Teaching introductory statistics to blind students

The challenges of learning statistics, particularly distributions and their characteristics, can be potentially monumental for vision impaired and blind students. The authors provide some practical advice for teaching these students.     

Identifying Evidence-Based Practices for Behavior: Analysis of Studies Reviewed by the What Works Clearinghouse

Prior concerns have been raised about the ability of schools to access evidence-based practices, however, these practices are instrumental for addressing behavior concerns. This is particularly true at the secondary level, where students are more likely to be disproportionately identified for school removal. This review investigates studies of behavior intervention programs reviewed by the What Works Clearinghouse (WWC), founded by the US Department of Education's Institute of Education Sciences. Three studies meet the WWC evidence standards for middle or high school students. The limited number of studies meeting evidence standards and the demographic samples of those studies meeting evidence standards lowers access to robust practice.     

Liking and Other Reactions After a Get-Acquainted Interaction: A Comparison of Continuous Face-to-Face Interaction versus Interaction that Progresses from Text Messages to Face-to-Face

Increasingly, people are making initial connections through social networking and online dating sites. However, we have limited information about how the use of computer-mediated communication (CMC) compares to face-to-face (FtF) for making initial social connections. The purpose of the present study was to compare liking and other affiliative outcomes of dyads who become acquainted in an interaction that progressed from CMC, to Skype, and finally to FtF versus dyads who became acquainted entirely FtF. The dyads engaged in a three-segment, structured self-disclosure task to become acquainted and were randomly assigned to either the continuous FtF condition (n = 48) or the CMC to FtF condition (n = 40). Participants’ reactions were assessed after each segment of interaction. Comparisons after the first segment revealed that those who interacted over CMC-text reported less enjoyment of the interaction, in addition to less liking of, closeness with, and perceived similarity to their discussion partner than those who interacted FtF. However, participants in the CMC to FtF condition increased in their positive reactions over the course of the interaction to a greater degree than did those in the continuous FtF condition, and consequently were able to catch up to them by the end of the final segment of interaction. Overall, our study suggests that although initial communication through online-text may elicit less positive impressions of an interaction partner relative to FtF, these effects may be mitigated upon partners moving quickly to FtF or through other rich channels (video).     

Breaking with Tradition: A Scoping Meta-Analysis Analyzing the Effects of Student-Centered Learning and Computer-Aided Instruction on Student Performance in Anatomy

While prior meta-analyses in anatomy education have explored the effects of laboratory pedagogies and histology media on learner performance, the effects of student-centered learning (SCL) and computer-aided instruction (CAI) have not been broadly evaluated. This research sought to answer the question, “How effective are student-centered pedagogies and CAI at increasing student knowledge gains in anatomy compared to traditional didactic approaches?” Relevant studies published within the past 51 years were searched using five databases. Predetermined eligibility criteria were applied to the screening of titles and abstracts to discern their appropriateness for study inclusion. A summary effect size was estimated to determine the effects of SCL and CAI on anatomy performance outcomes. A moderator analysis of study features was also performed. Of the 3,035 records screened, 327 underwent full-text review. Seven studies, which comprised 1,564 participants, were included in the SCL analysis. An additional 19 studies analyzed the effects of CAI in the context of 2,570 participants. Upon comparing SCL to traditional instruction, a small positive effect on learner performance was detected (standardized mean difference (SMD = 0.24; [CI = 0.07, 0.42]; P = 0.006). Likewise, students with CAI exposure moderately outscored those with limited or no access to CAI (SMD = 0.59; [CI = 0.20, 0.98]; P = 0.003). Further analysis of CAI studies identified effects (P ≤ 0.001) for learner population, publication period, interventional approach, and intervention frequency. Overall, learners exposed to SCL and supplemental CAI outperformed their more classically-trained peers as evidenced by increases in short-term knowledge gains. Anat Sci Educ. © 2018 American Association of Anatomists.     

The Future of Three‐Dimensional Imaging and Museum Applications

Abstract Is it time for all museums to initiate large‐scale 3D digitization programs? We don’t yet know how 3D is going to change, replace, or integrate into current museum experience. Yet the possibilities are being actualized right now. What does 3D mean for museums? Digitizing museum objects in 3D (or the museums themselves, for that matter) with incredible accuracy and realism; examining the inside of a mummy; modeling collections in 3D; retaining virtual copies of vulnerable objects; all these and more already exist in the fast‐changing realm of 3D applications.     

Destination,Imagination and the Fires Within: Design Thinking in a Middle School Classroom

The purpose of the Taking Design Thinking to Schools Research Project was to extend the knowledge base that contributes to an improved understanding of the role of design thinking in K‐12 classrooms. The ethnographic qualitative study focused on the implementation of an interdisciplinary design curriculum by a team of university instructors in a public charter school. Three questions framed the study. How did students express their understanding of design thinking classroom activities? How did affective elements impact design thinking in the classroom environment? How is design thinking connected to academic standards and content learning in the classroom?     

Publishing 2020

The article examines historical and recent trends in the consumer publishing industry in order to make predictions about the structure of that industry in 2020. The author anticipates the demise of the largest players in the industry, in both the publishing and retail sectors. Their decline he attributes to a focus on supply chain management and a lack of attention to innovation on the demand-side of the book business. In this respect he pays particular attention to studies of supply–demand matching in the DVD business.