Examining the Effects of Jyoti Meditation on Stress and the Moderating Role of Emotional Intelligence

The authors examined whether Jyoti meditation (JM), a spiritually based meditation (Singh, 2012 ), influenced student counselors' (N = 60) level of stress and emotional intelligence (EI). Results from a randomized controlled trial and growth curve analysis provided a multilevel model in which JM reduced stress and EI moderated the effect.     

An SEM Approach for the Evaluation of Intervention Effects Using Pre-Post-Post Designs

A directly applicable latent variable modeling procedure for classical item analysis is outlined. The method allows one to point and interval estimate item difficulty, item correlations, and item-total correlations for composites consisting of categorical items. The approach is readily employed in empirical research and as a by-product permits examining the latent structure of tentative versions of multiple-component measuring instruments. The discussed procedure is straightforwardly utilized with the increasingly popular latent variable modeling software Mplus, and is illustrated on a numerical example.     

Two‐dimensional sectioned images and three‐dimensional surface models for learning the anatomy of the female pelvis

In the Visible Korean project, serially sectioned images of the pelvis were made from a female cadaver. Outlines of significant structures in the sectioned images were drawn and stacked to build surface models. To improve the accessibility and informational content of these data, a five‐step process was designed and implemented. First, 154 pelvic structures were outlined with additional surface reconstruction to prepare the image data. Second, the sectioned and outlined images (in a browsing software) as well as the surface models (in a PDF file) were placed on the Visible Korean homepage in a readily‐accessible format. Third, all image data were visualized with interactive elements to stimulate creative learning. Fourth, two‐dimensional (2D) images and three‐dimensional (3D) models were superimposed on one another to provide context and spatial information for students viewing these data. Fifth, images were designed such that structure names would be shown when the mouse pointer hovered over the 2D images or the 3D models. The state‐of‐the‐art sectioned images, outlined images, and surface models, arranged and systematized as described in this study, will aid students in understanding the anatomy of female pelvis. The graphic data accompanied by corresponding magnetic resonance images and computed tomographs are expected to promote the production of 3D simulators for clinical practice. Anat Sci Educ 6: 316–323. © 2013 American Association of Anatomists.     

Team Teaching

Several core competencies related to information literacy have been identified by the Association of College and Research Libraries. Students must learn to gather relevant information and communicate their findings effectively. The collaborative activity described here, which could easily be adapted for other disciplines, introduces first-semester freshmen to the standards of professional scientific writing, the different forms of publication, search strategies to effectively find information using a relevant database, and plagiarism. Analysis of our pre- and post-activity assessment demonstrates that students gain both confidence and knowledge on several important skills as a result of this activity. Providing content-relevant information literacy experience lays the foundation for students to be successful consumers of information.     

A dynamic output feedback control law for elastic joint robots via feedback-passivity approach

Motivated by recent dynamic output feedback passivation results, a new set-point control law is presented for an elastic joint robot when the velocity measurements are not available. The proposed methodology designs an additional dynamics with which the parallel-connected system is feedback passive. That is, the composite nonlinear robot system has relative degree one with a new output and its zero-dynamics subsystem becomes the virtual closed-loop system with a simple proportional-derivative (PD) control law. This approach provides an alternative way of replacing the role of the velocity measurements for the PD law. With the proposed control law, the transfer function of the additional system has the form of sG(s) with a strictly positive real (SPR) G(s). Robustness analysis is also given with regard to uncertainties on the robot parameters. The performance of the proposed control law is illustrated in the simulation studies of a manipulator with three revolute elastic joints.     

Students’ confidence and perceived value for participating in cross-cultural wiki-based collaborations

An international wiki-based collaboration was integrated into a large introductory educational technology course enrolling 346 students, divided into 43 teams. Student teams participated in a 5-week project in which they created wiki chapters about the educational uses of specific Web 2.0 tools. Two to four international students, located in their home countries, participated on each team, collaborating via the evolving wiki, as well as other Web 2.0 tools. Using expectancy-value as our motivational framework, we gathered pre- and post-survey data, triangulated with focus group interview data, to examine changes in students’ confidence and perceived value for using these tools to facilitate international collaborations. Survey results showed significant changes in confidence and perceived value, while qualitative results provided insights into students’ perceptions of critical project components. We discuss students’ perceptions of project barriers as well as the strategies they implemented to achieve success.     

Formative assessment in the Grenadian lower secondary school: teachers’ perceptions,attitudes and practices

The purpose of this study was to explore the perceptions, attitudes and frequency of use of formative assessment strategies of teachers in the Grenadian lower secondary school (Forms 1, 2 and 3). The study, which was quantitative in nature, involved 252 lower secondary school teachers. Overall the participants had positive perceptions and attitudes towards formative assessment. Significant differences in the perceptions of formative assessment held by trained and untrained teachers (p?p?=?.001) were found. Trained and untrained teachers were found to have similar frequencies of practice of formative assessment strategies. About half of the teachers reported not allowing students to provide input into test construction and encouraging students to engage in journal writing. The study raises questions about the hindrances that teachers face in the integration of some formative assessment strategies and provides policy-makers with valuable information to support strengthening of teacher education efforts.