Exploring mechanisms of rapid automatized naming to arithmetic skills in Chinese primary schoolers

Rapid automatized naming (RAN) is associated with children's arithmetic performance, which is multifactorial by nature and consists of arithmetic fluency, arithmetic procedure, and word problems. Yet, it is unclear whether RAN can predict all key aspects of arithmetic skills independently and what cognitive mechanisms may explain this relation. Using a sample of Chinese primary school students (N = 170), results showed that while RAN was associated with all key aspects of arithmetic skills, the relations of RAN–arithmetic procedure and RAN–word problems may be dependent on that of RAN–arithmetic fluency. Supporting the processing speed hypothesis, results further suggested that processing speed may underlie the relation between RAN and arithmetic performance. Findings made unique contribution to understanding the effect of RAN on arithmetic performance and cognitive mechanisms that may underpin this association in the context of Chinese culture.     

Idea generation in biomedical engineering courses using Design Heuristics

ABSTRACT

With increasing demand for improved medical equipment and healthcare, next-generation biomedical engineers need strong design skills. Equipping biomedical engineering students with tools for idea generation and development can increase student design success. Design Heuristics are an ideation tool developed through empirical studies of product designs. While identified in the mechanical engineering space, Design Heuristics may be applicable in biomedical engineering design. In our study, we implemented a Design Heuristics session during upper-level undergraduate and first-year graduate biomedical engineering design courses. We examined the applicability of Design Heuristics within individual and team concept generation contexts. The findings demonstrated that biomedical engineering students were able to use Design Heuristics to generate multiple concepts, and that initial concepts produced using Design Heuristics were carried over into final team design. The results support the applicability of Design Heuristics to student idea generation in biomedical engineering design.