Computers and the emancipation of students: giving control to the learner

The paper considers two basic models of the teaching-learning process, described as the didactic and the communication model. These are applied to Computer Assisted Learning (CAL) in order to demonstrate that CAL has generally embodied a didactic model of teaching and learning. This imposes an unnecessary restriction on the student's freedom to choose their (Note 1) learning style, and the paper discusses how it is possible for CAL to support a less didactic model and to give more control to the student.     

Feature extinction enhances transfer of occasion setting

In three experiments, transfer effects in appetitive serial feature-positive discrimination procedures (X→A+,A?) were examined with rat subjects. Nonreinforced presentations of the feature (X) alone had little or no effect on that cue’s ability to modulate responding to the target cue with which it had originally been trained (A) but enhanced its ability to modulate responding to another cue (B), which had been the target within another serial feature-positive discrimination (Y→B+,B?). These effects were observed when the nonreinforcedX presentations occurred either concurrently withX→A+,A? training or afterward. Regardless of whether or not nonreinforcedX presentations were administered,X did not modulate responding evoked by a cue that had not been trained within a serial feature-positive discrimination. These data help resolve conflicts in published reports of transfer or its absence in this conditioning situation, and shed light on the nature of the modulatory or occasion-setting powers of feature cues in serial feature-positive discrimination learning.     

Author index

Authors Index

Author index     

What's in a name? A comparison of methods for classifying predominant type of maltreatment

OBJECTIVE: The primary aim of the study was to identify a classification scheme, for determining the predominant type of maltreatment in a child's history that best predicts differences in developmental outcomes. METHOD: Three different predominant type classification schemes were examined in a sample of 519 children with a history of alleged maltreatment. Cases were classified into predominant maltreatment types according to three different schemes: Hierarchical regression analyses examined whether the HT, SFT, and EHT type classifications contributed to prediction of child behavior problems, trauma symptoms and adaptive functioning. RESULTS: After controlling for demographic factors, the HT definitions predicted four outcomes, while the SFT definitions predicted three, and the EHT classifications contributed to the prediction of five child outcomes. The co-occurrence of multiple types of maltreatment was robustly related to outcomes. However, the HT and SFT classifications predicted outcomes even after accounting for the co-occurrence of multiple maltreatment subtypes. CONCLUSION: A classification scheme that differentiates between type combinations and single maltreatment types may have the greatest predictive validity. Over and above knowing about co-occurrence of maltreatment sub-types, it is important to understand what type, or constellation of types, of maltreatment have been alleged in a child's history.     

Investigating digital video applications in distance learning

The paper gives a brief overview of the use of digital video in distance education, the background to The Open University's Digital Video Applications (DiVA) Project, the contexts in which the Digital Video Library system is being used and some evaluation findings. Through DiVA, the university is investigating how it can use its video assets effectively, to support reuse of existing materials in course production. The project team is also evaluating student use of the system. The paper reports on an observation study which revealed several usability issues and stakeholders' opinions about potential uses of the DiVA system. This is followed by findings from an evaluation of student use of the system at a residential school and its use as part of an online learning activity undertaken by students accessing the system remotely. Evaluation findings to date indicate some quality and workload issues but they also show opportunities that come to light when using the DiVA system.     

Redesigning library orientation for first-year medical students during the pandemic

Background:Prior to 2020, library orientation for first-year medical students at Weill Cornell Medicine took the form of an on-site treasure hunt competition. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the orientation for the MD class of 2024 was shifted to an all-virtual format. This shift mandated a full redesign of the library orientation.Case Presentation:The Samuel J. Wood Library sought to preserve the excitement and fun of the treasure hunt in the new virtual format. The competition was redesigned as a Zoom meeting using breakout rooms, with library faculty and staff serving as team facilitators. Tasks were rewritten, shifting the focus from the library''s physical spaces to its virtual services and online resources. The redesigned orientation was evaluated using two data sources: a postsession survey of student participants and a debriefing of the library employees who participated. Student evaluations were positive, while the faculty and staff provided numerous suggestions for improving future virtual orientations.Conclusions:A successful virtual library orientation requires careful preparation, including testing the competition tasks, full rehearsal with library facilitators, and a thoughtful approach to technology and logistics. We have chosen to share the materials we developed for other academic health sciences libraries that may wish to take a similar approach to their own virtual orientations.