EVELOPING CREATIVE ABILITIES AT THE UNIVERSITY LEVEL

Studies on the nurturing of creativity by university teachers are rare. In the present study 233 students from two universities, one ranked as one of the best in Brazil (University A) and another ranked low among Brazilian universities (University B) were asked to fill out an inventory designed to evaluate the degree to which different aspects related to creativity had been fostered by their university teachers. Students from University A, compared with those from University B, rated their teachers as providing significantly more favourable conditions for the nurturing of creativity. It was also found that students from the first half of their courses, compared with those from the second half, evaluated their teachers as nurturing significantly more different aspects of creativity. The results point to some characteristics of the learning situation that may contribute to the promotion of creative abilities. These characteristics should be implemented in the educational setting, in order to prepare students for the creative productivity that is necessary in all societies.

     

TRAINING TEACHERS TO TEACH FOR CREATIVITY

One of the misconceptions about creativity which prevail among teachers is the belief that it is present only in a small proportion of children. This leads to underestimation of the influence of school and society on the creative process. The creativity training program described here was designed with the main purpose of arousing teachers’ awareness of their own creative abilities and introducing basic concepts about creativity and how to nurture it into the school setting. Several studies were conducted to investigate the effects of this program on teachers’ creative thinking abilities and behaviour in the classroom. The results obtained indicated that the program was successful in developing teachers’ creative thinking and in helping them to learn the skills which are related to creative thinking and how to further it in the classroom.     

Advances in the Science of Assessment

Designing, developing, and administering assessments has remained fairly unchanged across the past century. However, recent developments in instructional technology, learning science theory, and advances in the design of assessments necessitate a newfound perspective on assessment. The objective of the present article is to review the topic of assessment in depth—past, present, and future. Specifically, we focus on the use of technologically rich learning environments that have spurred advances in student assessment, new methods and procedures from these advances, and consequently the need to consider implementing comprehensive assessment systems that provide rigorous and ubiquitous measurement of the whole student learning experience.     

Lyman Bryson as discussion moderator

Among Lyman Bryson's chief characteristics as a leader of public discussion were the versatility with which he introduced the subject, the keenness with which he discovered issues, and the creativity with which he useed individual difference of opinion.     

Perturbations in Blood Phosphatidylcholine and Sphingomyelin Fatty Acid Composition in a Sample Population of Cigarette Smokers

Docosahexaenoic (DHA) and arachidonic acids (AA) are polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), major components of brain tissue and neural systems, and the precursors of a number of biologically active metabolites with functions in inflammation resolution, neuroprotection and other actions. As PUFAs are highly susceptible to peroxidation, we hypothesised whether cigarette smokers would present altered PUFAs levels in plasma and erythrocyte phospholipids. Adult males from Indian, Sri-Lankan or Bangladeshi genetic backgrounds who reported smoking between 20 and 60 cigarettes per week were recruited. The control group consisted of matched non-smokers. A blood sample was taken, plasma and erythrocyte total lipids were extracted, phospholipids were separated by thin layer chromatography, and the fatty acid content analysed by gas chromatography. In smokers, dihomo-gamma-linolenic acid, the AA precursor, was significantly reduced in plasma and erythrocyte phosphatidylcholine. AA and DHA were significantly reduced in erythrocyte sphingomyelin. Relatively short term smoking has affected the fatty acid composition of plasma and erythrocyte phospholipids with functions in neural tissue composition, cell signalling, cell growth, intracellular trafficking, neuroprotection and inflammation, in a relatively young population. As lipid peroxidation is pivotal in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis and neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer disease, early effects of smoking may be relevant for the development of such conditions.     

The duty to succeed: honor versus happiness in college and career choices of East Asian students in the United States

To better understand factors underlying educational and career choices, this study used both survey data from an online networking tool and data collected in college classrooms to gauge differences between Asians (primarily Korean) and white students in the United States. More Asians (41%) than whites (9%) prioritized prestige over happiness, while more white students (67%) than Asian‐American students (28%) deemed happiness as paramount in selecting a college. When assessing their parents, more Asian Americans thought their mothers (51%) and fathers (34%) emphasized prestige in choosing a college than white mothers (9%) and fathers (17%). In addition, Asian parents were assessed as much more prone to stress the importance of financial independence in career selection while white parents were perceived as prioritizing career enjoyment. Certain parenting techniques were much more common among Asians, such as reminding children of parental sacrifices made for the next generation, teaching them that academic performance is a matter of family honor and prodding academic success by comparing their accomplishments with those of children of family and friends. These findings may reflect a conscious strategy to overcome racial discrimination if education is seen as the primary path to upward social mobility. Awareness of the social and emotional cost of the staunch emphasis on the duty to succeed is important for those involved in educating and providing career counseling for college students with an Asian family background. Acknowledgement of pressure to honor parental expectations of narrowly defined acceptable academic and career achievement should be a part of counseling sessions that might otherwise focus exclusively on individual aspirations without due recognition of an interdependent, collectivistic orientation where upholding family expectations is integral to perceived success.     

Tracking of gross motor coordination in Portuguese children

The purpose of this study was to investigate the tracking of gross motor coordination (GMC) and to profile children at 6 years of age who consistently showed higher stability patterns in different levels of GMC. The participants were 245 children (123 boys and 122 girls) who were assessed longitudinally from 6 to 9 years of age. GMC was assessed using the Korperkoordinationtest fur Kinder (KTK) test battery. Anthropometry, physical activity, and health- and performance-related physical fitness were also measured. Cohen’s kappa (κ) was used to estimate tracking. Tracking was poor for all GMC tests (0.17 ≤ κ ≤ 0.38) and moderate for the GMC motor quotient (MQ) in both boys and girls (0.44 ≤ κ ≤ 0.45). Instability at the extremes was low in GMC tests and negligible for MQ. Children who consistently showed high GMC levels during the 4 years of follow-up were lighter, had lower body mass index and subcutaneous fat, and showed higher scores in physical fitness tests at 6 years of age than those who consistently had low GMC levels. In conclusion, GMC showed low-to-moderate tracking over time in childhood. However, children who consistently demonstrated high GMC levels over time had healthier profiles at 6 years of age.