Students’ Views on Difficulties in Learning Histology

The aim of this study was to provide a better understanding of the main difficulties hindering undergraduate biology students in learning histology. The study utilized a self-administered questionnaire which included three closed-ended and two open-ended questions: (1) if students had difficulty in learning about each tissue type; (2) what might be the problem in learning about the tissue at hand; (3) which topics were the most difficult; (4) what were the possible reasons that made image identification of tissue types difficult; and (5) how to improve the course curriculum from a student perspective. The survey was administered to 139 undergraduate biology students enrolled in a histology course, of which 101 surveys were completed and analyzed both qualitatively and quantitatively. The topics that students experienced the most difficulties with were: nervous tissue, plant tissues, bone tissues, and glandular epithelial tissue. The main reasons students experienced difficulties with these tissue types, according to the students themselves, were the nature of the topic, grasping the terminology used, and insufficient teaching time. Students suggested the adoption of strategies such as: teaching based on practical tasks; reducing the content of the histology curriculum; adding anatomy subjects; and making histology education more interesting.     

ESD and lifelong learning: a case study of the Shangri-la Institute’s current engagement with the Bazhu community in Diqing,China

International Review of Education - This article argues that ESD should be integrated into lifelong learning and provides an example of how this might be done. It draws on a case study of a joint...     

An Industry Copyright Infringement Portal to Combat Online Piracy

Launched in Spring 2009, the industry’s Copyright Infringement Portal provides an easy and effective way for publishers and Trade Associations to combat online piracy. By automating the takedown notice process it saves publishers time and money, and enables Trade Associations to gain an overview of the scale and pattern of piracy.     

Database trial impact on graduate nursing comprehensive exams

While the authors were doing a test period of databases, the question of whether or not databases affect outcomes of graduate nursing comprehensive examinations came up. This study explored that question through using citation analysis of exams that were taken during a database trial and exams that were not. The findings showed no difference in examination pass/fail rates. While the pass/fail rates did not change, a great deal was learned in terms of citation accuracy and types of materials that students used, leading to discussions about changing how citation and plagiarism awareness were taught.     

Developmental changes in the structure of shyness and internalizing symptoms from early to middle childhood: A network analysis

Shyness is a temperamental trait that shares considerable conceptual overlap with aspects of internalizing problems, creating difficulties in operationalizing and assessing these two constructs and their association. This study addresses these issues by employing network analyses. Participants were, white, N = 555 children (M_age = 52.45 months, SD = 15.96, 55% girls) followed longitudinally over 4 years (2016–2010) in Norway. Teachers rated child shyness and assessed children's internalizing symptoms. Results suggest that two behavioral shyness traits were the most central aspects of shyness. The centrality of these aspects was robust across age. The most influential symptom connecting internalizing symptoms with shyness was “unhappy.” Shyness became more differentiated with development, and associations between anxiety-related symptoms and shyness increased as children entered formal schooling.     

Community characteristics associated with child abuse in Iowa

PROBLEM: Various demographic and community characteristics are associated with child abuse rates in national and urban samples, but similar analyses have not been done within rural areas. This study analyzes the relationships between reported and substantiated rates of child abuse and county demographic, health care resource and social services factors in a predominantly rural state in the US. METHODS: County-level data from Iowa between 1984-1993 were analyzed for associations between county characteristics and rates of child abuse using univariate correlations and multivariate stagewise regression analysis. Population-adjusted rates of reported and substantiated child abuse were correlated with rates of children in poverty, single-parent families, marriage and divorce, unemployment, high-school dropouts, median family income, elder abuse, birth and death rates, numbers of physicians and other healthcare providers, hospital, social workers, and number of caseworkers in the Department of Human Services. RESULTS: Rates of single-parent families, divorce and elder abuse were significantly associated with reported and substantiated child abuse in multivariate analysis, while economic and most health care factors were not. Reporting and substantiation rates differed across districts after adjustment for multiple factors including caseworker workload. CONCLUSIONS: In this rural state, family structure is more significantly associated with child abuse report and substantiation rates than are socioeconomic factors. The level of health care resources in a county does not appear to affect these rates.     

Understanding Nonsocial Play in Early Childhood

Nonsocial play continues to be perceived as a behavior that is detrimental young children’s development. The research evidence in this area is mixed but lends itself to a more positive view of nonsocial play. Despite the substantial amount of literature available, the terminology used fails to be consistent and may prove to be distracting and confusing to practitioners and caregivers. This paper reviews the current literature on young children’s nonsocial play. Distinctions among different types of nonsocial play are identified, as well as some reasons children engage in these activities. By developing a better understanding of the role of nonsocial play in early childhood, caregivers may better understand when children need their help in promoting more social types of play and when intervention may or may not be necessary.     

Working Towards Building Cultures of Peace: A Primer for Students and New Professionals

As the counseling profession moves into the 21st century, counselors and psychologists are increasingly expanding their roles in the reduction of violence across settings. For students and new professionals, this new horizon of needs and opportunities can create some role confusion as traditional direct service functions of individual and group therapy are evolving into indirect services that focus on broader interventions to help create peace. This article seeks to contribute a foundational guide for readers interested in peace psychology. The article provides a brief overview of the peace psychology movement, current trends, and informational sources. It reflects on factors that influence the decision to get involved and provides possible ways to participate in social action, as well as citing a personal example of how one student got involved in building cultures of peace within an international setting.