation among dental students in a dental school in Turkey. Four hundred fifty-eight dental students (females=153; males=305) were included in the study. The age range varied from 17-to-38 years. Maslach Burnout Inventory-Student Version (MBI-SV) and Canadian Occupational Performance Measure (COPM) were used to gather data. Descriptive analyses, t-test, and Kruskall-Wallis test for independent groups were used for data analyses. The results indicated that 26% of all the students have burnout in terms of emotional exhaustion (25%), cynicism (18%), and academic efficacy (14%). The results showed that burnout is statistically significant in relation to demographics (p<0.05). Twenty-four percent of the students showed considerably decreased occupational performance and satisfaction scores, which suggested occupational participation limitations. Occupational performance and satisfaction scores were inversely correlated with emotional exhaustion and cynicism, while directly correlated with reduced academic efficacy (p<0.05). The results of the present study indicates that burnout and occupational participation limitation can be seen among dental students. Students with burnout may also have occupational participation limitation. Enriching dental education programs with different psychological strategies may be useful for education of healthy dentists and improve the quality of oral and dental health services.

Mandibular movement range in children.

PubMed

Machado, Barbara Cristina Zanandréa; Medeiros, Ana Paula Magalhães; Felício, Cláudia Maria de

2009-01-01

identification of the mandibular movement range is an important procedure in the evaluation of the stomatognathic system. However, there are few studies in children that focus on normal parameters or abnormalities. to determine the average range of mandibular movements in Brazilian children aged 6 to 12 years; to verify the difference between genders, in each age group, and between the different age groups: 6-8 years; 8.1-10 years; and 10.1-12 years. participants of the study were 240 healthy children selected among regular students from local schools of São Paulo State. The maximum mandibular opening, lateral excursion and protrusive movements, and deviation of the medium line, if present, were measured using a digital caliper. Student T test, Analysis of variance and Tukey test were considered significant for p < 0.05. the mean values observed in the studied sample were: 44.51mm for maximum mandibular opening; 7.71mm for lateral excursion to the right; 7.92mm for lateral excursion to the left; 7.45mm for protrusive movements. No statistical difference was observed between genders. There was a gradual increase in the range of mandibular movements, with significant differences mainly between the ages of 6-8 years and 10.1-12 years. during childhood the range of mandibular movements increases. Age should be considered in this analysis for a greater precision in the diagnosis.

Assessment of Knowledge of Critical Cardiovascular Risk Indicators among College Students: Does Stage of Education Matter?

PubMed Central

Sarpong, Daniel F.; Curry, India Y.; Williams, Melinda

2017-01-01

The health risk of college students in the United States (US) is on the rise, with a significant increase in the prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors. Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in the US, costing approximately $475.3 billion yearly. The goals of this “Know Your Numbers” study were to: (1) estimate the awareness of college students of their critical health numbers (CHN); and (2) compare a college of pharmacy entry class (IP1) with second semester non-commuter freshman college students (FCS) in knowing their numbers. A cross-sectional 15-item pre-test survey was conducted among a convenience sample of IP1 and FCS. All statistical tests were performed at α = 0.05. Awareness of their: cholesterol (7%), blood pressure (BP) (35%), glucose (8%), and body mass index (BMI) (42%) were low. The IP1, compared to FCS, were more knowledgeable of: (1) their BP (46% vs. 28%, p = 0.01); (2) BP normal range (74% vs. 63%, p = 0.02); and (3) BMI normal range (39% vs. 23%, p = 0.04). The IP1s maintained a healthier diet than the FCS (64% vs. 36%, p < 0.0001). Awareness of knowing CHN was very low. Knowledge of one’s CHN was significantly associated with knowledge of normal reference values for BP, glucose, and BMI. PMID:28257080

An investigation into introductory astronomy students' difficulties with cosmology, and the development, validation, and efficacy of a new suite of cosmology lecture-tutorials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wallace, Colin S.

This study reports the results of the first systematic investigation into Astro 101 students' conceptual and reasoning difficulties with cosmology. We developed four surveys with which we measured students' conceptual knowledge of the Big Bang, the expansion and evolution of the universe, and the evidence for dark matter. Our classical test theory and item response theory analyses of over 2300 students' pre- and post-instruction responses, combined with daily classroom observations, videotapes of students working in class, and one-on-one semi-structured think-aloud interviews with nineteen Astro 101 students, revealed several common learning difficulties. In order to help students overcome these difficulties, we used our results to inform the development of a new suite of cosmology lecture-tutorials. In our initial testing of the new lecture-tutorials at the University of Colorado at Boulder and the University of Arizona, we found many cases in which students who used the lecture-tutorials achieved higher learning gains (as measured by our surveys) at statistically significant levels than students who did not. Subsequent use of the lecture-tutorials at a variety of colleges and universities across the United States produced a wide range of learning gains, suggesting that instructors' pedagogical practices and implementations of the lecture-tutorials significantly affect whether or not students achieve high learning gains.

Project "Hypertension Alert."

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sailors, Emma Lou

1983-01-01

"Hypertension Alert," a 1979-80 blood pressure screening-awareness project of the Yonkers, New York Public Schools, is described. Data is analyzed in tables for ethnic composition, and range of blood pressure readings for the high school, junior high school, and elementary school students tested. (Author/JMK)

Effect of unilateral congenital cataract surgery on ocular axial length growth and corneal flattening.

PubMed

Borghol-Kassar, R; Menezo-Rozalén, J L; Harto-Castaño, M A; Desco-Esteban, M C

2015-03-01

The aim of this article is to study the effect of unilateral congenital cataract surgery on ocular growth and corneal flattening. This is a cross-sectional study of 59 patients operated on due to a unilateral congenital cataract. The median age of the patients at the time of diagnosis was 17 months (interquartile range, 5-39 months). The median age at cataract the time of surgery was 28 months (interquartile range, 8-52 months), and the mean follow-up between cataract surgery and assessments was 149.7±69.9 months (range, 30-319 months). Axial length and corneal curvature were measured in both operated and non-operated eyes, comparing the results between them. There were no statistically significant differences for axial length growth or corneal flattening between operated and non-operated eyes: axial length (P=.327, Student t test) and corneal curvature (P=.078, Student t test). A sub-analysis was performed using the visual acuity and the age of the patient at the time of surgery. The only statistically significant data (P=.007, Student t test) was a lower axial length in operated eyes compared to non-operated eyes, in the non-deep-amblyopia group. No significant axial length growth modifications were observed between operated and non-operated eyes. Only the non-deep-amblyopia group presented with a lower axial length in the operated eyes compared to non-operated eyes. No significant differences in corneal flattening were found between groups after unilateral congenital cataract surgery. Copyright © 2011 Sociedad Española de Oftalmología. Published by Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

Use of simulated pages to prepare medical students for internship and improve patient safety.

PubMed

Schwind, Cathy J; Boehler, Margaret L; Markwell, Stephen J; Williams, Reed G; Brenner, Michael J

2011-01-01

During the transition from medical school to internship, trainees experience high levels of stress related to pages on the inpatient wards. The steep learning curve during this period may also affect patient safety. The authors piloted the use of simulated pages to improve medical student preparedness, decrease stress related to pages, and familiarize medical students with common patient problems. A multidisciplinary team at Southern Illinois University School of Medicine developed simulated pages that were tested among senior medical students. Sixteen medical students were presented with 11 common patient scenarios. Data on assessment, management, and global performance were collected. Mean confidence levels were evaluated pre- and postintervention. Students were also surveyed on how the simulated pages program influenced their perceived comfort in managing patient care needs and the usefulness of the exercise in preparing them to handle inpatient pages. Mean scores on the assessment and management portions of the scenarios varied widely depending on the scenario (range -15.6 ± 41.6 to 95.7 ± 9.5). Pass rates based on global performance ranged from 12% to 93%. Interrater agreement was high (mean kappa = 0.88). Students' confidence ratings on a six-point scale increased from 1.87 preintervention to 3.53 postintervention (P < .0001). Simulated pages engage medical students and may foster medical student preparedness for internship. Students valued the opportunity to simulate "on call" responsibilities, and exposure to simulated pages significantly increased their confidence levels. Further studies are needed to determine effects on patient safety outcomes.

Health Belief Model Scale for Human Papilloma Virus and its Vaccination: Adaptation and Psychometric Testing.

PubMed

Guvenc, Gulten; Seven, Memnun; Akyuz, Aygul

2016-06-01

To adapt and psychometrically test the Health Belief Model Scale for Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) and Its Vaccination (HBMS-HPVV) for use in a Turkish population and to assess the Human Papilloma Virus Knowledge score (HPV-KS) among female college students. Instrument adaptation and psychometric testing study. The sample consisted of 302 nursing students at a nursing school in Turkey between April and May 2013. Questionnaire-based data were collected from the participants. Information regarding HBMS-HPVV and HPV knowledge and descriptive characteristic of participants was collected using translated HBMS-HPVV and HPV-KS. Test-retest reliability was evaluated and Cronbach α was used to assess internal consistency reliability, and exploratory factor analysis was used to assess construct validity of the HBMS-HPVV. The scale consists of 4 subscales that measure 4 constructs of the Health Belief Model covering the perceived susceptibility and severity of HPV and the benefits and barriers. The final 14-item scale had satisfactory validity and internal consistency. Cronbach α values for the 4 subscales ranged from 0.71 to 0.78. Total HPV-KS ranged from 0 to 8 (scale range, 0-10; 3.80 ± 2.12). The HBMS-HPVV is a valid and reliable instrument for measuring young Turkish women's beliefs and attitudes about HPV and its vaccination. Copyright © 2015 North American Society for Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Teaching a New Generation of Students: Developing an Interdisciplinary Watershed Field Course

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pearce, A. R.; Bierman, P. R.; Druschel, G. K.; Massey, C. A.; Rizzo, D. M.; Watzin, M. C.; Wemple, B. C.

2007-12-01

As the scientific world becomes more interconnected, careers in geosciences regularly require cooperation, communication, and comprehension across disciplines. In response, faculty at the University of Vermont (UVM) have developed and are modifying an interdisciplinary watershed field course to provide both a valuable learning experience in watershed science for students and a tested prototype for collaboration and cooperation between faculty, departments, and administrators. The field course introduces concepts of watershed science, an inherently interdisciplinary field of study for which there is often no specific academic department (www.uvm.edu/watercamp). The field exercises begin in Lake Champlain, New England's&plargest inland water body. To maximize relevance, the focus is on threats and current problems associated with large water bodies. The students then move to the mountainous headwaters of a major drainage into Lake Champlain and follow it back down into Lake Champlain. The 3.5-week, 4-credit course consists of exercises created by faculty from different academic departments representing three different schools within the university including: civil and environmental engineering, geography, geology, and natural resources. A pair of faculty members from different departments lead each day's activities ensuring that students are exposed to a range of faculty interaction, connections, and cooperation between specialties. The general design of the course is modular; content and faculty can be changed as desired from year to year to take advantage of current field research projects, visiting or absent faculty, or unusual and unique field opportunities. Surveys collected from students taking the first offering show learning over a broad range of disciplines and positive attitudes about the teaching and learning styles associated with field courses. Knowledge surveys completed by the students before and after the class showed an overall increase in self assessed knowledge of the course concepts, with a positive mean survey increase of one on a three point scale (n=8). Before and after class attitude surveys showed significant increases in the students perceived benefit of writing lab reports, working in groups and using computer based materials (Wilcoxon Signed Rank Test n=7: p>t = 0.063; Wilcoxon Signed Rank Test n=7: p>t=0.063; and Paired t-test n=7: p>t = 0.0391, respectively). There was also a significant decrease in the perceived usefulness of lectures (Wilcoxon Signed Rank Test n=8: p

Relationships between Physical Activity Levels, Self-Identity, Body Dissatisfaction and Motivation among Spanish High School Students

PubMed Central

Sánchez-Miguel, Pedro Antonio; Leo, Francisco Miguel; Amado, Diana; Pulido, Juan José; Sánchez-Oliva, David

2017-01-01

Abstract The aim of this study was to examine the relationships between gender and the educational grade on the one hand, and physical activity levels, motivation, self-identity, body dissatisfaction, the intention to be physically active and daily sitting time on the other, in a sample of Spanish high school adolescents. The sample consisted of 2087 Spanish students from the 3rd (n = 1141) and 4th grade (n = 946), both male (n = 1046) and female (n = 1041), ranging in age from 15 to 17 years old (M = 15.42; SD = .86). Students completed questionnaires to assess their levels of physical activity, self-identity, motivation, intention to be physically active and daily sitting time. The students’ perceptions of their body height and mass were also tested. With the exception of walking MET values, the results showed gender differences in the variables tested. Male participants showed higher intrinsic motivation and lower amotivation than female participants. Furthermore, male students revealed higher levels of physical activity than female students. Finally, the research concluded with the importance of promoting intrinsic reasons for physical activity in order to encourage positive consequences in high school students. PMID:29134046

Mathematics anxiety in secondary students in England.

PubMed

Chinn, Steve

2009-02-01

Whatever the changes that are made to the mathematics curriculum in England, there will always remain a problem with mathematics anxiety. Maths anxiety is rarely facilitative. This study examined aspects of mathematics in secondary schools and how students rated them as sources of anxiety. Over 2000 students in independent and mainstream schools in England completed a 20-item questionnaire designed to investigate maths anxiety levels. The same questionnaire was given to over 440 dyslexic males in specialist schools within the same age range. The results showed that examinations and tests create high levels of anxiety in approximately 4% of students. The results suggest that certain aspects and topics in the maths curriculum, such as long division, cause similar levels of anxiety for students in all year groups in secondary schools.

Development and psychometric testing of Holistic Clinical Assessment Tool (HCAT) for undergraduate nursing students.

PubMed

Wu, Xi Vivien; Enskär, Karin; Pua, Lay Hoon; Heng, Doreen Gek Noi; Wang, Wenru

2016-09-22

A major focus in nursing education is on the judgement of clinical performance, and it is a complex process due to the diverse nature of nursing practice. A holistic approach in assessment of competency is advocated. Difficulties in the development of valid and reliable assessment measures in nursing competency have resulted in the development of assessment instruments with an increase in face and content validity, but few studies have tested these instruments psychometrically. It is essential to develop a holistic assessment tool to meet the needs of the clinical education. The study aims to develop a Holistic Clinical Assessment Tool (HCAT) and test its psychometric properties. The HCAT was developed based on the systematic literature review and the findings of qualitative studies. An expert panel was invited to evaluate the content validity of the tool. A total of 130 final-year nursing undergraduate students were recruited to evaluate the psychometric properties (i.e. factor structure, internal consistency and test-retest reliability) of the tool. The HCAT has good content validity with content validity index of .979. The exploratory factor analysis reveals a four-factor structure of the tool. The internal consistency and test-retest reliability of the HCAT are satisfactory with Cronbach alpha ranging from .789 to .965 and Intraclass Correlation Coefficient ranging from .881 to .979 for the four subscales and total scale. HCAT has the potential to be used as a valid measure to evaluate clinical competence in nursing students, and provide specific and ongoing feedback to enhance the holistic clinical learning experience. In addition, HCAT functions as a tool for self-reflection, peer-assessment and guides preceptors in clinical teaching and assessment.

Neutrons and Fundamental Symmetries

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

Plaster, Bradley

2016-01-11

The research supported by this project addressed fundamental open physics questions via experiments with subatomic particles. In particular, neutrons constitute an especially ideal “laboratory” for fundamental physics tests, as their sensitivities to the four known forces of nature permit a broad range of tests of the so-called “Standard Model”, our current best physics model for the interactions of subatomic particles. Although the Standard Model has been a triumphant success for physics, it does not provide satisfactory answers to some of the most fundamental open questions in physics, such as: are there additional forces of nature beyond the gravitational, electromagnetic, weakmore » nuclear, and strong nuclear forces?, or why does our universe consist of more matter than anti-matter? This project also contributed significantly to the training of the next generation of scientists, of considerable value to the public. Young scientists, ranging from undergraduate students to graduate students to post-doctoral researchers, made significant contributions to the work carried out under this project.« less

Prevalence of Orthorexia nervosa among college students based on Bratman's test and associated tendencies.

PubMed

Bundros, Joanna; Clifford, Dawn; Silliman, Kathryn; Neyman Morris, Michelle

2016-06-01

Disordered eating is prevalent among college student populations, and Orthorexia nervosa (ON) is being explored as a new type of eating disorder. There is currently no standardized ON diagnostic tool, and the majority of ON research has been conducted among European populations. The present study explored the Bratman Orthorexia Test (BOT) for ON diagnosis, and its relationship to validated tools for assessing disordered eating, body dysmorphic, and obsessive-compulsive tendencies among college students attending a western university. A convenience sample of 448 college students with a mean age of 22 years was recruited to complete an online survey that included the BOT, Eating Attitudes Test-26 (EAT-26), Body Dysmorphic Disorder Questionnaire (BDDQ), Obsessive Compulsive Inventory, Revised (OCI-R) and demographics. Spearman correlation, Mann-Whitney U, Kruskal-Wallis, chi-square, and multiple linear regressions were used for analyses. The average BOT score was 4.71, near the "health fanatic" range, with Hispanic/Latino subjects and overweight/obese students having significantly higher median BOT scores. Gender, age, and college major were not significantly associated with BOT score. Significant positive correlations were observed between total BOT and EAT-26 scores (r = .47, p < 0.01), BOT and BDDQ scores (r = .25, p < 0.01), and BOT and OCI-R scores (r = .19, p < 0.01). ON tendencies may exist among college students and Hispanic/Latino and overweight/obese students may be at increased risk. Further research is needed to determine ON risk factors among diverse student populations in order to inform prevention and treatment approaches on college campuses. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

New graduate students' baseline knowledge of the responsible conduct of research.

PubMed

Heitman, Elizabeth; Olsen, Cara H; Anestidou, Lida; Bulger, Ruth Ellen

2007-09-01

To assess (1) new biomedical science graduate students' baseline knowledge of core concepts and standards in responsible conduct of research (RCR), (2) differences in graduate students' baseline knowledge overall and across the Office of Research Integrity's nine core areas, and (3) demographic and educational factors in these differences. A 30-question, computer-scored multiple-choice test on core concepts and standards of RCR was developed following content analysis of 20 United States-published RCR texts, and combined with demographic questions on undergraduate experience with RCR developed from graduate student focus groups. Four hundred two new graduate students at three health science universities were recruited for Scantron and online testing before beginning RCR instruction. Two hundred fifty-one of 402 eligible trainees (62%) at three universities completed the test; scores ranged from 26.7% to 83.3%, with a mean of 59.5%. Only seven (3%) participants scored 80% or above. Students who received their undergraduate education outside the United States scored significantly lower (mean 52.0%) than those with U.S. bachelor's degrees (mean 60.5%, P < .001). Participants with prior graduate biomedical or health professions education scored marginally higher than new students, but both groups' mean scores were well below 80%. The mean score of 16 participants who reported previous graduate-level RCR instruction was 67.7%. Participants' specific knowledge varied, but overall scores were universally low. New graduate biomedical sciences students have inadequate and inconsistent knowledge of RCR, irrespective of their prior education or experience. Incoming trainees with previous graduate RCR education may also have gaps in core knowledge.

Eating Disorders Among Female Students of Taif University, Saudi Arabia.

PubMed

Abd El-Azeem Taha, Azza Ali; Abu-Zaid, Hany Ahmed; El-Sayed Desouky, Dalia

2018-03-01

Eating disorders are a common health problem among adolescents, and females are especially vulnerable to them. There is lack of information on the prevalence of eating disorders in Saudi Arabia. The current study aimed to investigate the prevalence of eating disorders among female undergraduate university students in Taif city, Saudi Arabia. The study was undertaken in the female section at Taif university from November 1, 2016 to March 30, 2017. Eating Attitudes Test (EAT-26) was used to determine the prevalence of eating disorders. The questionnaire was distributed among undergraduate students and their anthropometric measurements were assessed after obtaining their consent. The sample included 1200 university students with a median age of 21 years (range 17-33). Nonparametric tests were used to assess relationship between variables. Chi-squared test was used to compare items of the disordered eating attitudes and behaviors between positive and negative EAT respondents. Using the cutoff score of 20 on EAT-26 test, 35.4% of the students were classified at risk for eating disorders. Medical and obese students achieved the highest significant EAT scores. A high prevalence of eating disorders was found among females at Taif university, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Our findings call for prevention of these disorders and we recommend establishing a national screening program among Saudi university female students for early detection and management of these problems. © 2018 The Author(s). This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Improving Geoscience Students' Spatial Thinking Skills: Applying Cognitive Science Research in the Classroom

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ormand, C. J.; Shipley, T. F.; Manduca, C. A.; Tikoff, B.

2011-12-01

Spatial thinking skills are critical to success in many subdisciplines of the geosciences (and beyond). There are many components of spatial thinking, such as mental rotation, penetrative visualization, disembedding, perspective taking, and navigation. Undergraduate students in introductory and upper-level geoscience courses bring a wide variety of spatial skill levels to the classroom, as measured by psychometric tests of many of these components of spatial thinking. Furthermore, it is not unusual for individual students to excel in some of these areas while struggling in others. Although pre- and post-test comparisons show that student skill levels typically improve over the course of an academic term, average gains are quite modest. This suggests that it may be valuable to develop interventions to help undergraduate students develop a range of spatial skills that can be used to solve geoscience problems. Cognitive science research suggests a number of strong strategies for building students' spatial skills. Practice is essential, and time on task is correlated to improvement. Progressive alignment may be used to scaffold students' successes on simpler problems, allowing them to see how more complex problems are related to those they can solve. Gesturing has proven effective in moving younger students from incorrect problem-solving strategies to correct strategies in other disciplines. These principles can be used to design instructional materials to improve undergraduate geoscience students' spatial skills; we will present some examples of such materials.

Conceptual Learning Outcomes of Virtual Experiential Learning: Results of Google Earth Exploration in Introductory Geoscience Courses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bitting, Kelsey S.; McCartney, Marsha J.; Denning, Kathy R.; Roberts, Jennifer A.

2018-06-01

Virtual globe programs such as Google Earth replicate real-world experiential learning of spatial and geographic concepts by allowing students to navigate across our planet without ever leaving campus. However, empirical evidence for the learning value of these technological tools and the experience students gain by exploration assignments framed within them remains to be quantified and compared by student demographics. This study examines the impact of a Google Earth-based exploration assignment on conceptual understanding in introductory geoscience courses at a research university in the US Midwest using predominantly traditional college-age students from a range of majors. Using repeated-measures ANOVA and paired-samples t tests, we test the significance of the activity using pretest and posttest scores on a subset of items from the Geoscience Concept Inventory, and the interactive effects of student gender and ethnicity on student score improvement. Analyses show that learning from the Google Earth exploration activity is highly significant overall and for all but one of the concept inventory items. Furthermore, we find no significant interactive effects of class format, student gender, or student ethnicity on the magnitude of the score increases. These results provide strong support for the use of experiential learning in virtual globe environments for students in introductory geoscience and perhaps other disciplines for which direct observation of our planet's surface is conceptually relevant.

Establishing Inter- and Intrarater Reliability for High-Stakes Testing Using Simulation.

PubMed

Kardong-Edgren, Suzan; Oermann, Marilyn H; Rizzolo, Mary Anne; Odom-Maryon, Tamara

This article reports one method to develop a standardized training method to establish the inter- and intrarater reliability of a group of raters for high-stakes testing. Simulation is used increasingly for high-stakes testing, but without research into the development of inter- and intrarater reliability for raters. Eleven raters were trained using a standardized methodology. Raters scored 28 student videos over a six-week period. Raters then rescored all videos over a two-day period to establish both intra- and interrater reliability. One rater demonstrated poor intrarater reliability; a second rater failed all students. Kappa statistics improved from the moderate to substantial agreement range with the exclusion of the two outlier raters' scores. There may be faculty who, for different reasons, should not be included in high-stakes testing evaluations. All faculty are content experts, but not all are expert evaluators.

[Statistical approach to evaluate the occurrence of out-of acceptable ranges and accuracy for antimicrobial susceptibility tests in inter-laboratory quality control program].

PubMed

Ueno, Tamio; Matuda, Junichi; Yamane, Nobuhisa

2013-03-01

To evaluate the occurrence of out-of acceptable ranges and accuracy of antimicrobial susceptibility tests, we applied a new statistical tool to the Inter-Laboratory Quality Control Program established by the Kyushu Quality Control Research Group. First, we defined acceptable ranges of minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) for broth microdilution tests and inhibitory zone diameter for disk diffusion tests on the basis of Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) M100-S21. In the analysis, more than two out-of acceptable range results in the 20 tests were considered as not allowable according to the CLSI document. Of the 90 participating laboratories, 46 (51%) experienced one or more occurrences of out-of acceptable range results. Then, a binomial test was applied to each participating laboratory. The results indicated that the occurrences of out-of acceptable range results in the 11 laboratories were significantly higher when compared to the CLSI recommendation (allowable rate < or = 0.05). The standard deviation indices(SDI) were calculated by using reported results, mean and standard deviation values for the respective antimicrobial agents tested. In the evaluation of accuracy, mean value from each laboratory was statistically compared with zero using a Student's t-test. The results revealed that 5 of the 11 above laboratories reported erroneous test results that systematically drifted to the side of resistance. In conclusion, our statistical approach has enabled us to detect significantly higher occurrences and source of interpretive errors in antimicrobial susceptibility tests; therefore, this approach can provide us with additional information that can improve the accuracy of the test results in clinical microbiology laboratories.

Where Should We Go With Advanced Placement?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lichten, William

2001-04-01

This is a review of the Advanced Placement (AP)Program. In disagreement with claims of the College Board, there is firm evidence that the average test performance level has dropped. The College Board's scale and claims for AP qualification disagree seriously with college standards. A majority of tests taken do not qualify. It appears that "advanced placement" is coming closer to "placement." This paper recommends that the College Board's policy, which previously has concentrated on the numbers of participants, should include an emphasis on student performance and program quality. AP could accomplish its goal of reaching a wider range of students by changing along the lines followed in college introductory physics courses: multiple tracks.

E-Learning Applications for Urban Modelling and Ogc Standards Using HTML5 Capabilities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kaden, R.; König, G.; Malchow, C.; Kolbe, T. H.

2012-07-01

This article reports on the development of HTML5 based web-content related to urban modelling with special focus on GML and CityGML, allowing participants to access it regardless of the device platform. An essential part of the learning modules are short video lectures, supplemented by exercises and tests during the lecture to improve students' individual progress and success. The evaluation of the tests is used to guide students through the course content, depending on individual knowledge. With this approach, we provide learning applications on a wide range of devices, either mobile or desktop, fulfil the needs of just-in-time knowledge, and increase the emphasis on lifelong learning.

For-Profit Colleges: Undercover Testing Finds Colleges Encouraged Fraud and Engaged in Deceptive and Questionable Marketing Practices. Testimony before the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, U.S. Senate. GAO-10-948T

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kutz, Gregory D.

2010-01-01

Enrollment in for-profit colleges has grown from about 365,000 students to almost 1.8 million in the last several years. These colleges offer degrees and certifications in programs ranging from business administration to cosmetology. In 2009, students at for-profit colleges received more than $4 billion in Pell Grants and more than $20 billion in…

COPPER Students - ELaNa IV

NASA Image and Video Library

2013-07-11

The Close Orbiting Propellant Plume Elemental Recognition (COPPER) was developed by students from St. Louis University as a technology demonstration mission whose objective is to test the suitability of a commercially-available compact uncooled microbolometer (tiny infrared camera) array for scientific imagery of Earth in the long-wave infrared range (LWIR, 7-13 microns). Launched by NASA’s CubeSat Launch Initiative on the ELaNa IV mission as an auxiliary payload aboard the U.S. Air Force-led Operationally Responsive Space (ORS-3) Mission on November 19, 2013.

Chem-2-Chem: A One-to-One Supportive Learning Environment for Chemistry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Báez-Galib, Rosita; Colón-Cruz, Héctor; Resto, Wilfredo; Rubin, Michael R.

2005-12-01

The Chem-2-Chem (C2C) tutoring mentoring program was developed at the University of Puerto Rico at Cayey, an undergraduate institution serving Hispanic students, to increase student retention and help students achieve successful general chemistry course outcomes. This program provides a supportive learning environment designed to address students' academic and emotional needs in a holistic way. Advanced chemistry students offered peer-led, personalized, and individualized learning experiences through tutoring and mentoring to approximately 21% of students enrolled in the general chemistry course. Final grades from official class lists of all general chemistry course sections were analyzed using Student's t -test, paired t -test, and χ 2 analysis. Results during the seven semesters studied show an increase of 29% in successful course outcomes defined as final letter grades of A, B, and C obtained by Chem-2-Chem participants. For each final grade, highly statistically significant differences between participants and nonparticipants were detected. There were also statistically significant differences between successful course outcomes obtained by participants and nonparticipants for each of the semesters studied. This research supports recent trends in chemical education to provide a social context for learning experiences. This peer-led learning strategy can serve as an effective model to achieve excellence in science courses at a wide range of educational institutions.

Adaptation of the Communication Skills Attitude Scale (CSAS) to dental students.

PubMed

Laurence, Brian; Bertera, Elizabeth M; Feimster, Tawana; Hollander, Roberta; Stroman, Carolyn

2012-12-01

The purpose of this study was to adapt the twenty-six-item Communication Skills Attitude Scale (CSAS) developed for medical students for use among dental students and to test the psychometric properties of the modified instrument. The sample consisted of 250 students (an 80.1 percent response rate) in years D1 to D4 at a dental school in Washington, DC. The mean age of participants was 26.6 years with a range from twenty-one to forty-two years. Slightly more than half of the participants were female (52.4 percent) and were African American or of African descent (51.7 percent). Principal components analysis was used to test the psychometric properties of the instrument. The index that resulted measured both positive and negative attitudes toward learning communications skills. The final twenty-four-item scale had good internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha=0.87), and the study obtained four important factors-Learning, Importance, Quality, and Success-that explained a significant portion of the variance (49.1 percent). Stratified analysis by demographic variables suggested that there may be gender and ethnic differences in the students' attitudes towards learning communication skills. The authors conclude that the CSAS modified for dental students, or DCSAS, is a useful tool to assess attitudes towards learning communication skills among dental students.

Relationship between ankle range of motion and Biodex Balance System in females and males.

PubMed

Sung, Eun-Sook; Kim, Jung-Hyun

2018-02-01

This study examined whether there are differences between range of motion (ROM) and balance in lower extremities according to gender. A total of 31 male and 28 female students measured plantar flexion (PF), dorsiflexion, inversion (IV), eversion (EV), hip flexion (HF), hip internal rotation (HIR), and hip external rotation (HER) and tested on the Biodex Balance System. ROM of PF and HF were significantly high the female group and ROMs of IV, EV, HIR, and HER were significantly higher the male group than in the female group. Low ROM of PF may be more negative related to overall balance, especially, back balance in males; therefore, it is necessary to assess and plan the training program for PF ROM in male students.

Psychological and sociocultural adjustment of first-year international students: Trajectories and predictors.

PubMed

Hirai, Reiko; Frazier, Patricia; Syed, Moin

2015-07-01

Despite the increasing number of international students in U.S. universities, the temporal course of international students' adjustment has not been adequately tested, and only 1 study to date has examined multiple trajectories of adjustment. Therefore, the first goal of the current study was to explore multiple trajectories of adjustment among first-year international students using a broader range of adjustment measures (i.e., psychological distress, positive psychological adjustment, sociocultural adjustment). The second goal was to identify important predictors of trajectories. A wide range of individual and interpersonal predictor variables was examined, including academic stress and perceived control over academic stress, personality, social relationships, and language-related factors. Undergraduate and graduate international students in their first semester at a large midwestern university participated in this 5-wave longitudinal study (N = 248) that spanned 1 academic year. Multiple trajectories emerged, and the trajectories varied across the 3 adjustment measures. Average trajectories masked the trajectories of small groups of students who maintained or increased in terms of adjustment difficulties across outcomes. Contrary to popular theories, the U-shape adjustment trajectory (characterized by initial euphoria, distress, and then recovery) did not emerge. The most consistent predictors of adjustment trajectories were perceived present control over academic stress and Neuroticism. (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved).

"Know Your Well" A Groundwater Quality Project to Inform Students and Well-Owners

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Olson, C.; Snow, D.; Samal, A.; Ray, C.; Kreifels, M.

2017-12-01

Over 15 million U.S. households rely on private, household wells for drinking water, and these sources are not protected under the Safe Drinking Water Act. Data on private well water quality is slowly being collected and evaluated from a number of different agencies, sources and projects. A new project is designed both for training high school students and to help assess the quality of water from rural domestic wells in Nebraska. This "crowd sourced" program engaging high school agricultural education programs, FFA chapters, and science classes with students sampling and testing water sampling from rural domestic wells from 12 districts across the state. Students and teachers from selected school were trained through multiple school visits, both in the classroom and in the field. Classroom visits were used to introduce topics such as water quality and groundwater, and testing methods for specific analytes. During the field visit, students were exposed to field techniques, the importance of accuracy in data collection, and what factors might influence the water in sampled wells. High school students learn to sample and test water independently. Leadership and initiative is developed through the program, and many experience the enlightenment that comes with citizen science. A customized mobile app was developed for ease of data entry and visualization, and data uploaded to a secure website where information was stored and compared to laboratory tests of the same measurements. General water quality parameters, including pH, electrical conductivity, major anions are tested in the field and laboratory, as well as environmental contaminants such as arsenic, uranium, pesticides, bacteria. Test kits provided to each class were used by the students to measure selected parameters, and then duplicate water samples were analyzed at a university laboratory. Five high schools are involved in the project during its first year. Nitrate, bacteria and pesticides represent major concerns for private well owners across the U.S. and preliminary results indicate that nitrate concentrations can range up to 70 mg/L, while detections of bacteria and traces of pesticide residues are consistent with other studies. This project will help both high school students and private well owner become better-informed about water quality in Nebraska.

Effect of computer-aided instruction versus traditional modes on student PT's learning musculoskeletal special tests

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ford, Gregory Scott

2007-12-01

Title. Effect of computer-aided instruction versus traditional modes on student PT's learning musculoskeletal special tests. Problem. Lack of quantitative evidence to support the use of computer-aided instruction (CAI) in PT education for both the cognitive and psychomotor domains and lack of qualitative support as to an understanding why CAI may or may not be effective. Design. 3 group single-blind pre-test, immediate post-test, final post-test repeated measures with qualitative survey for the CAI group. Methods. Subjects were randomly assigned to CAI, live demonstration or textbook learning groups. Three novel special tests were instructed. Analysis of performance on written and practical examinations was conducted across the 3 repeated measures. A qualitative survey was completed by the CAI group post intervention. Results. CAI is equally as effective as live demonstration and textbook learning of musculoskeletal special tests in the cognitive domain, however, CAI was superior to live demonstration and textbook instruction at final post-testing. Significance. The significance of this research is that a gap in the literature of PT education needs to be bridged as it pertains to the effect of CAI on learning in both the cognitive and psychomotor domains as well as attempt to understand why CAI results in certain student performance. The methods of this study allowed for a wide range of generalizability to any and all PT programs across the country.

Take It outside!

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fisher, Danielle Nicholas

2008-01-01

While most would agree wholeheartedly with the benefits of getting students out more, there are numerous challenges in doing so, ranging from shrinking budgets to a standardized test-driven scholastic environment. However, the Division of Interpretation in Yellowstone National Park has gone to great lengths to provide resources for the classroom…

Reliability of a science admission test (HAM-Nat) at Hamburg medical school.

PubMed

Hissbach, Johanna; Klusmann, Dietrich; Hampe, Wolfgang

2011-01-01

The University Hospital in Hamburg (UKE) started to develop a test of knowledge in natural sciences for admission to medical school in 2005 (Hamburger Auswahlverfahren für Medizinische Studiengänge, Naturwissenschaftsteil, HAM-Nat). This study is a step towards establishing the HAM-Nat. We are investigating parallel forms reliability, the effect of a crash course in chemistry on test results, and correlations of HAM-Nat test results with a test of scientific reasoning (similar to a subtest of the "Test for Medical Studies", TMS). 316 first-year students participated in the study in 2007. They completed different versions of the HAM-Nat test which consisted of items that had already been used (HN2006) and new items (HN2007). Four weeks later half of the participants were tested on the HN2007 version of the HAM-Nat again, while the other half completed the test of scientific reasoning. Within this four week interval students were offered a five day chemistry course. Parallel forms reliability for four different test versions ranged from r(tt)=.53 to r(tt)=.67. The retest reliabilities of the HN2007 halves were r(tt)=.54 and r(tt )=.61. Correlations of the two HAM-Nat versions with the test of scientific reasoning were r=.34 und r=.21. The crash course in chemistry had no effect on HAM-Nat scores. The results suggest that further versions of the test of natural sciences will not easily conform to the standards of internal consistency, parallel-forms reliability and retest reliability. Much care has to be taken in order to assemble items which could be used interchangeably for the construction of new test versions. The test of scientific reasoning and the HAM-Nat are tapping different constructs. Participation in a chemistry course did not improve students' achievement, probably because the content of the course was not coordinated with the test and many students lacked of motivation to do well in the second test.

Adaptation to the Spanish population of the Substance Use Risk Profile Scale (SURPS) and psychometric properties.

PubMed

Fernández-Calderón, Fermín; Díaz-Batanero, Carmen; Rojas-Tejada, Antonio J; Castellanos-Ryan, Natalie; Lozano-Rojas, Óscar M

2017-07-14

The identification of different personality risk profiles for substance misuse is useful in preventing substance-related problems. This study aims to test the psychometric properties of a new version of the Substance Use Risk Profile Scale (SURPS) for Spanish college students. Cross-sectional study with 455 undergraduate students from four Spanish universities. A new version of the SURPS, adapted to the Spanish population, was administered with the Beck Hopelessness Scale, the UPPS-P Impulsive Behavior Scale, the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) and the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT). Internal consistency reliability ranged between 0.652 and 0.806 for the four SURPS subscales, while reliability estimated by split-half coefficients varied from 0.686 to 0.829. The estimated test-retest reliability ranged between 0.733 and 0.868. The expected four-factor structure of the original scale was replicated. As evidence of convergent validity, we found that the SURPS subscales were significantly associated with other conceptually-relevant personality scales and significantly associated with alcohol use measures in theoretically-expected ways. This SURPS version may be a useful instrument for measuring personality traits related to vulnerability to substance use and misuse when targeting personality with preventive interventions.

Undergraduate physiotherapy students' competencies, attitudes and perceptions after integrated educational pathways in evidence-based practice: a mixed methods study.

PubMed

Bozzolan, M; Simoni, G; Balboni, M; Fiorini, F; Bombardi, S; Bertin, N; Da Roit, M

2014-11-01

This mixed methods study aimed to explore perceptions/attitudes, to evaluate knowledge/ skills, to investigate clinical behaviours of undergraduate physiotherapy students exposed to a composite education curriculum on evidence-based practice (EBP). Students' knowledge and skills were assessed before and after integrated learning activities, using the Adapted Fresno test, whereas their behaviour in EBP was evaluated by examining their internship documentation. Students' perceptions and attitudes were explored through four focus groups. Sixty-two students agreed to participate in the study. The within group mean differences (A-Fresno test) were 34.2 (95% CI 24.4 to 43.9) in the first year and 35.1 (95% CI 23.2 to 47.1) in the second year; no statistically significant change was observed in the third year. Seventy-six percent of the second year and 88% of the third year students reached the pass score. Internship documentation gave evidence of PICOs and database searches (95-100%), critical appraisal of internal validity (25-75%) but not of external validity (5-15%). The correct application of these items ranged from 30 to 100%. Qualitative analysis of the focus groups indicated students valued EBP, but perceived many barriers, with clinicians being both an obstacle and a model. Key elements for changing students' behaviours seem to be internship environment and possibility of continuous practice and feedback.

Cartoon versus traditional self-study handouts for medical students: CARTOON randomized controlled trial.

PubMed

Junhasavasdikul, Detajin; Sukhato, Kanokporn; Srisangkaew, Suthan; Theera-Ampornpunt, Nawanan; Anothaisintawee, Thunyarat; Dellow, Alan

2017-08-01

The objective of this study is to compare the effectiveness of a "cartoon-style" handout with a "traditional-style" handout in a self-study assignment for preclinical medical students. Third-year medical students (n = 93) at the Faculty of Medicine Ramathibodi Hospital, Mahidol University, took a pre-learning assessment of their knowledge of intercostal chest drainage. They were then randomly allocated to receive either a "cartoon-style" or a "traditional-style" handout on the same topic. After studying these over a 2-week period, students completed a post-learning assessment and estimated their levels of reading completion. Of the 79 participants completing the post-learning test, those in the cartoon-style group achieved a score 13.8% higher than the traditional-style group (p = 0.018). A higher proportion of students in the cartoon-style group reported reading ≥75% of the handout content (70.7% versus 42.1%). In post-hoc analyses, students whose cumulative grade point averages (GPA) from previous academic assessments were in the middle and lower range achieved higher scores with the cartoon-style handout than with the traditional one. In the lower-GPA group, the use of a cartoon-style handout was independently associated with a higher score. Students given a cartoon-style handout reported reading more of the material and achieved higher post-learning test scores than students given a traditional handout.

Development and validation of a knowledge test for health professionals regarding lifestyle modification.

PubMed

Talip, Whadi-ah; Steyn, Nelia P; Visser, Marianne; Charlton, Karen E; Temple, Norman

2003-09-01

We wanted to develop and validate a test that assesses the knowledge and practices of health professionals (HPs) with regard to the role of nutrition, physical activity, and smoking cessation (lifestyle modification) in chronic diseases of lifestyle. A descriptive cross-sectional validation study was carried out. The validation design consisted of two phases, namely 1) test planning and development and 2) test evaluation. The study sample consisted of five groups of HPs: dietitians, dietetic interns, general practitioners, medical students, and nurses. The overall response rate was 58%, resulting in a sample size of 186 participants. A test was designed to evaluate the knowledge and practices of HPs. The test was first evaluated by an expert group to ensure content, construct, and face validity. Thereafter, the questionnaire was tested on five groups of HPs to test for criterion validity. Internal consistency was evaluated by Cronbach's alpha. An expert panel ensured content, construct, and face validity of the test. Groups with the most training and exposure to nutrition (dietitians and dietetic interns) had the highest group mean score, ranging from 61% to 88%, whereas those with limited nutrition training (general practitioners, medical students, and nurses) had significantly lower scores, ranging from 26% to 80%. This result demonstrated criterion validity. Internal consistency of the overall test demonstrated a Cronbach's alpha of 0.99. Most HPs identified the mass media as their main source of information on lifestyle modification. These HPs also identified lack of time, lack of patient compliance, and lack of knowledge as barriers that prevent them from providing counseling on lifestyle modification. The results of this study showed that this test instrument identifies groups of health professionals with adequate training (knowledge) in lifestyle modification and those who require further training (knowledge).

Construct-level predictive validity of educational attainment and intellectual aptitude tests in medical student selection: meta-regression of six UK longitudinal studies.

PubMed

McManus, I C; Dewberry, Chris; Nicholson, Sandra; Dowell, Jonathan S; Woolf, Katherine; Potts, Henry W W

2013-11-14

Measures used for medical student selection should predict future performance during training. A problem for any selection study is that predictor-outcome correlations are known only in those who have been selected, whereas selectors need to know how measures would predict in the entire pool of applicants. That problem of interpretation can be solved by calculating construct-level predictive validity, an estimate of true predictor-outcome correlation across the range of applicant abilities. Construct-level predictive validities were calculated in six cohort studies of medical student selection and training (student entry, 1972 to 2009) for a range of predictors, including A-levels, General Certificates of Secondary Education (GCSEs)/O-levels, and aptitude tests (AH5 and UK Clinical Aptitude Test (UKCAT)). Outcomes included undergraduate basic medical science and finals assessments, as well as postgraduate measures of Membership of the Royal Colleges of Physicians of the United Kingdom (MRCP(UK)) performance and entry in the Specialist Register. Construct-level predictive validity was calculated with the method of Hunter, Schmidt and Le (2006), adapted to correct for right-censorship of examination results due to grade inflation. Meta-regression analyzed 57 separate predictor-outcome correlations (POCs) and construct-level predictive validities (CLPVs). Mean CLPVs are substantially higher (.450) than mean POCs (.171). Mean CLPVs for first-year examinations, were high for A-levels (.809; CI: .501 to .935), and lower for GCSEs/O-levels (.332; CI: .024 to .583) and UKCAT (mean = .245; CI: .207 to .276). A-levels had higher CLPVs for all undergraduate and postgraduate assessments than did GCSEs/O-levels and intellectual aptitude tests. CLPVs of educational attainment measures decline somewhat during training, but continue to predict postgraduate performance. Intellectual aptitude tests have lower CLPVs than A-levels or GCSEs/O-levels. Educational attainment has strong CLPVs for undergraduate and postgraduate performance, accounting for perhaps 65% of true variance in first year performance. Such CLPVs justify the use of educational attainment measure in selection, but also raise a key theoretical question concerning the remaining 35% of variance (and measurement error, range restriction and right-censorship have been taken into account). Just as in astrophysics, 'dark matter' and 'dark energy' are posited to balance various theoretical equations, so medical student selection must also have its 'dark variance', whose nature is not yet properly characterized, but explains a third of the variation in performance during training. Some variance probably relates to factors which are unpredictable at selection, such as illness or other life events, but some is probably also associated with factors such as personality, motivation or study skills.

Construct-level predictive validity of educational attainment and intellectual aptitude tests in medical student selection: meta-regression of six UK longitudinal studies

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Measures used for medical student selection should predict future performance during training. A problem for any selection study is that predictor-outcome correlations are known only in those who have been selected, whereas selectors need to know how measures would predict in the entire pool of applicants. That problem of interpretation can be solved by calculating construct-level predictive validity, an estimate of true predictor-outcome correlation across the range of applicant abilities. Methods Construct-level predictive validities were calculated in six cohort studies of medical student selection and training (student entry, 1972 to 2009) for a range of predictors, including A-levels, General Certificates of Secondary Education (GCSEs)/O-levels, and aptitude tests (AH5 and UK Clinical Aptitude Test (UKCAT)). Outcomes included undergraduate basic medical science and finals assessments, as well as postgraduate measures of Membership of the Royal Colleges of Physicians of the United Kingdom (MRCP(UK)) performance and entry in the Specialist Register. Construct-level predictive validity was calculated with the method of Hunter, Schmidt and Le (2006), adapted to correct for right-censorship of examination results due to grade inflation. Results Meta-regression analyzed 57 separate predictor-outcome correlations (POCs) and construct-level predictive validities (CLPVs). Mean CLPVs are substantially higher (.450) than mean POCs (.171). Mean CLPVs for first-year examinations, were high for A-levels (.809; CI: .501 to .935), and lower for GCSEs/O-levels (.332; CI: .024 to .583) and UKCAT (mean = .245; CI: .207 to .276). A-levels had higher CLPVs for all undergraduate and postgraduate assessments than did GCSEs/O-levels and intellectual aptitude tests. CLPVs of educational attainment measures decline somewhat during training, but continue to predict postgraduate performance. Intellectual aptitude tests have lower CLPVs than A-levels or GCSEs/O-levels. Conclusions Educational attainment has strong CLPVs for undergraduate and postgraduate performance, accounting for perhaps 65% of true variance in first year performance. Such CLPVs justify the use of educational attainment measure in selection, but also raise a key theoretical question concerning the remaining 35% of variance (and measurement error, range restriction and right-censorship have been taken into account). Just as in astrophysics, ‘dark matter’ and ‘dark energy’ are posited to balance various theoretical equations, so medical student selection must also have its ‘dark variance’, whose nature is not yet properly characterized, but explains a third of the variation in performance during training. Some variance probably relates to factors which are unpredictable at selection, such as illness or other life events, but some is probably also associated with factors such as personality, motivation or study skills. PMID:24229353

Fluctuations in the emotional intelligence of therapy students during clinical placements: Implication for educators, supervisors, and students.

PubMed

Gribble, Nigel; Ladyshewsky, Richard K; Parsons, Richard

2017-01-01

This study investigated the changes in emotional intelligence (EI) of occupational therapy, physiotherapy, and speech pathology students (therapy students). Clinical placements have multiple benefits including the development of interprofessional skills, enhancing practice skills and interpersonal skills. Higher EI competencies have been shown to have a positive impact on patient outcomes, teamwork skills, dealing with stress, and patient satisfaction. Data for this study were collected at two time points: before third-year therapy students commenced extended clinical placements (T1 with 261 students) and approximately 7 months later after students had completed one or more clinical placements (T2 with 109 students). EI was measured using the Emotional Quotient Inventory 2.0 (EQ-i 2.0 ). Only one EI score, assertiveness, demonstrated a significant decline. No EI score showed a significant increase. A third or more of the students showed increases of five points or more in self-actualisation, emotional expression, independence, reality testing and optimism. However, of concern were the five EI scores where therapy students' EI scores decreased by more than five points: assertiveness (where 38% of students declined), problem solving (37%), impulse control (35%), self-actualisation (35%), and stress tolerance (33%). With EI scores declining for some students during clinical placements, there are implications for clinical supervisors and interprofessional facilitators as clinical performance may decline concurrently. There is a range of potential reasons that clinical placements could negatively influence the EI competencies of a therapy student, including poor clinical supervision, conflict between a student, and supervisor and failing a clinical placement. The research suggests that interprofessional facilitators and university educators might consider students undertaking EI tests before clinical placements.

Gray Hair and Eager Minds

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Apsler, Alfred

1976-01-01

Describes the Focus on Mature Learning program offered to senior citizens by Clark College (Washington). This series of mini-courses on topics ranging from the politics of aging to the geography of the Northwest involves no grades, no tests, and no term papers. Reactions from students and teachers alike have been overwhelmingly positive. (DC)

Understanding the Writing Process through Brain Hemisphere Neurology.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hogge, Joan Ellet

Acknowledging that ordering, spatial orientation, and synthesis are important properties in achieving clarity in writing, a study investigated the biological influences on students' writing processes and ways to help writers produce more coherent written products. Subjects, two males and four females ranging in age from 19 to 40, were tested using…

Femoral pseudoarthrosis and knee stiffness: long-term results of a one-stage surgical approach.

PubMed

Gomes, João L Ellera; Ruthner, Roberto P; Moreira, Luiz

2010-02-01

The objective of this study was to analyze the surgical results of the simultaneous treatment of femoral pseudoarthrosis and knee stiffness using a combined one-stage approach (quadricepsplasty + osteoperiosteal decortications + bone autografting + fracture stabilization). Twelve patients (six men) followed up for a minimum of 10 years and who had undergone surgery for these combined procedures were contacted for evaluation. Their mean age at the time of the surgery was 30 years (standard deviation, SD 15; range 22-65 years), and mean time from initial trauma was 16 months (SD 6, range 10-32 months). Mean range of motion improved from 10 degrees (SD 9) to 112 degrees (SD 13) postoperatively. Fractures healed in all patients, and improvement in their range of motion was statistically significant (Student's t-test = 31; P

Three brief assessments of math achievement.

PubMed

Steiner, Eric T; Ashcraft, Mark H

2012-12-01

Because of wide disparities in college students' math knowledge-that is, their math achievement-studies of cognitive processing in math tasks also need to assess their individual level of math achievement. For many research settings, however, using existing math achievement tests is either too costly or too time consuming. To solve this dilemma, we present three brief tests of math achievement here, two drawn from the Wide Range Achievement Test and one composed of noncopyrighted items. All three correlated substantially with the full achievement test and with math anxiety, our original focus, and all show acceptable to excellent reliability. When lengthy testing is not feasible, one of these brief tests can be substituted.

The relevance of receptive vocabulary in reading comprehension.

PubMed

Nalom, Ana Flávia de Oliveira; Soares, Aparecido José Couto; Cárnio, Maria Silvia

2015-01-01

To characterize the performance of students from the 5th year of primary school, with and without indicatives of reading and writing disorders, in receptive vocabulary and reading comprehension of sentences and texts, and to verify possible correlations between both. This study was approved by the Research Ethics Committee of the institution (no. 098/13). Fifty-two students in the 5th year from primary school, with and without indicatives of reading and writing disorders, and from two public schools participated in this study. After signing the informed consent and having a speech therapy assessment for the application of inclusion criteria, the students were submitted to a specific test for standardized evaluation of receptive vocabulary and reading comprehension. The data were studied using statistical analysis through the Kruskal-Wallis test, analysis of variance techniques, and Spearman's rank correlation coefficient with level of significance to be 0.05. A receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve (was constructed in which reading comprehension was considered as gold standard. The students without indicatives of reading and writing disorders presented a better performance in all tests. No significant correlation was found between the tests that evaluated reading comprehension in either group. A correlation was found between reading comprehension of texts and receptive vocabulary in the group without indicatives. In the absence of indicatives of reading and writing disorders, the presence of a good range of vocabulary highly contributes to a proficient reading comprehension of texts.

Small Satellites for Secondary Students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zack, Kevin; Cominsky, Lynn

2012-11-01

Small Satellites for Secondary Students is a program funded by a three-year grant from NASA to bridge the gap in STEM education for secondary-school students. This is accomplished by creating the educational resources that are needed to support the development of a small scientific payload in alignment with scientific and technological education standards. The prototype payloads are flexible multi-experiment platforms designed to accommodate a wide range of student abilities with minimal resource requirements. The heart of each payload is an Arduino microcontroller which communicates with components that provide sensor data, Global Positioning System information, and which offer on-board data storage. The payload is built with off-the-shelf components and a pre-etched, custom-designed connector board. The platform also supports real-time telemetry updates through the use of Wi-Fi. To date, the prototype payloads have been tested on both high-powered rockets reaching over 3km and weather balloons tethered at 300m. Multiple successful rocket test runs reaching 1km have been conducted in partnership with amateur rocket clubs including the Association of Experimental Rocketry of the Pacific. From these flights, we are continuing to improve the payload design in order to increase the likelihood of student success.

Efficacy of the Aussie Optimism Program: Promoting Pro-social Behavior and Preventing Suicidality in Primary School Students. A Randomised-Controlled Trial

PubMed Central

Roberts, Clare M.; Kane, Robert T.; Rooney, Rosanna M.; Pintabona, Yolanda; Baughman, Natalie; Hassan, Sharinaz; Cross, Donna; Zubrick, Stephen R.; Silburn, Sven R.

2018-01-01

The efficacy of an enhanced version of the Aussie Optimism Program (AOP) was investigated in a cluster randomized controlled trial. Grade 6 students aged 10–11 years of age (N = 2288) from 63 government primary schools in Perth, Western Australia, participated in the pre, post, and follow-up study. Schools were randomly assigned to one of three conditions: Aussie Optimism with teacher training, Aussie Optimism with teacher training plus coaching, or a usual care condition that received the regular Western Australian Health Education Curriculum. Students in the Aussie Optimism conditions received 20, 1-h lessons relating to social and interpersonal skills and optimistic thinking skills over the last 2 years of primary school. Parents in the active conditions received a parent information booklet each year, plus a self-directed program in Grade 7. Students and parents completed the Extended Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. Students who scored in the clinical range on the Emotional Symptoms Scale were given The Diagnostic Interview for Children and Adolescents IV, to assess suicidal ideation and behavior, and depressive and anxiety disorders. Results indicated that Aussie Optimism with teacher training plus coaching was associated with the best outcomes: a significant increase in student-reported pro-social behavior from pre-test to post-test 1 (maintained at post-test 2) and significantly lower incidence rates from suicidal ideation at post-test 2 and follow-up. No significant intervention effects on anxiety and depressive disorders, and total difficulties were reported. These findings suggest that the AOP with teacher training along with coaching may have the potential to positively impact on suicidality and pro-social behavior in the pre-adolescent years. PMID:29599729

Design and development of food safety knowledge and attitude scales for consumer food safety education.

PubMed

Medeiros, Lydia C; Hillers, Virginia N; Chen, Gang; Bergmann, Verna; Kendall, Patricia; Schroeder, Mary

2004-11-01

The objective of this study was to design and develop food safety knowledge and attitude scales based on food-handling guidelines developed by a national panel of food safety experts. Knowledge (n=43) and attitude (n=49) questions were developed and pilot-tested with a variety of consumer groups. Final questions were selected based on item analysis and on validity and reliability statistical tests. Knowledge questions were tested in Washington State with participants in low-income nutrition education programs (pretest/posttest n=58, test/retest n=19) and college students (pretest/posttest n=34). Attitude questions were tested in Ohio with nutrition education program participants (n=30) and college students (non-nutrition majors n=138, nutrition majors n=57). Item analysis, paired sample t tests, Pearson's correlation coefficients, and Cronbach's alpha were used. Reliability and validity tests of individual items and the question sets were used to reduce the scales to 18 knowledge questions and 10 attitude questions. The knowledge and attitude scales covered topics ranked as important by a national panel of experts and met most validity and reliability standards. The 18-item knowledge questionnaire had instructional sensitivity (mean score increase of more than three points after instruction), internal reliability (Cronbach's alpha >.75), and produced similar results in test-retest without intervention (coefficient of stability=.81). Knowledge of correct procedures for hand washing and avoiding cross-contamination was widespread before instruction. Knowledge was limited regarding avoiding food preparation while ill, cooking hamburgers, high-risk foods, and whether cooked rice and potatoes could be stored at room temperature. The 10-item attitude scale had an appropriate range of responses (item difficulty) and produced similar results in test-retest ( P

The impact of presentation style on the retention of online health information: a randomized-controlled experiment.

PubMed

Frisch, Anne-Linda; Camerini, Luca; Schulz, Peter J

2013-01-01

The Internet plays an increasingly important role in health education, providing laypeople with information about health-related topics that range from disease-specific contexts to general health promotion. Compared to traditional health education, the Internet allows the use of multimedia applications that offer promise to enhance individuals' health knowledge and literacy. This study aims at testing the effect of multimedia presentation of health information on learning. Relying on an experimental design, it investigates how retention of information differs for text-only presentation, image-only presentation, and multimedia (text and image) presentation of online health information. Two hundred and forty students were randomly assigned to four groups each exposed to a different website version. Three groups were exposed to the same information using text only, image only, or text and image presentation. A fourth group received unrelated information (control group). Retention was assessed by the means of a recognition test. To examine a possible interaction between website version and recognition test, half of the students received a recognition test in text form and half of them received a recognition test in imagery form. In line with assumptions from Dual Coding Theory, students exposed to the multimedia (text and image) presentation recognized significantly more information than students exposed to the text-only presentation. This did not hold for students exposed to the image-only presentation. The impact of presentation style on retention scores was moderated by the way retention was assessed for image-only presentation, but not for text-only or multimedia presentation. Possible explanations and implications for the design of online health education interventions are discussed.

“Cancer – Educate to Prevent” – High-School Teachers, the New Promoters of Cancer Prevention Education Campaigns

PubMed Central

Barros, Ana; Moreira, Luís; Santos, Helena; Ribeiro, Nuno; Carvalho, Luís; Santos-Silva, Filipe

2014-01-01

Cancer is one of the leading causes of death worldwide, and thus represents a priority for national public health programs. Prevention has been assumed as the best strategy to reduce cancer burden, however most cancer prevention programs are implemented by healthcare professionals, which constrain range and educational impacts. We developed an innovative approach for cancer prevention education focused on high-school biology teachers, considered privileged mediators in the socialization processes. A training program, “Cancer, Educate to Prevent” was applied, so that the teachers were able to independently develop and implement prevention campaigns focused on students and school-related communities. The program encompassed different educational modules, ranging from cancer biology to prevention campaigns design. Fifty-four teachers were empowered to develop and implement their own cancer prevention campaigns in a population up to five thousands students. The success of the training program was assessed through quantitative evaluation – questionnaires focused on teachers' cancer knowledge and perceptions, before the intervention (pre-test) and immediately after (post-test). The projects developed and implemented by teachers were also evaluated regarding the intervention design, educational contents and impact on the students' knowledge about cancer. This study presents and discusses the results concerning the training program “Cancer, Educate to Prevent” and clearly shows a significant increase in teacher's cancer literacy (knowledge and perceptions) and teachers' acquired proficiency to develop and deliver cancer prevention campaigns with direct impact on students' knowledge about cancer. This pilot study reinforces the potential of high-school teachers and schools as cancer prevention promoters and opens a new perspective for the development and validation of cancer prevention education strategies, based upon focused interventions in restricted targets (students) through non-health professionals (teachers). PMID:24817168

"Cancer--Educate to Prevent"--high-school teachers, the new promoters of cancer prevention education campaigns.

PubMed

Barros, Ana; Moreira, Luís; Santos, Helena; Ribeiro, Nuno; Carvalho, Luís; Santos-Silva, Filipe

2014-01-01

Cancer is one of the leading causes of death worldwide, and thus represents a priority for national public health programs. Prevention has been assumed as the best strategy to reduce cancer burden, however most cancer prevention programs are implemented by healthcare professionals, which constrain range and educational impacts. We developed an innovative approach for cancer prevention education focused on high-school biology teachers, considered privileged mediators in the socialization processes. A training program, "Cancer, Educate to Prevent" was applied, so that the teachers were able to independently develop and implement prevention campaigns focused on students and school-related communities. The program encompassed different educational modules, ranging from cancer biology to prevention campaigns design. Fifty-four teachers were empowered to develop and implement their own cancer prevention campaigns in a population up to five thousands students. The success of the training program was assessed through quantitative evaluation--questionnaires focused on teachers' cancer knowledge and perceptions, before the intervention (pre-test) and immediately after (post-test). The projects developed and implemented by teachers were also evaluated regarding the intervention design, educational contents and impact on the students' knowledge about cancer. This study presents and discusses the results concerning the training program "Cancer, Educate to Prevent" and clearly shows a significant increase in teacher's cancer literacy (knowledge and perceptions) and teachers' acquired proficiency to develop and deliver cancer prevention campaigns with direct impact on students' knowledge about cancer. This pilot study reinforces the potential of high-school teachers and schools as cancer prevention promoters and opens a new perspective for the development and validation of cancer prevention education strategies, based upon focused interventions in restricted targets (students) through non-health professionals (teachers).

Learning outcomes in a simulation game for associate degree nursing students.

PubMed

Clark-C

1977-01-01

Learning outcomes of a simulation game designed to have one-to-one correspondence between behavioral objectives and game plays is reported. The behavioral objectives were core concepts in psychiatric mental health nursing taught to associate degree nursing students. Decisions to use the simulation game method method grew out of difficulties inherent in the community college nursing program, as well as the need for self-paced, efficient, learner-centered learning and evaluative tools. After the trial and revision of the game, a number of research hypotheses were tested. Simulation gaming was found to be an effective mode of learning, and students who acted as teachers for other students learned significantly more than those who were taught. Some of the recommendations for further research were to study varied nursing populations, to add a control group, to test the long-range learning effects of playing the game, to decrease experimenter bias, to study transfer of learning to actual nurse-patient situations and changes in attitudes toward psychiatric patients, and to develop more simulation games for nursing education.

Intern Boot Camp: Feasibility and impact of a 1-hour session to ensure graduating medical student competency in falls risk assessment.

PubMed

Omlor, Rebecca L; Watkins, Franklin S; Lawlor, Janice S; Lovato, James F; Fino, Nora F; Atkinson, Hal H

2017-01-01

The authors evaluated the feasibility of a 1-hour session to ensure competency in gait and falls risk assessment for medical students at their institution. The session included a history and exam with faculty and staff as standardized patients, gait recognition videos, and case evaluation for falls risk assessment and prevention. Student perceptions were evaluated using a retrospective pre-post survey, scored on a 5-point Likert-type scale. Wilcoxon signed-rank tests were used to assess change and Kruskal-Wallis tests were used to analyze differences by residency choice. A range of five to 11 faculty and staff certified 238 medical students during eight 1-hour sessions. Overall self-perception of competence in falls risk assessment and prevention improved (p ≤ .001), and did not differ by residency choice, both before and after the training program (p = .73 and p = .25). Feedback was positive. This session is a feasible way to teach and assess the competency for falls risk assessment with modest time commitment.

The effectiveness of flipped classroom learning model in secondary physics classroom setting

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Prasetyo, B. D.; Suprapto, N.; Pudyastomo, R. N.

2018-03-01

The research aimed to describe the effectiveness of flipped classroom learning model on secondary physics classroom setting during Fall semester of 2017. The research object was Secondary 3 Physics group of Singapore School Kelapa Gading. This research was initiated by giving a pre-test, followed by treatment setting of the flipped classroom learning model. By the end of the learning process, the pupils were given a post-test and questionnaire to figure out pupils' response to the flipped classroom learning model. Based on the data analysis, 89% of pupils had passed the minimum criteria of standardization. The increment level in the students' mark was analysed by normalized n-gain formula, obtaining a normalized n-gain score of 0.4 which fulfil medium category range. Obtains from the questionnaire distributed to the students that 93% of students become more motivated to study physics and 89% of students were very happy to carry on hands-on activity based on the flipped classroom learning model. Those three aspects were used to generate a conclusion that applying flipped classroom learning model in Secondary Physics Classroom setting is effectively applicable.

Secondhand smoke exposure and susceptibility to initiating cigarette smoking among never-smoking students in selected African countries: Findings from the Global Youth Tobacco Survey.

PubMed

Lee, Kyung A; Palipudi, Krishna M; English, Lorna M; Ramanandraibe, Nivo; Asma, Samira

2016-10-01

Exposure to secondhand smoke (SHS) causes premature death and illness in non-smokers. We examined SHS exposure at home and in public places, as well as susceptibility to initiate cigarette smoking among never cigarette smokers. We used 2006-2011 Global Youth Tobacco Survey (GYTS) data from 29 African countries (56,967 students). GYTS is a nationally representative, self-administered school-based survey, conducted among students aged 13-15years. Prevalence ratio, estimates and 95% confidence intervals were computed for SHS exposure in the homes and public places separately. The two-sample t-test was used to assess the difference in susceptibility to smoking by SHS exposure among never-smoking students (α=0.05). Among never-smoking students, exposure to SHS at home ranged from 12.7% (Cape Verde) to 44.0% (Senegal). The prevalence ratio (PR) comparing susceptibility to smoking initiation among never smokers exposed to SHS at home to those who were not exposed at home ranged from 1.2 to 2.6. Exposure to SHS in public places ranged from 23.9% (Cape Verde) to 80.4% (Mali). Of the countries being studied, 8 countries showed a significant difference in susceptibility to smoking initiation among never smokers exposed to SHS in public places compared to those not exposed in public places. (PR ranged from 0.5-3.5). In many African countries in the study, a substantial proportion of students who never smoked are exposed to SHS at home and in public places. Majority of never smokers who were exposed to SHS at home and in public places had a higher prevalence of susceptibility to initiate smoking than those that were not exposed to SHS at home and in public places. Adoption and enforcement of smoke-free policies in public places and smoke-free rules at home could substantially contribute to reducing SHS exposure in many of these countries. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Facility with the English language and problem-based learning group interaction: findings from an Arabic setting.

PubMed

Mpofu, D J; Lanphear, J; Stewart, T; Das, M; Ridding, P; Dunn, E

1998-09-01

The Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences (FMHS), United Arab Emirates (UAE) University is in a unique position to explore issues related to English language proficiency and medical student performance. All students entering the FMHS have English as a second language. This study focused on the issues of students' proficiency in English as measured by the TOEFL test, student background factors and interaction in problem-based learning (PBL) groups. Using a modification of Bales Interaction Process Analysis, four problem-based learning groups were observed over four thematic units, to measure the degree of student interaction within PBL groups and to compare this to individual TOEFL scores and key background variables. The students' contributions correlated highly with TOEFL test results in the giving of information (range r = 0.67-0.74). The female students adhered to interacting in English during group sessions, whereas the male students were more likely to revert to using Arabic in elaborating unclear phenomena (p < 0.01). The educational level of the student's mother was highly predictive of TOEFL scores for the male students, but not for female students. Multivariate analysis was undertaken to analyse the relative contribution of the TOEFL, parental education and years of studying in English. The best predictor of students' contributions in PBL groups was identified as TOEFL scores. The study demonstrates the importance of facilitating a locally acceptable level of English proficiency prior to admission to the FMHS. However, it also highlights the importance of not focusing only on English proficiency but paying attention to additional factors in facilitating medical students in maximizing benefits from interactions in PBL settings.

Seroprevalence of HIV infection among the foreign students at Agra during a fifteen year period (1988-2002).

PubMed

Hussain, Tahziba; Kulshreshtha, K K; Sood, Sumita; Arif, Mohd; Sinha, Shikha; Yadav, V S; Sengupta, U; Katoch, V M

2005-11-01

The present study reports a retrospective analysis of data of HIV testing of foreign students from Sub-Saharan Africa, South-East Asia and Europe, studying as well as staying at Agra, over a period of 15 yr (1988 to 2002). Of the 2653 [2092 (78.85%) were from the Sub-Saharan African countries, 377 (14.21%) from the South-East Asian countries, and 184 (6.93%) from the European countries], foreign students tested for HIV, only 26 were found to be positive for HIV-1/2 antibodies by the ELISA, rapid and Western Blot assays. Out of 26 HIV-positive, 17 males and 7 females were from Sub-Saharan Africa and 2 males were from the European countries. The range of HIV-positivity over a period of 15 yr varied greatly. When the five-year (1988-1992, 1993-1997 and 1998-2002) results were compared, the HIV-seropositivity showed a decline from 1.85, 0.50 to 0.36 per cent in the first, second and third 5 yr slots, respectively. While the data were not representative of all foreign students in India, this reflected the population tested in this centre was not a growing focus of HIV infection in this part of the country.

The Effectiveness of Interacting with Scientific Animations in Chemistry Using Mobile Devices on Grade 12 Students' Spatial Ability and Scientific Reasoning Skills

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Al-Balushi, Sulaiman M.; Al-Musawi, Ali S.; Ambusaidi, Abdullah K.; Al-Hajri, Fatemah H.

2017-02-01

The purpose of the current study was to investigate the effectiveness of interacting with animations using mobile devices on grade 12 students' spatial and reasoning abilities. The study took place in a grade 12 context in Oman. A quasi-experimental design was used with an experimental group of 32 students and a control group of 28 students. The experimental group studied chemistry using mobile tablets that had a digital instructional package with different animation and simulations. There was one tablet per student. A spatial ability test and a scientific reasoning test were administered to both groups prior and after the study, which lasted for 9 weeks. The findings showed that there were significant statistical differences between the two groups in terms of spatial ability in favour of the experimental group. However, there were no differences between the two groups in terms of reasoning ability. The authors reasoned that the types of animations and simulations used in the current study featured a wide range of three-dimensional animated illustrations at the particulate level of matter. Most probably, this decreased the level of abstractness that usually accompanies chemical entities and phenomena and helped the students to visualize the interactions between submicroscopic entities spatially. Further research is needed to decide on types of scientific animations that could help students improve their scientific reasoning.

Tinkering With AGCMs To Investigate Atmospheric Behavior

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bitz, C. M.

2014-12-01

My experience teaching a course in global climate modeling has proven that students (and instructors) with wide-ranging backgrounds in earth-science learn effectively about the complexity of climate by tinker with model components. As an example, I will present a series of experiments in an AGCM with highly simplified geometries for ocean and land to test the response of the atmosphere to variations in basic parameters. The figure below shows an example of how the zonal wind changes with surface roughness and orography. The pinnacle of experiments explored in my course was the outcome of a homework assignment where students reduced the cloud droplet radius by 40% over ocean, and the results surprised students and instructor alike.

[Sexual behaviour and human immunodeficiency virus testing in university students from Cuzco (Peru)].

PubMed

Bermúdez, M Paz; Ramiro, M Teresa; Teva, Inmaculada; Ramiro-Sánchez, Tamara; Buela-Casal, Gualberto

To analyse sexual behaviour, HIV testing, HIV testing intentions and reasons for not testing for HIV in university students from Cuzco (Peru). The sample comprised 1,377 university students from several institutions from Cuzco (Peru). The size of the sample was set according to a maximum 3% error estimation and a 97% confidence interval. Ages ranged from 16 to 30 years old. The data were collected through a self-administered, anonymous and voluntary questionnaire regarding sexual behaviour and HIV testing. The data were collected in classrooms during teaching hours. A higher percentage of males than females reported having had vaginal, anal and oral sex, a higher number of sexual partners and an earlier age at first vaginal and oral sex. A higher percentage of females than males did not use condoms when they first had anal sex and had a higher anal sex-risk index. Most of the participants had never been HIV tested. The main reason was that they were sure that they were not HIV infected. It seems that there was a low HIV risk perception in these participants despite the fact that they had been involved in sexual risk behaviours. Prevention campaigns focused on the general population as well as the at-risk populations and young people are needed. Copyright © 2017 SESPAS. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

Introduction of Team-Based Learning (TBL) at Kilimanjaro Christian Medical University College: Experience with the Ectoparasites Module

PubMed Central

Nyindo, Mramba; Kitau, Jovin; Lisasi, Esther; Kapanda, Gibson; Matowo, Johnston; Francis, Patrick; Bartlett, John

2014-01-01

Background Contemporary teaching in sub-Saharan African medical schools is largely through didactic and problem-based approaches. These schools face challenges from burgeoning student numbers, severe faculty shortages, faculty without instruction in teaching methods, and severe infrastructure inadequacies. Team-based learning (TBL) is a pedagogy which may be attractive because it spares faculty time. TBL was piloted in a module on ectoparasites at the Kilimanjaro Christian Medical University College (KCMU Co). Methods TBL orientation began 6 weeks before starting the module. Students were issued background readings and individual and group readiness assessment tests, followed by module application, discussion, and evaluation. At completion, student perceptions of TBL were assessed using a 5-point Likert scale evaluating 6 domains, with a score of 5 being most favorable. Strength of consensus measures (sCns) were applied. Final examination scores were compiled for 2011 (didactic) and 2012 (TBL). Results 158 students participated in the module. The mean student scores across the 6 domains ranged from 4.2–4.5, with a high degree of consensus (range 85–90%). The final examination scores improved between 2011 and 2012 Conclusions KCMU Co student perceptions of TBL were very positive, and final exam grades improved. These observations suggest future promise for TBL applications at KCMU Co and potentially other schools. PMID:24491164

Assessing Student Learning about the Earth through the InTeGrate Project

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gilbert, L. A.; Iverson, E. A. R.; Steer, D. N.; Birnbaum, S. J.; Manduca, C. A.

2016-12-01

InTeGrate, a five-year community-based project comprised of faculty in the sciences and other disciplines, educational specialists, and evaluation experts at diverse institutions, instills learning about Earth in the context of societal issues through teaching materials developed into 2-3 week modules or courses. Materials were tested by over 135 materials authors and faculty interested in using these materials in undergraduate courses at a range of institution types across the US in geoscience, engineering, humanities, and social science courses. To assess impact on student learning, the InTeGrate project has collected student work from over 4,600 students enrolled in courses using these materials. To evaluate the influence of the materials on learning gains related to geoscience literacy, a set of 8 multiple choice items were developed, tested, and then administered in the first and last week of class in approximately 180 courses. The items were developed by 14 community members with assessment expertise and address content and concepts in the Earth, Climate, Atmosphere, and Ocean Science literacy documents. In a sample of 2,023 paired first and last week responses, students exhibit a 10% normalized gain (equivalent to 1 point of a 12 point total) regardless of their initial score. Students in the lowest quartile at the beginning of the course demonstrate the highest gains (4th quartile gain of 1.8) versus the higher quartile where a ceiling effect is present. In addition, a free-response essay was administered in the last week of the course which tests students' understanding for how Earth system interactions influence people's ability to make decisions about global societal challenges. Analysis of these essays demonstrates a strong relationship between the InTeGrate content and the subject matter of the student essay. These preliminary findings suggest that the use of InTeGrate materials increases students' understanding of geoscience literacies and the materials give students a topical hook for connecting learning about Earth to societal challenges.

Objective structured practical examination (OSPE) in Forensic Medicine: students' point of view.

PubMed

Menezes, Ritesh G; Nayak, Vinod C; Binu, V S; Kanchan, Tanuj; Rao, P P Jagadish; Baral, Prakash; Lobo, Stany W

2011-11-01

The purpose of this study was to assess the attitudes of undergraduate medical students towards the objective structured practical examination (OSPE) in Forensic Medicine, in a medical college in Nepal. Participants included 59 undergraduate medical students of the 7th semester. Findings indicated that the OSPE was an acceptable tool considering the conduct of practical examination in Forensic Medicine at the undergraduate level. The overall mean attitude score was towards the favourable side. Students strongly agreed that the OSPE tested a wide range of skills. They also strongly agreed that it was a good form of examination as well as a learning experience. The introduction of the OSPE replacing the conventional method of practical examination in Forensic Medicine is a step in the right direction taken to objectively assess undergraduate medical students. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd and Faculty of Forensic and Legal Medicine. All rights reserved.

Validation of an Empathy Scale in Pharmacy and Nursing Students

PubMed Central

Chen, Aleda M. H.; Yehle, Karen S.; Plake, Kimberly S.

2013-01-01

Objective. To validate an empathy scale to measure empathy in pharmacy and nursing students. Methods. A 15-item instrument comprised of the cognitive and affective empathy domains, was created. Each item was rated using a 7-point Likert scale, ranging from strongly disagree to strongly agree. Concurrent validity was demonstrated with the Jefferson Scale of Empathy – Health Professional Students (JSE-HPS). Results. Reliability analysis of data from 216 students (pharmacy, N=158; nursing, N=58) showed that scores on the empathy scale were positively associated with JSE-HPS scores (p<0.001). Factor analysis confirmed that 14 of the 15 items were significantly associated with their respective domain, but the overall instrument had limited goodness of fit. Conclusions. Results of this study demonstrate the reliability and validity of a new scale for evaluating student empathy. Further testing of the scale at other universities is needed to establish validity. PMID:23788805

Design under Constraints: The Case of Large-Scale Assessment Systems

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mislevy, Robert J.

2010-01-01

In "Updating the Duplex Design for Test-Based Accountability in the Twenty-First Century," Bejar and Graf (2010) propose extensions to the duplex design for large-scale assessment presented in Bock and Mislevy (1988). Examining the range of people who use assessment results--from students, teachers, administrators, curriculum designers,…

A Test of the Abstinence Violation Effect.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ruderman, Audrey J.

According to the abstinence violation effect, highly controlled drinkers tend to overindulge following an initial slip. To investigate this relapse model, 47 male college students, ranging in age from 21 to 46, were assigned either to an unrestrained or a restrained drinker group according to their scores on the Restrained Drinking Scale. Subjects…

How to Mess with PISA: Learning from Japanese "Kokugo" Curriculum Experts

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Takayama, Keita

2018-01-01

To remove cultural bias is critical for the legitimacy of Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) as an internationally reliable academic assessment. Since its inception, PISA has made extensive effort to address this issue by putting in place a range of methodological and procedural measures to ensure its test fairness. This study…

Design for a Study of American Youth.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Flanagan, John C.; And Others

Project TALENT is a large-scale, long-range educational research effort aimed at developing methods for the identification, development, and utilization of human talents, which has involved some 440,000 students in 1,353 public, private, and parochial secondary schools in all parts of the country. Data collected through teacher-administered tests,…

Creativity, Birth Order, and Preference for Symmetry

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Eisenman, Russell; Schussel, Nancy Robinson

1970-01-01

Four hundred fifty college students were given three measures of creativity: (a) complexity-simplicity preference, (b) Personal Opinion Survey, and (c) an unusual uses test. The intercorrelation of the creativity measures ranged .45-.83 (p's is less than .001), and a striking birth-order effect was found: later-born males were significantly less…

The Inverted Student Density and Test Scores.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Boldt, Robert F.

The inverted density is one whose contour lines are spheroidal as in the normal distribution, but whose moments differ from those of the normal in that its conditional arrays are not homoscedastic, being quadratic functions of the values of the linear regression functions. It is also platykurtic, its measure of kurtosis ranging from that of the…

Multilingual Literacies: Invisible Representation of Literacy in a Rural Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kiramba, Lydiah Kananu

2017-01-01

In many countries, educational policies typically mandate school activities that promote a homogeneous and narrow range of academic literacies for all learners despite the diverse nature of human learning. This ethnographic case study examines how a 12-year-old Kenyan fourth-grade student performing below average on all standardized tests used…

The Development and Testing of an Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Instrument.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bailey, James R.; And Others

Compulsivity and obsessiveness are vaguely defined terms which include a broad range of behaviors and cognitions that have been elusive to quantify. To introduce the 22-item Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (OCS) and to perform preliminary validation studies, 114 (46 male, 68 female) college students and 57 counseling clients completed the OCS on two…

Gender and Learner Characteristics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hindal, Huda; Reid, Norman; Whitehead, Rex

2013-01-01

It is well established that girls and boys perform differently in traditional examinations in most countries. This study looks at a sample of 754 school students in Kuwait (aged about 13) and explores how boys and girls differ in the performance in a range of tests related to learner characteristics. The fundamental question is how boys and girls…

Potential Perils of Changing Environmental Context on Examination Scores

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Van Der Wege, Mija; Barry, Leslie A.

2008-01-01

Environmental context can affect memory retrieval in a wide range of situations. The authors investigate the relationship between the location of a collegiate final examination and student performance. Although several other studies have looked at the impact of environmental context on test taking, this study does so in a real-world environment,…

A pilot study on providing ophthalmic training to medical students while initiating a sustainable eye care effort for the underserved.

PubMed

Byrd, Julia M; Longmire, Michelle R; Syme, Noah P; Murray-Krezan, Cristina; Rose, Linda

2014-03-01

We present a method to reintroduce ophthalmic training into the medical school curriculum. To evaluate knowledge and skills acquired when participating in a service project, the Community Vision Project, and to develop a quantitative method for testing skills with the direct ophthalmoscope in patients. Second-year medical students participated in the study. After 1 month, their knowledge was compared with that of peers and graduates (internal medicine residents). Also at 1 month, their direct ophthalmoscope skills were compared with those of upperclassmen who had completed all core clerkships. One year later, after the participants had completed their core clerkships, long-term ophthalmoscope skills retention was tested, and their performance was compared with that of their classmates. Training occurred in mobile eye clinics. Knowledge and skills assessments were performed in the hospital eye clinic among students and residents at The University of New Mexico School of Medicine. Patients were recruited from the hospital eye clinic. Participants attended a 3-hour training session held by an attending physician in the hospital eye clinic and took part in at least 1 mobile eye clinic. A knowledge assessment quiz was administered to participants (n = 12), their classmates (n = 18), and internal medicine residents (n = 33). Skills assessment with the direct ophthalmoscope was performed at 1 month and at 1 year in 5 participants and 5 nonparticipants. Tonometer skills were assessed by comparing participants' readings with those of an ophthalmologist's obtained in patients at the mobile eye clinics. RESULTS Participants' median knowledge assessment scores were 48% higher than those of their classmates and 37% higher than those of internal medicine residents (P < .001 for both). Short-term (1 month) direct ophthalmoscopy median scores were 60% (quartile 1 to quartile 3 range, 40%-80%) for participants and 40% (quartile 1 to quartile 3 range, 20%-60%) for nonparticipating upperclassmen (P = .24). Long-term direct ophthalmoscopy median scores were 100% (quartile 1 to quartile 3 range, 75%-100%) for participants and 0% (quartile 1 to quartile 3 range, 0%-25%) for nonparticipating classmates (P = .11). Participants' tonometer readings were similar to those of the ophthalmologist's; their median reading was 2 mm Hg (quartile 1 to quartile 3 range, 0-4 mm Hg) higher than that of the ophthalmologist's (P = .05, sign test). Service-based learning offered an efficient model for incorporating ophthalmic training into the medical school curriculum. A viable tool for quantitatively testing ophthalmoscope skills is presented.

Establishing CAD/CAM in Preclinical Dental Education: Evaluation of a Hands-On Module.

PubMed

Schwindling, Franz Sebastian; Deisenhofer, Ulrich Karl; Porsche, Monika; Rammelsberg, Peter; Kappel, Stefanie; Stober, Thomas

2015-10-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate a hands-on computer-assisted design/computer-assisted manufacture (CAD/CAM) module in a preclinical dental course in restorative dentistry. A controlled trial was conducted by dividing a class of 56 third-year dental students in Germany into study and control groups; allocation to the two groups depended on student schedules. Prior information about CAD/CAM-based restorations was provided for all students by means of lectures, preparation exercises, and production of gypsum casts of prepared resin teeth. The study group (32 students) then participated in a hands-on CAD/CAM module in small groups, digitizing their casts and designing zirconia frameworks for single crowns. The digitization process was introduced to the control group (24 students) solely by means of a video-supported lecture. To assess the knowledge gained, a 20-question written examination was administered; 48 students took the exam. The results were analyzed with Student's t-tests at a significance level of 0.05. The results on the examination showed a significant difference between the two groups: the mean scores were 16.8 (SD 1.7, range 13-19) for the study group and 12.5 (SD 3, range 4-18) for the control group. After the control group had also experienced the hands-on module, a total of 48 students from both groups completed a questionnaire with 13 rating-scale and three open-ended questions evaluating the module. Those results showed that the module was highly regarded by the students. This study supports the idea that small-group hands-on courses are helpful for instruction in digital restoration design. These students' knowledge gained and satisfaction seemed to justify the time, effort, and equipment needed.

The relationship between personality and attainment in 16-19-year-old students in a sixth form college: II: Self-perception, gender and attainment.

PubMed

Summerfield, M; Youngman, M

1999-06-01

A related paper (Summerfield & Youngman, 1999) has described the development of a scale, the Student Self-Perception Scale (SSPS) designed to explore the relationship between academic self-concept, attainment and personality in sixth form college students. The study aimed to identify groups of students exhibiting varying patterns of relationship using a range of measures including the SSPS. Issues of gender and also examined. The samples comprised a pilot sample of 152 students (aged 16-17 years from two sixth form colleges) and a main sample of 364 students (mean age, 16 yrs 10 mths range 16:0 to 18:6 years, from one sixth form college). The main sample included similar numbers of male and female students (46% male, 54% female) and ethnic minority students comprised 14% of this sample. Data comprised responses to two personality measures (the SSPS, Summerfield, 1995, and the Nowicki-Strickland Locus of Control Scale, Nowicki & Strickland, 1973), various student and tutor estimates of success, and performance data from college records. Students were classified using relocation cluster analysis and cluster differences verified using discriminant function analysis. Thirty outcome models were tested using covariance regression analysis. Eight distinct and interpretable groups, consistent with other research, were identified but the hypothesis of a positive, linear relationship between mastery and academic attainment was not sustained without qualification. Previous attainment was the major determinant of final performance. Gender variations were detected on the personality measures, particularly Confidence of outcomes, Prediction discrepancy, Passivity, Mastery, Dependency and Locus of control, and these were implicated in the cluster characteristics. The results suggest that a non-linear methodology may be required to isolate relationships between self-concept, personality and attainment, especially where gender effects may exist.

Relationships among student attitudes, motivation, learning styles, learning strategies, patterns of learning, and achievement: A formative evaluation of distance education via Web-based courses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shih, Ching-Chun

The World Wide Web (WWW) is the latest in a long line of educational technologies, and the list of courses on it is growing daily. Formative evaluations would help educators enhance teaching and learning in Web-based courses. This study analyzed the relationships between student achievement and the following variables: attitudes, motivation, learning strategies, patterns of learning, learning styles, and selected demographics. It was a population study that included 99 students taking two non-major introductory biology courses offered over the WWW by Iowa State University in the fall of 1997. Seventy-four (75%) students completed a learning style test, an on-line questionnaire, and received a grade by the end of the semester. The learning style test was the Group Embedded Figures Test (GEFT), which classified students as either field-dependent or field-independent. The on-line questionnaire consisted of four scales (attitude, motivation, learning strategies, and patterns of learning), whose pilot-test reliabilities ranged from .71 to .91. The selected demographic variables were gender, class level, previous experience in subject area, hours per week studying and working, computer access, and types of students as off-campus, on-campus, or adult students. Over two-thirds of the students taking the Web-based courses were field-independent learners; however, there were no significant differences (.05 level) in achievement by learning style. Also, different backgrounds of students with different learning styles learned equally well in Web-based courses. The students enjoyed the convenience and self-controlled learning pace and were motivated by competition and high expectations in Web-based learning. They used most the learning strategies of finding important ideas from lectures and memorizing key words of important concepts and least the learning strategy of making charts or tables to organize the material. They seemed more interested in checking their grades than in communicating with the class and instructors via e-mail, discussion netforum or chat netforum. Motivation and learning strategies were the two significant factors that explained more than one-third of student achievement measured by class grade. Educators should assist students in mastering different motivational and learning strategies to help them become self-regulated learners.

A randomized, controlled trial to test the efficacy of an online, parent-based intervention for reducing the risks associated with college-student alcohol use

PubMed Central

Donovan, Elizabeth; Wood, Mollie; Frayjo, Kezia; Black, Ryan A.; Surette, Daniel A.

2011-01-01

Alcohol consumption among college students remains a major public health concern. Universal, Web-based interventions to reduce risks associated with student alcohol consumption have been found to be effective in changing their alcohol-related behavior. Recent studies also indicate that parent-based interventions, delivered in booklet form, are effective. A parent-based intervention that is also Web-based may be well suited to a dispersed parent population; however, no such tool is currently available. The purpose of this study was to test the efficacy of an online parent-based intervention designed to (1) increase communication between parents and students about alcohol and (2) reduce risks associated with alcohol use to students. A total of 558 participants, comprising 279 parent-teen dyads, were enrolled in the study. The findings suggested that parents who participated in the online intervention were more likely to discuss protective behavioral strategies, particularly those related to manner of drinking and stopping/limiting drinking, with their teens, as compared with parents in an e-newsletter control group. Moreover, students whose parents received the intervention were more likely to use a range of protective behavioral strategies, particularly those related to manner of drinking and stopping/limiting drinking, as compared with students whose parents did not receive the intervention. A universal, online, parent-based intervention to reduce risks associated with student alcohol consumption may be an efficient and effective component of a college’s overall prevention strategy. PMID:21963316

Electrocardiogram reading: a randomized study comparing 2 e‑learning methods for medical students.

PubMed

Kopeć, Grzegorz; Waligóra, Marcin; Pacia, Michał; Chmielak, Wojciech; Stępień, Agnieszka; Janiec, Sebastian; Magoń, Wojciech; Jonas, Kamil; Podolec, Piotr

2018-02-28

INTRODUCTION    Interpretation of the electrocardiogram (ECG) is an essential skill in most medical specialties; however, the best method of teaching how to read ECGs has not been determined. OBJECTIVES    The aim of the study was to compare the effectiveness of collaborative (C‑eL) and self (S‑eL) e‑learning of ECG reading among medical students. PATIENTS AND METHODS    A total of 60 fifth‑year medical students were randomly assigned to the C‑eL and S‑eL groups. S‑eL students received 15 ECG recordings with a comprehensive description by email (one every 48 hours), while C‑eL students received the same ECG recordings without description. C‑eL students were expected to analyze each ECG together within the subgroups using an internet platform and to submit the interpretation within 48 hours. Afterwards, they received a description of each ECG. C‑eL students' activity was assessed based on the number of words written on the internet platform during discussion. A final test consisted of 10 theoretical questions and 10 ECG recordings. The final score was a sum of points obtained for the interpretation of ECG recordings. The main endpoint of the study was the number of students whose final score was 56% or higher. RESULTS    The final test was completed by 53 students (88.3%). The main endpoint was achieved in 20 C‑eL students (77%) and in 13 S‑eL students (48.1%), P = 0.03. The final score was 6.4 (interquartile range [IQR], 5.8-7.6) in the C‑eL group and 5.6 (IQR, 4.2-7.2) in the S‑eL group, P = 0.04. It correlated with the results of the theoretical test and students' activity during C‑eL (r = 0.42, P = 0.002 and r = 0.4, P = 0.04, respectively). CONCLUSIONS    C‑eL of ECG reading among fifth‑year medical students is superior to S‑eL.

Impact of Jigsaw on the Achievement and Attitudes of Saudi Arabian Male High School Science Students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alghamdi, Abdulmonem

The aim of the study is to investigate the impact of cooperative learning instruction, specifically by using the Jigsaw instructional strategy on science achievement and attitudes towards science among 11th grade students. Based upon previous research literature, it was hypothesized that significant differences existed on gains between general science achievement of experimental group and control group. The quasi-experimental design was chosen for this study. The study sample consisted of 50 students of 11th grade class who were equally distributed among experimental group and control group, matched on the basic of their annual examination at general science scores. The students' achievement was measured through the implementation of 30-item achievement test used as a pretest, as well as a posttest and deferred (follow-up) test. The experiment group was taught through cooperative learning while control group was taught through the instructions of "traditional teaching". The material was used such as lesson plans, worksheets and quizzes, designed to implement Jigsaw as a cooperative learning methodology. For the attitude scale towards science, a published 30-item Likert scale called Test of Science Related Attitudes (TOSRA) has been translated to Arabic in order to determine the students' attitudes ranging between strongly agree to strongly disagree. The data were analyzed through repeated measure analysis and multivariate analysis of variance with a .05 selected level of significance. The results of this study showed that using Jigsaw as a cooperative learning strategy has improved the students' achievement for the benefit of the experimental group. However, there was no significant change on the students' attitudes towards science for both groups, where the scores of all the attitude subscales were at or near the neutral level.

Assessment of medical communication skills by computer: assessment method and student experiences.

PubMed

Hulsman, R L; Mollema, E D; Hoos, A M; de Haes, J C J M; Donnison-Speijer, J D

2004-08-01

A computer-assisted assessment (CAA) program for communication skills designated ACT was developed using the objective structured video examination (OSVE) format. This method features assessment of cognitive scripts underlying communication behaviour, a broad range of communication problems covered in 1 assessment, highly standardised assessment and rating procedures, and large group assessments without complex organisation. The Academic Medical Centre (AMC) at the University of Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Aims To describe the development of the AMC Communication Test (ACT); to describe our experiences with the examination and rating procedures; to present test score descriptives, and to present the students' opinions of ACT. The ACT presents films on history taking, breaking bad news and shared decision making. Each film is accompanied by 3 types of short essay questions derived from our assessment model: "knows", "knows why/when" and "knows how". Evaluation questions about ACT were integrated into the assessment. Participants A total of 210 third year medical undergraduates were assessed. This study reports on the 110 (53%) students who completed all evaluation questions. Marking 210 examinations took about 17 days. The test score matched a normal distribution and showed a good level of discrimination of the students. About 75% passed the examination. Some support for the validity of our assessment model was found in the students' differential performance on the 3 types of questions. The ACT was well received. Student evaluations confirmed our efforts to develop realistic films that related well to the communication training programme. The ACT is a useful assessment method which complements interpersonal assessment methods for the evaluation of the medical communication skills of undergraduates.

Development of the Central Dogma Concept Inventory (CDCI) Assessment Tool.

PubMed

Newman, Dina L; Snyder, Christopher W; Fisk, J Nick; Wright, L Kate

2016-01-01

Scientific teaching requires scientifically constructed, field-tested instruments to accurately evaluate student thinking and gauge teacher effectiveness. We have developed a 23-question, multiple select-format assessment of student understanding of the essential concepts of the central dogma of molecular biology that is appropriate for all levels of undergraduate biology. Questions for the Central Dogma Concept Inventory (CDCI) tool were developed and iteratively revised based on student language and review by experts. The ability of the CDCI to discriminate between levels of understanding of the central dogma is supported by field testing (N= 54), and large-scale beta testing (N= 1733). Performance on the assessment increased with experience in biology; scores covered a broad range and showed no ceiling effect, even with senior biology majors, and pre/posttesting of a single class focused on the central dogma showed significant improvement. The multiple-select format reduces the chances of correct answers by random guessing, allows students at different levels to exhibit the extent of their knowledge, and provides deeper insight into the complexity of student thinking on each theme. To date, the CDCI is the first tool dedicated to measuring student thinking about the central dogma of molecular biology, and version 5 is ready to use. © 2016 D. L. Newman et al. CBE—Life Sciences Education © 2016 The American Society for Cell Biology. This article is distributed by The American Society for Cell Biology under license from the author(s). It is available to the public under an Attribution–Noncommercial–Share Alike 3.0 Unported Creative Commons License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0).

Effects of Classroom Ventilation Rate and Temperature on Students’ Test Scores

PubMed Central

2015-01-01

Using a multilevel approach, we estimated the effects of classroom ventilation rate and temperature on academic achievement. The analysis is based on measurement data from a 70 elementary school district (140 fifth grade classrooms) from Southwestern United States, and student level data (N = 3109) on socioeconomic variables and standardized test scores. There was a statistically significant association between ventilation rates and mathematics scores, and it was stronger when the six classrooms with high ventilation rates that were indicated as outliers were filtered (> 7.1 l/s per person). The association remained significant when prior year test scores were included in the model, resulting in less unexplained variability. Students’ mean mathematics scores (average 2286 points) were increased by up to eleven points (0.5%) per each liter per second per person increase in ventilation rate within the range of 0.9–7.1 l/s per person (estimated effect size 74 points). There was an additional increase of 12–13 points per each 1°C decrease in temperature within the observed range of 20–25°C (estimated effect size 67 points). Effects of similar magnitude but higher variability were observed for reading and science scores. In conclusion, maintaining adequate ventilation and thermal comfort in classrooms could significantly improve academic achievement of students. PMID:26317643

Permutation-based inference for the AUC: A unified approach for continuous and discontinuous data.

PubMed

Pauly, Markus; Asendorf, Thomas; Konietschke, Frank

2016-11-01

We investigate rank-based studentized permutation methods for the nonparametric Behrens-Fisher problem, that is, inference methods for the area under the ROC curve. We hereby prove that the studentized permutation distribution of the Brunner-Munzel rank statistic is asymptotically standard normal, even under the alternative. Thus, incidentally providing the hitherto missing theoretical foundation for the Neubert and Brunner studentized permutation test. In particular, we do not only show its consistency, but also that confidence intervals for the underlying treatment effects can be computed by inverting this permutation test. In addition, we derive permutation-based range-preserving confidence intervals. Extensive simulation studies show that the permutation-based confidence intervals appear to maintain the preassigned coverage probability quite accurately (even for rather small sample sizes). For a convenient application of the proposed methods, a freely available software package for the statistical software R has been developed. A real data example illustrates the application. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

The De-Escalating Aggressive Behaviour Scale: development and psychometric testing.

PubMed

Nau, Johannes; Halfens, Ruud; Needham, Ian; Dassen, Theo

2009-09-01

This paper is a report of a study to develop and test the psychometric properties of a scale measuring nursing students' performance in de-escalation of aggressive behaviour. Successful training should lead not merely to more knowledge and amended attitudes but also to improved performance. However, the quality of de-escalation performance is difficult to assess. Based on a qualitative investigation, seven topics pertaining to de-escalating behaviour were identified and the wording of items tested. The properties of the items and the scale were investigated quantitatively. A total of 1748 performance evaluations by students (rater group 1) from a skills laboratory were used to check distribution and conduct a factor analysis. Likewise, 456 completed evaluations by de-escalation experts (rater group 2) of videotaped performances at pre- and posttest were used to investigate internal consistency, interrater reliability, test-retest reliability, effect size and factor structure. Data were collected in 2007-2008 in German. Factor analysis showed a unidimensional 7-item scale with factor loadings ranging from 0.55 to 0.81 (rater group 1) and 0.48 to 0.88 (rater group 2). Cronbach's alphas of 0.87 and 0.88 indicated good internal consistency irrespective of rater group. A Pearson's r of 0.80 confirmed acceptable test-retest reliability, and interrater reliability Intraclass Correlation 3 ranging from 0.77 to 0.93 also showed acceptable results. The effect size r of 0.53 plus Cohen's d of 1.25 indicates the capacity of the scale to detect changes in performance. Further research is needed to test the English version of the scale and its validity.

An exploratory study of a number sense program to develop kindergarten students' number proficiency.

PubMed

Sood, Sheetal; Jitendra, Asha K

2013-01-01

This study examined the effectiveness of a number sense program on kindergarten students' number proficiency and responsiveness to treatment as a function of students' risk for mathematics difficulties. The program targeted development of relationships among numbers (e.g., spatial, more and less). A total of 101 kindergarten students (not at risk: 22 control and 36 experimental; at risk: 18 and 25) from five classrooms in a high-poverty elementary school participated in the study. Using a quasi-experimental design, classrooms were randomly assigned to either the intervention (number sense instruction, NSI) or control condition. Results indicated significant differences favoring the treatment students on all measures of number sense (e.g., spatial relationships, more and less relationships, benchmarks of five and ten, nonverbal calculations) at posttest and on a 3-week retention test. Furthermore, the effects were not mediated by at-risk status, suggesting that NSI may benefit a wide range of students. Implications in terms of preventing early mathematical learning difficulties are discussed.

A CCD Spectrometer for One Dollar

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Beaver, J.; Robert, D.

2011-09-01

We describe preliminary tests on a very low-cost system for obtaining stellar spectra for instructional use in an introductory astronomy laboratory. CCD imaging with small telescopes is now commonplace and relatively inexpensive. Giving students direct experience taking stellar spectra, however, is much more difficult, and the equipment can easily be out of reach for smaller institutions, especially if one wants to give the experience to large numbers of students. We have performed preliminary tests on an extremely low-cost (about $1.00) objective grating that can be coupled with an existing CCD camera or commercial digital single-lens reflex (DSLR) camera and a small telescope typical of introductory astronomy labs. With this equipment we believe it is possible for introductory astronomy students to take stellar spectra that are of high enough quality to distinguish between many MK spectral classes, or to determine standard B and V magnitudes. We present observational tests of this objective grating used on an 8" Schmidt-Cassegrain with a low-end, consumer DSLR camera. Some low-cost strategies for reducing the raw data are compared, with an eye toward projects ranging from individual undergraduate research projects to use by many students in a non-majors introductory astronomy lab. Toward this end we compare various trade offs between complexity of the observing and data reduction processes and the usefulness of the final results. We also describe some undergraduate astronomy education projects that this system could potentially be used for. Some of these projects could involve data-sharing collaborations between students at different institutions.

Remittance spectroscopy of human skin in vivo.

PubMed

Geyer, A; Vilser, W; Karte, K; Wollina, U

1996-08-01

The skin is an easily accessible organ on which non-invasive examination methods can be applied. Recently spectroscopic methods have been introduced in characterization of skin under physiological and pathological conditions. To examine remittance spectroscopic qualities of human skin in vivo and to clarify the influence of selected test conditions, a single-beam spectrometer MCS 410 (Carl Zeiss, Jena, Germany) has been used. Remittance spectra readings were performed in 35 volunteers. Wavelength ranged from 362 nm to 780 nm. Individual remittance values and their standard deviations were obtained from 20 readings under standardized test conditions. The effect of pressure, rubbing, cooling, washing, greasing and degreasing on average remittance values was investigated. Statistical analysis was done with paired Student's f-test and Fisher's test. Pressure increased remittance values over a wide range of wavelength, peaking at 518 nm. Greasing and degreasing modified spectral remittance of shorter wavelength peaking around 362 nm. Rubbing and cooling did not induce significant variations of spectral remittance of skin. Spectral remittance provides an individual profile in human skin, which may be influenced by pressure and greasing/ degreasing. To establish standardized test conditions with a narrow range of intra-individual variation these items have to be kept constant.

R/S analysis of reaction time in Neuron Type Test for human activity in civil aviation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Hong-Yan; Kang, Ming-Cui; Li, Jing-Qiang; Liu, Hai-Tao

2017-03-01

Human factors become the most serious problem leading to accidents of civil aviation, which stimulates the design and analysis of Neuron Type Test (NTT) system to explore the intrinsic properties and patterns behind the behaviors of professionals and students in civil aviation. In the experiment, normal practitioners' reaction time sequences, collected from NTT, exhibit log-normal distribution approximately. We apply the χ2 test to compute the goodness-of-fit by transforming the time sequence with Box-Cox transformation to cluster practitioners. The long-term correlation of different individual practitioner's time sequence is represented by the Hurst exponent via Rescaled Range Analysis, also named by Range/Standard deviation (R/S) Analysis. The different Hurst exponent suggests the existence of different collective behavior and different intrinsic patterns of human factors in civil aviation.

A psychometric evaluation of the digital logic concept inventory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Herman, Geoffrey L.; Zilles, Craig; Loui, Michael C.

2014-10-01

Concept inventories hold tremendous promise for promoting the rigorous evaluation of teaching methods that might remedy common student misconceptions and promote deep learning. The measurements from concept inventories can be trusted only if the concept inventories are evaluated both by expert feedback and statistical scrutiny (psychometric evaluation). Classical Test Theory and Item Response Theory provide two psychometric frameworks for evaluating the quality of assessment tools. We discuss how these theories can be applied to assessment tools generally and then apply them to the Digital Logic Concept Inventory (DLCI). We demonstrate that the DLCI is sufficiently reliable for research purposes when used in its entirety and as a post-course assessment of students' conceptual understanding of digital logic. The DLCI can also discriminate between students across a wide range of ability levels, providing the most information about weaker students' ability levels.

Two strikes: race and the disciplining of young students.

PubMed

Okonofua, Jason A; Eberhardt, Jennifer L

2015-05-01

There are large racial disparities in school discipline in the United States, which, for Black students, not only contribute to school failure but also can lay a path toward incarceration. Although the disparities have been well documented, the psychological mechanisms underlying them are unclear. In two experiments, we tested the hypothesis that such disparities are, in part, driven by racial stereotypes that can lead teachers to escalate their negative responses to Black students over the course of multiple interpersonal (e.g., teacher-to-student) encounters. More generally, we argue that race not only can influence how perceivers interpret a specific behavior, but also can enhance perceivers' detection of behavioral patterns across time. Finally, we discuss the theoretical and practical benefits of employing this novel approach to stereotyping across a range of real-world settings. © The Author(s) 2015.

Designing Undergraduate Research Experiences: A Multiplicity of Options

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Manduca, C. A.

2001-12-01

Research experiences for undergraduate students can serve many goals including: developing student understanding of the process of science; providing opportunities for students to develop professional skills or test career plans; completing publishable research; enabling faculty professional development; or enhancing the visibility of a science program. The large range of choices made in the design of an undergraduate research program or opportunity must reflect the goals of the program, the needs and abilities of the students and faculty, and the available resources including both time and money. Effective program design, execution, and evaluation can all be enhanced if the goals of the program are clearly articulated. Student research experiences can be divided into four components: 1) defining the research problem; 2) developing the research plan or experiment design; 3) collecting and interpreting data, and 4) communicating results. In each of these components, the program can be structured in a wide variety of ways and students can be given more or less guidance or freedom. While a feeling of ownership of the research project appears to be very important, examples of successful projects displaying a wide range of design decisions are available. Work with the Keck Geology Consortium suggests that four strategies can enhance the likelihood of successful student experiences: 1) students are well-prepared for research experience (project design must match student preparation); 2) timelines and events are structured to move students through intermediate goals to project completion; 3) support for the emotional, financial, academic and technical challenges of a research project is in place; 4) strong communications between students and faculty set clear expectations and enable mid-course corrections in the program or project design. Creating a research culture for the participants or embedding a project in an existing research culture can also assist students in completing a successful research experience. Outstanding undergraduate research experiences can take place in a wide variety of settings and serve a wide variety of student and faculty needs if projects are designed with these goals in mind.

Degree of vertical integration between the undergraduate program and clinical internship with respect to lumbopelvic diagnostic and therapeutic procedures taught at the canadian memorial chiropractic college.

PubMed

Vermet, Shannon; McGinnis, Karen; Boodham, Melissa; Gleberzon, Brian J

2010-01-01

The objective of this study was to determine to what extent the diagnostic and therapeutic procedures taught in the undergraduate program used for patients with lumbopelvic conditions are expected to be utilized by students during their clinical internship program at Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College or are being used by the clinical faculty. A confidential survey was distributed to clinical faculty at the college. It consisted of a list of diagnostic and therapeutic procedures used for lumbopelvic conditions taught at that college. Clinicians were asked to indicate the frequency with which they performed or they required students to perform each item. Seventeen of 23 clinicians responded. The following procedures were most likely required to be performed by clinicians: posture; ranges of motion; lower limb sensory, motor, and reflex testing; and core orthopedic tests. The following were less likely to be required to be performed: Waddell testing, Schober's test, Gillet tests, and abdominal palpation. Students were expected to perform (or clinicians performed) most of the mobilization (in particular, iliocostal, iliotransverse, and iliofemoral) and spinal manipulative therapies (in particular, the procedures referred to as the lumbar roll, lumbar pull/hook, and upper sacroiliac) taught at the college. This study suggests that there was considerable, but not complete, vertical integration between the undergraduate and clinical education program at this college.

Assessing the effects of manual dexterity and playing computer games on catheter-wire manipulation for inexperienced operators.

PubMed

Alsafi, Z; Hameed, Y; Amin, P; Shamsad, S; Raja, U; Alsafi, A; Hamady, M S

2017-09-01

To investigate the effect of playing computer games and manual dexterity on catheter-wire manipulation in a mechanical aortic model. Medical student volunteers filled in a preprocedure questionnaire assessing their exposure to computer games. Their manual dexterity was measured using a smartphone game. They were then shown a video clip demonstrating renal artery cannulation and were asked to reproduce this. All attempts were timed. Two-tailed Student's t-test was used to compare continuous data, while Fisher's exact test was used for categorical data. Fifty students aged 18-22 years took part in the study. Forty-six completed the task at an average of 168 seconds (range 103-301 seconds). There was no significant difference in the dexterity score or time to cannulate the renal artery between male and female students. Students who played computer games for >10 hours per week had better dexterity scores than those who did not play computer games: 9.1 versus 10.2 seconds (p=0.0237). Four of 19 students who did not play computer games failed to complete the task, while all of those who played computer games regularly completed the task (p=0.0168). Playing computer games is associated with better manual dexterity and ability to complete a basic interventional radiology task for novices. Copyright © 2017 The Royal College of Radiologists. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Achievement for All: improving psychosocial outcomes for students with special educational needs and disabilities.

PubMed

Humphrey, Neil; Lendrum, Ann; Barlow, Alexandra; Wigelsworth, Michael; Squires, Garry

2013-04-01

Students with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) are at a greatly increased risk of experiencing poor psychosocial outcomes. Developing effective interventions that address the cause of these outcomes has therefore become a major policy priority in recent years. We report on a national evaluation of the Achievement for All (AfA) programme that was designed to improve outcomes for students with SEND through: (1) academic assessment, tracking and intervention, (2) structured conversations with parents, and (3) developing provision to improve wider outcomes (e.g. positive relationships). Using a quasi-experimental, pre-test-post-test control group design, we assessed the impact of AfA on teacher ratings of the behaviour problems, positive relationships and bullying of students with SEND over an 18-month period. Participants were 4758 students with SEND drawn from 323 schools across England. Our main impact analysis demonstrated that AfA had a significant impact on all three response variables when compared to usual practice. Hierarchical linear modelling of data from the intervention group highlighted a range of school-level contextual factors and implementation activities and student-level individual differences that moderated the impact of AfA on our study outcomes. The implications of our findings are discussed, and study strengths and limitations are noted. Crown Copyright © 2013. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Penalties for academic dishonesty in a Greek dental school environment.

PubMed

Koletsi-Kounari, Haroula; Polychronopoulou, Argy; Reppa, Christina; Teplitsky, Paul E

2011-10-01

The aim of this study was to investigate the opinions of the faculty and students of the University of Athens Dental School in Greece regarding the appropriate penalty for specific academic offenses. In addition, faculty and student opinions were compared. A questionnaire was distributed to officially registered seniors and full-time faculty members, and 177 individuals responded anonymously and voluntarily. The respondents were asked to select one from a set of nine penalties for each of fifteen hypothetical academic offenses and three cases with extenuating circumstances. Non-parametric Mann-Whitney U tests and a Wilcoxon signed-rank test, depending on the nature of variables, were used to detect significant differences in penalty scores between faculty and students. A p-value of <0.05 was considered statistically significant. The penalty scores for the fifteen offenses ranged from a mean of 2.23±1.55 to 7.25±2.64. Faculty respondents gave more severe penalties than students did for all offenses, and the finding was statistically significant (p<0.05) for eleven of the fifteen offenses. Where extenuating circumstances were added, the penalty selection altered in two of the three cases. A significantly more lenient penalty was selected by both faculty and students in these two cases. The results of this study suggest that faculty members are harsher than students for the same offenses and that extenuating circumstances can sometimes significantly change recommended penalties.

The moral development of medical students: a pilot study of the possible influence of medical education.

PubMed

Self, D J; Schrader, D E; Baldwin, D C; Wolinsky, F D

1993-01-01

Medicine endorses a code of ethics and encourages a high moral character among doctors. This study examines the influence of medical education on the moral reasoning and development of medical students. Kohlberg's Moral Judgment Interview was given to a sample of 20 medical students (41.7% of students in that class). The students were tested at the beginning and at the end of their medical course to determine whether their moral reasoning scores had increased to the same extent as other people who extend their formal education. It was found that normally expected increases in moral reasoning scores did not occur over the 4 years of medical education for these students, suggesting that their educational experience somehow inhibited their moral reasoning ability rather than facilitating it. With a range of moral reasoning scores between 315 and 482, the finding of a mean increase from first year to fourth year of 18.5 points was not statistically significant at the P < or = 0.05 level. Statistical analysis revealed no significant correlations at the P < or = 0.05 level between the moral reasoning scores and age, gender, Medical College Admission Test scores, or grade point average scores. Along with a brief description of Kohlberg's cognitive moral development theory, some interpretations and explanations are given for the findings of the study.

Constructing Knowledge of Marine Sediments in Introductory Geology and Oceanography Courses Using DSDP, ODP, and IODP Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

St. John, K. E.; Leckie, R. M.; Jones, M. H.; Pound, K. S.; Pyle, E. J.

2008-12-01

Lithologic data from 40 DSDP, ODP, and IODP scientific ocean drilling cores from the Pacific and North Atlantic oceans are the basis for an inquiry-based classroom exercise module for college introductory geology and oceanography courses. Part 1 of this exercise module is designed as an initial inquiry aimed at drawing out student beliefs and prior knowledge. In Parts 2-3 students observe and describe the physical characteristics of sediment cores using digital core photos, and determine the sediment composition using smear slide data and a decision tree. In Part 4 students combine their individual site data to construct a map showing the distribution of the primary marine sediment types of the Pacific and North Atlantic Oceans, and develop hypotheses to explain the distribution of the sediment types shown on their map. The transportable skills of observation, forming questions, plotting data, interpreting data, and scientific synthesis are embedded in this module, benefitting non-majors as well as majors. The exercise module was tested in the 2008 School of Rock program and the 2008 Urbino Summer School for Paleoceanography, and is currently being tested in undergraduate courses at James Madison University, North Hennipen Community College, St. Cloud State University and University of Massachusetts, Amherst in classes that range in size from 16 students to >150 students. The student worksheets, instructor guide, and preliminary evaluation data will be presented.

Bringing Engineering Design into High School Science Classrooms: The Heating/Cooling Unit

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Apedoe, Xornam S.; Reynolds, Birdy; Ellefson, Michelle R.; Schunn, Christian D.

2008-01-01

Infusing engineering design projects in K-12 settings can promote interest and attract a wide range of students to engineering careers. However, the current climate of high-stakes testing and accountability to standards leaves little room to incorporate engineering design into K-12 classrooms. We argue that design-based learning, the combination…

Student Use of Animated Pedagogical Agents in a Middle School Science Inquiry Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bowman, Catherine D. D.

2012-01-01

Animated pedagogical agents (APAs) have the potential to provide one-on-one, just-in-time instruction, guidance or mentoring in classrooms where such individualized human interactions may be infeasible. Much current APA research focuses on a wide range of design variables tested with small samples or in laboratory settings, while overlooking…

Emotional Intelligence and Personality as Predictors of Psychological Well-Being

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

James, Colin; Bore, Miles; Zito, Susanna

2012-01-01

Research studies have reported elevated rates of psychological distress (e.g., depression) in practicing lawyers yet little research has examined predictors of such problems in law students. Specific personality traits have been shown to be predictors of a range of psychological problems. We administered a battery of tests to a cohort of 1st-year…

Developmental Dyscalculia and Basic Numerical Capacities: A Study of 8--9-Year-Old Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Landerl, Karin; Bevan, Anna; Butterworth, Brian

2004-01-01

Thirty-one 8- and 9-year-old children selected for dyscalculia, reading difficulties or both, were compared to controls on a range of basic number processing tasks. Children with dyscalculia only had impaired performance on the tasks despite high-average performance on tests of IQ, vocabulary and working memory tasks. Children with reading…

Prescription Drug Use among College Students: A Test of Criminal Spin Theory

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lin, Wan-Chun

2017-01-01

Criminal spin theory developed by Ronel intends to provide a more comprehensive explanation of criminal behavior. It includes wide-ranging factors that impact human behavior at an individual, group, and cultural level. According to criminal spin theory, an event or a set of events can impact human emotions, thoughts, and behaviors. With the…

Providing Feedback on Computer-Based Algebra Homework in Middle-School Classrooms

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fyfe, Emily R.

2016-01-01

Homework is transforming at a rapid rate with continuous advances in educational technology. Computer-based homework, in particular, is gaining popularity across a range of schools, with little empirical evidence on how to optimize student learning. The current aim was to test the effects of different types of feedback on computer-based homework.…

Role of NAEP Could Change with Common Assessments

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cavanagh, Sean

2009-01-01

For decades, when elected officials, researchers, educators, and parents have wanted a clear-eyed measure of what students know in a range of subjects, they have turned to an authoritative source: the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). Now the country stands poised to enter a new testing era. All but two states have agreed to work…

Use of the Community College Goals Inventory (CCGI) as an Impetus for Change in a Rural Community College.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Arter, Margaret H.

In an effort to establish priorities for long- and short-range planning, Palo Verde College (PVC) administered the Educational Testing Service's Community College Goals Inventory to all PVC faculty and administrators, 20 community residents, five trustees, and approximately 200 students. The inventory asked respondents to rate the importance of…

The Effects of Playing Educational Video Games on Kindergarten Achievement.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Din, Feng S.; Calao, Josephine

2001-01-01

Investigated whether kindergarten students who played Sony PlayStation educational video games for 40 minutes daily for 11 weeks learned better than peers who did not play such games. Found that the experimental group gained significantly more than the control group in spelling and decoding on the Wide Range Achievement Test-R3. Found no…

A Framework for Developing and Testing Financial Capability Education Programs Targeted to Elementary Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Collins, J. Michael; Odders-White, Elizabeth

2015-01-01

Concerns about consumers' ability to manage their finances have triggered a range of proposals, including interventions aimed at elementary school students. The goal of these approaches is to improve lifelong economic decision making, but the evidence supporting their efficacy is thin. In this article, the authors discuss the trend toward…

Development of an Objective Measure to Assess Ego Identity in Adolescence: Validation and Replication.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Grotevant, Harold D., Adams, Gerald R.

1984-01-01

Three studies evaluating the reliability and validity of the Objective Measure of Ego Identity Status (OM-EIS) are reported. Two studies analyzed college students' results from the OM-EIS, the Extended Range Vocabulary Test, the Crowne-Marlowe Social Disability Scale and achievement records. Study 3 correlated high school seniors' OM-EIS scores…

Ultimate Success Rates on National Board Examinations: A Research Brief.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gross, Leon J.; Wallis, Norman E.; Present, Richard K.

1999-01-01

A study investigated the percentage of optometry students successfully completing the four-component National Board of Examiners in Optometry examination at graduation between 1995 to 1997. Ultimate pass rates for all four components ranged from 87.0% to 90.9%. Results are discussed in relation to the 1993 test-sequence expansion and to the number…

Effect of Music on Reading Comprehension of Junior High School Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Anderson, Stacey A.; Fuller, Gerald B.

2010-01-01

This quantitative study was an investigation of the effect of lyrical music on reading comprehension by adolescents. Existing research has produced results that range from concluding such distraction may be detrimental to finding it could be helpful. The reading comprehension subtest of the Gates-MacGinitie Reading Tests, 4th edition (MacGinitie,…

Efficacy of Standardized Extract of Bacopa monnieri (Bacognize®) on Cognitive Functions of Medical Students: A Six-Week, Randomized Placebo-Controlled Trial

PubMed Central

Abichandani, L. G.; Thawani, Vijay; Gharpure, K. J.; Naidu, M. U. R.; Venkat Ramana, G.

2016-01-01

Rationale. Bacopa monnieri, popularly known as Brahmi, has been traditionally used in Ayurveda since ages for its memory enhancing properties. However, data on placebo-controlled trial of Bacopa monnieri on intellectual sample is scarce. Hence this study was planned to evaluate the effect of Bacopa monnieri on memory of medical students for six weeks. Objective. To evaluate the efficacy of Bacopa monnieri on memory of medical students with six weeks' administration. Method and Material. This was a randomized double blind placebo-controlled noncrossover, parallel trial. Sixty medical students of either gender from second year of medical school, third term, regular batch, were enrolled from Government Medical College, Nagpur, India. Baseline biochemical and memory tests were done. The participants were randomly divided in two groups to receive either 150 mg of standardized extract of Bacopa monnieri (Bacognize) or matching placebo twice daily for six weeks. All baseline investigations were repeated at the end of the trial. Students were followed up for 15 days after the intervention. Results. Statistically significant improvement was seen in the tests relating to the cognitive functions with use of Bacopa monnieri. Blood biochemistry also showed a significant increase in serum calcium levels (still within normal range). PMID:27803728

[Good reproducibility of a 14-item food frequency questionnaire for cardiovascular prevention in students].

PubMed

Balquet, L; Noury-Desvaux, B; Jaquinandi, V; Mahé, G

2015-02-01

Diet is a modifiable risk factor of atherosclerosis. A 14-item food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) has been developed. The reproducibility of this FFQ is unknown in a student population whereas its use could be of interest. This FFQ allows calculating different scores for different food groups involved in cardiovascular disease. The vascular dietary score (VDS) can be calculated. The VSD ranges from -17 to +19. The higher the VSD, the better diet. Reproducibility was assessed in sports faculty students using mean tests comparing measurement 1 and 2 (minimum time interval ≥ 7 days) and intra-class correlation (ICC) tests. Thirty students (50% men) were included in a French Sports Faculty. Time between two FFQ assessments was 19 ± 9 days. Mean VSD was 0.50 ± 3.70 for the first assessment and 0.30 ± 3.14 for the second one (non significant). Any score for each food group was statistically significant between the first and the second measurement. ICC of VSD was 0.68 [95% confidence interval: 0.43-0.83]. This FFQ that assesses a risky vascular diet has good reproducibility. This tool could be useful for large studies involving students. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Scale of Academic Emotion in Science Education: Development and Validation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chiang, Wen-Wei; Liu, Chia-Ju

2014-04-01

Contemporary research into science education has generally been conducted from the perspective of 'conceptual change' in learning. This study sought to extend previous work by recognizing that human rationality can be influenced by the emotions generated by the learning environment and specific actions related to learning. Methods used in educational psychology were adopted to investigate the emotional experience of science students as affected by gender, teaching methods, feedback, and learning tasks. A multidisciplinary research approach combining brain activation measurement with multivariate psychological data theory was employed in the development of a questionnaire intended to reveal the academic emotions of university students in three situations: attending science class, learning scientific subjects, and problem solving. The reliability and validity of the scale was evaluated using exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses. Results revealed differences between the genders in positive-activating and positive-deactivating academic emotions in all three situations; however, these differences manifested primarily during preparation for Science tests. In addition, the emotions experienced by male students were more intense than those of female students. Finally, the negative-deactivating emotions associated with participation in Science tests were more intense than those experienced by simply studying science. This study provides a valuable tool with which to evaluate the emotional response of students to a range of educational situations.

Exploring the Effectiveness of Engagement in a Broad Range of Disciplinary Practices on Learning of Turkish High-School Chemistry Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Seda Cetin, Pinar; Eymur, Guluzar; Southerland, Sherry A.; Walker, Joi; Whittington, Kirby

2018-01-01

This study examines the influence of laboratory instruction that engages students in a wide range of the practices of science on Turkish high-school students' chemistry learning. In this mixed methods study, student learning in two different laboratory settings was compared, one that featured an instruction that engaged students in a wide range of…

Development and validation of a beverage and snack questionnaire for use in evaluation of school nutrition policies.

PubMed

Neuhouser, Marian L; Lilley, Sonya; Lund, Anne; Johnson, Donna B

2009-09-01

School nutrition policies limiting access to sweetened beverages, candy, and salty snacks have the potential to improve the health of children. To effectively evaluate policy success, appropriate and validated dietary assessment instruments are needed. The objective of this study was to develop and validate a beverage and snack questionnaire suitable for use among young adolescents. A new 19-item Beverage and Snack Questionnaire (BSQ) was administered to middle school students on two occasions, 2 weeks apart, to measure test-retest reliability. The questionnaire inquired about frequency of consumption, both at school and away from school, of soft drinks, salty snacks, sweets, milk, and fruits and vegetables. Students also completed 4-day food records. To assess validity, food-record data were compared with BSQ data. Forty-six students of diverse backgrounds from metropolitan Seattle, WA, participated in this study. Participants answered the BSQ during class time and completed the food record at home. Pearson correlation coefficients assessed test-retest reliability and validity. Using frequency per week data, the test-retest reliability coefficients were r=0.85 for fruits and vegetables consumed at school and r=0.74 and r=0.72 for beverages and sweets/snacks, respectively, consumed at school. Correlations ranged from r=0.73 to 0.77 for foods consumed outside of school. Compared with the criterion food record, validity coefficients were very good: r=0.69 to 0.71 for foods consumed at school and r=0.63 to 0.70 for foods consumed away from school. The validity coefficients for the 19 individual food items ranged from r=0.56 to 0.87. This easy-to-administer 19-item questionnaire captures data on sugar-sweetened beverages, salty snacks, sweets, milk, and fruit and vegetables as well as a more lengthy and expensive food record does. The BSQ can be used by nutrition researchers and practitioners to accurately evaluate student consumption of foods that are the focus of school nutrition policies.

Regulating approaches to learning: Testing learning strategy convergences across a year at university.

PubMed

Fryer, Luke K; Vermunt, Jan D

2018-03-01

Contemporary models of student learning within higher education are often inclusive of processing and regulation strategies. Considerable research has examined their use over time and their (person-centred) convergence. The longitudinal stability/variability of learning strategy use, however, is poorly understood, but essential to supporting student learning across university experiences. Develop and test a person-centred longitudinal model of learning strategies across the first-year university experience. Japanese university students (n = 933) completed surveys (deep and surface approaches to learning; self, external, and lack of regulation) at the beginning and end of their first year. Following invariance and cross-sectional tests, latent profile transition analysis (LPTA) was undertaken. Initial difference testing supported small but significant differences for self-/external regulation. Fit indices supported a four-group model, consistent across both measurement points. These subgroups were labelled Low Quality (low deep approaches and self-regulation), Low Quantity (low strategy use generally), Average (moderate strategy use), and High Quantity (intense use of all strategies) strategies. The stability of these groups ranged from stable to variable: Average (93% stayers), Low Quality (90% stayers), High Quantity (72% stayers), and Low Quantity (40% stayers). The three largest transitions presented joint shifts in processing/regulation strategy preference across the year, from adaptive to maladaptive and vice versa. Person-centred longitudinal findings presented patterns of learning transitions that different students experience during their first year at university. Stability/variability of students' strategy use was linked to the nature of initial subgroup membership. Findings also indicated strong connections between processing and regulation strategy changes across first-year university experiences. Implications for theory and practice are discussed. © 2017 The British Psychological Society.

Predictors of intention to smoke among junior high school students in Shanghai, China: an empirical test of the information-motivation-behavioral skills (IMB) model.

PubMed

Zhu, Chendi; Cai, Yong; Ma, Jin; Li, Na; Zhu, Jingfen; He, Yaping; Redmon, Pamela; Qiao, Yun

2013-01-01

Adolescent smoking is a worldwide problem that is particularly severe in low- and middle-income countries. Many endogenous and environmental factors affect the intention to smoke, so a comprehensive model is needed to understand the significance and relationship of predictors. The study aimed to test the associations among information-motivation-behavioral skills (IMB) model constructs as predictors of intention to smoke in junior high school students in Shanghai, China. We conducted a cross-sectional study of 16,500 junior high school students in Shanghai, China. Data on tobacco-related information, motivation, behavioral skills, and behaviors were collected from students. Structural equation model (SEM) was used to assess the IMB model. The mean age of participants was 13.8 years old (standard deviation = 1.02; range 11-17). The experimental smoking rate among junior high school students was 6.6% and 8.7% of the participants expected that they would be smokers in 5 years. The IMB model provided acceptable fit to the data (comparative fit index = 0.984, root mean square error of approximation = 0.04). Intention to smoke was predicted by behavioral skills (β = 0.670, P < 0.001) and motivation (β = 0.095, P<0.001) among junior high school students. The IMB model provides a good understanding of the predictors of intention to smoke and it suggests future interventions among junior high school students should focus on improving motivation and behavioral skills.

Learning styles of postgraduate and undergraduate medical students.

PubMed

Shukr, Irfan; Zainab, Roop; Rana, Mowadat H

2013-01-01

To compare learning styles of undergraduate and postgraduate medical students. Observational, comparative study. Department of Medical Education, Army Medical College, NUST, Rawalpindi, Pakistan, during February and March 2012. A total of 170 students were divided into two equal groups of undergraduate students of Army Medical College, and postgraduate students of Armed Forces Post Graduate Medical Institute, Rawalpindi. Learning Style Questionnaire (LSQ) was used to assess and categorize the participants into Honey and Mumford classification of learning styles. The responses of each student ranging from 'very strong,' 'strong', 'moderate', and 'low' preference towards activist, theorist, reflector and pragmatist learning styles were compiled. The two groups were compared using SPSS version 17, using Fisher's exact test and the chi-square test. A p-value of $lt; 0.05 was considered significant. Preferences for all four learning styles were present in both groups. The results reveal an overall statistically significant difference in the 'very strong' preference in learning styles between the two study groups (p=0.002). Among the undergraduate students, 45% had a very strong preference for being an activist, whereas in postgraduate students, 38% had very strong preference for reflector, and 35% for theorist. This was statistically significant for activist, and reflector, and attained a p-value of < 0.001, for activist, and of 0.018 for reflector. The most uncommon 'very strong', and 'strong preference' for learning style was pragmatist in both undergraduate and postgraduate students. Diversity of learning styles at undergraduate and postgraduate level of medical education calls for multiplicity of instructional and assessment modalities to match them. The learning styles amongst the undergraduate medical students are different from the postgraduates. The postgraduates commonly have the reflector learning style while the undergraduates are predominantly activists and theorists.

Individual differences in emotional complexity: their psychological implications.

PubMed

Kang, Sun-Mee; Shaver, Phillip R

2004-08-01

Two studies explored the nature and psychological implications of individual differences in emotional complexity, defined as having emotional experiences that are broad in range and well differentiated. Emotional complexity was predicted to be associated with private self-consciousness, openness to experience, empathic tendencies, cognitive complexity, ability to differentiate among named emotions, range of emotions experienced daily, and interpersonal adaptability. The Range and Differentiation of Emotional Experience Scale (RDEES) was developed to test these hypotheses. In Study 1 (N=1,129) students completed questionnaire packets containing the RDEES and various outcome measures. Study 2 (N=95) included the RDEES and non-self-report measures such as peer reports, complexity of representations of the emotion domain, and level of ego development measured by a sentence completion test. Results supported all of the hypotheses, providing extensive evidence for the RDEES's construct validity. Findings were discussed in terms of the role of emotional complexity in ego maturity and interpersonal adaptability.

Using interactive problem-solving techniques to enhance control systems education for non English-speakers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lamont, L. A.; Chaar, L.; Toms, C.

2010-03-01

Interactive learning is beneficial to students in that it allows the continual development and testing of many skills. An interactive approach enables students to improve their technical capabilities, as well as developing both verbal and written communicative ability. Problem solving and communication skills are vital for engineering students; in the workplace they will be required to communicate with people of varying technical abilities and from different linguistic and engineering backgrounds. In this paper, a case study is presented that discusses how the traditional method of teaching control systems can be improved. 'Control systems' is a complex engineering topic requiring students to process an extended amount of mathematical formulae. MATLAB software, which enables students to interactively compare a range of possible combinations and analyse the optimal solution, is used to this end. It was found that students became more enthusiastic and interested when given ownership of their learning objectives. As well as improving the students' technical knowledge, other important engineering skills are also improved by introducing an interactive method of teaching.

First-Year and Non-First-Year Student Expectations Regarding In-Class and Out-of-Class Learning Activities in Introductory Biology †

PubMed Central

Brown, Tanya L.; Brazeal, Kathleen R.; Couch, Brian A.

2017-01-01

National calls for teaching transformation build on a constructivist learning theory and propose that students learn by actively engaging in course activities and interacting with other students. While interactive pedagogies can improve learning, they also have the potential to challenge traditional norms regarding class participation and learning strategies. To better understand the potential openness of students to interactive teaching practices, we administered a survey during the first week of two sections of an introductory biology course to characterize how students envisioned spending time during class as well as what activities they expected to complete outside of class during non-exam weeks and in preparation for exams. Additionally, we sought to test the hypothesis that the expectations of first-year students differed from those of non-first-year students. Analyses of closed-ended and open-ended questions revealed that students held a wide range of expectations and that most students expressed expectations consistent with some degree of transformed teaching. Furthermore, first-year students expected more active learning in class, more out-of-class coursework during non-exam weeks, and more social learning strategies than non-first-year students. We discuss how instructor awareness of incoming student expectations might be used to promote success in introductory science courses. PMID:28512514

Credit card debt, stress and key health risk behaviors among college students.

PubMed

Nelson, Melissa C; Lust, Katherine; Story, Mary; Ehlinger, Ed

2008-01-01

To examine cross-sectional associations between credit card debt, stress, and health risk behaviors among college students, focusing particularly on weight-related behaviors. Random-sample, mailed survey. Undergraduate and graduate students (n = 3206) attending a large public university. Self-reported health indicators (e.g., weight, height, physical activity, diet, weight control, stress, credit card debt). More than 23% of students reported credit card debt > or = $1000. Using Poisson regression to predict relative risks (RR) of health behaviors, debt of at least $1000 was associated with nearly every risk indicator tested, including overweight/obesity, insufficient physical activity, excess television viewing, infrequent breakfast consumption, fast food consumption, unhealthy weight control, body dissatisfaction, binge drinking, substance use, and violence. For example, adjusted RR [ARR] ranged from 1.09 (95% Confidence interval [CI]: 1.02-1.17) for insufficient vigorous activity to 2.17 (CI: 0.68-2.82) for using drugs other than marijuana in the past 30 days. Poor stress management was also a robust indicator of health risk. University student lifestyles may be characterized by a variety of coexisting risk factors. These findings indicate that both debt and stress were associated with wide-ranging adverse health indicators. Intervention strategies targeting at-risk student populations need to be tailored to work within the context of the many challenges of college life, which may serve as barriers to healthy lifestyles. Increased health promotion efforts targeting stress, financial management, and weight-related health behaviors may be needed to enhance wellness among young adults.

Oral Cancer Knowledge and Diagnostic Ability Among Dental Students.

PubMed

Hassona, Y; Scully, C; Abu Tarboush, N; Baqain, Z; Ismail, F; Hawamdeh, S; Sawair, F

2017-09-01

The purpose of this study is to examine factors that influence the diagnostic ability of dental students with regards to oral cancer and oral potentially malignant disorders. Dental students at different levels of study were directly interviewed to examine their oral cancer knowledge and diagnostic ability using a validated and pre-tested survey instrument containing validated clinical images of oral cancer and oral potentially malignant disorders. An oral cancer knowledge scale (0 to 31) was generated from correct responses on oral cancer general knowledge, and a diagnostic ability scale (0 to 100) was generated from correct selections of suspicious oral lesions. Knowledge scores ranged from 0 to 27 (mean 10.1 ± 6.0); mean knowledge scores increased with year of study; 5th year students had the highest mean knowledge score (19.1 ± 4.0), while 1st year students had the lowest (5.6 ± 3.5). Diagnostic ability scores increased with year of study and ranged from 0 to 88.5 % (mean 41.8 % ± 15.6). The ability to recognize suspicious oral lesions was significantly correlated with knowledge about oral cancer and oral potentially malignant disorders (r = 0.28; P < 0.001). There is a need to improve oral cancer education curricula; increasing students' contact with patients who have oral lesions including oral cancer will help to improve their future diagnostic ability and early detection practices.

Curricular reform and inquiry teaching in biology: where are our efforts most fruitfully invested?

PubMed

Timmerman, Briana E; Strickland, Denise C; Carstensen, Susan M

2008-08-01

University faculty often express frustration with the accuracy of students' understanding of science in general and of evolution in particular. A rich research literature suggests that inquiry-based pedagogies are more effective in producing meaningful learning than are traditional, didactic approaches. A pragmatic investigation into the efficacy of inquiry-based curricular reforms compared to traditional laboratory activities was undertaken in the introductory biology course for majors at a large state university in the southeastern United States. The topics of the course focused on biodiversity, evolution, and plant and animal anatomy and physiology. Students' learning in the inquiry versus traditional units was compared using both a test of pre-post content knowledge as well as open-ended written responses in which students described events in which there was meaningful learning and conceptual changes. The pre-post tests were replicated over five semesters of the same course (n = 1493 students). Students' misconceptions as well as examples of meaningful learning were gathered for two semesters in the same course (n = 518 students). Results consistently revealed that descriptive, concrete topics such as anatomy can be taught effectively using traditional didactic methods; average effect sizes (a measure of the difference between pretest scores and posttest scores) range from 1.8 to 2.1. The inquiry units also increased knowledge of content on the topics of evolution and biodiversity by a significant degree (average effect sizes range from 1.0 to 1.1), despite the fact that students spent less than half the instructional time on these units compared to the didactic units. In addition, a literature review indicated that highly abstract or mathematical concepts such as evolution or geologic time require greater formal reasoning ability and that students often show lesser gains in these areas compared to more concrete topics. It was therefore especially notable that the frequency of meaningful learning events was significantly higher in the units on evolution compared to the traditional units (χ(2) P < 0.5 to 0.001). A catalog of students' misconceptions (some of which were quite unexpected) was also generated and found useful for future teaching. Therefore, we feel that when time and resources for curricular reform are limited, those efforts should prioritize abstract and foundational topics such as evolution. Didactic teaching appears sufficient for more concrete topics such as anatomy.

Sugar snack consumption in Ugandan schoolchildren: Validity and reliability of a food frequency questionnaire.

PubMed

Kiwanuka, S N; Astrøm, A N; Trovik, T A

2006-10-01

This study assessed the reproducibility and relative validity of an eight-item self-administered food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) on intake of sugared snacks in Ugandan schoolchildren. A 5-day precoded food behaviour checklist (FBC) was used as validation criteria. Sociodemographic correlates of a sum frequency sugar score were explored. The study was conducted in Kampala, Uganda, in 2004. Six hundred and fourteen schoolchildren (mean age 12.4 years) completed the FFQ on cakes/biscuits, chocolate, ice sticks, soft drinks, coffee, tea, sugared desserts and sweets/candies at school. They were examined clinically for dental caries. Forty students completed the FFQ twice, 1 week apart and 325 students completed the 5 day FBC at school. The mean decayed, missing and filled tooth index score was 0.98 (SD 1.6, range 0-15). Reproducibility scores (Cohen's kappa) for the sugar items ranged from 0.17 (ice sticks) to 0.55 (biscuits). No differences were seen between the average intakes at test and retest. Higher intake was reported in FFQ than in FBC across all sugar items. Crude agreement between students reporting intake at least 3-5 times a week/less than three times a week ranged from 50% to 55% (e.g. biscuits, chocolate) to 87% (tea). Spearman's correlation coefficients ranged from 0.14 (desserts) to 0.27 (sweets). anova revealed significant increase (P = 0.001) in the mean FBC sum scores by increasing quartiles of the FFQ sum scores. The average sum FFQ sugar scores were higher in girls than in boys and higher in older than in younger students. Fair reproducibility was established for the FFQ sugar items. The FFQ was acceptable in classifying individuals into broad categories of low and high sugar consumption.

Specificity of a whole blood IGRA in German nursing students

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background Interferon-gamma release assays (IGRA) are used for tuberculosis (TB) screening in healthcare workers (HCWs). However, data on specificity of IGRA in serial testing of HCWs is sparse. Therefore the specificity and the negative predictive value of the IGRA - QuantiFERON-TB Gold In-Tube (QFT) - in German nursing students was investigated. Methods 194 nursing students at the start of their professional career were tested with the QFT. 14 nursing students were excluded from the specificity analysis, due to exposure to mycobacterium tuberculosis. Two of these subjects were QFT- positive. None of them developed disease during the year of follow-up. A study group of 180 students, all with very low risk of prior TB infection, remained in the specificity analysis. Subjects were monitored for at least two years with respect to the development of active TB disease. IGRA was performed at the start of the training and after one year. Results The mean age of the study group (n = 180) was 23 years (range 18-53) with 70.9% female and 99.4% German born. The specificity of QFT was 98.9% (178/180; 95% CI 0.96-0.99); lowering the cut-off from 0.35 IU/ml to 0.1 IU/ml would have decreased specificity only slightly to 97.8% (176/180; 95% CI 0.94-0.99). Of the 154 nursing students available for re-testing, one student who initially scored positive reverted to negative, and one student initially negative converted to positive. None of the monitored group with initially negative QFT results developed TB disease, indicating a high negative predictive value of the IGRA in this population. Conclusions Following our data, QFT can serve as an effective tool in pre-employment TB screenings for HCWs. As its negative results were stable over time, specificity of the QFT in serial testing of HCWs is high. As the risk of acquiring TB infection in the German healthcare system appears to be low, our data supports the recommendation of performing TB screening only in those HCWs with known contact to TB patients or infectious materials. PMID:21929799

Study skills and habits in Shiraz dental students; strengths and weaknesses.

PubMed

Zarshenas, Ladan; Danaei, Shahla Momeni; Mazarei, Elham; Zarif Najafi, Hooman; Shakour, Mahsa

2014-01-01

The dental students, the same as other students, during their academic courses are required to learn a wide range of scientific subjects. Obviously, choosing the inappropriate method of study leads to confuse and disenchantment of students and it causes wasting of their energy. The purpose of this study was to assess the existing strengths and weaknesses of the skills and study habits in Dental Students of Shiraz University of Medical Sciences in 2009-10. In this cross-sectional study, all of the dental students (n = 274), who studied at the time of study at all levels in the academic year of 2009-10, were selected by the census. Data were collected by using the Huston University questionnaire consisted of two parts of demographic questions and 64 specific areas of study skills in eight domains of time management, concentration/memory, study aids/note taking, test strategies, information processing, motivation, self-assessment/reading, and writing skills. Following the retranslation of the questionnaire, the validity was confirmed by using the content validity method. The reliability was obtained by using the Cronbach's Alpha of 0.92. The data were analyzed with SPSS software version 17 and using analytical statistic tests. Students who have previously participated in the study skills workshops had stronger skills in comparison with the students who had not participated in these workshops. Time management skills (P = 0.04), motivation (P = 0.0001) and information processing (P = 0.03) in students with professional status were in a more favorable position and showed significant differences in terms of educational levels. The study skills mean score of the students living in student housings in comparison with the other students were significantly higher (P = 0.04). Marital status showed no significant differences in reading skills. The review of study skills in the undergraduate and post-graduate dental students indicated that the residents had higher reading skills. By recognizing the existing strengths and weaknesses and holding programs through counseling centers can develop the study skills in the students.

Comparison of electromyographic activity and range of neck motion in violin students with and without neck pain during playing.

PubMed

Park, Kyue-nam; Kwon, Oh-yun; Ha, Sung-min; Kim, Su-jung; Choi, Hyun-jung; Weon, Jong-hyuck

2012-12-01

Neck pain is common in violin students during a musical performance. The purpose of this study was to compare electromyographic (EMG) activity in superficial neck muscles with neck motion when playing the violin as well as neck range of motion (ROM) at rest, between violin students with and without neck pain. Nine violin students with neck pain and nine age- and gender-matched subjects without neck pain were recruited. Muscle activity of the bilateral upper trapezius, sternocleidomastoid, and superficial cervical extensor muscles was measured using surface EMG. Kinematic data on neck motion while playing and active neck ROM were also measured using a three-dimensional motion analysis system. Independent t-tests were used to compare EMG activity with kinematic data between groups. These analyses revealed that while playing, both the angle of left lateral bending and leftward rotation of the cervical spine were significantly greater in the neck pain group than among those without neck pain. Similarly, EMG activity of the left upper trapezius, both cervical extensors, and both sternocleidomastoid muscles were significantly greater in the neck pain group. The active ROM of left axial rotation was significantly lower in the neck pain group. These results suggest that an asymmetric playing posture and the associated increased muscle activity as well as decreased neck axial rotation may contribute to neck pain in violin students.

Medical students' perceptions of their learning environment during a mandatory research project.

PubMed

Möller, Riitta; Ponzer, Sari; Shoshan, Maria

2017-10-20

To explore medical students´ perceptions of their learning environment during a mandatory 20-week scientific research project. This cross-sectional study was conducted between 2011 and 2013. A total of 651 medical students were asked to fill in the Clinical Learning Environment, Supervision, and Nurse Teacher (CLES+T) questionnaire, and 439 (mean age 26 years, range 21-40, 60% females) returned the questionnaire, which corresponds to a response rate of 67%. The Mann-Whitney U test or the Kruskal-Wallis test were used to compare the research environments. The item My workplace can be regarded as a good learning environment correlated strongly with the item There were sufficient meaningful learning situations (r= 0.71, p<0.001). Overall satisfaction with supervision correlated strongly with the items interaction (r=0.78, p < 0.001), feedback (r=0.76, p<0.001), and a sense of trust (r=0.71, p < 0.001).  Supervisors´ failures to bridge the gap between theory and practice or to explain intended learning outcomes were important negative factors.  Students with basic science or epidemiological projects rated their learning environments higher than did students with clinical projects (χ 2 (3, N=437) =20.29, p<0.001). A good research environment for medical students comprises multiple meaningful learning activities, individual supervision with continuous feedback, and a trustful atmosphere including interactions with the whole staff.  Students should be advised that clinical projects might require a higher degree of student independence than basic science projects, which are usually performed in research groups where members work in close collaboration.

Teaching child and adolescent psychiatry to undergraduate medical students - A survey in German-speaking countries.

PubMed

Frank, Reiner; Frank, Florian

2010-07-24

To conduct a survey about teaching child and adolescent psychiatry to undergraduate medical students in German-speaking countries. A questionnaire was sent to the 33 academic departments of child and adolescent psychiatry in Germany, Austria, and the German-speaking part of Switzerland. All departments responded. For teaching knowledge, the methods most commonly reported were lectures and case presentations. The most important skills to be taught were thought to be how to assess psychopathology in children and how to assess families. For elective courses, the departments reported using a wide range of teaching methods, many with active involvement of the students. An average of 34 hours per semester is currently allocated by the departments for teaching child and adolescent psychiatry to medical students. Required courses are often taught in cooperation with adult psychiatry and pediatrics. Achievement of educational objectives is usually assessed with written exams or multiple-choice tests. Only a minority of the departments test the achievement of skills. Two ways of improving education in child and adolescent psychiatry are the introduction of elective courses for students interested in the field and participation of child and adolescent psychiatrists in required courses and in longitudinal courses so as to reach all students. Cooperation within and across medical schools can enable departments of child and adolescent psychiatry, despite limited resources, to become more visible and this specialty to become more attractive to medical students. Compared to the findings in earlier surveys, this survey indicates a trend towards increased involvement of academic departments of child and adolescent psychiatry in training medical students.

Student Levels of Cognitive Development: Establishing Links between Logical Thinking Skills and Success in Earth Science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Steer, D. N.; McConnell, D. A.; Owens, K.

2003-12-01

Students in inquiry-based, general education Earth Science courses were found to display a wide range of logical thinking skills that are known indicators of success in science courses. The Group Assessment of Logical Thinking instrument that tests six logical operations was administered on the first day of class and near the end of the course. Such tests can be used to assess a student's overall level of cognitive development (concrete, transitional or formal) and specific logical thinking strengths or weaknesses. Results from paired pre- and post-course logical thinking tests of 393 students indicated that 25% of the incoming students were concrete, 30% were transitional and 45% were formal thinkers. Concrete and transitional thinkers were far more likely to withdraw from or fail the course when compared to their formal thinking peers (35%, 25% and 10% respectively). Differences in scores between genders were significant with 210 females testing at 30% concrete, 35% transitional and 35% formal on the pretest compared to 183 males who tested 15% concrete, 25% transitional and 60% formal. Overall logical thinking scores of students increased significantly in every inquiry-based class with lecture-based classes showing overall lower increases. Post-test data indicated that there were fewer concrete thinkers (16% female, 7% male), little change in the number of transitional thinkers (30% female, 23% male) and more formal thinkers (54% female, 70% male) toward the end of the inquiry-based course. Scores on two of the logical operations, conservation and probability, were sufficient to separate those who received a high grade (A or B in course) from those were unsuccessful (D, F or withdrew). Students who score low in conservation operations (n=46) tend to rely on intuition rather than logic when trying to understand typical Earth System concepts such as plate tectonics, atmospheric processes and climate change. Students who score low in probability skills (n=46) have difficulty distinguishing the difference between unrelated, but possible, data and those data that confirm a supposition. Such skills are necessary to properly apply the scientific method. By the end of the course, unsuccessful concrete students improved conservation reasoning skills to the same levels of their higher performing concrete peers on the post-test but remained behind them in probability skills. Successful transitional thinkers (n=50) displayed better correlation-reasoning skills than their lower performing contemporaries (n=51). Correlation reasoning skills are necessary to understand some of the many causal relationships routinely developed in the Earth Sciences (e.g. those associated with plate tectonics and earthquakes or volcanoes; CO2 and global climate change).

The effects of a hardiness educational intervention on hardiness and perceived stress of junior baccalaureate nursing students.

PubMed

Jameson, Paula R

2014-04-01

Baccalaureate nursing education is stressful. The stress encompasses a range of academic, personal, clinical, and social reasons. A hardiness educational program, a tool for stress management, based on theory, research, and practice, exists to enhance the attitudes and coping strategies of hardiness (Maddi, 2007; Maddi et al., 2002). Research has shown that students who completed the hardiness educational program, subsequently improved in grade point average (GPA), college retention rates, and health (Maddi et al., 2002). Little research has been done to explore the effects of hardiness education with junior baccalaureate nursing students. Early identification of hardiness, the need for hardiness education, or stress management in this population may influence persistence in and completion of a nursing program (Hensel and Stoelting-Gettelfinger, 2011). Therefore, the aims were to determine if an increase in hardiness and a decrease in perceived stress in junior baccalaureate nursing students occurred in those who participated in a hardiness intervention. The application of the Hardiness Model and the Roy Adaptation Model established connections and conceptual collaboration among stress, stimuli, adaptation, and hardi-coping. A quasi-experimental non-equivalent control group with pre-test and post-test was used with a convenience sample of full-time junior level baccalaureate nursing students. Data were collected from August 2011 to December 2011. Results of statistical analyses by paired t-tests revealed that the hardiness intervention did not have a statistically significant effect on increasing hardiness scores. The hardiness intervention did have a statistically significant effect on decreasing perceived stress scores. The significant decrease in perceived stress was congruent with the Hardiness Model and the Roy Adaptation Model. Further hardiness research among junior baccalaureate nursing students, utilizing the entire hardiness intervention, was recommended. © 2013.

Student drinking patterns and blood alcohol concentration on commercially organised pub crawls in the UK.

PubMed

Quigg, Zara; Hughes, Karen; Bellis, Mark A

2013-12-01

Commercial student pub crawls are associated with high levels of alcohol consumption, and are of growing concern amongst public health and student bodies. However, little is currently known about drinking behaviours whilst participating in these events. A questionnaire was implemented amongst 227 students attending commercial pub crawls across three UK events. Questions established alcohol consumption patterns up to the point of interview and throughout the remaining night out, and pub crawl experience. Breathalyser tests were used to measure breath alcohol concentration (converted to blood alcohol concentration [BAC]) at interview. Analyses used chi squared, Mann-Whitney U, Kruskal-Wallis and logistic regression. 94.3% of participants had consumed alcohol, 90.9% of whom reported preloading. Drinkers reported consuming a median of 10.0 alcohol units (80g of pure alcohol) up to the point of interview (range one-40.6), with estimated total consumption over the evening exceeding 16units (range three-70.6). Median BAC of drinkers at the time of interview was 0.10%BAC (range 0.00-0.27). High BAC (>0.08%; at interview) was associated with having not eaten food in the four hours prior (AOR 4.8, p<0.01), time spent drinking (AOR 1.4, p<0.01) and number of units drank per hour (AOR 1.2, p<0.01). Measures to prevent high levels of alcohol consumption before and during commercial pub crawls should aim to alter drinking behaviours such as preloading and rapid and excessive drinking. Organisers, local authorities, universities and students should all be involved in ensuring the effective management of pub crawls, including implementation of harm prevention measures. © 2013.

Exploring Metacogntive Visual Literacy Tasks for Teaching Astronomy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Slater, Timothy F.; Slater, S.; Dwyer, W.

2010-01-01

Undoubtedly, astronomy is a scientific enterprise which often results in colorful and inspirational images of the cosmos that naturally capture our attention. Students encountering astronomy in the college classroom are often bombarded with images, movies, simulations, conceptual cartoons, graphs, and charts intended to convey the substance and technological advancement inherent in astronomy. For students who self-identify themselves as visual learners, this aspect can make the science of astronomy come alive. For students who naturally attend to visual aesthetics, this aspect can make astronomy seem relevant. In other words, the visual nature that accompanies much of the scientific realm of astronomy has the ability to connect a wide range of students to science, not just those few who have great abilities and inclinations toward the mathematical analysis world. Indeed, this is fortunate for teachers of astronomy, who actively try to find ways to connect and build astronomical understanding with a broad range of student interests, motivations, and abilities. In the context of learning science, metacognition describes students’ self-monitoring, -regulation, and -awareness when thinking about learning. As such, metacognition is one of the foundational pillars supporting what we know about how people learn. Yet, the astronomy teaching and learning community knows very little about how to operationalize and support students’ metacognition in the classroom. In response, the Conceptual Astronomy, Physics and Earth sciences Research (CAPER) Team is developing and pilot-testing metacogntive tasks in the context of astronomy that focus on visual literacy of astronomical phenomena. In the initial versions, students are presented with a scientifically inaccurate narrative supposedly describing visual information, including images and graphical information, and asked to assess and correct the narrative, in the form of peer evaluation. To guide student thinking, students are provided with a scaffolded series of multiple-choice questions highlighting conceptual aspects of the prompt.

Implementing 'The Math You Need' in an Introductory Physical Geology Course at California State University East Bay

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moran, J. E.

2011-12-01

The wide range of abilities in the student population at California State University East Bay, with a significant fraction of students under-prepared and requiring mathematics remediation, is a challenge to including mathematical concepts and exercises in our introductory geoscience courses. Student expectations that a geoscience course will not include quantitative work may result in math-phobics choosing the course and resisting quantitative work when presented with it. Introductory courses that are required for Geology and Environmental Science majors are also designated as General Education, which gives rise to a student group with a wide range of abilities and expectations. This presentation will focus on implementation of a series of online math tutorials for students in introductory geoscience courses called 'The Math You Need' (TMYN; http://serc.carleton.edu/mathyouneed/index.html). The program is implemented in a Physical Geology course, in which 2/3 of the students are typically non-majors. The Physical Geology course has a three hour lab each week and the lab exercises and lab manual offer several opportunities for application of TMYN. Many of the lab exercises include graphing, profiling, working with map scales, converting units, or using equations to calculate some parameter or solve for an unknown. Six TMYN modules covering topics using density calculations as applied to mineral properties and isostasy, graphing as applied to rock properties, earthquake location, and radiometric dating, and calculation of rates as applied to plate movement, stream discharge, and groundwater flow, are assigned as pre-labs to be completed before lab classes. TMYN skills are reinforced during lectures and lab exercises, as close in time as possible to students' exposure via TMYN. Pre- and post-tests give a measure of the effectiveness of TMYN in improving students' quantitative literacy.

An Exploration of High School (12 17 Year Old) Students' Understandings of, and Attitudes Towards Biotechnology Processes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dawson, Vaille

2007-03-01

The products of modern biotechnology processes such as genetic engineering, DNA testing and cloning will increasingly impact on society. It is essential that young people have a well-developed scientific understanding of biotechnology and associated processes so that they are able to contribute to public debate and make informed personal decisions. The aim of this study was to examine the development of understandings and attitudes about biotechnology processes as students progress through high school. In a cross-sectional case study, data was obtained from student interviews and written surveys of students aged 12 to 17 years. The results indicate that students' ability to provide a generally accepted definition and examples of biotechnology, cloning and genetically modified foods was relatively poor amongst 12 13 year old students but improved in older students. Most students approved of the use of biotechnology processes involving micro-organisms, plants and humans and disapproved of the use of animals. Overall, 12 13 year old students' attitudes were less favourable than older students regardless of the context. An awareness of the development and range of students' understandings and attitudes may lead to a more appropriate use of biotechnology curriculum materials and thus improved biotechnology education in schools.

The Effects of Education on Spirituality through Virtual Social Media on the Spiritual Well-Being of the Public Health Students of Isfahan University of Medical Sciences in 2015

PubMed Central

Hasanshahi, Maryam; Mazaheri, Maryam Amidi

2016-01-01

Background: The role and effects of people’s spiritual well-being have received more attention in recent years. Knowing the factors related to spiritual well-being, especially in students as the educated class and future builders of society, is too important. The aim of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of education on spirituality through social media in the spirituality well-being of public health students of Isfahan University of medical science. Methods: A semi-experimental, pre-test, post-test study was conducted on 50 under- graduate public health students (3 men, 47 women; age range 18-30 years) of Isfahan University of Medical Sciences through convenience and purposive sampling. The educational content of spirituality education was used to promote and improve spiritual well-being, being sent by using one of the mobile phone applications. Using spiritual well-being questionnaire, the level of the individuals’ spiritual well-being before and after the educational was evaluated. To analyze the data in this study, descriptive statistics and t-test were use SPSS software was used to analyze the data and the significance level was considered lower than 0.05%. Result: In total, 50 students including 3 men and 47women participated in the study. The mean age of the participants was 22.02±3.78. About 68% of the students were single and the remaining were married. The score of the participants’ spiritual well-being was 96.5 before the intervention and it promoted to 103.3 after the intervention. The result of the analysis by t-test on the two groups showed that spirituality education can cause a significant increase in peoples’ spiritual well-being (P<0.001). Conclusion: After the educational intervention, the level of people’s spiritual well-being increased significantly. As a result, spirituality education causes conditions to improve the peoples’ spiritual well-being. PMID:27218114

Eclipse 2017: Partnering with NASA MSFC to Inspire Students

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fry, Craig " Ghee" ; Adams, Mitzi; Gallagher, Dennis; Krause, Linda

2017-01-01

NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) is partnering with the U.S. Space and Rocket Center (USSRC), and Austin Peay State University (APSU) to engage citizen scientists, engineers, and students in science investigations during the 2017 American Solar Eclipse. Investigations will support the Citizen Continental America Telescopic Eclipse (CATE), Ham Radio Science Citizen Investigation(HamSCI), and Interactive NASA Space Physics Ionosphere Radio Experiments (INSPIRE). All planned activities will engage Space Campers and local high school students in the application of the scientific method as they seek to explore a wide range of observations during the eclipse. Where planned experiments touch on current scientific questions, the camper/students will be acting as citizen scientists, participating with researchers from APSU and MSFC. Participants will test their expectations and after the eclipse, share their results, experiences, and conclusions to younger Space Campers at the US Space & Rocket Center.

The effect of shape on drag: a physics exercise inspired by biology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fingerut, Jonathan; Johnson, Nicholas; Mongeau, Eric; Habdas, Piotr

2017-07-01

As part of a biomechanics course aimed at upper-division biology and physics majors, but applicable to a range of student learning levels, this laboratory exercise provides an insight into the effect of shape on hydrodynamic performance, as well an introduction to computer aided design (CAD) and 3D printing. Students use hydrodynamic modeling software and simple CAD programs to design a shape with the least amount of drag based on strategies gleaned from the study of natural forms. Students then print the shapes using a 3D printer and test their shapes against their classmates in a friendly competition. From this exercise, students gain a more intuitive sense of the challenges that organisms face when moving through fluid environments, the physical phenomena involved in moving through fluids at high Reynolds numbers and observe how and why certain morphologies, such as streamlining, are common answers to the challenge of swimming at high speeds.

The First-Day Quiz as a Teaching Technique

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ochs, Raymond S.

1998-04-01

The problem with chemical education today is not merely that the students are inattentive, that our instructors are incompetent, or that the subject is intrinsically difficult. I believe the problem is that the fundamentals of the subject are not imparted. As students emerge from the basic courses in chemistry, despite exposure to a range of specific topics, they are commonly unclear on the basic ideas and how they might apply to more advanced topics. In this contribution, I describe a first-day quiz for students in an advanced chemistry class, presented to them ostensibly as a test of basic knowledge. While this approach is not unprecedented, it is apparently rare, as it comes as a surprise to those colleagues I have discussed it with. The important objective of the exercise is to allow students to realize what they don't know about fundamental chemistry, which I have found makes them more receptive to chemical education.

Longitudinal predictors of high school completion.

PubMed

Barry, Melissa; Reschly, Amy L

2012-06-01

This longitudinal study examined predictors of dropout assessed in elementary school. Student demographic data, achievement, attendance, and ratings of behavior from the Behavior Assessment System for Children were used to predict dropout and completion. Two models, which varied on student sex and race, predicted dropout at rates ranging from 75% to 88%. Model A, which included the Behavioral Symptoms Index, School Problems composite, Iowa Tests of Basic Skills battery, and teacher ratings of student work habits, best predicted female and African American dropouts. Model B, which comprised the Adaptive Skills composite, the Externalizing composite, the School Problems composite, referral for a student support team meeting, and sex, was more accurate for predicting Caucasian dropouts. Both models demonstrated the same hit rates for predicting male dropouts. Recommendations for early warning indicators and linking predictors with interventions are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved).

The flying classroom - a cost effective integrated approach to learning and teaching flight dynamics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bromfield, Michael A.; Belberov, Aleksandar

2017-11-01

In the UK, the Royal Aeronautical Society recommends the inclusion of practical flight exercises for accredited undergraduate aerospace engineering programmes to enhance learning and student experience. The majority of academic institutions teaching aerospace in the UK separate the theory and practice of flight dynamics with students attending a series of lectures supplemented by an intensive one-day flight exercise. Performance and/or handling qualities flight tests are performed in a dedicated aircraft fitted with specialist equipment for the recording and presentation of flight data. This paper describes an innovative approach to better integrate theory and practice and the use of portable Commercial-off-The-Shelf (COTS) technologies to enable a range of standard, unmodified aircraft to be used. The integration of theory and practice has enriched learning and teaching, improved coursework grades and the student experience. The use of COTS and unmodified aircraft has reduced costs and enabled increased student participation.

[Obesity and high health risk due to beberages consumption and obesity among high school students in méxico].

PubMed

Caravalí-Meza, NurisYohana; Jiménez-Cruz, Arturo; Bacardí-Gascón, Montserrat; Gómez-Miranda, Luis Mario

2015-05-01

The purpose of this study was to identify the consumption of beverages among high school Mexican students and to determine obesity (OB) and abdominal obesity (AB). Differences in range and calorie beverage consumption between gender and BMI categories were calculated with the Mann-Whitney test. We assessed 1,677 students 15 to 17 yo. The prevalence of OB and AO was 15% and 53% in men and 12% and 47% in women. The consumption of energy, sugary drinks, and alcohol in milliliters and kilocalories per week, was higher in men (p = 0.001). More than 70% of students consumed per day more than 25 g/day of sugar from beverages, and more than 38% consumed more than 50 g/day of sugar. This high risk food consumption warrants immediate intervention. Copyright AULA MEDICA EDICIONES 2014. Published by AULA MEDICA. All rights reserved.

Student perception of group dynamics predicts individual performance: Comfort and equity matter

PubMed Central

Theobald, Elli J.; Eddy, Sarah L.; Grunspan, Daniel Z.; Wiggins, Benjamin L.

2017-01-01

Active learning in college classes and participation in the workforce frequently hinge on small group work. However, group dynamics vary, ranging from equitable collaboration to dysfunctional groups dominated by one individual. To explore how group dynamics impact student learning, we asked students in a large-enrollment university biology class to self-report their experience during in-class group work. Specifically, we asked students whether there was a friend in their group, whether they were comfortable in their group, and whether someone dominated their group. Surveys were administered after students participated in two different types of intentionally constructed group activities: 1) a loosely-structured activity wherein students worked together for an entire class period (termed the ‘single-group’ activity), or 2) a highly-structured ‘jigsaw’ activity wherein students first independently mastered different subtopics, then formed new groups to peer-teach their respective subtopics. We measured content mastery by the change in score on identical pre-/post-tests. We then investigated whether activity type or student demographics predicted the likelihood of reporting working with a dominator, being comfortable in their group, or working with a friend. We found that students who more strongly agreed that they worked with a dominator were 17.8% less likely to answer an additional question correct on the 8-question post-test. Similarly, when students were comfortable in their group, content mastery increased by 27.5%. Working with a friend was the single biggest predictor of student comfort, although working with a friend did not impact performance. Finally, we found that students were 67% less likely to agree that someone dominated their group during the jigsaw activities than during the single group activities. We conclude that group activities that rely on positive interdependence, and include turn-taking and have explicit prompts for students to explain their reasoning, such as our jigsaw, can help reduce the negative impact of inequitable groups. PMID:28727749

Comparing the Effects of Objective Structured Assessment of Technical Skills (OSATS) and Traditional Method on Learning of Students.

PubMed

Mansoorian, Mohammad Reza; Hosseiny, Marzeih Sadat; Khosravan, Shahla; Alami, Ali; Alaviani, Mehri

2015-06-01

Despite the benefits of the objective structured assessment of technical skills (OSATS) and it appropriateness for evaluating clinical abilities of nursing students , few studies are available on the application of this method in nursing education. The purpose of this study was to compare the effect of using OSATS and traditional methods on the students' learning. We also aimed to signify students' views about these two methods and their views about the scores they received in these methods in a medical emergency course. A quasi-experimental study was performed on 45 first semester students in nursing and medical emergencies passing a course on fundamentals of practice. The students were selected by a census method and evaluated by both the OSATS and traditional methods. Data collection was performed using checklists prepared based on the 'text book of nursing procedures checklists' published by Iranian nursing organization and a questionnaire containing learning rate and students' estimation of their received scores. Descriptive statistics as well as paired t-test and independent samples t-test were used in data analysis. The mean of students' score in OSATS was significantly higher than their mean score in traditional method (P = 0.01). Moreover, the mean of self-evaluation score after the traditional method was relatively the same as the score the students received in the exam. However, the mean of self-evaluation score after the OSATS was relatively lower than the scores the students received in the OSATS exam. Most students believed that OSATS can evaluate a wide range of students' knowledge and skills compared to traditional method. Results of this study indicated the better effect of OSATS on learning and its relative superiority in precise assessment of clinical skills compared with the traditional evaluation method. Therefore, we recommend using this method in evaluation of students in practical courses.

Student nurse selection and predictability of academic success: The Multiple Mini Interview project.

PubMed

Gale, Julia; Ooms, Ann; Grant, Robert; Paget, Kris; Marks-Maran, Di

2016-05-01

With recent reports of public enquiries into failure to care, universities are under pressure to ensure that candidates selected for undergraduate nursing programmes demonstrate academic potential as well as characteristics and values such as compassion, empathy and integrity. The Multiple Mini Interview (MMI) was used in one university as a way of ensuring that candidates had the appropriate numeracy and literacy skills as well as a range of communication, empathy, decision-making and problem-solving skills as well as ethical insights and integrity, initiative and team-work. To ascertain whether there is evidence of bias in MMIs (gender, age, nationality and location of secondary education) and to determine the extent to which the MMI is predictive of academic success in nursing. A longitudinal retrospective analysis of student demographics, MMI data and the assessment marks for years 1, 2 and 3. One university in southwest London. One cohort of students who commenced their programme in September 2011, including students in all four fields of nursing (adult, child, mental health and learning disability). Inferential statistics and a Bayesian Multilevel Model. MMI in conjunction with MMI numeracy test and MMI literacy test shows little or no bias in terms of ages, gender, nationality or location of secondary school education. Although MMI in conjunction with numeracy and literacy testing is predictive of academic success, it is only weakly predictive. The MMI used in conjunction with literacy and numeracy testing appears to be a successful technique for selecting candidates for nursing. However, other selection methods such as psychological profiling or testing of emotional intelligence may add to the extent to which selection methods are predictive of academic success on nursing. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Use of Multi-Response Format Test in the Assessment of Medical Students’ Critical Thinking Ability

PubMed Central

Mafinejad, Mahboobeh Khabaz; Monajemi, Alireza; Jalili, Mohammad; Soltani, Akbar; Rasouli, Javad

2017-01-01

Introduction To evaluate students critical thinking skills effectively, change in assessment practices is must. The assessment of a student’s ability to think critically is a constant challenge, and yet there is considerable debate on the best assessment method. There is evidence that the intrinsic nature of open and closed-ended response questions is to measure separate cognitive abilities. Aim To assess critical thinking ability of medical students by using multi-response format of assessment. Materials and Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted on a group of 159 undergraduate third-year medical students. All the participants completed the California Critical Thinking Skills Test (CCTST) consisting of 34 multiple-choice questions to measure general critical thinking skills and a researcher-developed test that combines open and closed-ended questions. A researcher-developed 48-question exam, consisting of 8 short-answers and 5 essay questions, 19 Multiple-Choice Questions (MCQ), and 16 True-False (TF) questions, was used to measure critical thinking skills. Correlation analyses were performed using Pearson’s coefficient to explore the association between the total scores of tests and subtests. Results One hundred and fifty-nine students participated in this study. The sample comprised 81 females (51%) and 78 males (49%) with an age range of 20±2.8 years (mean 21.2 years). The response rate was 64.1%. A significant positive correlation was found between types of questions and critical thinking scores, of which the correlations of MCQ (r=0.82) and essay questions (r=0.77) were strongest. The significant positive correlations between multi-response format test and CCTST’s subscales were seen in analysis, evaluation, inference and inductive reasoning. Unlike CCTST subscales, multi-response format test have weak correlation with CCTST total score (r=0.45, p=0.06). Conclusion This study highlights the importance of considering multi-response format test in the assessment of critical thinking abilities of medical students by using both open and closed-ended response questions. PMID:29207742

The Alaska Lake Ice and Snow Observatory Network (ALISON): Hands-on Experiential K- 12 Learning in the North

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Morris, K.; Jeffries, M.

2008-12-01

The Alaska Lake Ice and Snow Observatory Network (ALISON) was initiated by Martin Jeffries (UAF polar scientist), Delena Norris-Tull (UAF education professor) and Ron Reihl (middle school science teacher, Fairbanks North Star Borough School District). The snow and ice measurement protocols were developed in 1999-2000 at the Poker Flat Research Range (PFRR) by Geophysical Institute, University of Alaska scientists and tested by home school teacher/students in winter 2001-2002 in Fairbanks, AK. The project was launched in 2002 with seven sites around the state (PFRR, Fairbanks, Barrow, Mystic Lake, Nome, Shageluk and Wasilla). The project reached its broadest distribution in 2005-2006 with 22 sites. The schools range from urban (Wasilla) to primarily Alaska native villages (Shageluk). They include public schools, charter schools, home schooled students and parents, informal educators and citizen scientists. The grade levels range from upper elementary to high school. Well over a thousand students have participated in ALISON since its inception. Equipment is provided to the observers at each site. Measurements include ice thickness (with a hot wire ice thickness gauge), snow depth and snow temperature (surface and base). Snow samples are taken and snow density derived. Snow variables are used to calculate the conductive heat flux through the ice and snow cover to the atmosphere. All data are available on the Web site. The students and teachers are scientific partners in the study of lake ice processes, contributing to new scientific knowledge and understanding while also learning science by doing science with familiar and abundant materials. Each autumn, scientists visit each location to work with the teachers and students, helping them to set up the study site, showing them how to make the measurements and enter the data into the computer, and discussing snow, ice and polar environmental change. A number of 'veteran' teachers are now setting up the study sites on their own. Each summer, a workshop in Fairbanks offers the teachers the opportunity to work and learn together, sharing their ALISON field experiences and transfer to the classroom, testing activities and materials, and adding to their content knowledge. This experiential learning project demonstrates that teachers and students can make scientifically valuable measurements when provided with easy-to-use equipment, clear directions and training. The project also shows that when provided with a stimulating learning opportunity, teachers and students find imaginative ways to extend the experience. For example, a number of students have made videos about their ALISON. Lesson plans using ALISON-related science concepts have been generated by ALISON teachers and others. Several ALISON teachers have published articles about the ALISON experience. ALISON teachers have been awarded prestigious Toyota Tapestry grants in support of their activities.

Dental student debt.

PubMed

Mannion, H; Bedi, R

1995-09-01

The aim of this investigation is to provide information about the financial status of dental students enrolled on the Bachelor of Dental Surgery degree course at the University of Birmingham. All undergraduate dental students enrolled during the academic year 1993-94 were asked to participate in the study. The pre-tested questionnaire, which was given to all students, covered personal details, expenditure levels, income, loans, overdrafts, use of government schemes ('top-up loans'), and so on. The questionnaire was completed by 115 dental students (response rate 47%). The results showed that dental students' debts increased each year throughout the course. A top-up loan (range 700 Pounds-850 Pounds) had been taken out by 36% of students. The financial status of 9% of students was severe enough to warrant their eligibility for awards from access funds. Credit cards were possessed by 52% of the surveyed students, and although only half of these owed money, 22% owed between 500 Pounds and 2000 Pounds. Personal overdrafts were held by 56% of respondents. A total of 17% of students engaged in weekly part-time employment. The average debt for final year students was 1200 Pounds. Dental students' estimates of the level of debt they were likely to incur was greater than the actual debt presently experienced by final year students. In conclusion, this preliminary study showed that most dental students incur debt during their undergraduate course and that this debt increases during the course.

Reliability of a science admission test (HAM-Nat) at Hamburg medical school

PubMed Central

Hissbach, Johanna; Klusmann, Dietrich; Hampe, Wolfgang

2011-01-01

Objective: The University Hospital in Hamburg (UKE) started to develop a test of knowledge in natural sciences for admission to medical school in 2005 (Hamburger Auswahlverfahren für Medizinische Studiengänge, Naturwissenschaftsteil, HAM-Nat). This study is a step towards establishing the HAM-Nat. We are investigating parallel forms reliability, the effect of a crash course in chemistry on test results, and correlations of HAM-Nat test results with a test of scientific reasoning (similar to a subtest of the "Test for Medical Studies", TMS). Methods: 316 first-year students participated in the study in 2007. They completed different versions of the HAM-Nat test which consisted of items that had already been used (HN2006) and new items (HN2007). Four weeks later half of the participants were tested on the HN2007 version of the HAM-Nat again, while the other half completed the test of scientific reasoning. Within this four week interval students were offered a five day chemistry course. Results: Parallel forms reliability for four different test versions ranged from rtt=.53 to rtt=.67. The retest reliabilities of the HN2007 halves were rtt=.54 and rtt =.61. Correlations of the two HAM-Nat versions with the test of scientific reasoning were r=.34 und r=.21. The crash course in chemistry had no effect on HAM-Nat scores. Conclusions: The results suggest that further versions of the test of natural sciences will not easily conform to the standards of internal consistency, parallel-forms reliability and retest reliability. Much care has to be taken in order to assemble items which could be used interchangeably for the construction of new test versions. The test of scientific reasoning and the HAM-Nat are tapping different constructs. Participation in a chemistry course did not improve students’ achievement, probably because the content of the course was not coordinated with the test and many students lacked of motivation to do well in the second test. PMID:21866246

Is Field of Study or Location Associated with College Students' Snacking Patterns?

PubMed Central

McArthur, Laura H.; Holbert, Donald; Forsythe, William

2012-01-01

Objective. To compare on- and off-campus snacking patterns among college students pursuing degrees in health-related fields (HRFs) and nonhealth-related fields (NHRFs). Materials and Methods. Snack frequency questionnaire, scales measuring barriers, self-efficacy, and stage of change for healthy snacking, and a snack knowledge test (SKT). Participants. 513 students, 46% HRFs, and 54% NHRFs. The students' mean ± SD BMI was 24.1 ± 4.3 kg/m2 (range 14.6 to 43.8), and 32.2% were overweight/obese. Results. Softdrinks (on-campus), lowfat milk (off-campus), and sports drinks were popular among HRFs and NHRFs. Cost and availability were barriers to healthy snacking, students felt least confident to choose healthy snacks when emotionally upset, and 75% (65%) of HRFs (NHRFs) self-classified in the action stage of change for healthy snacking. The HRFs scored higher on the SKT. Conclusions. Neither location nor field of study strongly influenced snacking patterns, which featured few high-fiber foods. PMID:22288006

Academic Stress and Self-Regulation among University Students in Malaysia: Mediator Role of Mindfulness

PubMed Central

Hj Ramli, Nur Hamizah; Alavi, Masoumeh; Mehrinezhad, Seyed Abolghasem; Ahmadi, Atefeh

2018-01-01

Academic stress is the most common emotional or mental state that students experience during their studies. Stress is a result of a wide range of issues, including test and exam burden, a demanding course, a different educational system, and thinking about future plans upon graduation. A sizeable body of literature in stress management research has found that self-regulation and being mindful will help students to cope up with the stress and dodge long-term negative consequences, such as substance abuse. The present study aims to investigate the influence of academic stress, self-regulation, and mindfulness among undergraduate students in Klang Valley, Malaysia, and to identify mindfulness as the mediator between academic stress and self-regulation. For this study, a total of 384 undergraduate students in Klang Valley, Malaysia were recruited. Using Correlational analysis, results revealed that there was a significant relationship between academic stress, self-regulation, and mindfulness. However, using SPSS mediational analysis, mindfulness did not prove the mediator role in the study. PMID:29342910

Developing a discrete event simulation model for university student shuttle buses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zulkepli, Jafri; Khalid, Ruzelan; Nawawi, Mohd Kamal Mohd; Hamid, Muhammad Hafizan

2017-11-01

Providing shuttle buses for university students to attend their classes is crucial, especially when their number is large and the distances between their classes and residential halls are far. These factors, in addition to the non-optimal current bus services, typically require the students to wait longer which eventually opens a space for them to complain. To considerably reduce the waiting time, providing the optimal number of buses to transport them from location to location and the effective route schedules to fulfil the students' demand at relevant time ranges are thus important. The optimal bus number and schedules are to be determined and tested using a flexible decision platform. This paper thus models the current services of student shuttle buses in a university using a Discrete Event Simulation approach. The model can flexibly simulate whatever changes configured to the current system and report its effects to the performance measures. How the model was conceptualized and formulated for future system configurations are the main interest of this paper.

Academic Stress and Self-Regulation among University Students in Malaysia: Mediator Role of Mindfulness.

PubMed

Hj Ramli, Nur Hamizah; Alavi, Masoumeh; Mehrinezhad, Seyed Abolghasem; Ahmadi, Atefeh

2018-01-15

Academic stress is the most common emotional or mental state that students experience during their studies. Stress is a result of a wide range of issues, including test and exam burden, a demanding course, a different educational system, and thinking about future plans upon graduation. A sizeable body of literature in stress management research has found that self-regulation and being mindful will help students to cope up with the stress and dodge long-term negative consequences, such as substance abuse. The present study aims to investigate the influence of academic stress, self-regulation, and mindfulness among undergraduate students in Klang Valley, Malaysia, and to identify mindfulness as the mediator between academic stress and self-regulation. For this study, a total of 384 undergraduate students in Klang Valley, Malaysia were recruited. Using Correlational analysis, results revealed that there was a significant relationship between academic stress, self-regulation, and mindfulness. However, using SPSS mediational analysis, mindfulness did not prove the mediator role in the study.

Learning Mathematics in a Visuospatial Format: A Randomized, Controlled Trial of Mental Abacus Instruction

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Barner, David; Alvarez, George; Sullivan, Jessica; Brooks, Neon; Srinivasan, Mahesh; Frank, Michael C.

2016-01-01

Mental abacus (MA) is a technique of performing fast, accurate arithmetic using a mental image of an abacus; experts exhibit astonishing calculation abilities. Over 3 years, 204 elementary school students (age range at outset: 5-7 years old) participated in a randomized, controlled trial to test whether MA expertise (a) can be acquired in standard…

Effect of Table Tennis Trainings on Biomotor Capacities in Boys

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tas, Murat

2017-01-01

The aim of this study is to investigate whether the biomotor capacities of boys doing table tennis trainings are affected. A total of 40 students, as randomly selected 20 test groups and 20 control groups at an age range of 10-12 participated in the research. Statistical analysis of data was performed using Statistic Package for Social Science…

Navigating the Language Demands of an Inquiry-Based Science Performance Assessment: Classroom Challenges and Opportunities for English Learners

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lyon, Edward G.; Bunch, George C.; Shaw, Jerome M.

2012-01-01

Science performance assessments (SPAs) are designed to elicit a wider range of scientific knowledge and abilities than ordinarily measured by more traditional paper-and-pencil tests. To engage in SPAs and thus demonstrate abilities such as scientific inquiry, students must interact with various participants and communicate in a variety of ways.…

The Differences of Mathematics Achievement between American Children and Chinese Children.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gu, Wenyuan

This study compared intact beginning fifth grade classes in one of the districts in Shanghai, People's Republic of China to American Norms on the KeyMath-Revised: A Diagnostic Inventory of Essential Mathematics (KeyMath-R) and the Wide Range Achievement Test (WRAT-3). The review of literature contrasted the two cultures with regard to students,…

Emotional intelligence and clinical performance/retention of nursing students

PubMed Central

Marvos, Chelsea; Hale, Frankie B.

2015-01-01

Objective: This exploratory, quantitative, descriptive study was undertaken to explore the relationship between clinical performance and anticipated retention in nursing students. Methods: After approval by the university's Human Subjects Committee, a sample of 104 nursing students were recruited for this study, which involved testing with a valid and reliable emotional intelligence (EI) instrument and a self-report survey of clinical competencies. Results: Statistical analysis revealed that although the group average for total EI score and the 6 score subsets were in the average range, approximately 30% of the individual total EI scores and 30% of two branch scores, identifying emotions correctly and understanding emotions, fell in the less than average range. This data, as well as the analysis of correlation with clinical self-report scores, suggest recommendations applicable to educators of clinical nursing students. Conclusions: Registered nurses make-up the largest segment of the ever-growing healthcare workforce. Yet, retention of new graduates has historically been a challenge for the profession. Given the projected employment growth in nursing, it is important to identify factors which correlate with high levels of performance and job retention among nurses. There is preliminary evidence that EI a nontraditional intelligence measure relates positively not only with retention of clinical staff nurses, but with overall clinical performance as well. PMID:27981096

Evidence of Knowledge Acquisition in a Cognitive Flexibility-Based Computer Learning Environment

PubMed Central

Heath, Scott; Higgs, John; Ambruso, Daniel R.

2008-01-01

Background A computer-based learning experience was developed using cognitive flexibility theory to overcome the pitfalls often encountered in existing medical education. An earlier study (not published) showed significant pretest-posttest increase in scores, as well as a significant positive correlation between choosing to complete the module individually or in pairs. Method This experience was presented as part of a second-year course in medical school with randomized assignment for students to complete the program as pairs or individuals. Results Sixty-six scores of 101 medical students (31 from students working as singles and 35 from 70 working in pairs) were analyzed. Out of 47 possible points, the mean pretest score was 15.1 (SD = 6.4, range 13.7-15.9). The mean posttest score was 22.9 (SD = 5.2, range 21.1-24.2). Posttest scores were statistically significantly higher than pretest scores (p<.001, Cohen's d = 1.17, average gain 7.8 points). Both pairs and singles showed pre-to-post test score gains, but the score gains of pairs and singles were not significantly different. Conclusion This learning module served as an effective instructional intervention. However, the effect of collaboration, measured by score gains for pairs, was not significantly different from score gains of students completing the assignment individually. PMID:20165544

Emotional intelligence and clinical performance/retention of nursing students.

PubMed

Marvos, Chelsea; Hale, Frankie B

2015-01-01

This exploratory, quantitative, descriptive study was undertaken to explore the relationship between clinical performance and anticipated retention in nursing students. After approval by the university's Human Subjects Committee, a sample of 104 nursing students were recruited for this study, which involved testing with a valid and reliable emotional intelligence (EI) instrument and a self-report survey of clinical competencies. Statistical analysis revealed that although the group average for total EI score and the 6 score subsets were in the average range, approximately 30% of the individual total EI scores and 30% of two branch scores, identifying emotions correctly and understanding emotions, fell in the less than average range. This data, as well as the analysis of correlation with clinical self-report scores, suggest recommendations applicable to educators of clinical nursing students. Registered nurses make-up the largest segment of the ever-growing healthcare workforce. Yet, retention of new graduates has historically been a challenge for the profession. Given the projected employment growth in nursing, it is important to identify factors which correlate with high levels of performance and job retention among nurses. There is preliminary evidence that EI a nontraditional intelligence measure relates positively not only with retention of clinical staff nurses, but with overall clinical performance as well.

Longitudinal study of low and high achievers in early mathematics.

PubMed

Navarro, Jose I; Aguilar, Manuel; Marchena, Esperanza; Ruiz, Gonzalo; Menacho, Inmaculada; Van Luit, Johannes E H

2012-03-01

Longitudinal studies allow us to identify, which specific maths skills are weak in young children, and whether there is a continuing weakness in these areas throughout their school years. This 2-year study investigated whether certain socio-demographic variables affect early mathematical competency in children aged 5-7 years. A randomly selected sample of 127 students (64 female; 63 male) participated. At the start of the study, the students were approximately 5 years old (M= 5.2; SD= 0.28; range = 4.5-5.8). The students were assessed using the Early Numeracy Test and then allocated to a high (n= 26), middle (n= 76), or low (n= 25) achievers group. The same children were assessed again with the Early Numeracy Test at 6 and 7 years old, respectively. Eight socio-demographic characteristics were also evaluated: family model, education of the parent(s), job of the parent(s), number of family members, birth order, number of computers at home, frequency of teacher visits, and hours watching television. Early Numeracy Test scores were more consistent for the high-achievers group than for the low-achievers group. Approximately 5.5% of low achievers obtained low scores throughout the study. A link between specific socio-demographic characteristics and early achievement in mathematics was only found for number of computers at home. The level of mathematical ability among students aged 5-7 years remains relatively stable regardless of the initial level of achievement. However, early screening for mathematics learning disabilities could be useful in helping low-achieving students overcome learning obstacles. ©2011 The British Psychological Society.

"Beyond the walls": A research study of eighth-grade students mentored in a hospital setting

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grattan, Aileen

This research study was designed to evaluate twelve eighth-grade students participating in the fourth year of a mentoring program to determine what effect the mentoring experience would have on the students' sense of a scientific community, their understanding of scientific knowledge and process skills and attitudes toward science. The mentoring program was developed through a partnership established between the researcher, an eighth-grade science teacher at a junior high school, and an administrator of a local hospital, to provide educational opportunities for students mentored by medical professionals. The research design included qualitative and quantitative methods of analysis. The qualitative instruments were student journals and interviews. The quantitative instruments included the science subtest of the Stanford Nine Achievement Test, a Student Attitude Toward Science Survey (STATS), and a Hospital Questionnaire. The findings indicate that mentoring developed the students' understanding of a scientific community, revealed a wide range of attitudes and had a positive effect on the students' scientific knowledge and process skills. Finally, this research study has shown the benefits of mentoring as a model for teaching science in a community setting beyond the walls of the school.

Analysis of high school students’ environmental literacy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wardani, R. A. K.; Karyanto, P.; Ramli, M.

2018-05-01

The student’s environmental literacy (EL) is a vital component to improve the awareness of student on environmental issues. This research aims to measure and analyse the EL of high school students, and how the topic of environment has been taught in high school. The research was conducted in February to April 2017. The EL was measured on three aspects, i.e. knowledge, attitude and concern. The participants were sixty-five (21 boys, 44 girls) purposively selected from students of grade X, XI and XII of one Senior High School in Karanganyar Regency, Indonesia. The knowledge of students on concepts of environmental issues was tested by fourteen main questions followed by supported questions. The result showed that 80% of students were classified as inadequate category. The attitude of students was measured by New Ecological Paradigm (NEP) consisted of fifteen items, and students’ average score was 46.42 (medium). The concern was measured by fifteen statements about environment, and it was ranged from 2.58 to 4.18. EL of students may low due to students’ lack understanding of the environment concepts, the limited theories and concepts transferred to students, inappropriate lesson plan to meet the EL components.

Thermoreception and nociception of the skin: a classic paper of Bessou and Perl and analyses of thermal sensitivity during a student laboratory exercise.

PubMed

Kuhtz-Buschbeck, Johann P; Andresen, Wiebke; Göbel, Stephan; Gilster, René; Stick, Carsten

2010-06-01

About four decades ago, Perl and collaborators were the first ones who unambiguously identified specifically nociceptive neurons in the periphery. In their classic work, they recorded action potentials from single C-fibers of a cutaneous nerve in cats while applying carefully graded stimuli to the skin (Bessou P, Perl ER. Response of cutaneous sensory units with unmyelinated fibers to noxious stimuli. J Neurophysiol 32: 1025-1043, 1969). They discovered polymodal nociceptors, which responded to mechanical, thermal, and chemical stimuli in the noxious range, and differentiated them from low-threshold thermoreceptors. Their classic findings form the basis of the present method that undergraduate medical students experience during laboratory exercises of sensory physiology, namely, quantitative testing of the thermal detection and pain thresholds. This diagnostic method examines the function of thin afferent nerve fibers. We collected data from nearly 300 students that showed that 1) women are more sensitive to thermal detection and thermal pain at the thenar than men, 2) habituation shifts thermal pain thresholds during repetititve testing, 3) the cold pain threshold is rather variable and lower when tested after heat pain than in the reverse case (order effect), and 4) ratings of pain intensity on a visual analog scale are correlated with the threshold temperature for heat pain but not for cold pain. Median group results could be reproduced in a retest. Quantitative sensory testing of thermal thresholds is feasible and instructive in the setting of a laboratory exercise and is appreciated by the students as a relevant and interesting technique.

Effectiveness of a Clinical Skills Workshop for drug-dosage calculation in a nursing program.

PubMed

Grugnetti, Anna Maria; Bagnasco, Annamaria; Rosa, Francesca; Sasso, Loredana

2014-04-01

Mathematical and calculation skills are widely acknowledged as being key nursing competences if patients are to receive care that is both effective and safe. Indeed, weaknesses in mathematical competence may lead to the administration of miscalculated drug doses, which in turn may harm or endanger patients' lives. However, little attention has been given to identifying appropriate teaching and learning strategies that will effectively facilitate the development of these skills in nurses. One such approach may be simulation. To evaluate the effectiveness of a Clinical Skills Workshop on drug administration that focused on improving the drug-dosage calculation skills of second-year nursing students, with a view to promoting safety in drugs administration. A descriptive pre-post test design. Educational. Simulation center. The sample population included 77 nursing students from a Northern Italian University who attended a 30-hour Clinical Skills Workshop over a period of two weeks. The workshop covered integrated teaching strategies and innovative drug-calculation methodologies which have been described to improve psychomotor skills and build cognitive abilities through a greater understanding of mathematics linked to clinical practice. Study results showed a significant improvement between the pre- and the post-test phases, after the intervention. Pre-test scores ranged between 0 and 25 out of a maximum of 30 points, with a mean score of 15.96 (SD 4.85), and a median score of 17. Post-test scores ranged between 15 and 30 out of 30, with a mean score of 25.2 (SD 3.63) and a median score of 26 (p<0.001). Our study shows that Clinical Skills Workshops may be tailored to include teaching techniques that encourage the development of drug-dosage calculation skills, and that training strategies implemented during a Clinical skills Workshop can enhance students' comprehension of mathematical calculations. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Relationship between Facebook use and problematic Internet use among college students.

PubMed

Kittinger, Robert; Correia, Christopher J; Irons, Jessica G

2012-06-01

The popularity of Facebook and other online social-networking sites has led to research on the potential risks of use, including Internet addiction. Previous studies have reported that between 8 percent and 50 percent of college students report problems consistent with Internet addiction. The current study assessed a range of variables related to Facebook use, and sought to determine how the use of Facebook relates to problematic Internet use. Undergraduate participants (N=281, 72 percent women) completed a battery of self-report measures, including the Internet Addiction Test, via an online interface. The results of the current study suggest that a sizable minority of students experience problems related to Internet use and that the use of Facebook may contribute to the severity of symptoms associated with Internet addiction.

"Over my dead body?": the influence of demographics on students' willingness to participate in peer physical examination.

PubMed

Rees, Charlotte E; Bradley, Paul; Collett, Tracey; McLachlan, John C

2005-11-01

This study aims to explore quantitatively and qualitatively students' attitudes towards peer physical examination (PPE) and the influence of demographics on students' willingness to participate in PPE. A total of 296 first-year medical students from two consecutive cohorts at the Peninsula Medical School, UK completed the EFS questionnaire. Quantitative data from the questionnaire were analysed using univariate (i.e. Mann-Whitney and chi-squared tests) and multivariate statistics (i.e. stepwise multiple regression) and qualitative data were analysed using theme analysis. At least 92% of Peninsula Medical School students were willing to examine all 11 body parts (except breast and inguinal regions) of peers of same and opposite gender. Qualitative data support this by highlighting students' positive attitudes towards PPE. PPE was more acceptable within rather than across gender and students generally felt more comfortable examining their peers than being examined by peers. Qualitative data outline the range of student concerns with PPE. Significant relationships existed between students' attitudes towards PPE and various variables: gender, age and religious faith. The findings demonstrate that students may show a greater willingness to participate in PPE than previously thought. Further research is required to explore more fully the barriers to PPE.

Academic self-concept, learning motivation, and test anxiety of the underestimated student.

PubMed

Urhahne, Detlef; Chao, Sheng-Han; Florineth, Maria Luise; Luttenberger, Silke; Paechter, Manuela

2011-03-01

BACKGROUND. Teachers' judgments of student performance on a standardized achievement test often result in an overestimation of students' abilities. In the majority of cases, a larger group of overestimated students and a smaller group of underestimated students are formed by these judgments. AIMS. In this research study, the consequences of the underestimation of students' mathematical performance potential were examined. SAMPLE. Two hundred and thirty-five fourth grade students and their fourteen mathematics teachers took part in the investigation. METHOD. Students worked on a standardized mathematics achievement test and completed a self-description questionnaire about motivation and affect. Teachers estimated each individual student's potential with regard to mathematics test performance as well as students' expectancy for success, level of aspiration, academic self-concept, learning motivation, and test anxiety. The differences between teachers' judgments on students' test performance and students' actual performance were used to build groups of underestimated and overestimated students. RESULTS. Underestimated students displayed equal levels of test performance, learning motivation, and level of aspiration in comparison with overestimated students, but had lower expectancy for success, lower academic self-concept, and experienced more test anxiety. Teachers expected that underestimated students would receive lower grades on the next mathematics test, believed that students were satisfied with lower grades, and assumed that the students have weaker learning motivation than their overestimated classmates. CONCLUSION. Teachers' judgment error was not confined to test performance but generalized to motivational and affective traits of the students. © 2010 The British Psychological Society.

[Internal Exposure Levels of PAHs of Primary School Students in Guangzhou].

PubMed

Su, Hui; Zhao, Bo; Zhang, Su-kun; Liu, Shan; Ren, Ming-zhong; Li, Jie; Shi, Xiao-xia

2015-12-01

In order to investigate the internal exposure levels of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in primary school students of Guangzhou, the research collected urine of 78 and 86 primary school students from two primary schools in the summer of 2014, one school located in the ordinary residential area and the other in the industrial area. The contents of 10 kinds of OH-PAHs were tested by the rapid liquid chromatography coupled to triple quadruple tandem mass spectrometry. The results showed that the concentrations of total OH-PAHs in primary school students in the residential zone ranged from 0.83 µmol · mol⁻¹ to 80.63 µmol · mol⁻¹, while those in industrial area ranged from 1.06 µmol · mol⁻¹ to 72.47 µmol · mol⁻¹. The geometric average concentrations were 6.18 µmol · mol⁻¹ and 6.47 µmol · mol⁻¹, respectively, and there was no statistical significance between them (P > 0.05). Comparison of the exposure levels of different components of PAHs in the two areas found that all the OH-PAHs had no significant difference except for the levels of 1- OHP (P < 0.05). We should also pay attention to the higher exposure levels of PAHs in both areas when compared with other researches. In addition, the OH-PAHs in primary school students in the ordinary residential area had a good correlation between 0. 511 and 0.928 (P < 0.01), whereas there was no correlation between 1-OHP and 2-OHN, 1-OHN in the primary school students in the industrial area and other OH-PAHs had relatively weak correlation ranging from 0.338 to 0.855 (P < 0.01). This difference might indicate different pollution sources of PAHs in different functional areas, which was relatively single in the residential area, while the industrial area was polluted by multiple sources of industrial enterprises and logistics transportation emissions.

Degree of Vertical Integration Between the Undergraduate Program and Clinical Internship with Respect to Lumbopelvic Diagnostic and Therapeutic Procedures Taught at the Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College

PubMed Central

Vermet, Shannon; McGinnis, Karen; Boodham, Melissa; Gleberzon, Brian J.

2010-01-01

Purpose: The objective of this study was to determine to what extent the diagnostic and therapeutic procedures taught in the undergraduate program used for patients with lumbopelvic conditions are expected to be utilized by students during their clinical internship program at Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College or are being used by the clinical faculty. Methods: A confidential survey was distributed to clinical faculty at the college. It consisted of a list of diagnostic and therapeutic procedures used for lumbopelvic conditions taught at that college. Clinicians were asked to indicate the frequency with which they performed or they required students to perform each item. Results: Seventeen of 23 clinicians responded. The following procedures were most likely required to be performed by clinicians: posture; ranges of motion; lower limb sensory, motor, and reflex testing; and core orthopedic tests. The following were less likely to be required to be performed: Waddell testing, Schober's test, Gillet tests, and abdominal palpation. Students were expected to perform (or clinicians performed) most of the mobilization (in particular, iliocostal, iliotransverse, and iliofemoral) and spinal manipulative therapies (in particular, the procedures referred to as the lumbar roll, lumbar pull/hook, and upper sacroiliac) taught at the college. Conclusion: This study suggests that there was considerable, but not complete, vertical integration between the undergraduate and clinical education program at this college. PMID:20480014

Construct validity test of evaluation tool for professional behaviors of entry-level occupational therapy students in the United States.

PubMed

Yuen, Hon K; Azuero, Andres; Lackey, Kaitlin W; Brown, Nicole S; Shrestha, Sangita

2016-01-01

This study aimed to test the construct validity of an instrument to measure student professional behaviors in entry-level occupational therapy (OT) students in the academic setting. A total of 718 students from 37 OT programs across the United States answered a self-assessment survey of professional behavior that we developed. The survey consisted of ranking 28 attributes, each on a 5-point Likert scale. A split-sample approach was used for exploratory and then confirmatory factor analysis. A three-factor solution with nine items was extracted using exploratory factor analysis [EFA] (n=430, 60%). The factors were 'Commitment to Learning' (2 items), 'Skills for Learning' (4 items), and 'Cultural Competence' (3 items). Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) on the validation split (n=288, 40%) indicated fair fit for this three-factor model (fit indices: CFI=0.96, RMSEA=0.06, and SRMR=0.05). Internal consistency reliability estimates of each factor and the instrument ranged from 0.63 to 0.79. Results of the CFA in a separate validation dataset provided robust measures of goodness-of-fit for the three-factor solution developed in the EFA, and indicated that the three-factor model fitted the data well enough. Therefore, we can conclude that this student professional behavior evaluation instrument is a structurally validated tool to measure professional behaviors reported by entry-level OT students. The internal consistency reliability of each individual factor and the whole instrument was considered to be adequate to good.

Predictors of Intention to Smoke among Junior High School Students in Shanghai, China: An Empirical Test of the Information-Motivation-Behavioral Skills (IMB) Model

PubMed Central

Ma, Jin; Li, Na; Zhu, Jingfen; He, Yaping; Redmon, Pamela; Qiao, Yun

2013-01-01

Background Adolescent smoking is a worldwide problem that is particularly severe in low- and middle-income countries. Many endogenous and environmental factors affect the intention to smoke, so a comprehensive model is needed to understand the significance and relationship of predictors. The study aimed to test the associations among information-motivation-behavioral skills (IMB) model constructs as predictors of intention to smoke in junior high school students in Shanghai, China. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional study of 16,500 junior high school students in Shanghai, China. Data on tobacco-related information, motivation, behavioral skills, and behaviors were collected from students. Structural equation model (SEM) was used to assess the IMB model. Results The mean age of participants was 13.8 years old (standard deviation = 1.02; range 11–17). The experimental smoking rate among junior high school students was 6.6% and 8.7% of the participants expected that they would be smokers in 5 years. The IMB model provided acceptable fit to the data (comparative fit index = 0.984, root mean square error of approximation = 0.04). Intention to smoke was predicted by behavioral skills (β= 0.670, P < 0.001) and motivation (β= 0.095, P<0.001) among junior high school students. Conclusion The IMB model provides a good understanding of the predictors of intention to smoke and it suggests future interventions among junior high school students should focus on improving motivation and behavioral skills. PMID:24244690

Development of the Exam of GeoloGy Standards, EGGS, to Measure Students' Conceptual Understanding of Geology Concepts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guffey, S. K.; Slater, T. F.; Slater, S. J.

2017-12-01

Discipline-based geoscience education researchers have considerable need for criterion-referenced, easy-to-administer and easy-to-score, conceptual diagnostic surveys for undergraduates taking introductory science survey courses in order for faculty to better be able to monitor the learning impacts of various interactive teaching approaches. To support ongoing discipline-based science education research to improve teaching and learning across the geosciences, this study establishes the reliability and validity of a 28-item, multiple-choice, pre- and post- Exam of GeoloGy Standards, hereafter simply called EGGS. The content knowledge EGGS addresses is based on 11 consensus concepts derived from a systematic, thematic analysis of the overlapping ideas presented in national science education reform documents including the Next Generation Science Standards, the AAAS Benchmarks for Science Literacy, the Earth Science Literacy Principles, and the NRC National Science Education Standards. Using community agreed upon best-practices for creating, field-testing, and iteratively revising modern multiple-choice test items using classical item analysis techniques, EGGS emphasizes natural student language over technical scientific vocabulary, leverages illustrations over students' reading ability, specifically targets students' misconceptions identified in the scholarly literature, and covers the range of topics most geology educators expect general education students to know at the end of their formal science learning experiences. The current version of EGGS is judged to be valid and reliable with college-level, introductory science survey students based on both standard quantitative and qualitative measures, including extensive clinical interviews with targeted students and systematic expert review.

Phytoremediation in education: textile dye teaching experiments.

PubMed

Ibbini, Jwan H; Davis, Lawrence C; Erickson, Larry E

2009-07-01

Phytoremediation, the use of plants to clean up contaminated soil and water, has a wide range of applications and advantages, and can be extended to scientific education. Phytoremediation of textile dyes can be used as a scientific experiment or demonstration in teaching laboratories of middle school, high school and college students. In the experiments that we developed, students were involved in a hands-on activity where they were able to learn about phytoremediation concepts. Experiments were set up with 20-40 mg L(-1) dye solutions of different colors. Students can be involved in the set up process and may be involved in the experimental design. In its simplest forms, they use two-week-old sunflower seedlings and place them into a test tube of known volume of dye solution. Color change and/or dye disappearance can be monitored by visual comparison or with a spectrophotometer. Intensity and extent of the lab work depends on student's educational level, and time constraints. Among the many dyes tested, Evan's Blue proved to be the most readily decolorized azo dye. Results could be observed within 1-2 hours. From our experience, dye phytoremediation experiments are suitable and easy to understand by both college and middle school students. These experiments help visual learners, as students compare the color of the dye solution before and after the plant application. In general, simple phytoremediation experiments of this kind can be introduced in many classes including biology, biochemistry and ecological engineering. This paper presents success stories of teaching phytoremediation to middle school and college students.

Evaluation of an Immersive Farm Experience to Teach and Attract Veterinary Students to Food-Animal Medicine.

PubMed

Foster, Derek M; Sylvester, Hannah J; Schoenfeld-Tacher, Regina M

The Bovine Educational Symposium (BES) is a unique opportunity for North Carolina State University (NCSU) veterinary students to visit dairy farms, feedlots, cow-calf operations, and processing facilities, and to meet local bovine veterinarians. We hypothesized that this active learning opportunity would increase knowledge, change perceptions of animal agriculture and food-animal medicine, and provide skills that persist beyond graduation. Pre- and post-trip surveys were administered to 124 first-, second-, and third-year veterinary students attending BES over 3 years. The surveys assessed students' perceived competence with regard to 12 key areas of bovine practice, attitudes toward segments of the cattle industry, attitudes to veterinarians' role in these segments, and interest in a career in bovine practice. Content knowledge was assessed using a multiple-choice test for comparison to self-assessments. A control group of 10 fourth-year students was administered the same tests before and after a 2-week food-animal clinical rotation. A convenience sample of nine BES alumni were interviewed to assess their opinion on the educational impact of BES. BES participants exhibited significant gains in perceived competence and actual knowledge in all 12 areas, and they also had improved perceptions of animal agriculture and increased interest in food-animal careers. Benefits noted by alumni ranged from improved knowledge of basic concepts of biosecurity and population medicine to greater appreciation for professional skills, including client communication. Immersing pre-clinical veterinary students in an active learning environment can have a significant impact on their knowledge and perception of food-animal medicine, irrespective of students' ultimate career goals.

Dental students' compliance with antibiotic prescribing guidelines for dental infections in children.

PubMed

Wong, Yee Chen; Mohan, Mandakini; Pau, Allan

2016-01-01

To investigate the antibiotic prescribing training received by dental students, clinical experience in treating child patients, awareness of antibiotic prescribing guidelines, preparedness in antibiotic prescribing, and compliance with antibiotic prescribing guidelines for the management of dental infections in children. This was a cross-sectional study involving final year dentals students from Malaysian and Asian dental schools. A self-administered questionnaire consisting of five clinical case scenarios was e-mailed to all final year students at selected dental schools. Students' responses were compared for each clinical case scenario with the prescribing guidelines of the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry and the American Dental Association. Compliance in each scenario was tested for association with their preparedness in antibiotic prescribing, previous training on antibiotic prescribing and awareness of antibiotic prescribing guidelines using Chi-square test. Data collected were analyzed using SPSS statistics version 20. A total of 108 completed responses were received. About 74 (69%) students were from Malaysian dental schools. The compliance rate with prescribing guidelines ranged from 15.7% to 43.5%. Those attending Malaysian dental schools (47.3%) and those who had treated child patient more often (46.3%) were more likely (P < 0.05) to be aware of the guidelines. Those who had received antibiotic prescribing training (21.3%) were more likely to think they were well prepared in antibiotic prescribing (P < 0.05). Final year dental students had low awareness and compliance with antibiotic prescribing guidelines. Further research is needed to investigate how compliance with the guidelines may be enhanced.

Validating Translation Test Items via the Many-Facet Rasch Model.

PubMed

Tseng, Wen-Ta; Su, Tzi-Ying; Nix, John-Michael L

2018-01-01

This study applied the many-facet Rasch model to assess learners' translation ability in an English as a foreign language context. Few attempts have been made in extant research to detect and calibrate rater severity in the domain of translation testing. To fill the research gap, this study documented the process of validating a test of Chinese-to-English sentence translation and modeled raters' scoring propensity defined by harshness or leniency, expert/novice effects on severity, and concomitant effects on item difficulty. Two hundred twenty-five, third-year senior high school Taiwanese students and six educators from tertiary and secondary educational institutions served as participants. The students' mean age was 17.80 years ( SD = 1.20, range 17-19). The exam consisted of 10 translation items adapted from two entrance exam tests. The results showed that this subjectively scored performance assessment exhibited robust unidimensionality, thus reliably measuring translation ability free from unmodeled disturbances. Furthermore, discrepancies in ratings between novice and expert raters were also identified and modeled by the many-facet Rasch model. The implications for applying the many-facet Rasch model in translation tests at the tertiary level were discussed.

A systematic and comprehensive approach to teaching and evaluating interpersonal skills.

PubMed

Grayson, M; Nugent, C; Oken, S L

1977-11-01

This study addressed one problem with current methods for teaching and evaluating interpersonal skills: the failure to include a wide range of behaviors reported in the literature as contributing to patient dissatisfaction and noncompliance. To address this concern, the authors developed a comprehensive interpersonal skills training program and a pretest-posttest evaluation. The tests were administered to two student groups one of which received the interpersonal skills instruction. The student group exposed to the training exhibited a significant positive change from pretest to posttest. Additionally the change for this group was significantly greater than the change for the group not exposed to interpersonal skills instruction.

The students' viewpoint on the quality gap in educational services.

PubMed

Rahim Khanli, Marziyeh; Daneshmandi, Hadi; Choobineh, Alireza

2014-07-01

Students and university community are social and human resources of the country. The students' viewpoints about the quality of educational services can be considered as a basis for planning quality promotion and improving organizational performance. This study was conducted to determine the quality gap in educational services by the students of Health and Nutrition School of Shiraz University of Medical Sciences. In this cross-sectional study, 140 students participated voluntarily (age range=19 to 40 years). The service quality (SERVQUAL) questionnaire was used for data collection. This questionnaire measured the quality gap in 5 dimensions of educational service including assurance, responsiveness, empathy, reliability, and tangibility. The students' perception about the current conditions and their expectations as to optimal conditions can be determined, using this questionnaire. The score of the gap in quality of educational services is calculated from difference between perception and expectation scores. Due to non-normality of data, non-parametric tests were used. To this end, data were analyzed by statistical tests including Wilcoxon, Friedman, Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whiteny tests in SPSS 14. The results showed that there was quality gap in all 5 dimensions of educational services. The largest and the smallest gaps were observed in "responsiveness" with a mean±SD of -0.94±0.74 and in "reliability" with a mean±SD of -0.76±0.69, respectively. There was a significant difference in quality gap between the 5 dimensions (p<0.001). According to the results, the students' expectations were higher than their perceptions of current conditions; also, in all aspects of the services their expectations were not met. It is recommended that workshops on customer services, communication skills and personnel's technical skills development should be planned and held. Also, allocating more resources for improving educational facilities and physical environment is recommended.

My Road to the Nevada High School Youth Forum

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The Nevada Section of the Society for Range Management hosts an annual Range Camp for high school students. During the weeklong camp students learn about rangeland topics and take part in range monitoring activities. At the end of the week a student is chosen that demonstrated hard work and leadersh...

Improving student learning and views of physics in a large enrollment introductory physics class

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Salehzadeh Einabad, Omid

Introductory physics courses often serve as gatekeepers for many scientific and engineering programs and, increasingly, colleges are relying on large, lecture formats for these courses. Many students, however, leave having learned very little physics and with poor views of the subject. In interactive engagement (IE), classroom activities encourage students to engage with each other and with physics concepts and to be actively involved in their own learning. These methods have been shown to be effective in introductory physics classes with small group recitations. This study examined student learning and views of physics in a large enrollment course that included IE methods with no separate, small-group recitations. In this study, a large, lecture-based course included activities that had students explaining their reasoning both verbally and in writing, revise their ideas about physics concepts, and apply their reasoning to various problems. The questions addressed were: (a) What do students learn about physics concepts and how does student learning in this course compare to that reported in the literature for students in a traditional course?, (b) Do students' views of physics change and how do students' views of physics compare to that reported in the literature for students in a traditional course?, and (c) Which of the instructional strategies contribute to student learning in this course? Data included: pre-post administration of the Force Concept Inventory (FCI), classroom exams during the term, pre-post administration of the Colorado Learning Attitudes About Science Survey (CLASS), and student work, interviews, and open-ended surveys. The average normalized gain (=0.32) on the FCI falls within the medium-gain range as reported in the physics education literature, even though the average pre-test score was very low (30%) and this was the instructor's first implementation of IE methods. Students' views of physics remained relatively unchanged by instruction. Findings also indicate that the interaction of the instructional strategies together contributed to student learning. Based on these results, IE methods should be adopted in introductory physics classes, particularly in classes where students have low pre-test scores. It is also important to provide support for instructors new to IE strategies.

Student nurses need more than maths to improve their drug calculating skills.

PubMed

Wright, Kerri

2007-05-01

Nurses need to be able to calculate accurate drug calculations in order to safely administer drugs to their patients (NMC, 2002). Studies have shown however that nurses do not always have the necessary skills to calculate accurate drug dosages and are potentially administering incorrect dosages of drugs to their patients (Hutton, M. 1998. Nursing Mathematics: the importance of application. Nursing Standard 13(11), 35-38; Kapborg, I. 1994. Calculation and administration of drug dosage by Swedish nurses, Student Nurses and Physicians. International Journal for Quality in Health Care 6(4), 389-395; O'Shea, E. 1999. Factors contributing to medication errors: a literature review. Journal of Advanced Nursing 8, 496-504; Wilson, A. 2003. Nurses maths: researching a practical approach. Nursing Standard 17(47), 33-36). The literature indicates that in order to improve drug calculations strategies need to focus on both the mathematical skills and conceptual skills of student nurses so they can interpret clinical data into drug calculations to be solved. A study was undertaken to investigate the effectiveness of implementing several strategies which focussed on developing the mathematical and conceptual skills of student nurses to improve their drug calculation skills. The study found that implementing a range of strategies which addressed these two developmental areas significantly improved the drug calculation skills of nurses. The study also indicates that a range of strategies has the potential ensuring that the skills taught are retained by the student nurses. Although the strategies significantly improved the drug calculation skills of student nurses, the fact that only 2 students were able to achieve 100% in their drug calculation test indicates a need for further research into this area.

Association of obesity and eating in the absence of hunger among college students in a Mexican-USA border city.

PubMed

Pérez-Morales, Eugenia; Jiménez-Cruz, Arturo; Alcántara-Jurado, Luis; Armendáriz-Anguiano, Ana; Bacardí-Gascón, Montserrat

2014-06-01

Few studies have examined disinhibited eating behaviors in Mexico. However eating in the absence of hunger (EAH), defined as eating in response to the presence of palatable foods in the absence of physiological hunger, is one of the more frequently examined behaviors. The purpose of this study was to assess the association between obesity and EAH among college students in a large Mexican-USA border city. Two-hundred and one sophomore college students completed the EAH questionnaire (EAH-C). Weight and height were measured. To assess reproducibility a test-retest was conducted in a subset sample (n = 20). Test-retest correlations ranged from ρ = 0.44 to 0.86, p < 0.01. Data obtained from the EAH-C were subjected to a principal components analysis with a varimax rotation. The mean age of participants was 21.0 ± 2.0 years, 52 % were female. The prevalence of overweight and obesity was 29 and 14 % respectively. The internal validity was assessed by Cronbach's alph. Internal consistency for all subscales was: external eating (α = 0.83), negative affect (α = 0.92) and fatigue/boredom (α = 0.86). Principal component analysis generated four subscales for the EAH-C: external eating, negative affect, fatigue and boredom. Comparing normal weight students versus obese students, normal weight students (57.1%) had higher scores on boredom subscale than obese students (p < 0.008). Female students had higher scores in the negative affect subscale than the males (p < 0.001). We conclude that the EAH-C had internal consistent subscales with good convergent validity. In this study population we found no association between EAH and obesity.

Are postgraduate students in distance medical education program ready for e-learning? A survey in Iran.

PubMed

Changiz, Tahereh; Haghani, Fariba; Nowroozi, Nasim

2013-01-01

Appropriate instructional design plays a crucial role in e-learning success, and analyzing learners is the cornerstone for instructional design process. Students' readiness for e-learning was assessed in the present study as an example of learner analysis for a distance course in medical education master program. A census sample of 23 students applied for distance master program on medical education, completed the "Students' E-Learning Readiness Scale" developed by Watkins, via email. The reliability and validity of the scale has been confirmed before. Average scores in total and 6 subscales were calculated. The score range was 1-5 and scores above 3 indicated good readiness. Data was interpreted using descriptive and non-parametric tests (Mann-Whitney U and Kruskal-Wallis). Response rate was 100%. The students' readiness scores in total and all subscales ("technology access", "online skills and relationships", "motivation", "online audio/video", "readiness for online discussions", and "importance of e-learning to your success") were above 3. Comparing different subscales, students' mean scores in "motivation" and "internet discussion" subscales were less than others, although the difference was not significant. There were no significant gender differences in the readiness scores. Students who were academic staff had significantly higher scores than others in total and in "motivation" and "online skills and relationship" subscales. Good learners' readiness, observed in the present study, may imply that the instructional designer can rely on e-learning strategies and build the course upon them. However, according to the slightly lower scores in "motivation" and "online discussion" subscales, it is recommended to stress more on strategies that improve these two components. To generalize the results, it is needed to test students' readiness in more different degree programs.

Implementation of a Learning Assistant Program Improves Student Performance on Higher-Order Assessments

PubMed Central

Sellami, Nadia; Shaked, Shanna; Laski, Frank A.; Eagan, Kevin M.; Sanders, Erin R.

2017-01-01

Learning assistant (LA) programs have been implemented at a range of institutions, usually as part of a comprehensive curricular transformation accompanied by a pedagogical switch to active learning. While this shift in pedagogy has led to increased student learning gains, the positive effect of LAs has not yet been distinguished from that of active learning. To determine the effect that LAs would have beyond a student-centered instructional modality that integrated active learning, we introduced an LA program into a large-enrollment introductory molecular biology course that had already undergone a pedagogical transformation to a highly structured, flipped (HSF) format. We used questions from a concept test (CT) and exams to compare student performance in LA-supported HSF courses with student performance in courses without LAs. Students in the LA-supported course did perform better on exam questions common to both HSF course modalities but not on the CT. In particular, LA-supported students’ scores were higher on common exam questions requiring higher-order cognitive skills, which LAs were trained to foster. Additionally, underrepresented minority (URM) students particularly benefited from LA implementation. These findings suggest that LAs may provide additional learning benefits to students beyond the use of active learning, especially for URM students. PMID:29167224

Students as researchers: What and why seventh‐grade students choose to write when investigating their own research question

PubMed Central

Blikstad‐Balas, Marte

2017-01-01

Abstract All scientists depend on both reading and writing to do their scientific work. It is of paramount importance to ensure that students have a relevant repertoire of practices they can employ when facing scientific content inside and outside the school context. The present study reports on students in seventh grade acting as researchers. Over an 8‐week collaborative research period, students posed their own research question, attempted to answer it by systematically testing hypotheses, discussing findings, presenting their conclusions, and documenting their process in a written report. Drawing on the perspectives of New Literacy Studies—which sees literacy as socially situated—we analyze the purpose of all the 21 participating students’ texts (n = 344). Video observations and interviews with students are used to contextualize the writing events. We find that the students chose to write multiple kinds of texts for a variety of purposes. Analyzing purpose and the context, three stages of socialization into scientific writing is revealed, ranging from what the students write on their own initiative, via texts written through challenges to demanding research tasks scaffolded through writing instructions given by the teacher. Further, the students emphasized the relevance of both the research experience and the writing to their future adult life. PMID:29540938

Creation and Assessment of an Active e-Learning Introductory Geology Course

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sit, Stefany M.; Brudzinski, Michael R.

2017-12-01

The recent emphasis in higher education on both student engagement and online learning encouraged the authors to develop an active e-learning environment for an introductory geohazards course, which enrolls 70+ undergraduate students per semester. Instructors focused on replicating the achievements and addressing the challenges within an already established face-to-face student-centered class (Brudzinski and Sikorski 2010; Sit 2013). Through the use of a learning management system (LMS) and other available technologies, a wide range of course components were developed including online homework assignments with automatic grading and tailored feedback, video tutorials of software programs like Google Earth and Microsoft Excel, and more realistic scientific investigations using authentic and freely available data downloaded from the internet. The different course components designed to engage students and improve overall student learning and development were evaluated using student surveys and instructor reflection. Each component can be used independently and intertwined into a face-to-face course. Results suggest that significant opportunities are available in an online environment including the potential for improved student performance and new datasets for educational research. Specifically, results from pre and post-semester Geoscience Concept Inventory (GCI) testing in an active e-learning course show enhanced student learning gains compared to face-to-face lecture-based and student-centered courses.

The Return to Final Paper Examining in English National Curriculum Assessment and School Examinations: Issues of Validity, Accountability and Politics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Torrance, Harry

2018-01-01

There are sound educational and examining reasons for the use of coursework assessment and practical assessment of student work by teachers in schools for purposes of reporting examination grades. Coursework and practical work test a range of different curriculum goals to final papers and increase the validity and reliability of the result.…

National Freshman Attitudes Report, 2014: Special Focus on Career Decision-Making toward the Goal of College Completion. Ninth Annual National Research Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Noel-Levitz, Inc., 2014

2014-01-01

This annual report goes beyond the usual metrics of standardized test scores and high school transcripts to explore a wide range of non-cognitive attitudes that influence student retention and college completion rates for today's entering college freshmen. Findings are reported separately for four-year and two-year institutions, private and…

Acetabular revisions using porous tantalum components: A retrospective study with 5-10 years follow-up.

PubMed

Evola, Francesco Roberto; Costarella, Luciano; Evola, Giuseppe; Barchitta, Martina; Agodi, Antonella; Sessa, Giuseppe

2017-07-18

To evaluate the clinical and X-ray results of acetabular components and tantalum augments in prosthetic hip revisions. Fifty-eight hip prostheses with primary failure of the acetabular component were reviewed with tantalum implants. The clinical records and X-rays of these cases were retrospectively reviewed. Bone defect evaluations were based on preoperative CT scans and classified according to Paprosky criteria of Radiolucent lines and periprosthetic gaps; implant mobilization and osteolysis were evaluated by X-ray. An ad hoc database was created and statistical analyses were performed with SPSS software (IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, version 23.0). Statistical analyses were carried out using the Student's t test for independent and paired samples. A P value of < 0.05 was considered statistically significant and cumulative survival was calculated by the Kaplan-Meier method. The mean follow-up was 87.6 ± 25.6 mo (range 3-120 mo). 25 cases (43.1%) were classified as minor defects, and 33 cases (56.9%) as major defects. The preoperative HHS rating improved significantly from a mean of 40.7 ± 6.1 (range: 29-53) before revision, to a mean of 85.8 ± 6.1 (range: 70-94) at the end of the follow-up (Student's t test for paired samples: P < 0.001). Considering HHS only at the end of follow-up, no statistically significant difference was observed between patients with a major or minor defect (Student's t test for independent samples: P > 0.05). Radiolucent lines were found in 4 implants (6.9%). Postoperative acetabular gaps were observed in 5 hips (8.6%). No signs of implant mobilization or areas of periprosthetic osteolysis were found in the x-rays at the final follow-up. Only 3 implants failed: 1 case of infection and 2 cases of instability. Defined as the end-point, cumulative survival at 10 years was 95% (for all reasons) and 100% for aseptic loosening of the acetabular component. The medium-term use of prosthetic tantalum components in prosthetic hip revisions is safe and effective in a wide variety of acetabular bone defects.

Knowledge of HIV/AIDS and predictors of uptake of HIV counseling and testing among undergraduate students of a privately owned university in Nigeria.

PubMed

Abiodun, Olumide; Sotunsa, John; Ani, Franklin; Jaiyesimi, Ebunoluwa

2014-09-12

The spread of HIV/AIDS among the reproductive age group particularly young adults is a major public health concern in Nigeria. Lifestyles of students on university campuses put them at increased risk of contracting the HIV. The aim of this study was to assess the level of HIV/AIDS knowledge and to investigate the factors that were correlated with the uptake of and willingness to take up HIV counseling and testing. A cross-sectional study of 1,250 university students selected by 2-stage random sampling technique using self-administered questionnaire. The participants consisted of 57.7% females and 42.3% males with ages ranging from 15 to 32 years and a mean of 19.13 ± 2.32 years. The awareness of HIV was universal. The knowledge about HIV/AIDS was very high with a mean score of 8.18 ± 1.60 out of 10; and 97.1% of participants having good knowledge of HIV/AIDS. The major source of HIV/AIDS information was the mass media. There was a significant difference in knowledge of HIV/AIDS by gender where male students had better knowledge about HIV/AIDS than females [t (1225) = 3.179, p = 0.002]. While 95% of the participants knew where to get an HIV test done, only 30.4% had tested for HIV within the six months preceding the study. However, 72.2% of them were willing to test for HIV. There was no significant association between demographic characteristics and having tested for HIV in the preceding six months but there was significant association between willingness to have an HIV test and the participants' age groups, sex, marital status and their knowledge of HIV/AIDS. Participants who were aged 21 years and above and had good knowledge about HIV were more willing to take an HIV test. Females were more willing to take an HIV test than males. The participants' knowledge about HIV /AIDS was quite good, the willingness to have HIV test done was high and the knowledge of a place where test can be done was nearly universal yet HIV testing was low. Innovative school based programs should be put in place to leverage on the willingness to test and translate it to periodic HIV testing.

How do students implement collaborative testing in real-world contexts?

PubMed

Wissman, Kathryn T; Rawson, Katherine A

2016-01-01

Recent research has explored the effects of collaborative testing, showing costs and benefits during learning and for subsequent memory. However, no prior research is informative about whether and how students use collaborative testing in real-world contexts. Accordingly, the primary purpose of the current research was to explore the extent to which students use collaborative testing during self-regulated learning. We conducted three surveys (n = 692 across three samples) asking students about their use of collaborative testing, with a particular interest in conditions under which students report implementing collaborative testing. Among the key outcomes, a majority of students reported using collaborative testing when studying in a group. Additionally, students reported that key term definitions are the material most often used during collaborative testing. Students are also more motivated to use testing and believe testing is more effective and more fun when implemented in a group versus alone. Outcomes also shed light on metacognitive components of collaborative testing, with the student asking (versus answering) the question making the monitoring judgement whereas both students make the control decision about when to terminate practice. We discuss ways in which the collaborative memory literature can be extended to support more successful student learning.

Critical thinking evaluation in reflective writing: Development and testing of Carter Assessment of Critical Thinking in Midwifery (Reflection).

PubMed

Carter, Amanda G; Creedy, Debra K; Sidebotham, Mary

2017-11-01

develop and test a tool designed for use by academics to evaluate pre-registration midwifery students' critical thinking skills in reflective writing. a descriptive cohort design was used. a random sample (n = 100) of archived student reflective writings based on a clinical event or experience during 2014 and 2015. a staged model for tool development was used to develop a fifteen item scale involving item generation; mapping of draft items to critical thinking concepts and expert review to test content validity; inter-rater reliability testing; pilot testing of the tool on 100 reflective writings; and psychometric testing. Item scores were analysed for mean, range and standard deviation. Internal reliability, content and construct validity were assessed. expert review of the tool revealed a high content validity index score of 0.98. Using two independent raters to establish inter-rater reliability, good absolute agreement of 72% was achieved with a Kappa coefficient K = 0.43 (p<0.0001). Construct validity via exploratory factor analysis revealed three factors: analyses context, reasoned inquiry, and self-evaluation. The mean total score for the tool was 50.48 (SD = 12.86). Total and subscale scores correlated significantly. The scale achieved good internal reliability with a Cronbach's alpha coefficient of .93. this study establishedthe reliability and validity of the CACTiM (reflection) for use by academics to evaluate midwifery students' critical thinking in reflective writing. Validation with large diverse samples is warranted. reflective practice is a key learning and teaching strategy in undergraduate Bachelor of Midwifery programmes and essential for safe, competent practice. There is the potential to enhance critical thinking development by assessingreflective writing with the CACTiM (reflection) tool to provide formative and summative feedback to students and inform teaching strategies. Crown Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Assessment of representational competence in kinematics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Klein, P.; Müller, A.; Kuhn, J.

2017-06-01

A two-tier instrument for representational competence in the field of kinematics (KiRC) is presented, designed for a standard (1st year) calculus-based introductory mechanics course. It comprises 11 multiple choice (MC) and 7 multiple true-false (MTF) questions involving multiple representational formats, such as graphs, pictures, and formal (mathematical) expressions (1st tier). Furthermore, students express their answer confidence for selected items, providing additional information (2nd tier). Measurement characteristics of KiRC were assessed in a validation sample (pre- and post-test, N =83 and N =46 , respectively), including usefulness for measuring learning gain. Validity is checked by interviews and by benchmarking KiRC against related measures. Values for item difficulty, discrimination, and consistency are in the desired ranges; in particular, a good reliability was obtained (KR 20 =0.86 ). Confidence intervals were computed and a replication study yielded values within the latter. For practical and research purposes, KiRC as a diagnostic tool goes beyond related extant instruments both for the representational formats (e.g., mathematical expressions) and for the scope of content covered (e.g., choice of coordinate systems). Together with the satisfactory psychometric properties it appears a versatile and reliable tool for assessing students' representational competency in kinematics (and of its potential change). Confidence judgments add further information to the diagnostic potential of the test, in particular for representational misconceptions. Moreover, we present an analytic result for the question—arising from guessing correction or educational considerations—of how the total effect size (Cohen's d ) varies upon combination of two test components with known individual effect sizes, and then discuss the results in the case of KiRC (MC and MTF combination). The introduced method of test combination analysis can be applied to any test comprising two components for the purpose of finding effect size ranges.

Influence of medical student career aims on ophthalmic surgical simulator performance (part of the international forum for ophthalmic simulation studies).

PubMed

Gillan, S N; Okhravi, N; O'Sullivan, F; Sullivan, P; Viswanathan, A; Saleh, G M

2016-03-01

To evaluate whether medical students who have expressed a strong desire to pursue ophthalmology as a career perform simulated ophthalmic surgical tasks to a higher level than medical students whose interests lie elsewhere. All participants were fourth or fifth year students at University College London (UCL) Medical School, London, UK. One cohort was recruited from the Moorfields Academy, an ophthalmic forum designed to enhance collaboration and innovation within the specialty. These students were therefore seen as highly motivated, expressing a desire to pursue a career in ophthalmology. The other cohort of students was invited to participate during their fourth year UCL Ophthalmology attachment, but expressed interest in non-ophthalmic disciplines. Participants carried out a single attempt of three modules on the Eyesi Surgical Simulator, and total and mean scores were calculated out of 100. 13 academy and 15 non-academy students were enrolled. The overall mean scores were 51/100 for the academy group, range 0-97, and 45.5/100 for the non-academy group, range 0-90 (p=0.49). Scores for precision testing, forceps training and capsulorrhexis training for academy versus non-academy were 45.8 versus 37.8 (p=0.61), 57.1 versus 52.3 (p=0.8) and 50.2 versus 46.4 (p=0.55), respectively. This study is the first to suggest that medical students with a strong career interest in ophthalmology do not perform microsurgical tasks to a higher level than medical students who have no goal in this area. This also indicates variation in scores between novices, which may serve as a pitfall in the use of simulators as a tool for entry into training. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/

Is Teaching Simple Surgical Skills Using an Operant Learning Program More Effective Than Teaching by Demonstration?

PubMed

Levy, I Martin; Pryor, Karen W; McKeon, Theresa R

2016-04-01

A surgical procedure is a complex behavior that can be constructed from foundation or component behaviors. Both the component and the composite behaviors built from them are much more likely to recur if it they are reinforced (operant learning). Behaviors in humans have been successfully reinforced using the acoustic stimulus from a mechanical clicker, where the clicker serves as a conditioned reinforcer that communicates in a way that is language- and judgment-free; however, to our knowledge, the use of operant-learning principles has not been formally evaluated for acquisition of surgical skills. Two surgical tasks were taught and compared using two teaching strategies: (1) an operant learning methodology using a conditioned, acoustic reinforcer (a clicker) for positive reinforcement; and (2) a more classical approach using demonstration alone. Our goal was to determine whether a group that is taught a surgical skill using an operant learning procedure would more precisely perform that skill than a group that is taught by demonstration alone. Two specific behaviors, "tying the locking, sliding knot" and "making a low-angle drill hole," were taught to the 2014 Postgraduate Year (PGY)-1 class and first- and second-year medical students, using an operant learning procedure incorporating precise scripts along with acoustic feedback. The control groups, composed of PGY-1 and -2 nonorthopaedic surgical residents and first- and second-year medical students, were taught using demonstration alone. The precision and speed of each behavior was recorded for each individual by a single experienced surgeon, skilled in operant learning. The groups were then compared. The operant learning group achieved better precision tying the locking, sliding knot than did the control group. Twelve of the 12 test group learners tied the knot and precisely performed all six component steps, whereas only four of the 12 control group learners tied the knot and correctly performed all six component steps (the test group median was 10 [range, 10-10], the control group median was 0 [range, 0-10], p = 0.004). However, the median "time to tie the first knot" for the test group was longer than for the control group (test group median 271 seconds [range, 184-626 seconds], control group median 163 seconds [range 93-900 seconds], p = 0.017), whereas the "time to tie 10 of the locking, sliding knots" was the same for both groups (test group mean 95 seconds ± SD = 15 [range, 67-120 seconds], control group mean 95 seconds ± SD = 28 [range, 62-139 seconds], p = 0.996). For the low-angle drill hole test, the test group more consistently achieved the ideal six-step behavior for precisely drilling the low-angle hole compared with the control group (p = 0.006 for the median number of technique success comparison with an odds ratio [at the 95% confidence interval] of 82.3 [29.1-232.8]). The mean time to drill 10 low-angle holes was not different between the test group (mean 193 seconds ± SD = 26 [range, 153-222 seconds]) and the control group (mean 146 seconds ± SD = 63 [range, 114-294 seconds]) (p = 0.084). Operant learning occurs as the behavior is constructed and is highly reinforced with the result measured, not in the time saved, but in the ultimate outcome of an accurately built complex behavior. Level II, therapeutic study.

Associations among perceptual anomalies, social anxiety, and paranoia in a college student sample.

PubMed

Tone, Erin B; Goulding, Sandra M; Compton, Michael T

2011-07-30

Recent evidence suggests that normal-range paranoid ideation may be particularly likely to develop in individuals disposed to both social anxiety and perceptual anomalies. This study was designed to test the hypothesis that among college students in an unselected sample, social anxiety and experience of perceptual anomalies would not only each independently predict the experience of self-reported paranoid ideation, but would also interact to predict paranoid patterns of thought. A diverse sample of 644 students completed a large battery of self-report measures, as well as the five-factor Paranoia/Suspiciousness Questionnaire (PSQ). We conducted hierarchical multiple regression analyses predicting scores on each PSQ factor from responses on measures of social anxiety, perceptual aberration, and the interaction between the two constructs. Current general negative affect was covaried in all analyses. We found that both social anxiety and perceptual aberrations, along with negative affect, predicted multiple dimensions of paranoia as measured by the PSQ; the two constructs did not, however, interact significantly to predict any dimensions. Our findings suggest that perceptual aberration and anxiety may contribute to normal-range paranoid ideation in an additive rather than an interactive manner. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Color blindness defect and medical laboratory technologists: unnoticed problems and the care for screening.

PubMed

Dargahi, Hossein; Einollahi, Nahid; Dashti, Nasrin

2010-01-01

Color-blindness is the inability to perceive differences between some color that other people can distinguish. Using a literature search, the results indicate the prevalence of color vision deficiency in the medical profession and its on medical skills. Medical laboratory technicians and technologists employees should also screen for color blindness. This research aimed to study color blindness prevalence among Hospitals' Clinical Laboratories' Employees and Students in Tehran University of Medical Sciences (TUMS). A cross-sectional descriptive and analytical study was conducted among 633 TUMS Clinical Laboratory Sciences' Students and Hospitals' Clinical Laboratories' Employees to detect color-blindness problems by Ishihara Test. The tests were first screened with certain pictures, then compared to the Ishihara criteria to be possible color defective were tested further with other plates to determine color - blindness defects. The data was saved using with SPSS software and analyzed by statistical methods. This is the first study to determine the prevalence of color - blindness in Clinical Laboratory Sciences' Students and Employees. 2.4% of TUMS Medical Laboratory Sciences Students and Hospitals' Clinical Laboratories' Employees are color-blind. There is significant correlation between color-blindness and sex and age. But the results showed that there is not significant correlation between color-blindness defect and exposure to chemical agents, type of job, trauma and surgery history, history of familial defect and race. It would be a wide range of difficulties by color blinded students and employees in their practice of laboratory diagnosis and techniques with a potentially of errors. We suggest color blindness as a medical conditions should restrict employment choices for medical laboratory technicians and technologists job in Iran.

Frequency and characteristics of Internet use by Spanish teenagers. A cross-sectional study.

PubMed

Reolid-Martínez, Ricardo E; Flores-Copete, María; López-García, Mónica; Alcantud-Lozano, Pilar; Ayuso-Raya, María Candelaria; Escobar-Rabadán, Francisco

2016-02-01

Internet has completely changed communication among people in today's world, especially among young users. The objective of this study is to establish the frequency of Internet use by teenagers, and most used apps. This was a crosssectional study. In November 2013, students attending two mandatory secondary schools in Albacete were invited to complete a self-administered questionnaire with close-ended and open questions. Questionnaires were completed in the classroom, either "online" or "with pen and paper". Answers were entered in a computer database using the SPSS 17.0 software. Statistical analysis included a comparison of proportions (χ² test) and mean/median values (Student's t test/non-parametric tests). Nine hundred and sixty-seven students participated; their mean age was 13.8 years old (range: 11-20); 53.5% were girls. Most students (70.9%) lived in the city. Most belonged to a middle (51.3%) and high (34.8%) socioeconomic status. Also most students went online on a daily basis (73.4%); only 0.9% indicated that they never did. The most frequently used apps included WhatsApp (77.1%), social networks (70.1%) and music apps (66.6%). Among girls, the most common Internet use was social networks (p= 0.004), WhatsApp (p < 0.0001), Instagram (p < 0.0001) and listening to music (p= 0.004). Boys most commonly used the Internet to browse the web (p < 0.0001), Skype (p=0.001), play (p < 0.0001) andwatchmovies or TV shows (p= 0.035). Internet takes up a large part of the time in adolescents' lives, especially as a means of communications, being WhatsApp and social networks the most commonly used apps. Sociedad Argentina de Pediatría.

Visual imaging capacity and imagery control in Fine Arts students.

PubMed

Pérez-Fabello, Maria José; Campos, Alfredo; Gómez-Juncal, Rocío

2007-06-01

This study investigated relationships between visual imaging abilities (imaging capacity and imagery control) and academic performance in 146 Fine Arts students (31 men, 115 women). Mean age was 22.3 yr. (SD= 1.9; range 20-26 yr.). All of the participants who volunteered for the experiment regularly attended classes and were first, second, or third year students. For evaluation of imaging abilities, the Spanish versions of the Gordon Test of Visual Imagery Control, the Vividness of Visual Imagery Questionnaire, the Verbalizer-Visualizer Questionnaire, and Betts' Questionnaire Upon Mental Imagery were used. Academic performance was assessed in four areas, Drawing, Painting, Sculpture, and Complementary Subjects, over a three-year period. The results indicate that imagery control was associated with academic performance in Fine Arts. These findings are discussed in the context of previous studies, and new lines of research are proposed.

Study skills and habits in Shiraz dental students; strengths and weaknesses

PubMed Central

Zarshenas, Ladan; Danaei, Shahla Momeni; Mazarei, Elham; Najafi, Hooman Zarif; Shakour, Mahsa

2014-01-01

Introduction: The dental students, the same as other students, during their academic courses are required to learn a wide range of scientific subjects. Obviously, choosing the inappropriate method of study leads to confuse and disenchantment of students and it causes wasting of their energy. The purpose of this study was to assess the existing strengths and weaknesses of the skills and study habits in Dental Students of Shiraz University of Medical Sciences in 2009-10. Materials and Methods: In this cross-sectional study, all of the dental students (n = 274), who studied at the time of study at all levels in the academic year of 2009-10, were selected by the census. Data were collected by using the Huston University questionnaire consisted of two parts of demographic questions and 64 specific areas of study skills in eight domains of time management, concentration/memory, study aids/note taking, test strategies, information processing, motivation, self-assessment/reading, and writing skills. Following the retranslation of the questionnaire, the validity was confirmed by using the content validity method. The reliability was obtained by using the Cronbach's Alpha of 0.92. The data were analyzed with SPSS software version 17 and using analytical statistic tests. Results: Students who have previously participated in the study skills workshops had stronger skills in comparison with the students who had not participated in these workshops. Time management skills (P = 0.04), motivation (P = 0.0001) and information processing (P = 0.03) in students with professional status were in a more favorable position and showed significant differences in terms of educational levels. The study skills mean score of the students living in student housings in comparison with the other students were significantly higher (P = 0.04). Marital status showed no significant differences in reading skills. Conclusion and Recommendations: The review of study skills in the undergraduate and post-graduate dental students indicated that the residents had higher reading skills. By recognizing the existing strengths and weaknesses and holding programs through counseling centers can develop the study skills in the students. PMID:25013837

Student-Assisted Teaching: A Guide to Faculty-Student Teamwork.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Miller, Judith E., Ed.; Groccia, James E., Ed.; Miller, Marilyn S., Ed.

This book provides a range of models for undergraduate student-assisted teaching partnerships to help teachers and administrators make learning more student-centered, effective, and productive. The 31 models describes a range of approaches and applications in a variety of settings and disciplines. The chapters are: (1) "Establishing a Common…

Promoting medical students’ reflection on competencies to advance a global health equities curriculum

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background The move to frame medical education in terms of competencies – the extent to which trainees “can do” a professional responsibility - is congruent with calls for accountability in medical education. However, the focus on competencies might be a poor fit with curricula intended to prepare students for responsibilities not emphasized in traditional medical education. This study examines an innovative approach to the use of potential competency expectations related to advancing global health equity to promote students’ reflections and to inform curriculum development. Methods In 2012, 32 medical students were admitted into a newly developed Global Health and Disparities (GHD) Path of Excellence. The GHD program takes the form of mentored co-curricular activities built around defined competencies related to professional development and leadership skills intended to ameliorate health disparities in medically underserved settings, both domestically and globally. Students reviewed the GHD competencies from two perspectives: a) their ability to perform the identified competencies that they perceived themselves as holding as they began the GHD program and b) the extent to which they perceived that their future career would require these responsibilities. For both sets of assessments the response scale ranged from “Strongly Disagree” to “Strongly Agree.” Wilcoxon’s paired T-tests compared individual students’ ordinal rating of their current level of ability to their perceived need for competence that they anticipated their careers would require. Statistical significance was set at p < .01. Results Students’ ratings ranged from “strongly disagree” to “strongly agree” that they could perform the defined GHD-related competencies. However, on most competencies, at least 50 % of students indicated that the stated competencies were beyond their present ability level. For each competency, the results of Wilcoxon paired T-tests indicate – at statistically significant levels - that students perceive more need in their careers for GHD-program defined competencies than they currently possess. Conclusion This study suggests congruence between student and program perceptions of the scope of practice required for GHD. Students report the need for enhanced skill levels in the careers they anticipate. This approach to formulating and reflecting on competencies will guide the program’s design of learning experiences aligned with students’ career goals. PMID:24886229

Comparison of an indirect tri-planar myofascial release (MFR) technique and a hot pack for increasing range of motion.

PubMed

Kain, Jay; Martorello, Laura; Swanson, Edward; Sego, Sandra

2011-01-01

The purpose of the randomized clinical study was to scientifically assess which intervention increases passive range of motion most effectively: the indirect tri-planar myofascial release (MFR) technique or the application of hot packs for gleno-humeral joint flexion, extension, and abduction. A total of 31 participants from a sample of convenience were randomly assigned to examine whether or not MFR was as effective in increasing range of motion as hot packs. The sample consisted of students at American International College. Students were randomly assigned to two groups: hot pack application (N=13) or MFR technique (N=18). The independent variable was the intervention, either the tri-planar MFR technique or the hot pack application. Group one received the indirect tri-planar MFR technique once for 3min. Group two received one hot pack application for 20min. The dependent variables, passive gleno-humeral shoulder range of motion in shoulder flexion, shoulder extension, and shoulder abduction, were taken pre- and post-intervention for both groups. Data was analyzed through the use of a two-way factorial design with mixed-factors ANOVA. Prior to conducting the study, inter-rater reliability was established using three testers for goniometric measures. A 2 (type of intervention: hot packs or MFR) by 2 (pre-test or post-test) mixed-factors ANOVA was calculated. Significant increases in range of motion were found for flexion, extension and abduction when comparing pre-test scores to post-test scores. The results of the ANOVA showed that for passive range of motion no differences were found for flexion, extension and abduction between the effectiveness of hot packs and MFR. For each of the dependent variables measured, MFR was shown to be as effective as hot packs in increasing range of motion, supporting the hypothesis. Since there was no significant difference between the types of intervention, both the hot pack application and the MFR technique were found to be equally effective in increasing passive range of motion of the joint in flexion, extension, and abduction of the gleno-humeral joint. The indirect tri-planar intervention could be considered more effective as an intervention in terms of time spent with a patient and the number of patients seen in a 20-min period. No equipment is required to carry out the MFR intervention, whereby using a hot pack requires the hot pack, towels, and a hydraculator unit with the use of the indirect tri-planar intervention, a therapist could treat four to five patients in the time it would take for one standard hot pack treatment of 20min, less the hands-on intervention of the therapist. Copyright © 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Learning style preferences of nursing students at two universities in Iran and Malaysia

PubMed Central

Abdollahimohammad, Abdolghani; Ja’afar, Rogayah

2014-01-01

Purpose: Learning style preferences vary within the nursing field and there is no consensus on a predominant learning style preference in nursing students. The current study compared the learning style preferences of nursing students at two universities in Iran and Malaysia. Methods: A purposive sampling method was used to collect data from the two study populations. Data were collected using the Learning Style Scale (LSS), which is a valid and reliable inventory. The LSS consists of 22 items with five subscales including perceptive, solitary, analytic, imaginative, and competitive. The questionnaires were distributed at the end of the academic year during regular class time for optimum response. The Mann-Whitney U-test was used to compare the learning style preferences between the two study populations. Results: A significant difference was found in perceptive, solitary, and analytic learning styles between two groups of nursing students. However, there was no significant difference in imaginative and competitive learning styles between the two groups. Most of the students were in the middle range of the learning styles. Conclusion: There were similarities and differences in learning style preferences between Zabol Medical Sciences University (ZBMU) and University Sains Malaysia (USM) nursing students. The USM nursing students were more sociable and analytic learners, whereas the ZBMU nursing students were more solitary and perceptive learners. PMID:25417864

Learning style preferences of nursing students at two universities in Iran and Malaysia.

PubMed

Abdollahimohammad, Abdolghani; Ja'afar, Rogayah

2014-01-01

Learning style preferences vary within the nursing field and there is no consensus on a predominant learning style preference in nursing students. The current study compared the learning style preferences of nursing students at two universities in Iran and Malaysia. A purposive sampling method was used to collect data from the two study populations. Data were collected using the Learning Style Scale (LSS), which is a valid and reliable inventory. The LSS consists of 22 items with five subscales including perceptive, solitary, analytic, imaginative, and competitive. The questionnaires were distributed at the end of the academic year during regular class time for optimum response. The Mann-Whitney U-test was used to compare the learning style preferences between the two study populations. A significant difference was found in perceptive, solitary, and analytic learning styles between two groups of nursing students. However, there was no significant difference in imaginative and competitive learning styles between the two groups. Most of the students were in the middle range of the learning styles. There were similarities and differences in learning style preferences between Zabol Medical Sciences University (ZBMU) and University Sains Malaysia (USM) nursing students. The USM nursing students were more sociable and analytic learners, whereas the ZBMU nursing students were more solitary and perceptive learners.

Psychometric properties of the Calgary Cambridge guides to assess communication skills of undergraduate medical students.

PubMed

Simmenroth-Nayda, Anne; Heinemann, Stephanie; Nolte, Catharina; Fischer, Thomas; Himmel, Wolfgang

2014-12-06

The aim of this study was to analyse the psychometric properties of the short version of the Calgary Cambridge Guides and to decide whether it can be recommended for use in the assessment of communications skills in young undergraduate medical students. Using a translated version of the Guide, 30 members from the Department of General Practice rated 5 videotaped encounters between students and simulated patients twice. Item analysis should detect possible floor and/or ceiling effects. The construct validity was investigated using exploratory factor analysis. Intra-rater reliability was measured in an interval of 3 months, inter-rater reliability was assessed by the intraclass correlation coefficient. The score distribution of the items showed no ceiling or floor effects. Four of the five factors extracted from the factor analysis represented important constructs of doctor-patient communication The ratings for the first and second round of assessing the videos correlated at 0.75 (p<0.0001). Intraclass correlation coefficients for each item ranged were moderate and ranged from 0.05 to 0.57. Reasonable score distributions of most items without ceiling or floor effects as well as a good test-retest reliability and construct validity recommend the C-CG as an instrument for assessing communication skills in undergraduate medical students. Some deficiencies in inter-rater reliability are a clear indication that raters need a thorough instruction before using the C-CG.

Evaluation of gap filling skills and reading mistakes of cochlear implanted and normally hearing students.

PubMed

Çizmeci, Hülya; Çiprut, Ayça

2018-06-01

This study aimed to (1) evaluate the gap filling skills and reading mistakes of students with cochlear implants, and to (2) compare their results with those of their normal-hearing peers. The effects of implantation age and total time of cochlear implant use were analyzed in relation to the subjects' reading skills development. The study included 19 students who underwent cochlear implantation and 20 students with normal hearing, who were enrolled at the 6th to 8th grades. The subjects' ages ranged between 12 and 14 years old. Their reading skills were evaluated by using the Informal Reading Inventory. A significant relationship were found between implanted and normal-hearing students in terms of the percentages of reading error and the percentages of gap filling scores. The average order of the reading errors of students using cochlear implants was higher than that of normal-hearing students. As for the gap filling, the performances of implanted students in the passage are lower than those of their normal-hearing peers. No significant relationship was found between the variables tested in terms of age and duration of implantation on the reading performances of implanted students. Even if they were early implanted, there were significant differences in the reading performances of implanted students compared with those of their normal-hearing peers in older classes. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Nutritional knowledge, food habits and health attitude of Chinese university students--a cross sectional study.

PubMed

Sakamaki, Ruka; Toyama, Kenji; Amamoto, Rie; Liu, Chuan-Jun; Shinfuku, Naotaka

2005-02-09

We have previously shown that irregular lifestyle of young Japanese female students are significantly related to their desire to be thinner. In the present study, we examined the nutritional knowledge and food habits of Chinese university students and compared them with those of other Asian populations. A self-reported questionnaire was administered to 540 students, ranging in age from 19-24 years. Medical students from Beijing University (135 men and 150 women) in Northern China and Kunming Medical College in southern China (95 men and 160 women) participated in this study. The parametric variables were analyzed using the Student's t-test. Chi-square analyses were conducted for non-parametric variables. Our results showed that 80.5% of students had a normal BMI and 16.6 % of students were underweight with the prevalence of BMI>30 obesity being very low in this study sample. Young Chinese female students had a greater desire to be thinner (62.0%) than males (47.4%). Habits involving regular eating patterns and vegetable intake were reported and represent practices that ought to be encouraged. The university and college arenas represent the final opportunity for the health and nutritional education of a large number of students from the educator's perspective. Our findings suggest the need for strategies designed to improve competence in the area of nutrition.

Nutritional knowledge, food habits and health attitude of Chinese university students –a cross sectional study–

PubMed Central

Sakamaki, Ruka; Toyama, Kenji; Amamoto, Rie; Liu, Chuan-Jun; Shinfuku, Naotaka

2005-01-01

Background We have previously shown that irregular lifestyle of young Japanese female students are significantly related to their desire to be thinner. In the present study, we examined the nutritional knowledge and food habits of Chinese university students and compared them with those of other Asian populations. Methods A self-reported questionnaire was administered to 540 students, ranging in age from 19-24 years. Medical students from Beijing University (135 men and 150 women) in Northern China and Kunming Medical College in southern China (95 men and 160 women) participated in this study. The parametric variables were analyzed using the Student's t-test. Chi-square analyses were conducted for non-parametric variables Results Our results showed that 80.5% of students had a normal BMI and 16.6 % of students were underweight with the prevalence of BMI>30 obesity being very low in this study sample. Young Chinese female students had a greater desire to be thinner (62.0%) than males (47.4%). Habits involving regular eating patterns and vegetable intake were reported and represent practices that ought to be encouraged. Conclusions The university and college arenas represent the final opportunity for the health and nutritional education of a large number of students from the educator's perspective. Our findings suggest the need for strategies designed to improve competence in the area of nutrition. PMID:15703071

The students' ability in the mathematical literacy for uncertainty problems on the PISA adaptation test

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Julie, Hongki; Sanjaya, Febi; Anggoro, Ant. Yudhi

2017-08-01

One of purposes of this study was to describe the solution profile of the junior high school students for the PISA adaptation test. The procedures conducted by researchers to achieve this objective were (1) adapting the PISA test, (2) validating the adapting PISA test, (3) asking junior high school students to do the adapting PISA test, and (4) making the students' solution profile. The PISA problems for mathematics could be classified into four areas, namely quantity, space and shape, change and relationship, and uncertainty. The research results that would be presented in this paper were the result test for uncertainty problems. In the adapting PISA test, there were fifteen questions. Subjects in this study were 18 students from 11 junior high schools in Yogyakarta, Central Java, and Banten. The type of research that used by the researchers was a qualitative research. For the first uncertainty problem in the adapting test, 66.67% of students reached level 3. For the second uncertainty problem in the adapting test, 44.44% of students achieved level 4, and 33.33% of students reached level 3. For the third uncertainty problem in the adapting test n, 38.89% of students achieved level 5, 11.11% of students reached level 4, and 5.56% of students achieved level 3. For the part a of the fourth uncertainty problem in the adapting test, 72.22% of students reached level 4 and for the part b of the fourth uncertainty problem in the adapting test, 83.33% students achieved level 4.

Comparison of physical therapy anatomy performance and anxiety scores in timed and untimed practical tests.

PubMed

Schwartz, Sarah M; Evans, Cathy; Agur, Anne M R

2015-01-01

Students in health care professional programs face many stressful tests that determine successful completion of their program. Test anxiety during these high stakes examinations can affect working memory and lead to poor outcomes. Methods of decreasing test anxiety include lengthening the time available to complete examinations or evaluating students using untimed examinations. There is currently no consensus in the literature regarding whether untimed examinations provide a benefit to test performance in clinical anatomy. This study aimed to determine the impact of timed versus untimed practical tests on Master of Physical Therapy student anatomy performance and test anxiety. Test anxiety was measured using the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI). Differences in performance, anxiety scores, and time taken were compared using paired sample Student's t-tests. Eighty-one of the 84 students completed the study and provided feedback. Students performed significantly higher on the untimed test (P = 0.005), with a significant reduction in test anxiety (P < 0.001). Students who were unsuccessful on the timed test showed the greatest improvement on the untimed test ( x¯ = 20.4 ±10%). Eighty-three percent (n = 69) of students preferred the untimed test, 8.4% (n = 7) the timed test, and 8.4% (n = 7) had no preference. Students took on average eight minutes longer on the untimed test. This study found that physical therapy students perform better on untimed tests, which may be related to a reduction in test anxiety. If the intended goal of evaluating health care professional students is to determine fundamental competencies, these factors should be considered when designing future curricula. © 2014 American Association of Anatomists.

Aptitude Tests and Successful College Students: The Predictive Validity of the General Aptitude Test (GAT) in Saudi Arabia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alnahdi, Ghaleb Hamad

2015-01-01

Aptitude tests should predict student success at the university level. This study examined the predictive validity of the General Aptitude Test (GAT) in Saudi Arabia. Data for 27420 students enrolled at Prince Sattam bin Abdulaziz University were analyzed. Of these students, 17565 were male students, and 9855 were female students. Multiple…

Students' Test Motivation in PISA: The Case of Norway

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hopfenbeck, Therese N.; Kjaernsli, Marit

2016-01-01

Do students make their best effort in large-scale assessment studies such as the "Programme for International Student Assessment" (PISA)? Despite six cycles of PISA surveys from 2000 to 2015, empirical studies regarding students' test motivation and experience of the tests are sparse. The present study examines students' test motivation…

Self-Reported Drug and Alcohol Use and Attitudes toward Drug Testing in High Schools with Random Student Drug Testing

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

DuPont, Robert L.; Campbell, Michael D.; Campbell, Teresa G.; Shea, Corinne L.; DuPont, Helen S.

2013-01-01

Many schools implement random student drug testing (RSDT) programs as a drug prevention strategy. This study analyzes self-report surveys of students in eight secondary schools with well-established RSDT programs, comparing students who understood they were subject to testing and students who understood they were not subject to testing. Students…

Psychological distress and student engagement as mediators of the relationship between peer victimization and achievement in middle school youth.

PubMed

Totura, Christine M Wienke; Karver, Marc S; Gesten, Ellis L

2014-01-01

Peer victimization is a well-known national and international problem, contributing to a range of emotional, social, and behavioral consequences. Using structural equation modeling, the authors tested a theoretical model suggesting that psychological distress and student engagement mediate the association between the experience of victimization and concurrent academic achievement. Participants were 469 (46.4 % male, 53.6 % female) 6th to 8th grade students, from randomly selected classrooms in 11 middle schools in a southeastern school district. Structural equation models of the hypothesized effects demonstrated adequate fit to the data, with both symptoms of psychological distress and engagement mediating the relationship between victimization and academic achievement. In general, the results suggest that victimization predicts diminished academic achievement by way of psychological distress and poorer engagement in classroom and academic tasks. However, the direct relationship between victimization and measures of achievement lacked significance across many correlational and path analyses conducted. These findings have implications for researchers and practitioners in understanding how psychological distress and student engagement are associated with the academic performance of students who experience peer victimization.

Validation of an instrument to assess evidence-based practice knowledge, attitudes, access, and confidence in the dental environment.

PubMed

Hendricson, William D; Rugh, John D; Hatch, John P; Stark, Debra L; Deahl, Thomas; Wallmann, Elizabeth R

2011-02-01

This article reports the validation of an assessment instrument designed to measure the outcomes of training in evidence-based practice (EBP) in the context of dentistry. Four EBP dimensions are measured by this instrument: 1) understanding of EBP concepts, 2) attitudes about EBP, 3) evidence-accessing methods, and 4) confidence in critical appraisal. The instrument-the Knowledge, Attitudes, Access, and Confidence Evaluation (KACE)-has four scales, with a total of thirty-five items: EBP knowledge (ten items), EBP attitudes (ten), accessing evidence (nine), and confidence (six). Four elements of validity were assessed: consistency of items within the KACE scales (extent to which items within a scale measure the same dimension), discrimination (capacity to detect differences between individuals with different training or experience), responsiveness (capacity to detect the effects of education on trainees), and test-retest reliability. Internal consistency of scales was assessed by analyzing responses of second-year dental students, dental residents, and dental faculty members using Cronbach coefficient alpha, a statistical measure of reliability. Discriminative validity was assessed by comparing KACE scores for the three groups. Responsiveness was assessed by comparing pre- and post-training responses for dental students and residents. To measure test-retest reliability, the full KACE was completed twice by a class of freshman dental students seventeen days apart, and the knowledge scale was completed twice by sixteen faculty members fourteen days apart. Item-to-scale consistency ranged from 0.21 to 0.78 for knowledge, 0.57 to 0.83 for attitude, 0.70 to 0.84 for accessing evidence, and 0.87 to 0.94 for confidence. For discrimination, ANOVA and post hoc testing by the Tukey-Kramer method revealed significant score differences among students, residents, and faculty members consistent with education and experience levels. For responsiveness to training, dental students and residents demonstrated statistically significant changes, in desired directions, from pre- to post-test. For the student test-retest, Pearson correlations for KACE scales were as follows: knowledge 0.66, attitudes 0.66, accessing evidence 0.74, and confidence 0.76. For the knowledge scale test-retest by faculty members, the Pearson correlation was 0.79. The construct validity of the KACE is equivalent to that of instruments that assess similar EBP dimensions in medicine. Item consistency for the knowledge scale was more variable than for other KACE scales, a finding also reported for medically oriented EBP instruments. We conclude that the KACE has good discriminative validity, responsiveness to training effects, and test-retest reliability.

[Analysis of behavior related to use of the Internet, mobile telephones, compulsive shopping and gambling among university students].

PubMed

Ruiz-Olivares, Rosario; Lucena, Valentina; Pino, M José; Herruzo, Javier

2010-01-01

The aim of this study is to obtain knowledge about habits related to addictive behaviour (pathological gambling, Internet, compulsive shopping, use of mobile telephones, etc.) that may be displayed by young students at the University of Cordoba (Spain), and to relate this behaviour with variables such as age, sex, course year, macro-field of study (arts/sciences) and the consumption of substances such as alcohol, tobacco, cannabis and cocaine. Using an ex-post facto single-group design (Montero & Leon, 2007), we applied a questionnaire especially designed to gather socio-demographic information on substance use and behavioural patterns related to "non-substance" addictions, which included the Shopping Addiction Test, Echeburua's Internet Addiction Test (2003) and Fernandez-Montalvo and Echeburua's Short Pathological Gambling Questionnaire (1997). A total of 1,011 students participated in the study (42.7% males and 57.3% females), with an age range of 18 to 29. Significant differences were found between mean score on the questionnaires and variables such as age, sex, field of studies and course year. It would seem that being female is a protective factor for Internet and gambling addiction, being a sciences student is a risk factor for gambling addiction, and being older and being an arts student are risk factors for shopping addiction. In conclusion, it can be stated that the students surveyed showed moderate incidence of behaviours such as Internet browsing, gambling, shopping and mobile phone use, whilst a very small group are close to having an addiction problem with such behaviours.

Medical students’ perceptions of their learning environment during a mandatory research project

PubMed Central

Ponzer, Sari; Shoshan, Maria

2017-01-01

Objectives To explore medical students´ perceptions of their learning environment during a mandatory 20-week scientific research project.  Methods This cross-sectional study was conducted between 2011 and 2013. A total of 651 medical students were asked to fill in the Clinical Learning Environment, Supervision, and Nurse Teacher (CLES+T) questionnaire, and 439 (mean age 26 years, range 21-40, 60% females) returned the questionnaire, which corresponds to a response rate of 67%. The Mann-Whitney U test or the Kruskal-Wallis test were used to compare the research environments. Results The item My workplace can be regarded as a good learning environment correlated strongly with the item There were sufficient meaningful learning situations (r= 0.71, p<0.001). Overall satisfaction with supervision correlated strongly with the items interaction (r=0.78, p < 0.001), feedback (r=0.76, p<0.001), and a sense of trust (r=0.71, p < 0.001).  Supervisors´ failures to bridge the gap between theory and practice or to explain intended learning outcomes were important negative factors.  Students with basic science or epidemiological projects rated their learning environments higher than did students with clinical projects (χ2(3, N=437)=20.29, p<0.001). Conclusions A good research environment for medical students comprises multiple meaningful learning activities, individual supervision with continuous feedback, and a trustful atmosphere including interactions with the whole staff.  Students should be advised that clinical projects might require a higher degree of student independence than basic science projects, which are usually performed in research groups where members work in close collaboration. PMID:29056611

The development of a questionnaire to measure students' motivation towards science learning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tuan, Hsiao-Lin; Chin, Chi-Chin; Shieh, Shyang-Horng

2005-06-01

The purpose of this study was to develop a questionnaire that measures students' motivation toward science learning (SMTSL). Six scales were developed: self-efficacy, active learning strategies, science learning value, performance goal, achievement goal, and learning environment stimulation. In total, 1407 junior high school students from central Taiwan, varying in grades, sex, and achievements, were selected by stratified random sampling to respond to the questionnaire. The Cronbach alpha for the entire questionnaire was 0.89; for each scale, alpha ranged from 0.70 to 0.89. There were significant correlations (p?<?0.01) of the SMTSL questionnaire with students' science attitudes (r?=?0.41), and with the science achievement test in previous and current semesters (rp?=?0.40 and rc?=?0.41). High motivators and low motivators showed a significant difference (p?<?0.01) on their SMTSL scores. Findings of the study confirmed the validity and reliability of the SMTSL questionnaire. Implications for using the SMTSL questionnaire in research and in class are discussed in the paper.

Does previous healthcare experience increase success in physician assistant training?

PubMed

Hegmann, Theresa; Iverson, Katie

2016-06-01

Healthcare experience is used by many physician assistant (PA) programs to rank applicants. Despite a large healthcare literature base evaluating admissions factors, little information is available on the relationship of healthcare experience and educational outcomes. We aimed to test whether previous healthcare experience is associated with increased success during the clinical portion of the PA educational process. Hours of direct healthcare experience reported on Central Application Service for Physician Assistants applications for 124 students in the classes of 2009 through 2013 were associated with a calculated average preceptor evaluation score for each student and with average standardized-patient examination scores for a subset of students. Average student age was 28.7 years and median healthcare experience was 2,257 hours (range 390-16,400). Previous healthcare experience was not significantly correlated with preceptor evaluations or standardized-patient examination scores. This 5-year single institution pilot study did not support the hypothesis that healthcare experience is associated with improved clinical year outcomes.

Risk of disordered eating attitudes among male adolescents in five Emirates of the United Arab Emirates.

PubMed

Musaiger, Abdulrahman O; Al-Mannai, Mariam; Al-Lalla, Osama

2014-12-01

The aim of this study was to highlight the prevalence of disordered eating attitudes among male adolescents in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). A multistage stratified sampling method was used to select 731 male students aged 15-18 years from five Emirates of the UAE. The Eating Attitudes Test (EAT-26) was used to determine the prevalence of disordered eating attitudes in students. The findings revealed that the proportion of disordered eating attitudes in the UAE was relatively high compared with many developing and developed countries and ranged from 33.1% to 49.1%. Moreover, students living in the Emirates of Dubai and Al-Fujairah have double the risk of having disordered eating attitudes compared with students living in the other Emirates. The results suggest the need for screening adolescents for eating disorders, as well as for increased awareness and understanding of eating disorders and their associated risk factors in all male adolescents in the UAE. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Weight, socio-demographics, and health behaviour related correlates of academic performance in first year university students.

PubMed

Deliens, Tom; Clarys, Peter; De Bourdeaudhuij, Ilse; Deforche, Benedicte

2013-12-17

This study aimed to examine differences in socio-demographics and health behaviour between Belgian first year university students who attended all final course exams and those who did not. Secondly, this study aimed to identify weight and health behaviour related correlates of academic performance in those students who attended all course exams. Anthropometrics of 101 first year university students were measured at both the beginning of the first (T1) and second (T2) semester of the academic year. An on-line health behaviour questionnaire was filled out at T2. As a measure of academic performance student end-of-year Grade Point Averages (GPA) were obtained from the university's registration office. Independent samples t-tests and chi2-tests were executed to compare students who attended all course exams during the first year of university and students who did not carry through. Uni- and multivariate linear regression analyses were conducted to identify correlates of academic performance in students who attended all course exams during the first year of university. Students who did not attend all course exams were predominantly male, showed higher increases in waist circumference during the first semester and consumed more French fries than those who attended all final course exams. Being male, lower secondary school grades, increases in weight, Body Mass Index and waist circumference over the first semester, more gaming on weekdays, being on a diet, eating at the student restaurant more frequently, higher soda and French fries consumption, and higher frequency of alcohol use predicted lower GPA's in first year university students. When controlled for each other, being on a diet and higher frequency of alcohol use remained significant in the multivariate regression model, with frequency of alcohol use being the strongest correlate of GPA. This study, conducted in Belgian first year university students, showed that academic performance is associated with a wide range of weight and health related behaviours. Future studies should investigate whether interventions aiming at promoting healthy behaviours among students could also have a positive impact on academic performance.

Weight, socio-demographics, and health behaviour related correlates of academic performance in first year university students

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background This study aimed to examine differences in socio-demographics and health behaviour between Belgian first year university students who attended all final course exams and those who did not. Secondly, this study aimed to identify weight and health behaviour related correlates of academic performance in those students who attended all course exams. Methods Anthropometrics of 101 first year university students were measured at both the beginning of the first (T1) and second (T2) semester of the academic year. An on-line health behaviour questionnaire was filled out at T2. As a measure of academic performance student end-of-year Grade Point Averages (GPA) were obtained from the university’s registration office. Independent samples t-tests and chi 2 -tests were executed to compare students who attended all course exams during the first year of university and students who did not carry through. Uni- and multivariate linear regression analyses were conducted to identify correlates of academic performance in students who attended all course exams during the first year of university. Results Students who did not attend all course exams were predominantly male, showed higher increases in waist circumference during the first semester and consumed more French fries than those who attended all final course exams. Being male, lower secondary school grades, increases in weight, Body Mass Index and waist circumference over the first semester, more gaming on weekdays, being on a diet, eating at the student restaurant more frequently, higher soda and French fries consumption, and higher frequency of alcohol use predicted lower GPA’s in first year university students. When controlled for each other, being on a diet and higher frequency of alcohol use remained significant in the multivariate regression model, with frequency of alcohol use being the strongest correlate of GPA. Conclusions This study, conducted in Belgian first year university students, showed that academic performance is associated with a wide range of weight and health related behaviours. Future studies should investigate whether interventions aiming at promoting healthy behaviours among students could also have a positive impact on academic performance. PMID:24344995

What does "disability" mean for medical students? An exploration of the words medical students associate with the term "disability".

PubMed

Byron, Margaret; Cockshott, Zoë; Brownett, Hilary; Ramkalawan, Tina

2005-02-01

Disability teaching is a core theme in undergraduate medical education. Medical students bring a range of experiences of disability to their medical training. The principal aim of this study was to explore the words that medical students associate with the term "disability" and to consider how the resulting information could inform teaching. A secondary aim was to see if a short disability course changed the word associations. Students were asked to write down 2 words that came to mind when they heard the word "disability", before and after a 4-day course in disability. Words from 4 cohorts were analysed by frequency and the following word dichotomies: visual icons/personal attributes; loss/enabling, and medical model/social model. A random sample of students took part in focus groups at the beginning and end of the course. A total of 381 students provided 667 before-course words and 189 students provided 336 after-course words. Before the course, words denoting visual icons of disability, and loss were prominent, accounting for 85% of the words, and 74% of the words describing personal attributes were negative. Focus group responses at this stage reflected an eagerness to help but patronising terms were prominent, along with concern about political correctness. Students also expressed nervousness about encountering disabled people. In response, teaching was adapted to make it more learner-focused, to offer a safe environment in which students can test out their language, to build on the positive associations and to develop a range of pre-course creative activities with disabled people. After the course a considerable and significant shift in emphasis was observed, with a reduction in the use of visual icon words, an increase in words denoting enablement, and an increase in words relating to the social model of disability and to positive personal attributes (P < 0.001). Focus group participants at this stage reported greater confidence in approaching disabled people but continued to question political correctness. Medical students associate disability predominantly with depersonalised or negative words. A short disability course appears to change these associations. Reasons for this and implications for teaching are discussed.

The relationship between study strategies and academic performance.

PubMed

Zhou, Yuanyuan; Graham, Lori; West, Courtney

2016-10-07

To investigate if and to what extent the Learning and Study Strategy Inventory (LASSI) and the Self-Directed Learning Readiness Scale (SDLRS) yield academic performance predictors; To examine if LASSI findings are consistent with previous research. Medical school students completed the LASSI and SDLRS before their first and second years (n = 168). Correlational and regression analyses were used to determine the predictive value of the LASSI and the SDLRS. Paired t-tests were used to test if the two measurement points differed. Bivariate correlations and R 2 s were compared with five other relevant studies. The SDLRS was moderately correlated with all LASSI subscales in both measures (r (152) =.255, p=.001) to (r (152) =.592, p =.000). The first SDLRS, nor the first LASSI, were predictive of academic performance. The second LASSI measure was a significant predictor of academic performance (R 2 (138) = 0.188, p = .003). Six prior LASSI studies yielded a range of R 2 s from 10-49%. The SDLRS is moderately correlated with all LASSI subscales. However, the predictive value of the SDLRS and LASSI differ. The SDLRS does not appear to be directly related to academic performance, but LASSI subscales: Concentration, Motivation, Time Management, and Test Strategies tend to be correlated. The explained LASSI variance ranges from 10% to 49%, indicating a small to substantial effect. Utilizing the LASSI to provide medical school students with information about their strengths and weaknesses and implementing targeted support in specific study strategies may yield positive academic performance outcomes.

Sibling care, school performance, and depression among adolescent caretakers in Cambodia.

PubMed

Yi, Siyan; Poudel, Krishna C; Yasuoka, Junko; Palmer, Paula H; Yi, Songky; Yanagisawa, Satoko; Jimba, Masamine

2012-06-01

In many resource-poor countries, home-based care for young children is crucial. Yet little has been known about the negative impacts of sibling caretaking on mental health conditions of adolescent student caretakers. This study explored associations between sibling caretaking, school performance, and depression among 1943 students randomly selected from 11 junior high and high schools in Cambodia. The Asian Adolescent Depression Scale was used to measure depressive symptoms. In bivariate analyses, we used χ(2) test or Fisher's exact test for categorical variables and t-test or one-way analysis of variance for continuous variables. Multiple linear regression models were then constructed. Of total, 60.1% of our participants took care of their younger sibling(s) regularly during the past one year. The number of siblings under their care ranged from one to nine, and the time they spent for sibling care ranged from one to 10h per day. After adjustment, increased levels of depressive symptoms remained significantly associated among boys with sibling caretaking (p<0.001), as well as poor school performance (p=0.001) and perceived likelihood of dropping out of school in the near future (p=0.002). Among girls, increased levels of depressive symptoms retained their significant association with sibling caretaking (p<0.001); also poor school performance (p<0.001). Sibling care responsibility might have negative impact on school performance and the mental health condition of adolescent caretakers. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Development of the Solar System Concept Inventory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hornstein, S.; Prather, E.

2009-12-01

Concept inventories can provide useful insight into students’ understanding of key physical concepts. Knowing what your students have learned during a course is a valuable tool for improving your own teaching. Unfortunately, current astronomy concept inventories are not suitable for an introductory solar system course because they either cover too broad of a range of topics (e.g. Astronomy Diagnostic Test) or are too narrowly focused (e.g. Greenhouse Effect Concept Inventory, Lunar Phase Concept Inventory). We have developed the Solar System Concept Inventory (SSCI) to cover those topics commonly taught in an introductory solar system course. The topics included on the SSCI were selected by having faculty identify the key concepts they address when teaching about the solar system. SSCI topics include formation mechanisms, planetary interiors, atmospheric effects, and small solar system bodies. Student interviews were conducted to identify common naive ideas and reasoning difficulties relating to these key topics. The SSCI has been through two semesters of national, multi-institutional field-testing, involving over 1500 students. After the first semester of testing, question statistics were used to flag ineffective questions and flagged questions were revised or eliminated. We will present an overall outline of the SSCI development as well as our question-flagging criteria and question analyses from the latest round of field-testing. We would like to thank the NSF for funding under Grant No. 0715517, a CCLI Phase III Grant for the Collaboration of Astronomy Teaching Scholars (CATS) Program.

Inter-rater and test-retest reliability of quality assessments by novice student raters using the Jadad and Newcastle-Ottawa Scales.

PubMed

Oremus, Mark; Oremus, Carolina; Hall, Geoffrey B C; McKinnon, Margaret C

2012-01-01

Quality assessment of included studies is an important component of systematic reviews. The authors investigated inter-rater and test-retest reliability for quality assessments conducted by inexperienced student raters. Student raters received a training session on quality assessment using the Jadad Scale for randomised controlled trials and the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS) for observational studies. Raters were randomly assigned into five pairs and they each independently rated the quality of 13-20 articles. These articles were drawn from a pool of 78 papers examining cognitive impairment following electroconvulsive therapy to treat major depressive disorder. The articles were randomly distributed to the raters. Two months later, each rater re-assessed the quality of half of their assigned articles. McMaster Integrative Neuroscience Discovery and Study Program. 10 students taking McMaster Integrative Neuroscience Discovery and Study Program courses. The authors measured inter-rater reliability using κ and the intraclass correlation coefficient type 2,1 or ICC(2,1). The authors measured test-retest reliability using ICC(2,1). Inter-rater reliability varied by scale question. For the six-item Jadad Scale, question-specific κs ranged from 0.13 (95% CI -0.11 to 0.37) to 0.56 (95% CI 0.29 to 0.83). The ranges were -0.14 (95% CI -0.28 to 0.00) to 0.39 (95% CI -0.02 to 0.81) for the NOS cohort and -0.20 (95% CI -0.49 to 0.09) to 1.00 (95% CI 1.00 to 1.00) for the NOS case-control. For overall scores on the six-item Jadad Scale, ICC(2,1)s for inter-rater and test-retest reliability (accounting for systematic differences between raters) were 0.32 (95% CI 0.08 to 0.52) and 0.55 (95% CI 0.41 to 0.67), respectively. Corresponding ICC(2,1)s for the NOS cohort were -0.19 (95% CI -0.67 to 0.35) and 0.62 (95% CI 0.25 to 0.83), and for the NOS case-control, the ICC(2,1)s were 0.46 (95% CI -0.13 to 0.92) and 0.83 (95% CI 0.48 to 0.95). Inter-rater reliability was generally poor to fair and test-retest reliability was fair to excellent. A pilot rating phase following rater training may be one way to improve agreement.

Students' perceptions of the Undergraduate Medicine and Health Sciences Admissions Test (UMAT).

PubMed

Dhar, Divya; Perry, William R G; Poole, Phillippa

2012-09-07

Medical schools are still evaluating the place of general cognitive tests in medical student selection. This study explored medical student perceptions of UMAT, and how they prepared for taking the test. Medical students at The University of Auckland and University of Otago in New Zealand were invited to complete a mixed-modality survey. Students had reservations, with 56% reporting UMAT is not an important test for medical students' selection and 67% that it is not a fair test. Eighty-one percent believe it is a stressful or very stressful test. The degree of importance or stress related to the weighting of UMAT in selection decisions. More than half of students spent more than $100 on books and $400 on courses to prepare for UMAT, in addition to the costs of sitting the test. At present, the majority of medical students in New Zealand who responded to the survey do not see UMAT as an acceptable test of non-cognitive attributes. It is costly to students and also stressful.

Do MCAT scores predict USMLE scores? An analysis on 5 years of medical student data.

PubMed

Gauer, Jacqueline L; Wolff, Josephine M; Jackson, J Brooks

2016-01-01

The purpose of this study was to determine the associations and predictive values of Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) component and composite scores prior to 2015 with U.S. Medical Licensure Exam (USMLE) Step 1 and Step 2 Clinical Knowledge (CK) scores, with a focus on whether students scoring low on the MCAT were particularly likely to continue to score low on the USMLE exams. Multiple linear regression, correlation, and chi-square analyses were performed to determine the relationship between MCAT component and composite scores and USMLE Step 1 and Step 2 CK scores from five graduating classes (2011-2015) at the University of Minnesota Medical School ( N =1,065). The multiple linear regression analyses were both significant ( p <0.001). The three MCAT component scores together explained 17.7% of the variance in Step 1 scores ( p< 0.001) and 12.0% of the variance in Step 2 CK scores ( p <0.001). In the chi-square analyses, significant, albeit weak associations were observed between almost all MCAT component scores and USMLE scores (Cramer's V ranged from 0.05 to 0.24). Each of the MCAT component scores was significantly associated with USMLE Step 1 and Step 2 CK scores, although the effect size was small. Being in the top or bottom scoring range of the MCAT exam was predictive of being in the top or bottom scoring range of the USMLE exams, although the strengths of the associations were weak to moderate. These results indicate that MCAT scores are predictive of student performance on the USMLE exams, but, given the small effect sizes, should be considered as part of the holistic view of the student.

Do MCAT scores predict USMLE scores? An analysis on 5 years of medical student data

PubMed Central

Gauer, Jacqueline L.; Wolff, Josephine M.; Jackson, J. Brooks

2016-01-01

Introduction The purpose of this study was to determine the associations and predictive values of Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) component and composite scores prior to 2015 with U.S. Medical Licensure Exam (USMLE) Step 1 and Step 2 Clinical Knowledge (CK) scores, with a focus on whether students scoring low on the MCAT were particularly likely to continue to score low on the USMLE exams. Method Multiple linear regression, correlation, and chi-square analyses were performed to determine the relationship between MCAT component and composite scores and USMLE Step 1 and Step 2 CK scores from five graduating classes (2011–2015) at the University of Minnesota Medical School (N=1,065). Results The multiple linear regression analyses were both significant (p<0.001). The three MCAT component scores together explained 17.7% of the variance in Step 1 scores (p<0.001) and 12.0% of the variance in Step 2 CK scores (p<0.001). In the chi-square analyses, significant, albeit weak associations were observed between almost all MCAT component scores and USMLE scores (Cramer's V ranged from 0.05 to 0.24). Discussion Each of the MCAT component scores was significantly associated with USMLE Step 1 and Step 2 CK scores, although the effect size was small. Being in the top or bottom scoring range of the MCAT exam was predictive of being in the top or bottom scoring range of the USMLE exams, although the strengths of the associations were weak to moderate. These results indicate that MCAT scores are predictive of student performance on the USMLE exams, but, given the small effect sizes, should be considered as part of the holistic view of the student. PMID:27702431

How Do Tests and Summary Writing Tasks Enhance Long-Term Retention of Students with Different Levels of Test Anxiety?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mok, Wilson Shun; Chan, Winnie Wai

2016-01-01

Testing has been found to facilitate students' long-term retention of information. However, the learning performance of highly test-anxious students can be impaired by tests. Thus, these students may learn ineffectively in a testing context. By contrast, summary writing may not trigger test anxiety and is therefore another learning strategy to…

Psychometric properties of the Medical Student Well-Being Index among medical students in a Malaysian medical school.

PubMed

Yusoff, Muhamad Saiful Bahri; Yaacob, Mohd Jamil; Naing, Nyi Nyi; Esa, Ab Rahman

2013-02-01

This study evaluated the convergent, discriminant, construct, concurrent and discriminative validity of the Medical Student Wellbeing Index (MSWBI) as well as to evaluate its internal consistency and optimal cut-off total scores to detect at least moderate levels of general psychological distress, stress, anxiety and depression symptoms. A cross sectional study was done on 171 medical students. The MSWBI and DASS-21 were administered and returned immediately upon completion. Confirmatory factor analysis, reliability analysis, ROC analysis and Pearson correlation test were applied to assess psychometric properties of the MSWBI. A total of 168 (98.2%) medical students responded. The goodness of fit indices showed the MSWBI had a good construct (χ(2)=6.14, p=0.803, RMSEA<0.001, RMR=0.004, GFI=0.99, AGFI=0.97, CFI=1.00, IFI=1.02, TLI=1.04). The Cronbach's alpha value was 0.69 indicating an acceptable level of internal consistency. Pearson correlation coefficients and ROC analysis suggested each MSWBI's item showed adequate convergent and discriminant validity. Its optimal cut-off scores to detect at least moderate levels of general psychological distress, stress, anxiety, and depression were 1.5, 2.5, 1.5 and 2.5 respectively with sensitivity and specificity ranged from 62 to 80% and the areas under ROC curve ranged from 0.71 to 0.83. This study showed that the MSWBI had good level of psychometric properties. The MSWBI score more than 2 can be considered as having significant psychological distress. The MSWBI is a valid and reliable screening instrument to assess psychological distress of medical students. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Anaerobic performances of sedentary and trained subjects.

PubMed

Serresse, O; Ama, P F; Simoneau, J A; Lortie, G; Bouchard, C; Boulay, M R

1989-03-01

The objective of this report was to compare the performance of sedentary individuals, physical education students, and athletes of various disciplines in 10 s and 90 s maximal cycle ergometer tests. The 10 s power was the highest power output in one second from the 10 s test, while capacities were defined as the total work output during the best 10 s trial and the 90 s test. ANOVA and Duncan multiple range test indicated that the mean values of the 10 S power and capacity and the 90 S capacity tests were significantly higher in sprinter than in sedentary groups. Sprinters performed significantly better than marathon runners only in the 10 s capacity and power. Bodybuilders and sedentary subjects had similar results in the 90 s capacity test. Mean performance values per kilogram of body weight in sedentary females reached about 60% of sedentary males while marathon runners, physical education students and sprinter females reached about 80% of the male performances for the three indicators. When expressed per kilogram of fat-free mass, females reached a higher proportion of the male values for all performances. These results indicate that: a) there are differences for the power and capacity measured in predominantly anaerobic tests between athletes from different disciplines and sedentary individuals, and b) gender differences exist for these anaerobic performance indicators, but they appear attenuated in trained subjects.

Educational Projects in Unmanned Aerial Systems at the NASA Ames Research Center

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dahlgren, Robert P.

2017-01-01

Unmanned aerial systems (UAS), autonomy and robotics technology have been fertile ground for developing a wide variety of interdisciplinary student learning opportunities. In this talk, several projects will be described that leverage small fixed-wing UAS that have been modified to carry science payloads. These aircraft provide a unique hands-on experience for a wide range of students from college juniors to graduate students pursuing degrees in electrical engineering, aeronautical engineering, mechanical engineering, applied mathematics, physics, structural engineering and other majors. By combining rapid prototyping, design reuse and open-source philosophies, a sustainable educational program has been organized structured as full-time internships during the summer, part-time internships during the school year, short details for military cadets, and paid positions. As part of this program, every summer one or more UAS is developed from concept through design, build and test phases using the tools and facilities at the NASA Ames Research Center, ultimately obtaining statements of airworthiness and flight release from the Agency before test flights are performed. In 2016 and 2017 student projects focused on the theme of 3D printed modular airframes that may be optimized for a given mission and payload. Now in its fifth year this program has served over 35 students, and has provided a rich learning experience as they learn to rapidly develop new aircraft concepts in a highly regulated environment, on systems that will support principal investigators at university, NASA, and other US federal agencies.

Development of an Item Bank for the Assessment of Knowledge on Biology in Argentine University Students.

PubMed

Cupani, Marcos; Zamparella, Tatiana Castro; Piumatti, Gisella; Vinculado, Grupo

The calibration of item banks provides the basis for computerized adaptive testing that ensures high diagnostic precision and minimizes participants' test burden. This study aims to develop a bank of items to measure the level of Knowledge on Biology using the Rasch model. The sample consisted of 1219 participants that studied in different faculties of the National University of Cordoba (mean age = 21.85 years, SD = 4.66; 66.9% are women). The items were organized in different forms and into separate subtests, with some common items across subtests. The students were told they had to answer 60 questions of knowledge on biology. Evaluation of Rasch model fit (Zstd >|2.0|), differential item functioning, dimensionality, local independence, item and person separation (>2.0), and reliability (>.80) resulted in a bank of 180 items with good psychometric properties. The bank provides items with a wide range of content coverage and may serve as a sound basis for computerized adaptive testing applications. The contribution of this work is significant in the field of educational assessment in Argentina.

Secondary Psychometric Examination of the Dimensional Obsessive-Compulsive Scale: Classical Testing, Item Response Theory, and Differential Item Functioning.

PubMed

Thibodeau, Michel A; Leonard, Rachel C; Abramowitz, Jonathan S; Riemann, Bradley C

2015-12-01

The Dimensional Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (DOCS) is a promising measure of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) symptoms but has received minimal psychometric attention. We evaluated the utility and reliability of DOCS scores. The study included 832 students and 300 patients with OCD. Confirmatory factor analysis supported the originally proposed four-factor structure. DOCS total and subscale scores exhibited good to excellent internal consistency in both samples (α = .82 to α = .96). Patient DOCS total scores reduced substantially during treatment (t = 16.01, d = 1.02). DOCS total scores discriminated between students and patients (sensitivity = 0.76, 1 - specificity = 0.23). The measure did not exhibit gender-based differential item functioning as tested by Mantel-Haenszel chi-square tests. Expected response options for each item were plotted as a function of item response theory and demonstrated that DOCS scores incrementally discriminate OCD symptoms ranging from low to extremely high severity. Incremental differences in DOCS scores appear to represent unbiased and reliable differences in true OCD symptom severity. © The Author(s) 2014.

The Colorado Learning Attitudes about Science Survey (CLASS) for use in Biology.

PubMed

Semsar, Katharine; Knight, Jennifer K; Birol, Gülnur; Smith, Michelle K

2011-01-01

This paper describes a newly adapted instrument for measuring novice-to-expert-like perceptions about biology: the Colorado Learning Attitudes about Science Survey for Biology (CLASS-Bio). Consisting of 31 Likert-scale statements, CLASS-Bio probes a range of perceptions that vary between experts and novices, including enjoyment of the discipline, propensity to make connections to the real world, recognition of conceptual connections underlying knowledge, and problem-solving strategies. CLASS-Bio has been tested for response validity with both undergraduate students and experts (biology PhDs), allowing student responses to be directly compared with a consensus expert response. Use of CLASS-Bio to date suggests that introductory biology courses have the same challenges as introductory physics and chemistry courses: namely, students shift toward more novice-like perceptions following instruction. However, students in upper-division biology courses do not show the same novice-like shifts. CLASS-Bio can also be paired with other assessments to: 1) examine how student perceptions impact learning and conceptual understanding of biology, and 2) assess and evaluate how pedagogical techniques help students develop both expertise in problem solving and an expert-like appreciation of the nature of biology.

The Colorado Learning Attitudes about Science Survey (CLASS) for Use in Biology

PubMed Central

Semsar, Katharine; Knight, Jennifer K.; Birol, Gülnur; Smith, Michelle K.

2011-01-01

This paper describes a newly adapted instrument for measuring novice-to-expert-like perceptions about biology: the Colorado Learning Attitudes about Science Survey for Biology (CLASS-Bio). Consisting of 31 Likert-scale statements, CLASS-Bio probes a range of perceptions that vary between experts and novices, including enjoyment of the discipline, propensity to make connections to the real world, recognition of conceptual connections underlying knowledge, and problem-solving strategies. CLASS-Bio has been tested for response validity with both undergraduate students and experts (biology PhDs), allowing student responses to be directly compared with a consensus expert response. Use of CLASS-Bio to date suggests that introductory biology courses have the same challenges as introductory physics and chemistry courses: namely, students shift toward more novice-like perceptions following instruction. However, students in upper-division biology courses do not show the same novice-like shifts. CLASS-Bio can also be paired with other assessments to: 1) examine how student perceptions impact learning and conceptual understanding of biology, and 2) assess and evaluate how pedagogical techniques help students develop both expertise in problem solving and an expert-like appreciation of the nature of biology. PMID:21885823

Evaluation and treatment of low and anxious mood in Chinese-speaking international students studying in Scotland: study protocol of a pilot randomised controlled trial.

PubMed

Zheng, Mengyi; McClay, Carrie-Anne; Wilson, Sarah; Williams, Christopher

2015-01-01

Low mood is a common mental health problem affecting up to 121 million people worldwide and is common in students, particularly international students. Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is known to be effective as a treatment for low mood and anxiety when delivered one to one by an expert practitioner, however this can be expensive and many services have waiting lists and delayed access. A range of additional ways of increasing access to services includes the offer of online courses such as computerised CBT as a possible additional pathway for care. This project aims to test the feasibility of a pilot randomised controlled trial of an online CBT-based life skills course with Chinese-speaking international students experiencing low mood and anxiety. Chinese-speaking international students with symptoms of low mood and/or anxiety will be recruited from the University of Glasgow, Scotland. Participants will be remotely randomised to receive either immediate access (IA) or delayed access (DA) to a guided/supported online CBT-based life skills package, the "Living Life" package (Chinese version). Participants will be randomly assigned to IA or DA to the intervention. The primary end point will be at 3 months when the delayed group will be offered the intervention. Levels of depression, anxiety, social functioning and satisfaction will be assessed. This pilot study will test the trial design, ability to recruit, gather completed questionnaires, test drop-out rates and investigate completion and acceptability of the package. The study aims to reduce uncertainties about the delivery of a future substantive study and will also inform a sample size calculation for that subsequent substantive randomised controlled trial (RCT) which will be carried out to determine the effectiveness of the online package in improving low mood and anxiety in the Chinese-speaking student population. Current Controlled Trials ISRCTN30816908.

Neglectful behavior by parents in the life history of university students in 17 countries and its relation to violence against dating partners.

PubMed

Straus, Murray A; Savage, Sarah A

2005-05-01

This article reports the prevalence of neglectful behavior by parents of university students in 17 nations (6 in Europe, 2 in North America, 2 in Latin America, 5 in Asia, Australia, and New Zealand) and tests the hypothesis that neglect is a risk factor for violence against a dating partner. The percentage at each university who experienced neglectful behavior ranged from 3.2% to 36% (median 12%), and the percentage who perpetrated violence against dating partners ranged from 15% to 45% (median 28%). Multilevel modeling found that the more neglectful behavior experienced as a child the greater the probability of assaulting and injuring a dating partner and that the link between experiencing neglect and perpetrating violence is stronger at universities in which dating violence is more prevalent. Efforts to help parents avoid neglectful behavior can make an important contribution to primary prevention of partner violence and probably also other forms of child maltreatment.

Testing Students with Special Educational Needs in Large-Scale Assessments – Psychometric Properties of Test Scores and Associations with Test Taking Behavior

PubMed Central

Pohl, Steffi; Südkamp, Anna; Hardt, Katinka; Carstensen, Claus H.; Weinert, Sabine

2016-01-01

Assessing competencies of students with special educational needs in learning (SEN-L) poses a challenge for large-scale assessments (LSAs). For students with SEN-L, the available competence tests may fail to yield test scores of high psychometric quality, which are—at the same time—measurement invariant to test scores of general education students. We investigated whether we can identify a subgroup of students with SEN-L, for which measurement invariant competence measures of adequate psychometric quality may be obtained with tests available in LSAs. We furthermore investigated whether differences in test-taking behavior may explain dissatisfying psychometric properties and measurement non-invariance of test scores within LSAs. We relied on person fit indices and mixture distribution models to identify students with SEN-L for whom test scores with satisfactory psychometric properties and measurement invariance may be obtained. We also captured differences in test-taking behavior related to guessing and missing responses. As a result we identified a subgroup of students with SEN-L for whom competence scores of adequate psychometric quality that are measurement invariant to those of general education students were obtained. Concerning test taking behavior, there was a small number of students who unsystematically picked response options. Removing these students from the sample slightly improved item fit. Furthermore, two different patterns of missing responses were identified that explain to some extent problems in the assessments of students with SEN-L. PMID:26941665

Challenges and Opportunities for Testing Students Who Are Deaf or Hard of Hearing: Information for Educators on Creating Test Equity. Test Equity Considerations: Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

PEPNet-West, 2010

2010-01-01

For most students, test taking is a challenge. For students who are deaf or hard of hearing, classroom quizzes, tests, and exams are even more challenging. Standardized tests--The SAT, ACT, state proficiency tests, No Child Left Behind annual tests, and psychoeducational evaluations--present additional challenges for students who are deaf or hard…

How well does pre-service education prepare midwives for practice: competence assessment of midwifery students at the point of graduation in Ethiopia.

PubMed

Yigzaw, Tegbar; Ayalew, Firew; Kim, Young-Mi; Gelagay, Mintwab; Dejene, Daniel; Gibson, Hannah; Teshome, Aster; Broerse, Jacqueline; Stekelenburg, Jelle

2015-08-14

Midwifery support and care led by midwives is the most appropriate strategy to improve maternal and newborn health. The Government of Ethiopia has recently improved the availability of midwives by scaling up pre-service education. However, the extent to which graduating students acquire core competencies for safe and effective practice is not known. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the quality of midwifery education by assessing the competence of graduating midwifery students. We conducted a cross-sectional study to assess the competence of students who completed basic midwifery education in Ethiopia in 2013. We interviewed students to obtain their perceptions of the sufficiency and quality of teachers and educational resources and processes. We assessed achievement of essential midwifery competencies through direct observation, using a 10-station Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE). We calculated average percentage scores of performance for each station and an average summary score for all stations. Chi-square test, independent sample t test, and linear regression analysis were used to assess the statistical significance of differences and associations. We assessed 484 graduating students from 25 public training institutions. Majority of students rated the learning environment unfavorably on 8 out of 10 questions. Only 32 % of students managed 20 or more births during training, and just 6 % managed 40 or more births. Students' overall average competence score was 51.8 %; scores ranged from 32.2 % for manual vacuum aspiration to 69.4 % for active management of the third stage of labor. Male gender, reporting sufficient clinical experience, and managing greater numbers of births during training were significant predictors of higher competence scores. The quality of pre-service midwifery education needs to be improved, including strengthening of the learning environment and quality assurance systems. In-service training and mentoring to fill competence gaps of new graduates is also essential.

Medical students' perception of the learning environment at King Saud University Medical College, Saudi Arabia, using DREEM Inventory.

PubMed

Soliman, Mona M; Sattar, Kamran; Alnassar, Sami; Alsaif, Faisal; Alswat, Khalid; Alghonaim, Mohamed; Alhaizan, Maysoon; Al-Furaih, Nawaf

2017-01-01

The students' perception of the learning environment is an important aspect for evaluation and improvement of the educational program. The College of Medicine at King Saud University (KSU) reformed its curriculum in 2009 from a traditional to a system-oriented hybrid curriculum. The objective of the present study was to determine the perception of the second batch (reformed curriculum) of medical graduates about the educational environment at the College of Medicine, KSU, using the Dundee Ready Education Environment Measure (DREEM) scale. The fifth year medical students were asked to evaluate the educational program after graduation in May 2014. The questionnaire was distributed to the graduate students electronically. The DREEM questionnaire consisted of 50 items based on Likert's scale; and five domains, namely, students' perceptions of learning, perceptions of teachers, academic self-perceptions, perceptions of atmosphere, and social self-perceptions. Data were analyzed using SPSS. A total of 62 students participated in the study. The score for students' perception of learning among medical students ranged from 2.93 to 3.64 (overall mean score: 40.17). The score for students' perception of teachers ranged from 2.85 to 4.01 (overall mean score: 33.35). The score for students' academic self-perceptions ranged from 3.15 to 4.06 (overall mean score: 28.4). The score for students' perception of atmosphere ranged from 2.27 to 3.91 (overall mean score: 41.32). The score for students' social self-perceptions ranged from 2.85 to 4.33 (overall mean score: 24.33). The general perceptions of the students in all five sub-scales were positive. The overall student's perception about the educational environment was satisfactory. This study was important to evaluate the students' perception of the learning environment among medical graduates of the reformed curriculum and provided guidance on areas of improvement in the curriculum.

Measuring professional identity formation early in medical school.

PubMed

Kalet, Adina; Buckvar-Keltz, Lynn; Harnik, Victoria; Monson, Verna; Hubbard, Steven; Crowe, Ruth; Song, Hyuksoon S; Yingling, Sandra

2017-03-01

To assess the feasibility and utility of measuring baseline professional identity formation (PIF) in a theory-based professionalism curriculum for early medical students. All 132 entering students completed the professional identity essay (PIE) and the defining issues test (DIT2). Students received score reports with individualized narrative feedback and wrote a structured reflection after a large-group session in which the PIF construct was reviewed. Analysis of PIEs resulted in assignment of a full or transitional PIF stage (1-5). The DIT2 score reflects the proportion of the time students used universal ethical principles to justify a response to 6 moral dilemma cases. Students' reflections were content analyzed. PIF scores were distributed across stage 2/3, stage 3, stage 3/4, and stage 4. No student scores were in stages 1, 2, 4/5, or 5. The mean DIT2 score was 53% (range 9.7?76.5%); the correlation between PIF stage and DIT score was ρ =  0.18 (p = 0.03). Students who took an analytic approach to the data and demonstrated both awareness that they are novices and anticipation of continued PIF tended to respond more positively to the feedback. These PIF scores distributed similarly to novice students in other professions. Developmental-theory based PIF and moral reasoning measures are related. Students reflected on these measures in meaningful ways suggesting utility of measuring PIF scores in medical education.

Psychological, situational and application-related determinants of the intention to self-test: a factorial survey among students.

PubMed

Kuecuekbalaban, Pinar; Rostalski, Tim; Schmidt, Silke; Muehlan, Holger

2017-07-10

The Internet enables an unprecedented opportunity to access a broad range of self-tests (e.g. testing for HIV, cancer, hepatitis B/C), which can be conducted by lay consumers without the help of a health professional. However, there is only little knowledge about the determinants of the use of self-tests. Thus, the aims of this study were (1) to experimentally investigate the impact of situational and application-related characteristics on the intention to use a self-test (ST), compared to being tested by a health professional at home (HPH) or at a doctor's office (HPD), (2) to examine the applicability of social-cognitive health behaviour theories on self-testing, and (3) to explore the advantages of integrating technological affinity into social-cognitive health behaviour models to predict self-testing. In a factorial survey, 1248 vignettes were rated by 208 students. The core concepts of social-cognitive health behaviour theories, technological affinity, and different situational and application-related characteristics were investigated. Intention to ST was only predicted by the medical expertise of the tested person, while HPH and HPD were also associated with the application purpose of the test and the presence of an emotionally supporting person. Perceived severity and outcome-expectancy significantly predicted intention to self-test. Technological enthusiastic people had a higher intention to use a self-test. Intention to ST, HPH and HPD were predicted by different situational and application-related characteristics. Social-cognitive health behaviour theories can be applied to predict self-testing and do not need to be extended by technological affinity.

Man Up Monday: An integrated public health approach to increase sexually transmitted infection awareness and testing among male students at a midwest university.

PubMed

Anderson, Elizabeth A; Eastman-Mueller, Heather P; Henderson, Scott; Even, Susan

2016-01-01

This campaign sought to (a) increase awareness of sexual health and chlamydia testing; (b) motivate students, particularly sexually active men who do not pursue regular sexually transmitted infection (STI) testing, to get tested; and (c) improve the capacity of the student health center to provide free chlamydia testing and treatment for all students. Students enrolled at a 4-year public research university (N = 333). Collaborative partnerships formed the foundation of a campus marketing and testing campaign, with treatment for students testing positive for chlamydia. A total of 333 students were tested over 5 consecutive Mondays, showing a chlamydia incidence of 9.6%. The incidence for females and males were 8.6% and 10.8%, respectively. The campaign was effective in reaching men, an at-risk population not traditionally emphasized in STI testing.

Test Anxiety Research: Students with Vision Impairments and Students with Mild Intellectual Disabilities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Datta, Poulomee

2014-01-01

There is an absence of research on test anxiety in students with disabilities although such testing is taken for granted among students without disabilities. This study investigated the test anxiety of the students in each of the two disability groups, those with vision impairments and those with intellectual disabilities who are placed in…

Students, Parents, and Teachers Say, "Take This Test and Shove It!"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Spritzler, John

2000-01-01

Public school students, parents, and teachers are protesting "high stakes" standardized tests that bar many deserving students from promotion or graduation. A typical high stakes test is a state-mandated 10th-grade test that students must pass to graduate high school. They are called high stakes because a student's entire high school career rides…

Using In-class Group Exercises to Enhance Lectures and Provide Introductory Physics Students an Opportunity to Perfect Problem Solving Skills through Interactions with Fellow Students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Trout, Joseph; Bland, Jared

2013-03-01

In this pilot project, one hour of lecture time was replaced with one hour of in-class assignments, which groups of students collaborated on. These in-class assignments consisted of problems or projects selected for the calculus-based introductory physics students The first problem was at a level of difficulty that the majority of the students could complete with a small to moderate amount of difficulty. Each successive problem was increasingly more difficult, the last problem being having a level of difficulty that was beyond the capabilities of the majority of the students and required some instructor intervention. The students were free to choose their own groups. Students were encouraged to interact and help each other understand. The success of the in-class exercises were measured using pre-tests and post-tests. The pre-test and post-test were completed by each student independently. Statistics were also compiled on each student's attendance record and the amount of time spent reading and studying, as reported by the student. Statistics were also completed on the student responses when asked if they had sufficient time to complete the pre-test and post-test and if they would have completed the test with the correct answers if they had more time. The pre-tests and post-tests were not used in the computation of the grades of the students.

A large-scale, long-term study of scale drift: The micro view and the macro view

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

He, W.; Li, S.; Kingsbury, G. G.

2016-11-01

The development of measurement scales for use across years and grades in educational settings provides unique challenges, as instructional approaches, instructional materials, and content standards all change periodically. This study examined the measurement stability of a set of Rasch measurement scales that have been in place for almost 40 years. In order to investigate the stability of these scales, item responses were collected from a large set of students who took operational adaptive tests using items calibrated to the measurement scales. For the four scales that were examined, item samples ranged from 2183 to 7923 items. Each item was administered to at least 500 students in each grade level, resulting in approximately 3000 responses per item. Stability was examined at the micro level analysing change in item parameter estimates that have occurred since the items were first calibrated. It was also examined at the macro level, involving groups of items and overall test scores for students. Results indicated that individual items had changes in their parameter estimates, which require further analysis and possible recalibration. At the same time, the results at the total score level indicate substantial stability in the measurement scales over the span of their use.

Validating the Student-Teacher Relationship Scale: testing factor structure and measurement invariance across child gender and age in a Dutch sample.

PubMed

Koomen, Helma M Y; Verschueren, Karine; van Schooten, Erik; Jak, Suzanne; Pianta, Robert C

2012-04-01

The Student-Teacher Relationship Scale (STRS) is widely used to examine teachers' relationships with young students in terms of closeness, conflict, and dependency. This study aimed to verify the dimensional structure of the STRS with confirmatory factor analysis, test its measurement invariance across child gender and age, improve its measurement of the dependency construct, and extend its age range. Teachers completed a slightly adapted STRS for a Dutch sample of 2335 children aged 3 to 12. Overall, the 3-factor model showed an acceptable fit. Results indicated metric invariance across gender and age up to 8years. Scalar invariance generally did not hold. Lack of metric invariance at ages 8 to 12 primarily involved Conflict items, whereas scale differences across gender and age primarily involved Closeness items. The adapted Dependency scale showed strong invariance and higher internal consistencies than the original scale for this Dutch sample. Importantly, the revealed non-invariance for gender and age did not influence mean group comparisons. Copyright © 2011 Society for the Study of School Psychology. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The association of malocclusion and trumpet performance.

PubMed

Kula, Katherine; Cilingir, H Zeynep; Eckert, George; Dagg, Jack; Ghoneima, Ahmed

2016-01-01

To determine whether trumpet performance skills are associated with malocclusion. Following institutional review board approval, 70 university trumpet students (54 male, 16 female; aged 20-38.9 years) were consented. After completing a survey, the students were evaluated while playing a scripted performance skills test (flexibility, articulation, range, and endurance exercises) on their instrument in a soundproof music practice room. One investigator (trumpet teacher) used a computerized metronome and a decibel meter during evaluation. A three-dimensional (3D) cone-beam computerized tomography scan (CBCT) was taken of each student the same day as the skills test. Following reliability studies, multiple dental parameters were measured on the 3D CBCT. Nonparametric correlations (Spearman), accepting P < .05 as significant, were used to determine if there were significant associations between dental parameters and the performance skills. Intrarater reliability was excellent (intraclass correlations; all r values > .94). Although associations were weak to moderate, significant negative associations (r ≤ -.32) were found between Little's irregularity index, interincisal inclination, maxillary central incisor rotation, and various flexibility and articulation performance skills, whereas significant positive associations (r ≤ .49) were found between arch widths and various skills. Specific malocclusions are associated with trumpet performance of experienced young musicians.

Perceptions and performance using computer-based testing: One institution's experience.

PubMed

Bloom, Timothy J; Rich, Wesley D; Olson, Stephanie M; Adams, Michael L

2018-02-01

The purpose of this study was to evaluate student and faculty perceptions of the transition to a required computer-based testing format and to identify any impact of this transition on student exam performance. Separate questionnaires sent to students and faculty asked about perceptions of and problems with computer-based testing. Exam results from program-required courses for two years prior to and two years following the adoption of computer-based testing were compared to determine if this testing format impacted student performance. Responses to Likert-type questions about perceived ease of use showed no difference between students with one and three semesters experience with computer-based testing. Of 223 student-reported problems, 23% related to faculty training with the testing software. Students most commonly reported improved feedback (46% of responses) and ease of exam-taking (17% of responses) as benefits to computer-based testing. Faculty-reported difficulties were most commonly related to problems with student computers during an exam (38% of responses) while the most commonly identified benefit was collecting assessment data (32% of responses). Neither faculty nor students perceived an impact on exam performance due to computer-based testing. An analysis of exam grades confirmed there was no consistent performance difference between the paper and computer-based formats. Both faculty and students rapidly adapted to using computer-based testing. There was no evidence that switching to computer-based testing had any impact on student exam performance. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

ANOVA Analysis of Student Daily Test Scores in Multi-Day Test Periods

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mouritsen, Matthew L.; Davis, Jefferson T.; Jones, Steven C.

2016-01-01

Instructors are often concerned when giving multiple-day tests because students taking the test later in the exam period may have an advantage over students taking the test early in the exam period due to information leakage. However, exam scores seemed to decline as students took the same test later in a multi-day exam period (Mouritsen and…

Test Anxiety and College Students with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nelson, Jason M.; Lindstrom, Will; Foels, Patricia A.

2014-01-01

Test anxiety was examined in college students with and without attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Results indicated that, relative to college students without ADHD, college students with ADHD reported higher total test anxiety as well as specific aspects of test anxiety, including worry (i.e., cognitive aspects of test anxiety) and…

The Effect of Font Selection on Student Test Anxiety

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Murphy, Peter V.

2014-01-01

The emergence of standards-based curriculums has resulted in an increased frequency of student testing, including high-stakes testing. Of students who take tests, up to 65% may experience test anxiety, which can have negative effects on student outcomes. For this reason, the purpose of this single-group, repeated measures design, quantitative…

Organization of Concepts Relevant to Emotions and Their Regulation during Test Taking.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schutz, Paul A.; Davis, Heather A.; Schwanenflugel, Paula J.

2002-01-01

Studied college students' organization of concepts related to emotions and their regulation during test taking and whether students with test anxiety have a different conceptual organization about test taking. Results with 78 and 76 students show that for students with low and moderate test anxiety, the organizational scheme for the selected…

How and when do students use flashcards?

PubMed

Wissman, Kathryn T; Rawson, Katherine A; Pyc, Mary A

2012-01-01

Previous survey research has documented students' use of self-regulated study strategies, with a particular interest in self-testing. These surveys indicate that students frequently use flashcards to self-test and that self-testing is primarily used as a way to monitor learning. Whereas previous surveys provide information about whether and why students self-test, they provide minimal information about how and when students choose to self-test. Accordingly, the primary purpose of the current survey was to explore how and when students engage in self-testing. We surveyed 374 undergraduates about the amount of practice and the timing of practice, two factors that strongly affect the efficacy of self-testing. Results indicate that students understand the benefits of practising to higher criterion levels (amount of practice) but do not typically implement or understand the benefits of practising with longer lags (timing of practice). We discuss practical implications for supporting more successful student learning.

Reference standards to assess physical fitness of children and adolescents of Brazil: an approach to the students of the Lake Itaipú region-Brazil.

PubMed

Hobold, Edilson; Pires-Lopes, Vitor; Gómez-Campos, Rossana; de Arruda, Miguel; Andruske, Cynthia Lee; Pacheco-Carrillo, Jaime; Cossio-Bolaños, Marco Antonio

2017-01-01

The importance of assessing body fat variables and physical fitness tests plays an important role in monitoring the level of activity and physical fitness of the general population. The objective of this study was to develop reference norms to evaluate the physical fitness aptitudes of children and adolescents based on age and sex from the lake region of Itaipú, Brazil. A descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out with 5,962 students (2,938 males and 3,024 females) with an age range of 6.0 and 17.9 years. Weight (kg), height (cm), and triceps (mm), and sub-scapular skinfolds (mm) were measured. Body Mass Index (BMI kg/m 2 ) was calculated. To evaluate the four physical fitness aptitude dimensions (morphological, muscular strength, flexibility, and cardio-respiratory), the following physical education tests were given to the students: sit-and-reach (cm), push-ups (rep), standing long jump (cm), and 20-m shuttle run (m). Females showed greater flexibility in the sit-and-reach test and greater body fat than the males. No differences were found in BMI. Percentiles were created for the four components for the physical fitness aptitudes, BMI, and skinfolds by using the LMS method based on age and sex. The proposed reference values may be used for detecting talents and promoting health in children and adolescents.

Treb-Bot: Development and Use of a Trebuchet Simulator

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Constans, Eric; Constans, Aileen

2015-09-01

The trebuchet has quickly become a favorite project for physics and engineering teachers seeking to provide students with a simple, but spectacular, hands-on design project that can be applied to the study of projectile motion, rotational motion, and the law of conservation of energy. While there have been free trebuchet simulators and range calculators available online for several years, these have been limited to simple designs. Other simulators are available for a fee, precluding practical use in introductory courses. With this in mind, one of the authors developed a free web-based trebuchet simulation that can be found at http://www.benchtophybrid.com/TB_index.html. This simulation, named Treb-Bot, is designed to be visually appealing to high school students and includes simulations of trebuchet designs that are unavailable elsewhere on the web. The website was successfully field-tested by a group of Advanced Placement Physics 1 students.

Classroom Materials from the Acoustical Society of America

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Adams, W. K.; Clark, A.; Schneider, K.

2013-09-01

As part of the new education initiatives of the Acoustical Society of America (ASA), an activity kit for teachers that includes a variety of lessons addressing acoustics for a range of students (K-12) has been created. The "Sound and Music Activity Kit" is free to K-12 teachers. It includes materials sufficient to teach a class of 30 students plus a USB thumb drive containing 47 research-based, interactive, student-tested lessons, laboratory exercises, several assessments, and video clips of a class using the materials. ASA has also partnered with both the Optical Society of America (OSA) and the American Association of Physics Teachers. AAPT Physics Teaching Resource Agents (PTRA) have reviewed the lessons along with members of the ASA Teacher Activity Kit Committee. Topics include basic learning goals for teaching the physics of sound with examples and applications relating to medical imaging, animal bioacoustics, physical and psychological acoustics, speech, audiology, and architectural acoustics.

Measuring students' perceptions of plagiarism: modification and Rasch validation of a plagiarism attitude scale.

PubMed

Howard, Steven J; Ehrich, John F; Walton, Russell

2014-01-01

Plagiarism is a significant area of concern in higher education, given university students' high self-reported rates of plagiarism. However, research remains inconsistent in prevalence estimates and suggested precursors of plagiarism. This may be a function of the unclear psychometric properties of the measurement tools adopted. To investigate this, we modified an existing plagiarism scale (to broaden its scope), established its psychometric properties using traditional (EFA, Cronbach's alpha) and modern (Rasch analysis) survey evaluation approaches, and examined results of well-functioning items. Results indicated that traditional and modern psychometric approaches differed in their recommendations. Further, responses indicated that although most respondents acknowledged the seriousness of plagiarism, these attitudes were neither unanimous nor consistent across the range of issues assessed. This study thus provides rigorous psychometric testing of a plagiarism attitude scale and baseline data from which to begin a discussion of contextual, personal, and external factors that influence students' plagiarism attitudes.

Body mass index, waist circumference, and arterial hypertension in students.

PubMed

Guilherme, Flávio Ricardo; Molena-Fernandes, Carlos Alexandre; Guilherme, Vânia Renata; Fávero, Maria Teresa Martins; dos Reis, Eliane Josefa Barbosa; Rinaldi, Wilson

2015-01-01

to investigate what is the best anthropometric predictor of arterial hypertension among private school students. this was a cross-sectional study with 286 students between the ages of 10 and 14 from two private schools in the city of Paranavaí, Paraná, Brazil. The following variables were analyzed: body mass index, waist circumference and blood pressure. Statistical analysis was conducted with Pearson's partial correlation test and multivariate logistic regression, with p<0.05. both anthropometric indicators displayed weak correlation with systolic and diastolic levels, with coefficients (r) ranging from 0.27 to 0.36 (p < 0.001). Multivariate analysis showed that the only anthropometric indicator associated with arterial hypertension was waist circumference (OR= 2.3; 95% CI: 1.1-4.5), regardless of age or gender. this age group, waist circumference appeared to be a better predictor for arterial hypertension than body mass index.

Learning Mathematics in a Visuospatial Format: A Randomized, Controlled Trial of Mental Abacus Instruction.

PubMed

Barner, David; Alvarez, George; Sullivan, Jessica; Brooks, Neon; Srinivasan, Mahesh; Frank, Michael C

2016-07-01

Mental abacus (MA) is a technique of performing fast, accurate arithmetic using a mental image of an abacus; experts exhibit astonishing calculation abilities. Over 3 years, 204 elementary school students (age range at outset: 5-7 years old) participated in a randomized, controlled trial to test whether MA expertise (a) can be acquired in standard classroom settings, (b) improves students' mathematical abilities (beyond standard math curricula), and (c) is related to changes in basic cognitive capacities like working memory. MA students outperformed controls on arithmetic tasks, suggesting that MA expertise can be achieved by children in standard classrooms. MA training did not alter basic cognitive abilities; instead, differences in spatial working memory at the beginning of the study mediated MA learning. © 2016 The Authors. Child Development © 2016 Society for Research in Child Development, Inc.

Integrating Concepts in Biology Textbook Increases Learning: Assessment Triangulation Using Concept Inventory, Card Sorting, and MCAT Instruments, Followed by Longitudinal Tracking

PubMed Central

Luckie, Douglas B.; Hoskinson, Anne-Marie; Griffin, Caleigh E.; Hess, Andrea L.; Price, Katrina J.; Tawa, Alex; Thacker, Samantha M.

2017-01-01

The purpose of this study was to examine the educational impact of an intervention, the inquiry-focused textbook Integrating Concepts in Biology (ICB), when used in a yearlong introductory biology course sequence. Student learning was evaluated using three published instruments: 1) The Biology Concept Inventory probed depth of student mastery of fundamental concepts in organismal and cellular topics when confronting misconceptions as distractors. ICB students had higher gains in all six topic categories (+43% vs. peers overall, p < 0.01). 2) The Biology Card Sorting Task assessed whether students organized biological ideas more superficially, as novices do, or based on deeper concepts, like experts. The frequency with which ICB students connected deep-concept pairs, or triplets, was similar to peers; but deep understanding of structure/function was much higher (for pairs: 77% vs. 25%, p < 0.01). 3) A content-focused Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) posttest compared ICB student content knowledge with that of peers from 15 prior years. Historically, MCAT performance for each semester ranged from 53% to 64%; the ICB cohort scored 62%, in the top quintile. Longitudinal tracking in five upper-level science courses the following year found ICB students outperformed peers in physiology (85% vs. 80%, p < 0.01). PMID:28389429

A randomized controlled trial of high-fidelity simulation versus lecture-based education in preclinical medical students.

PubMed

Alluri, Ram Kiran; Tsing, Pamela; Lee, Edward; Napolitano, Jason

2016-01-01

The purpose of this study was to compare the efficacy of simulation versus lecture-based education among preclinical medical students. Twenty medical students participated in this randomized, controlled crossover study. Students were randomized to four groups. Each group received two simulations and two lectures covering four different topics. Students were administered a pre-test, post-test and delayed post-test. The mean percentage of questions answered correctly on each test was calculated. The mean of each student's change in score across the three tests was used to compare simulation- versus lecture-based education. Students in both the simulation and lecture groups demonstrated improvement between the pre-test and post-test (p < 0.05). Students in the simulation group demonstrated improvement between the immediate post-test and delayed post-test (p < 0.05), while students in the lecture group did not demonstrate improvement (p > 0.05). When comparing interventions, the change in score between the pre-test and post-test was similar among both the groups (p > 0.05). The change in score between the post-test and delayed post-test was greater in the simulation group (p < 0.05). High-fidelity simulation may serve as a viable didactic platform for preclinical medical education. Our study demonstrated equivalent immediate knowledge gain and superior long-term knowledge retention in comparison to lectures.

Field Operations For The "Intelligent River" Observation System: A Basin-wide Water Quality Observation System In The Savannah River Basin And Platform Supporting Related Diverse Initiatives.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sutton, A.; Koons, M.; O'Brien-Gayes, P.; Moorer, R.; Hallstrom, J.; Post, C.; Gayes, P. T.

2017-12-01

The Intelligent River (IR) initiative is an NSF sponsored study developing new data management technology for a range of basin-scale applications. The technology developed by Florida Atlantic and Clemson University established a network of real-time reporting water quality sondes; from the mountains to the estuary of the Savannah River basin. Coastal Carolina University led the field operations campaign. Ancillary studies, student projects and initiatives benefitted from the associated instrumentation, infrastructure and operational support of the IR program. This provided a vehicle for students to participate in fieldwork across the watershed and pursue individual interests. Student projects included: 1) a Multibeam sonar survey investigating channel morphology in the area of an IR sensor station and 2) field tests of developing techniques for acquiring and assimilating flood velocity data into model systems associated with a separate NSF Rapid award. The multibeam survey within the lower Savannah basin exhibited a range of complexity in bathymetry, bedforms and bottom habitat in the vicinity of one of the water quality stations. The complex morphology and bottom habitat reflect complex flow patterns, localized areas of depositional and erosive tendencies providing a valuable context for considering point-source water quality time series. Micro- Lagrangian drifters developed by ISENSE at Florida Atlantic University, a sled mounted ADCP, and particle tracking from imagery collected by a photogrammetric drone were tested and used to develop methodology for establishing velocity, direction and discharge levels to validate, initialize and assimilate data into advance models systems during future flood events. The prospect of expanding wide scale observing systems can serve as a platform to integrate small and large-scale cooperative studies across disciplines as well as basic and applied research interests. Such initiatives provide opportunities for embedded education and experience for students that add to the understanding of broad integrated complex systems.

Testing accommodation or modification? The effects of integrated object representation on enhancing geometry performance in children with and without geometry difficulties.

PubMed

Zhang, Dake; Wang, Qiu; Ding, Yi; Liu, Jeremy Jian

2014-01-01

According to the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, geometry and spatial sense are fundamental components of mathematics learning. However, learning disabilities (LD) research has shown that many K-12 students encounter particular geometry difficulties (GD). This study examined the effect of an integrated object representation (IOR) accommodation on the test performance of students with GD compared to students without GD. Participants were 118 elementary students who took a researcher-developed geometry problem solving test under both a standard testing condition and an IOR accommodation condition. A total of 36 students who were classified with GD scored below 40% correct in the geometry problem solving test in the standard testing condition, and 82 students who were classified without GD scored equal to or above 40% correct in the same test and condition. All students were tested in both standard testing condition and IOR accommodation condition. The results from both ANOVA and regression discontinuity (RD) analyses suggested that students with GD benefited more than students without GD from the IOR accommodation. Implications of the study are discussed in terms of providing accommodations for students with mathematics learning difficulties and recommending RD design in LD research. © Hammill Institute on Disabilities 2013.

Factors That Affect Academic Performance Among Pharmacy Students

PubMed Central

Sansgiry, Sujit S.; Bhosle, Monali; Sail, Kavita

2006-01-01

Objective The objective of this study was to examine factors such as academic competence, test competence, time management, strategic studying, and test anxiety, and identify whether these factors could distinguish differences among students, based on academic performance and enrollment in the experiential program. Methods A cross-sectional study design utilizing questionnaires measuring previously validated constructs was used to evaluate the effect of these factors on students with low and high cumulative grade point averages (GPAs). Pharmacy students (N = 198) enrolled at the University of Houston participated in the study. Results Academic performance was significantly associated with factors such as academic competence and test competence. Students with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or greater significantly differed in their level of test competence than those with a GPA of less than 3.0. Students enrolled in their experiential year differed from students enrolled in their second year of curriculum on factors such as test anxiety, academic competence, test competence, and time management skills. Conclusion Test competence was an important factor to distinguish students with low vs. high academic performance. Factors such as academic competence, test competence, test anxiety and time management improve as students' progress in their experiential year. PMID:17149433

Factors that affect academic performance among pharmacy students.

PubMed

Sansgiry, Sujit S; Bhosle, Monali; Sail, Kavita

2006-10-15

The objective of this study was to examine factors such as academic competence, test competence, time management, strategic studying, and test anxiety, and identify whether these factors could distinguish differences among students, based on academic performance and enrollment in the experiential program. A cross-sectional study design utilizing questionnaires measuring previously validated constructs was used to evaluate the effect of these factors on students with low and high cumulative grade point averages (GPAs). Pharmacy students (N = 198) enrolled at the University of Houston participated in the study. Academic performance was significantly associated with factors such as academic competence and test competence. Students with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or greater significantly differed in their level of test competence than those with a GPA of less than 3.0. Students enrolled in their experiential year differed from students enrolled in their second year of curriculum on factors such as test anxiety, academic competence, test competence, and time management skills. Test competence was an important factor to distinguish students with low vs. high academic performance. Factors such as academic competence, test competence, test anxiety and time management improve as students' progress in their experiential year.

True or False? Tests Stink!

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Romain, Trevor; Verdick, Elizabeth

This book is designed to help students become better test takers. It helps them feel more confident and less stressed before, during, and after the test. Section 1, "Tests? Blech!" discusses why it is necessary to test students. Section 2, "Test SOS," presents test-taking hints; top secret information about tests and student behavior during tests;…

Involving Students in Developing Math Tests

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rapke, Tina

2017-01-01

Many studies have claimed that traditional testing actually promotes students' use of superficial approaches to learning. When preparing to take tests, students typically memorize and cram rather than understanding the material and gaining new perspectives. This article describes how the author recast traditional tests by having students take a…

The Effects of Humor on Test Anxiety and Test Performance

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tali, Glenda

2017-01-01

Testing in an academic setting provokes anxiety in all students in higher education, particularly nursing students. When students experience high levels of anxiety, the resulting decline in test performance often does not represent an accurate assessment of students' academic achievement. This quantitative, experimental study examined the effects…

Test Anxiety Reduction. Student Workbook.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Silverman, Eda; Hanna, Joyce

This student workbook is intended for use in helping teenage and adult basic education (ABE) students reduce their anxiety over tests in general and over the General Educational Development (GED) test in particular. Exercises are provided to help students analyze and understand their feelings about and while taking tests, recall the childhood…

Collaborative Test Reviews: Student Performance

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bhatia, Anuradha; Makela, Carole J.

2010-01-01

A group study method proved helpful in improving senior-level students' performance on unit tests through collaborative learning. Students of a History of Textiles course voluntarily attended study sessions to review course content and prepare for unit tests. The students who attended the group reviews scored better on tests than those who did…

EFL College Students' Perceptions of Classroom English Tests

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Al-Nouh, Nowreyah A.; Abdul-Kareem, Muneera M.; Taqi, Hanan A.

2014-01-01

Students' perceptions of their classroom English tests play a crucial role in affecting their performance. Hence, the present study is interested in soliciting college students' perceptions of their classroom English tests to find out the reasons behind test difficulties. Participants were 585 female college students chosen randomly from all grade…

Test-Taking Speed: Predictors and Implications

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lovett, Benjamin J.; Lewandowski, Lawrence J.; Potts, Heather E.

2017-01-01

Students often feel time pressure when taking tests, and students with disabilities are sometimes given extended time testing accommodations, but little research has been done on the factors that affect students' test-taking speed. In the present study, 253 students at two colleges completed measures of processing speed, reading fluency, and…

A controlled experiment to evaluate the impact of summer research experiences on attitudes towards science in high school aged students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

White, M. A.; Tcherednichenko, I.; Hamar, M.; Taylor, M. J.; Litizzette, L.

2006-12-01

United States funding agencies increasingly are supporting activities designed to increase the enrollment of United States high school students in science, math, or engineering careers. However, in many cases, the likely outcomes of educational activities are unknown. A common approach within the physical and natural sciences is to provide high school aged students with a summer research experience, with the expectation that such experiences will increase student interest in science, possibly as a career choice. With funding support from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration New Investigator Grant program, we conducted a controlled experiment to test this assumption. In collaboration with Mountain Crest High School in Logan, UT, we recruited 40 students currently enrolled in science courses, assessed attitudes towards science (with informed consent), and randomly assigned 20 students to a control group and 20 students to an experimental group. Students in the experimental group were paired with faculty and graduate students in a wide range of field and laboratory research groups in natural resources and biology. Students were employed in at least two different research groups for an average of 30-40 hours per week for eight weeks in the summer of 2006. Following the completion of the summer work experience, we again assessed attitudes towards science in both groups and gathered additional information from the experimental group on satisfaction with the work experience and reasons for participating. Results are presented and discussed.

A study on the quality of study skills of newly-admitted students of Fasa University of Medical Sciences.

PubMed

Shahidi, Fatemeh; Dowlatkhah, Hamid Reza; Avand, Abolghasem; Musavi, Seyed Reza; Mohammadi, Elaheh

2014-01-01

Some students attribute their academic failure to such factors as low aptitude, unavailability of resources, and bad luck. However, we can dare to say that the most important factor playing a role in academic success is students' little acquaintance with learning and study skills. This study aimed at examining the quality of study skills in newly-admitted students of Fasa Medical University so that the results can be used in holding teaching courses in study skills. The present study is a cross-sectional descriptive study. The sampling was done of all the newly-admitted students in the first semester of 2012 academic year including 94 students of Medicine, Nursing and Laboratory Technology. The data were collected through a questionnaire, consisting of two parts. The first part included items on demographic information of the subjects (such as sex, field of study, number of hours dedicated to studying, student's rank in Konkour, and the National University entrance exam. The second part was composed of 19 special items on such domains as 'Time management', 'Concentration', 'Class note-taking', 'Studying' and 'Taking exams' with 4, 5, 4, 3, 3 items, respectively. The checklists were filled in using Likert Scale. The collected data was then analyzed using an SPSS 14, through which descriptive statistics as mean, standard deviation and multiple regressions were obtained. Moreover, the data were analyzed using Independent Sample t and ANOVA tests. The results showed that the range of the students' study skills was 2.35, being rather below the normal level; the highest mean belonged to 'concentration' (2.56), but the lowest mean was that of 'time management' (2.05).Through ANOVA test, it was also shown that there was no significant difference between the students of Medicine, Nursing and Laboratory Sciences regarding their scores on 'study skills' as (p=0.646). In addition, through independent sample t-test, it was shown that there was no significant difference between the subjects' 'sex' and 'study skills' as the p-value was 0.584. On the other hand, through multiple regressions, the results indicated that there was a significant difference between 'taking exams' and 'studying' (p=0.003), between 'class note-taking' and ''taking exams' (p=0.004), between 'concentration' and ''taking exams' (p=0.002), and between 'time management' and 'taking exams' (p=0.001). Regarding the very important role of study skills in learning, it is recommended that 'study skills' and 'study habits' courses be included in the students' curriculum formally or implemented as workshops for students.

Teacher Greetings Increase College Students' Test Scores

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Weinstein, Lawrence; Laverghetta, Antonio; Alexander, Ralph; Stewart, Megan

2009-01-01

The current study is an extension of a previous investigation dealing with teacher greetings to students. The present investigation used teacher greetings with college students and academic performance (test scores). We report data using university students and in-class test performance. Students in introductory psychology who received teachers'…

Undergraduate range management exam: 1999-2014

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The Undergraduate Range Management Exam (URME) has been administered to undergraduate students at the Annual Meeting of the Society for Range Management since 1983, with students demonstrating their higher order learning skills and synthesis knowledge of the art and science of rangeland management. ...

Critical Thinking and Disposition Toward Critical Thinking Among Physical Therapy Students.

PubMed

Domenech, Manuel A; Watkins, Phillip

2015-01-01

Students who enter a physical therapist (PT) entry-level program with weak critical thinking skills may not be prepared to benefit from the educational training program or successfully engage in the future as a competent healthcare provider. Therefore, assessing PT students' entry-level critical thinking skills and/or disposition toward critical thinking may be beneficial to identifying students with poor, fair, or good critical thinking ability as one of the criteria used in the admissions process into a professional program. First-year students (n=71) from the Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) program at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center completed the California Critical Thinking Skills Test (CCTST), the California Critical Thinking Dispositions Inventory (CCTDI), and demographic survey during orientation to the DPT program. Three students were lost from the CCTST (n=68), and none lost from the CCTDI (n=71). Analysis indicated that the majority of students had a positive disposition toward critical thinking, yet the overall CCTST suggested that these students were somewhat below the national average. Also, individuals taking math and science prerequisites at the community-college level tended to have lower overall CCTST scores. The entering DPT class demonstrated moderate or middle range scores in critical thinking and disposition toward critical thinking. This result does not indicate, but might suggest, the potential for learning challenges. Assessing critical thinking skills as part of the admissions process may prove advantageous.

Marijuana use and associated motives in Colorado university students.

PubMed

Phillips, Kristina T; Lalonde, Trent L; Phillips, Michael M; Schneider, Maryia M

2017-12-01

Marijuana is the most commonly used illicit drug among college students, with heavy use leading to negative outcomes. Use of marijuana for medical and recreational purposes in select U.S. states has been controversial, with concerns surrounding increased prevalence rates and harm. The current exploratory study aimed to assess marijuana use in college students in Colorado, demographic differences in frequency of use, and motives for using. College students (N = 300; 61% female) were recruited through introductory psychology courses and completed a series of questionnaires and a marijuana urine screen. Almost three-fourths of the sample reported lifetime use of marijuana. Sixty-five percent used marijuana within the last year and 29% tested positive on the urine screen. Hurdle Poisson regression models with a subset of participants (n = 117) showed non-Greek and freshman status were associated with increased number of days participants used marijuana in the last month. Problem marijuana use was positively associated with a range of motives-of note-motives focused on coping, boredom, alcohol, and food. Prevalence rates of marijuana use were high in this sample of college students in a state with legal recreational marijuana use. Particular students (eg, students who use marijuana to cope) may be at higher risk for problem marijuana use. Developing effective, tailored interventions for university students is warranted. (Am J Addict 2017;26:830-837). © 2017 American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry.

Test-Taking Skills of High School Students with and without Learning Disabilities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lewandowski, Lawrence J.; Berger, Cassie; Lovett, Benjamin J.; Gordon, Michael

2016-01-01

This study assessed the test-taking skills of 776 high school students, 35 of whom were diagnosed with learning disabilities (LD). Students completed a computerized battery of timed reading tests as well as scales that assess test anxiety and test-taking perceptions. Students with LD obtained lower scores than the nondisabled group on all of the…

Evidence that personal genome testing enhances student learning in a course on genomics and personalized medicine.

PubMed

Salari, Keyan; Karczewski, Konrad J; Hudgins, Louanne; Ormond, Kelly E

2013-01-01

An emerging debate in academic medical centers is not about the need for providing trainees with fundamental education on genomics, but rather the most effective educational models that should be deployed. At Stanford School of Medicine, a novel hands-on genomics course was developed in 2010 that provided students the option to undergo personal genome testing as part of the course curriculum. We hypothesized that use of personal genome testing in the classroom would enhance the learning experience of students. No data currently exist on how such methods impact student learning; thus, we surveyed students before and after the course to determine its impact. We analyzed responses using paired statistics from the 31 medical and graduate students who completed both pre-course and post-course surveys. Participants were stratified by those who did (N = 23) or did not (N = 8) undergo personal genome testing. In reflecting on the experience, 83% of students who underwent testing stated that they were pleased with their decision compared to 12.5% of students who decided against testing (P = 0.00058). Seventy percent of those who underwent personal genome testing self-reported a better understanding of human genetics on the basis of having undergone testing. Further, students who underwent personal genome testing demonstrated an average 31% increase in pre- to post-course scores on knowledge questions (P = 3.5×10(-6)); this was significantly higher (P = 0.003) than students who did not undergo testing, who showed a non-significant improvement. Undergoing personal genome testing and using personal genotype data in the classroom enhanced students' self-reported and assessed knowledge of genomics, and did not appear to cause significant anxiety. At least for self-selected students, the incorporation of personal genome testing can be an effective educational tool to teach important concepts of clinical genomic testing.

Influence of PBL with open-book tests on knowledge retention measured with progress tests.

PubMed

Heijne-Penninga, M; Kuks, J B M; Hofman, W H A; Muijtjens, A M M; Cohen-Schotanus, J

2013-08-01

The influence of problem-based learning (PBL) and open-book tests on long-term knowledge retention is unclear and subject of discussion. Hypotheses were that PBL as well as open-book tests positively affect long-term knowledge retention. Four progress test results of fifth and sixth-year medical students (n = 1,648) of three medical schools were analyzed. Two schools had PBL driven curricula, and the third one had a traditional curriculum (TC). One of the PBL schools (PBLob) used a combination of open-book (assessing backup knowledge) and closed-book tests (assessing core knowledge); the other two schools (TC and PBLcb) only used closed-book tests. The items of the progress tests were divided into core and backup knowledge. T tests (with Bonferroni correction) were used to analyze differences between curricula. PBL students performed significantly better than TC students on core knowledge (average effect size (av ES) = 0.37-0.74) and PBL students tested with open-book tests scored somewhat higher than PBL students tested without such tests (av ES = 0.23-0.30). Concerning backup knowledge, no differences were found between the scores of the three curricula. Students of the two PBL curricula showed a substantially better long-term knowledge retention than TC students. PBLob students performed somewhat better on core knowledge than PBLcb students. These outcomes suggest that a problem-based instructional approach in particular can stimulate long-term knowledge retention. Distinguishing knowledge into core and backup knowledge and using open-book tests alongside closed-book tests could enhance long-term core knowledge retention.

Role of Academic Self-efficacy and Social Support on Nursing Students' Test Anxiety.

PubMed

Warshawski, Sigalit; Bar-Lev, Oshra; Barnoy, Sivia

2018-05-25

Associations between test anxiety, academic self-efficacy (ASE), and social support through social media have not been fully explored. The purposes were to explore associations between test anxiety, ASE, and social support from social media and to examine differences in test anxiety by students' year of studies and cultural background. This study used a cross-sectional, descriptive design. The sample comprised first- and fourth-year nursing students (n = 240) attending a baccalaureate nursing program in Israel. Higher ASE and support through social media were related to lower test anxiety. Fourth-year students and Jewish students had higher ASE than first-year and Arab students, who received more support on social media than Jewish students. Developing learning strategies designed to increase students' ASE and reduce test anxiety is warranted. Social media as an educational tool can be adopted for this purpose.

Pharmacy students' test-taking motivation-effort on a low-stakes standardized test.

PubMed

Waskiewicz, Rhonda A

2011-04-11

To measure third-year pharmacy students' level of motivation while completing the Pharmacy Curriculum Outcomes Assessment (PCOA) administered as a low-stakes test to better understand use of the PCOA as a measure of student content knowledge. Student motivation was manipulated through an incentive (ie, personal letter from the dean) and a process of statistical motivation filtering. Data were analyzed to determine any differences between the experimental and control groups in PCOA test performance, motivation to perform well, and test performance after filtering for low motivation-effort. Incentivizing students diminished the need for filtering PCOA scores for low effort. Where filtering was used, performance scores improved, providing a more realistic measure of aggregate student performance. To ensure that PCOA scores are an accurate reflection of student knowledge, incentivizing and/or filtering for low motivation-effort among pharmacy students should be considered fundamental best practice when the PCOA is administered as a low-stakes test.

Refractive errors and binocular dysfunctions in a population of university students.

PubMed

Risovic, D J; Misailovic, K R; Eric-Marinkovic, J M; Kosanovic-Jakovic, N G; Milenkovic, S M; Petrovic, L Z

2008-01-01

This clinical study was performed to determine the presence of refractive errors and binocular dysfunctions in a population of university students. Refraction and binocular function were evaluated in a young patient population (230 students and 234 nonstudent subjects, aged 18-27 years). Distance visual acuity (DVA) and near visual acuity (NVA), refraction, cover test (CT), ocular motility, near-point of convergence, horizontal phoria measurement by Maddox wing, negative and positive vergence amplitude in prism diopters, fusion amplitude in synoptophore, as well as stereoacuity (Titmus test) were tested. Emmetropia was the most frequent refractive status in our student and nonstudent groups (78.7%). Myopia was the most frequent refractive disorder in the whole population (13.1%). Myopia and hypermetropia were significantly more frequent in the students than in nonstudents (chi-square emp 47.55). Exophoria is significantly more frequent in myopic subjects. Vergence amplitude (t test 0.000) and fusion amplitude (t test 0.005) show significantly lower values in student population. Results of Titmus test in the student group is significantly worse than in the nonstudent group (t test 0.000). Maddox wing resulted in significantly higher degree of heterophoria in the student population (t test 0.000). Myopic subjects, in the student group (t test 0.002) as well as in the nonstudent group (t test 0.001), show significantly better results in Titmus test. High near visual demand could be the most important factor for higher incidence of myopia, worse convergence and fusion amplitude, higher degree of exophoria, and worse results in Titmus test in the student population.

Designing high-quality interactive multimedia learning modules.

PubMed

Huang, Camillan

2005-01-01

Modern research has broadened scientific knowledge and revealed the interdisciplinary nature of the sciences. For today's students, this advance translates to learning a more diverse range of concepts, usually in less time, and without supporting resources. Students can benefit from technology-enhanced learning supplements that unify concepts and are delivered on-demand over the Internet. Such supplements, like imaging informatics databases, serve as innovative references for biomedical information, but could improve their interaction interfaces to support learning. With information from these digital datasets, multimedia learning tools can be designed to transform learning into an active process where students can visualize relationships over time, interact with dynamic content, and immediately test their knowledge. This approach bridges knowledge gaps, fosters conceptual understanding, and builds problem-solving and critical thinking skills-all essential components to informatics training for science and medicine. Additional benefits include cost-free access and ease of dissemination over the Internet or CD-ROM. However, current methods for the design of multimedia learning modules are not standardized and lack strong instructional design. Pressure from administrators at the top and students from the bottom are pushing faculty to use modern technology to address the learning needs and expectations of contemporary students. Yet, faculty lack adequate support and training to adopt this new approach. So how can faculty learn to create educational multimedia materials for their students? This paper provides guidelines on best practices in educational multimedia design, derived from the Virtual Labs Project at Stanford University. The development of a multimedia module consists of five phases: (1) understand the learning problem and the users needs; (2) design the content to harness the enabling technologies; (3) build multimedia materials with web style standards and human factors principles; (4) user testing; (5) evaluate and improve design.

The importance of clinical research skills according to PharmD students, first-year residents, and residency directors.

PubMed

Anderson, Heather D; Saseen, Joseph J

Research has a prominent role within the field of pharmacy practice. However, no studies have assessed the importance of research methods in pharmacy education from the perspective of students, residents, or residency directors. Questionnaires were administered online in spring 2014 to four respondent groups: University of Colorado fourth year PharmD (P4) students, post graduate year 1 (PGY1) residents, and PGY1 and post-graduate year 2 (PGY2) residency directors. Descriptive statistics were used to characterize respondents; t-tests and chi-square tests were used to compare groups of respondents. Respondents included 255 PGY1 residency directors, 155 PGY2 residency directors, 35 PGY1 residents, and 87 P4 students. Response rates ranged from 26% (residency directors) to nearly 60% (P4 students and PGY1 residents). PGY1 residents and PGY1/PGY2 residency directors ranked research experience lowest among ten characteristics with respect to their importance when competing for a residency or being a successful resident. Among six specific clinical research skills, PGY1 residents and PGY1/PGY2 residency directors ranked "identifying and writing a research question" as the most important for successfully completing a residency research project or when selecting a PGY1/PGY2 resident. Perceived importance of clinical research skills by P4 students, current residents, and residency program directors is low. This is in opposition to opinions from several national organizations that proclaim the importance of clinical research skills in doctor of pharmacy curricula. Pharmacy programs must continue to further develop clinical research skills and abilities of future graduates while being cognizant of these perception barriers when developing strategies to enhance research experiences within their curricular programs. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The Effects of an Interactive Nursing Skills Mobile Application on Nursing Students' Knowledge, Self-efficacy, and Skills Performance: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

PubMed

Kim, Hyunsun; Suh, Eunyoung E

2018-03-01

Clinical nursing practice is important because it helps nursing students experience realities of clinical nursing that cannot be learned through theoretical education. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of an interactive nursing skills mobile application for nursing students. Sixty-six senior nursing students were randomly assigned to experimental or control groups. The experimental group used an interactive nursing skills mobile application for 1 week. The control group was provided with a mobile application containing noninteractive nursing video contents for 1 week. Before (pre-test) and 1 week after (post-test) using the mobile application, participants' knowledge of clinical nursing skills, self-efficacy of nursing practice, and nursing skills performance were assessed. The experimental group showed a significantly higher value for knowledge after 1 week of treatment via their mobile application than the control group (t = 3.34, p = .001). In addition, they showed significantly improved self-efficacy before and after intervention (t = 2.46, p = .017) than the control group. The experimental group's nursing skills performance was also significantly enhanced after intervention (t = 7.05, p < .001), with a significant difference in the degree of improvement (t = 4.47, p < .001). The interactive learner-centered nursing education mobile application with systematic contents was an effective method for students to experience practical nursing skills. Developing and applying a mobile application with other nursing contents that can be effectively used across all range of nursing students is recommended. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Salivary detection of periodontopathic bacteria and periodontal health status in dental students.

PubMed

Leblebicioglu, Binnaz; Kulekci, Guven; Ciftci, Sevgi; Keskin, Fahriye; Badur, Selim

2009-06-01

Saliva may become a potential source of contamination through vertical and horizontal transmissions as well as cross-infections. This study aims to use saliva as a screening tool to detect putative periodontal pathogens in a young population with fairly good oral hygiene. Stimulated saliva samples were obtained from 134 dental students (20.5+/-1 years, range 18-22 years). Among those, 77 subjects also completed a periodontal examination including attachment loss, modified dental, gingival and plaque indices (AL, mDI, GI and PI). The test bacteria were identified using a 16S rRNA-based PCR detection method. One or more of the test bacteria was found in 67% of the subjects. Prevotella nigrescens was detected as single bacterium in 16% of the subjects followed by Treponema denticola (4%), Porphyromonas gingivalis (2%), Aggregatibacter (formerly Actinobacillus) actinomycetemcomitans (1%) and Tannerella forsythia (1%). Two or more pathogens were detected in 42% of the subjects. Clinical examination revealed health with no attachment loss (AL) in 84% of the students. In no AL group, 38% of the students were pathogen free while this was 25% for students in localized AL group (p>0.05). There was a statistically significant association between the detection of salivary periodontal pathogen in general and higher PI (p=0.018) and GI (p=0.043). Within the limits of this study, it is possible to detect all six periodontal pathogens in the saliva of dental students. Although a correlation can be observed between the presence of salivary periodontal pathogen and clinical signs of inflammation such as plaque accumulation and gingival bleeding, detection of specific bacteria in saliva is not related to the presence of localized AL based on the presented study population.