Computer-paced versus experimenter-paced working memory span tasks: Are they equally reliable and valid?

Working memory span tasks are popular measures, in part, because performance on these tasks predicts performance on other measures of cognitive ability. The traditional method of span-task administration is the experimenter-paced version, whose reliability and validity have been repeatedly demonstrated. However, computer-paced span tasks are becoming increasingly more popular. Despite their popularity, no study had systematically compared experimenter-paced and computer-paced versions of the reading span and operation span tasks. Such a comparison is important because research labs in many universities across many countries administer these span tasks with a variety of methods. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the reliability and validity of computer-paced span tasks and to compare these estimates to those of experimenter-paced span tasks. Results indicated that experimenter-paced and computer-paced span tasks share some overlap, but also measure additional and distinct processes. Computer-paced span tasks were highly reliable measures as well as valid indicators of fluid intelligence (Gf). Thus, computer-paced span tasks may be the optimal type of administration given their methodological advantages over experimenter-paced span tasks.     

The relation between types of assessment tasks and the mathematical reasoning students use

The relation between types of tasks and the mathematical reasoning used by students trying to solve tasks in a national test situation is analyzed. The results show that when confronted with test tasks that share important properties with tasks in the textbook the students solved them by trying to recall facts or algorithms. Such test tasks did not require conceptual understanding. In contrast, test tasks that do not share important properties with the textbook mostly elicited creative mathematically founded reasoning. In addition, most successful solutions to such tasks were based on this type of reasoning.     

Differences in Shame and Pride as a Function of Children''s Gender and Task Difficulty

3-year-old children were presented with easy and difficult tasks and their emotional responses of shame and pride were observed. No shame was shown when subjects succeeded on the tasks and no pride was shown when they failed. Significantly more shame was shown when subjects failed easy tasks than when they failed difficult tasks, and significantly more pride was shown when subjects succeeded on difficult than on easy tasks. While there were no sex differences in task failures, girls showed more shame than boys. There were no sex differences in pride when subjects succeeded.     

Comparing composing processes in writing-only and reading-to-write test tasks

The use of reading-to-write tasks for assessing academic writing in English is increasing, often replacing traditional impromptu writing-only tasks. This shift has led to a number of studies comparing the written products of these two task types. To add to this literature, this article reports on a study comparing test takers’ processes in composing reading-to-write and writing-only test tasks. Ten non-native English-speaking students at a large Midwestern United States university participated in talk-aloud writing sessions and interviews. They wrote on tasks developed for the English placement exam at the university. The data were analyzed qualitatively across tasks and test takers. Differences were found across tasks and writers with the reading-to-write task eliciting a more interactive process for some writers and writing-only tasks requiring more initial and less online planning. Those with more experience and interest in writing reported using a more interactive process. To use the results in choosing between the two tasks, careful consideration of the construct for academic writing is needed. However, the results suggest a more authentic process in reading-to-write tasks, and also reveal test takers’ preference for these tasks.     

Open-ended investigations: Performance and effects of pre-training

Students' performance and the effects of pre-training were studied for tasks rated high in ambiguity, in particular those where the solution to the tasks cannot be arrived at through predictable algorithms. A total of 277 thirteen-year-old students from two urban schools in Singapore were randomly assigned to two groups. One group was provided with instruction for dealing with such tasks in general before performing a series of tasks, while the other group performed the tasks without the instruction. How well the students coped with the ambiguities of the tasks with and without pretraining is reported in this paper.     

基于工作单和学习手册的任务引导课程实施与评价

采取教学工作单和学习手册配套学习,工作单围绕项目设置任务,学习手册根据任务编排知识,给出完成任务和解决问题的知识支撑和学习指导。学习过程突出教师和学生的主体作用,重视过程评价,允许学生通过完成任务来修正、提高过程成绩,目标是实现习得知识的增加和职业能力的提升。     

Orthographic and Phonological Processes in Reading

Investigations of reading have focussed largely on two component processes, phonological processing and orthographic processing. However, a number of unresolved issues have hampered progress in the investigation of these abilities. Three such issues that formed the focus of the present study were (1) the extent to which tasks used to operationalise orthographic processing measure the same construct, (2) the extent to which tasks from a range of phonological processing domains measure the same construct, and (3) the degree to which orthographic processing tasks reflect orthographic processes independent of extraneous phonological operations, and conversely, phonological processing tasks measure phonological processes independent of orthographic processes. To address these questions, a variety of tasks used to evaluate orthographic processing (orthographic verification, homophone verification, nonlexical choice, irregular word reading, irregular word spelling), phonological processing (phoneme deletion, phonological choice, nonword reading, nonword spelling) and related domains (e.g., word identification, IQ) were administered to 177 children from Grades 3, 4 and 5. Factor analysis conducted using accuracy data revealed that orthographic processing tasks congregate along a single factor, while phonological processing tasks congregate along another, separate factor, viewed as evidence for the construct validity of orthographic processing and phonological processing, respectively. When response-time data were analysed, these same tasks did not differentiate on the basis of their orthographic and phonological demands, but rather in terms of their more general task demands. Additionally, results reveal that some phonological processing and orthographic processing tasks measure their respective construct with a greater degree of purity than do others. It is recommended that these tasks be used in future research.     

Rapid naming speed and Chinese character recognition

We examined the relationship between rapid naming speed (RAN) and Chinese character recognition accuracy and fluency. Sixty-three grade 2 and 54 grade 4 Taiwanese children were administered four RAN tasks (colors, digits, Zhu-Yin-Fu-Hao, characters), and two character recognition tasks. RAN tasks accounted for more reading variance in grade 4 than in grade 2, and graphological RAN tasks accounted for more reading variance than RAN Colors. After controlling for age, nonverbal intelligence, phonological sensitivity, short-term memory, and orthographic processing, RAN tasks were significant predictors of character recognition fluency in grade 2, and of both accuracy and fluency in grade 4.     

Theory of mind and relational complexity

Cognitive complexity and control theory and relational complexity theory attribute developmental changes in theory of mind (TOM) to complexity. In 3 studies, 3-, 4-, and 5-year-olds performed TOM tasks (false belief, appearance-reality), less complex connections (Level 1 perspective-taking) tasks, and transformations tasks (understanding the effects of location changes and colored filters) with content similar to TOM. There were also predictor tasks at binary-relational and ternary-relational complexity levels, with different content. Consistent with complexity theories: (a) connections and transformations were easier and mastered earlier than TOM; (b) predictor tasks accounted for more than 80% of age-related variance in TOM; and (c) ternary-relational items accounted for TOM variance, before and after controlling for age and binary-relational items. Prediction did not require hierarchically structured predictor tasks.     

Auditory and visual factors related to spelling success

Compared good and poor spellers at the third- and sixth-grade levels on seven tasks that measured visual and auditory discrimination, memory, analysis and synthesis skills. The results indicated that five tasks discriminated between good and poor spellers at the third-grade level: tasks requiring visual discrimination and visual memory of words; auditory discrimination, memory, analysis and synthesis; and auditory-visual integration. Two tasks discriminated between good and poor spellers at the sixth-grade level: tasks requiring auditory discrimination, memory, analysis and synthesis; and auditory-visual integration. Memory for words and sentences did not discriminate between good and poor spellers at either grade level.     

Effects of two types of task instructions on literary text comprehension and motivational and affective factors

This experimental study investigated the effects of two types of task instructions on text comprehension, motivation, and emotional involvement. In all, 226 9th graders in low academic tracks were randomly assigned to complete reader-oriented (RO), text-based (TB), or no tasks after reading literary texts to elaborate their mental text representation. Whereas RO tasks encouraged emotional engagement and indirectly stimulated text analysis through creative activities, TB tasks focused on cognitive activity and directly encouraged text analysis. After students completed the tasks, they answered test items on content- and form-related text comprehension. The results indicate that form-related comprehension improved when students elaborated their mental text representation through TB tasks. By contrast, RO students were more interested in the tasks, and they showed slightly more emotional involvement. As the two types of task instructions seemingly have different effects, they may be considered complementary elements in instructional practices for lower academic tracks.     

项目任务尝试教学法及其在Excel教学中的应用

从项目任务确立、项目任务尝试、项目任务完成反馈3个环节,对项目任务尝试教学法在Excel教学中的应用进行系统研究及设计。     

Imitation and Pantomime in High-Functioning Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorders

A study was designed to test 2 alternative hypotheses—a symbolic hypothesis and an executive function hypothesis—for the imitation and pantomime deficits found in previous studies of autism. The subjects were 17 adolescent high-functioning subjects with autism spectrum disorders and 15 clinical comparison subjects who were matched on chronological age and verbal IQ. Meaning and sequence were manipulated in facial and manual imitation tasks. Sequence was manipulated in the pantomime and control tasks. Recognition memory and motor control tasks were matched to the experimental tasks. The results provided no support for the symbolic deficit hypothesis; meaning aided rather than hindered the performance of the group with autism. Partial support for the executive deficit hypothesis was found. There were no group differences on motor control tasks, and few on the memory control tasks, arguing against deficits in motor initiation, basic motor coordination, or visual recognition memory.     

Phonological awareness and musical aptitude

The relationship between phonological awareness and musical aptitude in pre‐school children was examined. In Experiment 1, Turkish children, and in Experiment 2, American children performed various phoneme deletion tasks with words in their respective native languages and with pseudo‐words. They also did initial and final tone deletion tasks with snippets of melodies. Because none of these children knew how to read, both tasks were presumed to depend largely on pure auditory skills. In general, success in the different phoneme deletion tasks reflected the characteristics of the specific languages with which the children were familiar. In addition, in both experiments, children in the high musical aptitude group did much better on all tasks than those in the low musical aptitude group, showing that success in manipulating linguistic sounds was related to awareness of distinct musical sounds.     

National Workshop on ‘Designing and Developing Innovative Science Curriculum and Instructional Material Linking Science Education to Real‐Life Situations’

The development of dynamics concepts is studied longitudinally with two groups, one between ages 12‐14 and the other from 14‐16. Data collected includes performances on APS tasks (for which there is also national data) and performance on Piagetian tasks, with interviews on tasks for selected pupils. Classroom science curriculum data was also obtained. The study can thus discuss the interaction of cognitive development and classroom experience in the development of concepts. This particular paper focuses on the APS tasks.     

Phonological task comparability in Arabic and relation to reading: a longitudinal assessment in kindergarten and first grade

The universal role of phonological processing skills for reading acquisition has been established in many different languages including Arabic. However, in Arabic little knowledge exists about the development of wide-range of phonological tasks and about the correlations between them. We longitudinally studied the developmental trends and correlations between different phonological tasks in kindergarten and first grade and tested their relation to reading accuracy and fluency. Thirty-two children individually completed the same ten phonological processing tasks in kindergarten and first grade. In first grade, reading measures and letter naming were also assessed. Developmental effects of phonological skills showed significant improvement of performance between the two phases in the majority of tasks. Task comparability has raised interesting issues related to the developmental hierarchy of phonological awareness tasks. Moreover, phonological awareness tasks were more inter-correlated in first grade compared to kindergarten, and their correlations to reading were also more established when phonological measures were collected in first grade. The developmental hierarchy of phonological tasks seems to depend on the linguistic and cognitive complexity (unit position, maintenance of the coherent unit and word length) of the items, beyond the size of the phonological unit which was manipulated. The observations reported here have practical implications for planning graded phonological instruction and intervention strategies.

     

Instructional Tasks and the Development of Student Capacity to Think and Reason: An Analysis of the Relationship between Teaching and Learning in a Reform Mathematics Project

Abstract

In the present study the relationship between teaching and learning was examined using a conceptual framework that links dimensions of instructional tasks with gains in student learning outcomes. The greatest student gains on a performance assessment consisting of tasks that require high levels of mathematical thinking and reasoning were related to the use of instructional tasks that engaged students in the “doing of mathematics” or the use of procedures with connections to meaning. In addition, student performance gains were greater for those sites whose tasks were both set up and implemented to encourage the use of multiple solution strategies, multiple representations, and explanations. Whereas, student performance gains were relatively small for those sites whose tasks tended to be both set up and implemented in a procedural manner and that required a single solution strategy, single representations, and little or no mathematical communication.     

The Homogeneity and Heterogeneity of Moral Functioning in Preschool

The current study examined relations between distinct aspects of moral functioning, and their cognitive and emotional correlates, in preschool age children. Participants were 171 typically developing 3- to 6-year-olds. Each child completed several tasks, including (a) moral tasks assessing both performance of various moral actions and evaluations of moral scenarios presented both verbally and nonverbally; and (b) non-moral tasks assessing general cognitive skill, executive functioning, theory-of-mind, and emotion recognition. Shyness and empathic concern were assessed from video acquired during participation. Results demonstrated positive associations among distinct moral actions, as well as among distinct moral evaluation tasks, but few associations between tasks assessing moral actions and moral evaluation. Empathic concern and inhibitory control each emerged as important predictors of preschoolers’ moral functioning.     

Qualitative differences in concrete and formal operational tasks

Five concrete and five formal tasks were administered to 64 second-, fourth-,sixth, and eighth-grade subjects. A significant grade effect (p ? .01) but no significant sex effect or interaction was found. A cluster analysis indicated that four of the five formal tasks grouped together, two of the five concrete tasks grouped together, and the rest of the tasks remained isolated. These results were interpreted as supporting both Piaget's qualitative hypothesis and the structural characteristics of the concrete and formal stages.     

Deconstructing rapid automatized naming: Component processes and the prediction of reading difficulties

This study explores 1) the components of rapid automatized naming (RAN) by first analyzing the factorial associations between RAN tasks and various nonword decoding and processing speed measures and secondly, by exploring which of these process latent variables are uniquely associated with literacy in 65 below-average readers and spellers. In preliminary factor analyses, all speeded naming tasks loaded together (Factor 1: Rapid Naming); All tasks involving speeded alphanumeric naming loaded together (Factor 2: Alphanumeric Naming); Alphanumeric RAN tasks also loaded with nonsense word decoding (Factor 3: Decoding). The Alphanumeric Naming factor predicted 2% of unique variance in Literacy. Our results thus provide two new findings: 1) only very modest variation in Literacy is explained by aspects of RAN not primarily associated with either generic naming speed or decoding ability; 2) variation in other verbal forced choice response speed and response inhibition tasks are linked to reading through common variance in speeded naming tasks also shared by alphanumeric RAN tasks. Implications of these findings for theories of reading and individual differences are explored.