Reflections as near‐peer facilitators of an inquiry project for undergraduate anatomy: Successes and challenges from a term of trial‐and‐error

Near‐peer facilitators (senior students serving as facilitators to their more junior peers) bring a unique student‐based perspective to teaching. With fewer years of teaching experience however, students who become involved in a facilitator role typically develop related skills quickly through a process of trial‐and‐error within the classroom. The aim of this paper is to report on the authors' own experiences and reflections as student near‐peer facilitators for an inquiry‐based project in an undergraduate anatomy course. Three areas of the facilitator experience are explored: (1) offering adequate guidance as facilitators of inquiry, (2) motivating students to engage in the inquiry process, and (3) fostering creativity in learning. A practical framework for providing guidance to students is discussed which offers facilitators a scaffold for asking questions and assisting students through the inquiry process. Considerations for stimulating intrinsic motivations toward inquiry learning are made, paying attention to ways in which facilitators might influence feelings of motivation towards learning. Also, the role of creativity in inquiry learning is explored by highlighting the actions facilitators can take to foster a creative learning environment. Finally, recommendations are made for the development of formalized training programs that aid near‐peer facilitators in the acquisition of facilitation skills before entering into a process of trial‐and‐error within the classroom. Anat Sci Educ. 7: 64–70. © 2013 American Association of Anatomists.     

A comparison of the physiological response to simulated altitude exposure and r-HuEpo administration

Concerns have been raised about the morality of using simulated altitude facilities in an attempt to improve athletic performance. One assumption that has been influential in this debate is the belief that altitude houses simply mimic the physiological effects of illegal recombinant human erythropoietin (r-HuEpo) doping. To test the validity of this assumption, the haematological and physiological responses of 23 well-trained athletes exposed to a simulated altitude of 2650-3000 m for 11-23 nights were contrasted with those of healthy volunteers receiving a low dose (150 IU·kg^-1 per week) of r-HuEpo for 25 days. Serial blood samples were analysed for serum erythropoietin and percent reticulocytes; maximal oxygen uptake ([Vdot]O_2max) was assessed before and after r-HuEpo administration or simulated altitude exposure. The group mean increase in serum erythropoietin (422% for r-HuEpo vs 59% for simulated altitude), percent reticulocytes (89% vs 30%) and [Vdot]O_2max (6.6% vs -2.0%) indicated that simulated altitude did not induce the changes obtained with r-HuEpo administration. Based on the disparity of these responses, we conclude that simulated altitude facilities should not be considered unethical based solely on the tenet that they provide an alternative means of obtaining the benefits sought by illegal r-HuEpo doping.     

The role of information in the take-up of student loans

We study student loan behavior in the Netherlands where (i) higher education students know little about the conditions of the government's financial aid program and (ii) take-up rates are low. In a field experiment we manipulated the amount of information students have about these conditions. The treatment has no impact on loan take-up, which is not due to students already having decided to take a loan or students not absorbing the information. We conclude that a lack of knowledge about specific policy parameters does not necessarily imply a binding information constraint.     

Making sense out of measurement non-invariance: how to explore differences among educational systems in international large-scale assessments

International large-scale assessment in education aims to compare educational achievement across many countries. Differences between countries in language, culture, and education give rise to differential item functioning (DIF). For many decades, DIF has been regarded as a nuisance and a threat to validity. In this paper, we take a different stance and argue that DIF holds essential information about the differences between countries. To uncover this information, we explore the use of multivariate analysis techniques as ways to analyze DIF emphasizing visualization. PISA 2012 data are used for illustration.

     

Behavioral inhibition induced by ingestion in sea anemones (Anthopleura elegantissima)

Following tests for initial responsiveness, the suppressive effect of ingestion ofArtemia salina on the contraction response of the sea anemone,Anthopleura elegantissima, was assessed. During testing, repeated presentations of a water-stream stimulus occurred over a period of 70 min. All subjects also underwent control testing in which the water-stream sequence was presented in the absence of priorArtemia ingestion. Significant suppression of oral disk contraction to the water stream was observed followingArtemia ingestion with and without water exchange during testing. The relationship of this finding to similar results obtained withHydra is discussed.