The synthetic instructor: Implementation for Web‐based electronic performance support systems

Electronic performance support systems (EPSS) can accommodate disparate learner knowledge, experiences, and methods of comprehension. However, learners may have ineffective cognitive strategies for using an EPSS environment. The solution described in this article is applied to a Web‐based EPSS that has a simulation core. As the learner works in the environment, a “synthetic instructor” continuously collects information to adapt activities, resources, and representations. It uses critical incidents, which trigger within scenarios that mimic real‐world performance objectives.     

A Multi‐Institutional Web‐Based Undergraduate Food Product Innovation and Marketing Course

ABSTRACT: Food product development courses at The Pennsylvania State University and Saint Joseph's University were combined into a single course with a common faculty, syllabus, and web‐based course management system. Industry specialists made weekly presentations on critical aspects of the product development and marketing process, via compressed video conferencing and the Web, to students at both locations. Cross‐institutional interdisciplinary student teams completed a comprehensive plan for developing, evaluating, and launching a new product. Assessment of student learning revealed an enhanced understanding of all aspects of the product innovation, development, and marketing processes. The net result is a model learning system transcending disciplines, place, and time.     

A plan for the development of a conceptually based mathematics curriculum for disadvantaged children

In Part I (Scandura, 1972b), theoretical foundations were presented together with a plan for engineering an idealized curriculum and for developing specific curriculum products. The purpose of Part II is to show how this plan would operate in practice. In studying the applications, the reader will probably want to refer back to the plan in Part I. To keep the discussion within bounds, only Phase I of the long-range engineering is considered. The viability of the overall approach, however, will become clear with the present discussion.This article is based on a report prepared during September 1970 for the Office Economic Opportunity.     

A mixed‐method efficacy and fidelity study of Check and Connect

The effectiveness of the Check and Connect dropout prevention program was examined, over the course of 2 ½ years, with 54 middle school students from diverse backgrounds experiencing one or more conditions of risk for dropout. Participants were randomly assigned to receive the Check and Connect intervention or business as usual (i.e., control) in sixth grade. Students in the treatment group had significantly better eighth grade attendance than the control. There were no significant differences between the two groups in eighth grade cumulative grade point average or office disciplinary referrals. An in‐depth analysis of the quality and quantity of the intervention delivered to the students in the treatment group identified conditions that were associated with higher treatment integrity and better student outcomes.     

A factor analytic study of children’s picture interpretation behavior

Many questions about picture interpretation behavior remain to be answered One question relates to the psychological nature of such behavior and may be stated; What psychological processes are involved in drawing inferences from pictures? This study attempts to answer the question using a model of picture interpretation that consists of two interdependent forms of behavior: observation and inference drawing. The study focuses on the latter, which is further divided into productive and evaluative processes. These are accounted for by three constructs: operational facility, the ability to generalize concepts, and conceptual fluency. To test the model and related hypotheses, two pictorial tests of inference drawing and 19 reference tests were administered to 95 children aged 10 to 12 years, A factor analytic methodology was employed.     

流动儿童城市适应状况及过程:一项质性研究的结果

This article employs qualitative research methods to explore the urban adaptation and adaptation processes of Chinese migrant children. Through twenty-one in-depth interviews with migrant children, the researchers discovered: The participant migrant children showed a fairly high level of adaptation to the city; their process of urban adaptation emerged as three categories: the U-Type, the J-type, and the “flat line” type. Also explored were long-term acquisition of explicit behaviors, implicit notions, adaptation to the socio-cultural environment, and success in education as difficult aspects of adaptation. After comparing these three processes, the research team developed a theory of migrant children urban adaptation. It hypothesizes that during the urban adaptation process, migrant children will encounter four stages of development: excitement and curiosity, shock and resistance, exploration and adaptation, and finally integration and assimilation. __________ Translated by Amanda Weiss from Beijing Shifan Daxue Xuebao (Shehui Kexue Ban) 北京师范大学学报 (社会科学版) (Journal of Beijing Normal University (Social Sciences)), 2008, (3): 9–20, revised by Deane Neubauer, Emeritus Professor, University of Hawaii     

A comparative study of mental health and wellbeing among UK students on professional degree programmes

ABSTRACT

Despite elevated rates of suicide and evidence of poor mental health among medical professionals, there is a paucity of research in the UK into the mental health of students destined for these careers. This study estimated and compared the prevalence of mental ill-health in students studying veterinary medicine, medicine, dentistry and pharmacy in the United Kingdom. A group of law students was also included, who, although subject to similar stressors as undergraduates, do not go on to share a heightened risk of suicide as professionals. A total of 1744 respondents completed a questionnaire with validated measures to assess wellbeing, psychological distress, depression and suicidal ideation and attempts. Results indicated that law students experienced the poorest mental health of the student groups studied. Wellbeing was highest among veterinary and medical students. However, the medical students were the most likely to have previously attempted suicide. These findings highlight the importance of directly comparing student groups and of appropriately supporting students as they progress through training and into the professions.     

A meta‐analytic review of the cover‐copy‐compare and variations of this self‐management procedure

Studies that examined copy‐cover‐compare (CCC) and variations of this procedure were reviewed and analyzed. This review revealed a substantial number of studies that validated the use of CCC across spelling and math skills and across students with and without disabilities. A meta‐analysis of findings indicated that CCC and variations of this procedure were effective for helping students acquire and become fluent in academic skills. The strongest effects were evident when CCC and variations of this procedure were combined with other evidence‐based instructional components. Limitations, future directions for research, and recommendations for practice are offered. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

School‐based counseling of abused children

Abused children experience high rates of behavior, emotional, and learning problems but infrequently receive treatment. Most services provided to abused children and their families are not based on any clear evidence that they work. A number of evidence‐based treatments (EBTs), demonstrated to be safe and effective in treating a range of difficulties that present in children exposed to family violence, are appropriate for schools. We briefly review forms of abuse, describe EBTs appropriate for schools, and present a decision tree for deciding who to treat and how. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

School‐based support for children with conduct disorders; a qualitative longitudinal study of high‐need families

Primary school‐aged children with conduct problems are at risk of future antisocial and criminal behaviour, particularly when there are additional family‐level risk factors. However, little is known about how school‐related factors can reduce that risk. This qualitative longitudinal study investigates school‐related influences on changes in the behaviour of at‐risk children in high‐need families over a period of 5 years. Families of 11 children with serious behaviour problems were followed over the transition to secondary school. In‐depth interviews with mothers, and with practitioners who support the child or family, explored school‐related factors which appeared helpful or unhelpful in improving children's behaviour over time. The analysis found that the disjuncture between the nurture experienced at primary school and a lack of nurture later at secondary school was problematic. Children tended to change primary school until they found one prepared to offer them a high level of nurture and supervision. Consistent relationships with supportive adults were important, but were rare after the transfer to secondary school. Literacy problems remained unrecognised or unaddressed for too long, contributing to children's lack of engagement. Inconsistent disciplinary responses to minor behaviour issues tended to escalate problems and most children were eventually excluded from mainstream education. Communication between parents and school staff was often problematic; parents sometimes experienced school contacts as burdensome, ill‐informed and unsupportive. However, good communication could aid development of successful approaches to supporting children with difficult behaviour.     

The teacher education curriculum and the world of work: A study of teachers of disadvantaged children in Nigeria

A key element in the current attempt to actualise the goals of the Dakar Framework of Action for Education for All in Nigeria is the broadening of access to education for disadvantaged groups. These groups include: nomadic pastoralists; migrant fishermen; and out-of-school children and youth. Special educational programs are being provided for them so as, inter alia, to: integrate them into the mainstream of Nigeria's social and political life; disseminate modern occupational and life skills; and promote cultural renewal based on reconstructionist principles.The major concern of this paper is to analyse the teacher education curriculum in Nigeria vis-à-vis the concrete existential realities in which teachers of these disadvantaged groups teach. It critically examines the extent to which the curriculum prepares teachers for the world of minority children, particularly the realities of the schools and the cultural contexts within which teaching takes place. To what extent has the teacher education curriculum adequately prepared teachers for the realities and challenges of teaching disadvantaged children? What do the teachers themselves think of the training they have received? How have their experiences as teachers of disadvantaged groups influenced their sense of marginalisation, professionalism and sense of worth? These questions are posed using quantitative and qualitative strategies so as to determine the level of congruence or incongruence between the existential realities of teachers’ work and the teacher education curriculum. Finally the paper highlights the suggestions made by the teachers sampled for this study about how to reform the teacher education curriculum in order most effectively to address the peculiarities and challenges of the cultural and educational contexts in which they work.     

Model‐based reasoning about energy: A fourth‐grade case study

We report a case study of model‐based reasoning in which a small group of fourth‐grade students analyzes the energy flow when a solar panel is used to power an electric motor that spins a propeller. In developing their explanation of energy flow, the students draw on a general model of energy developed collectively by their class in the course of an experimental classroom curriculum led by a trained teacher. They also construct a model‐based representation of the specific system under study. Their investigation and reasoning process exhibit all the features of authentic scientific model‐based inquiry, including the revision of their models to incorporate new information. In the course of their work the students recruit and seamlessly integrate nearly all of the practices of science designated in the Next Generation Science Standards. This case study provides an example of what modeling‐based teaching and learning can look like in an elementary school classroom. It also suggests that the study of energy offers a particularly promising context for developing students' use of science practices, especially the practice of developing and using models.     

Differences between WISC‐R and WISC‐III performance scale among children with ADHD

Reviews involving the Wechsler Scales for children suggest that Full Scale IQ scores on the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children, Third Edition, average 5 to 6 points lower than scores on the second edition of the scale [WISC‐R, Wechsler, D. (1974). Zimmerman & Woo‐Sam, 1997], with the differences distributed disproportionately over subtests, i.e., with larger discrepancies found within the Performance Scale (Wechsler, 1991). Changes on the revised subtests of the WISC‐III Performance Scale may place children with ADHD at a disadvantage compared to their performance on analogous WISC‐R subtests. We examined IQ test performance in 122 unmedicated children with ADHD (61 given the WISC‐R, 61 given the WISC‐III), and 46 children from a healthy, comparison group (23 given the WISC‐R, 23 given the WISC‐III). The ADHD and comparison group samples were matched for sex and for Verbal IQ between WISC‐R and WISC‐III. Children with ADHD had significantly lower Performance IQ on WISC‐III compared to the WISC‐R, with the Picture Arrangement subtest showing the most significant difference. In contrast, there were no significant differences between the WISC‐R and WISC‐III cohorts on Performance IQ or any Performance subtests among the comparison group. These findings highlight the importance of examining the comparability of ability test revisions among clinical and non‐clinical populations, and will be especially salient when the WISC‐III is revised. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Psychol Schs 40: 331–340, 2003.     

Relaxation and guided imagery: A school‐based intervention for children with asthma

Asthma, a disease of the respiratory system, is the most common chronic medical condition among children. School‐aged children with asthma evidence increased absenteeism, decreased school performance, restriction of various activities, poor peer relationships, and emotional and behavioral difficulties. Asthma can be triggered and exacerbated by emotions and stress, and therefore, it has been treated with psychological interventions. Relaxation and guided imagery (RGI), an intervention based on the theoretical position that the mind and body interact in determining health, has been shown to be effective in improving mental and physical health outcomes with a myriad of medical conditions, yet it has not been adequately studied with childhood asthma. This investigation analyzed the effect of RGI on lung function [forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV₁) and forced expiratory flow 25–75 (FEF_25–75)] and anxiety by employing a multiple baseline design across four middle school students with asthma. With the introduction of the intervention, it was found that FEV₁ improved and anxiety decreased in all students. FEF_25–75 improved in three of the four participants. The effect sizes for the four participants ranged from ?0.98 to ?1.88 for FEV₁, 0.20 to ?1.93 for FEF_25–75, and 2.19 to 4.06 for anxiety. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Psychol Schs 40: 657–675, 2003.     

Demonstration of Classroom Survival Skills in Kindergarten: A five-year transition study of children with intellectual disabilities

Thirty-three children with a range of intellectual disabilities who participated in a transition program embedded within a model inclusive preschool program were enrolled in mainstream kindergarten classes from 1995 to 1999. In the second of four kindergarten terms the classroom survival skills, on-task behaviour across a range of activities and following teacher directions, were measured by observing the children with intellectual disabilities and a typical peer, nominated by each classroom teacher. While the teacher-nominated peers outperformed the students with intellectual disabilities in total time-on-task, the level achieved by the children with intellectual disabilities was still at the lower end of what is regarded as average. There was no statistical difference between the two groups in on-task behaviour during independent activities but the difference between the groups during whole class instruction was highly significant. This may have implications for the selection of strategies for preparing children for transition and the adaptation of teaching practices. On-task behaviour did not vary a great deal across level of intellectual disability but gender may have been a contributing factor. There appeared to be a greater difference between students with and without disabilities in responding to teacher directions. The results of the present study suggest that successful demonstration of these critical skills requires more appropriate teacher preparation and intervention at the kindergarten level.