When screens replace backyards: strategies to connect digital-media-oriented young people to nature

Abstract

Children’s connection to nature (CTN) is declining with each generation, a concerning trend given that CTN is positively linked to wellbeing and environmentalism. A primary cause of this decline is that twenty-first-century youth engage with screens for several hours each day, which to a large extent replaces nature-based play. Researchers have proposed that this change represents a transition in human orientation, particularly in Westernized societies, from nature (biophilia) to digital media (videophilia). Interventions promoting nature-based play must acknowledge digital-media use as a competing leisure pursuit, but the literature presents little guidance for designing programs that will attract young people who are more oriented toward digital media than nature. Drawing on a wide breadth of research, we address this gap through (1) exploring the implications of videophilia for nature-based programming and (2) summarizing recommendations from a narrative literature review for designing interventions that appeal to digital-media-oriented youth.     

What Can Be Learned from Something's Not Being Named

A new word-learning phenomenon is demonstrated and a new word-learning principle is proposed to account for it. In Study 1, 60 3-year-olds were shown a pair of objects and heard a novel label used repeatedly for one, but not for the other. In a forced-choice test of generalization of the label, the latter object was selected less often by the children than one that had not been present during training. This so-called Nominal Passover Effect was the same whether the speaker had completely ignored the comparison object during training or had referred to it with pronouns. The performance of a no-word control group ( N = 24) indicated that the effect was not due to a preference for the less exposed of the two choice objects. The effect is consistent with the Exhaustive Reference Principle, which stipulates that whenever a new generic word is used to name something, expect it to be extended to all entities in a situation that the speaker perceives and believes to be exemplars of the name. In Study 2 ( N = 48), the Nominal Passover Effect was replicated with 3 new sets of objects and with training language that contained only indefinite forms of reference. The passover experience was often sufficient to counteract children's tendency to generalize a novel label on the basis of perceptual similarity. The passover effect was not evident in free-choice name generalization tests in either study.     

How infants use vision for grasping objects

The role of vision was examined as infants prepared to grasp horizontally and vertically oriented rods. Hand orientation was measured prior to contact to determine if infants differentially oriented their hands relative to the object's orientation. Infants reached for rods under different lighting conditions. Three experiments are reported in which (1) sight of the hand was removed (N = 12), (2) sight of the object was removed near the end of the reach (N = 40, including 10 adults), and (3) sight of the object was removed prior to reach onset (N = 9). Infants differentially oriented their hand to a similar extent regardless of lighting condition and similar to control conditions in which they could see the rod and hand throughout the reach. In preparation for reaching, infants may use the current sight of the object's orientation, or the memory of it, to orient the hand for grasping; sight of the hand had no effect on hand orientation.     

To tag or not to tag? How to support organizing and classifying bookmarks from the Web (¿Con etiquetas o sin etiquetas? Cómo asistir en la organización y clasificación de los marcadores de páginas Web) (¿Con etiquetas o sin etiquetas? Cómo asistir en la organización y clasificación de los marcadores de páginas Web)

ABSTRACT

When searching for information on the Internet, it can be stored in a bookmarking system. The ability to organize this information in such a system depends on one’s own prior knowledge to create an appropriate classification scheme. Providing a classification system for bookmarks might support people with low prior knowledge. Even though different bookmarking systems exist, hierarchical menus and tagging are being most widely used. In the current exploratory study with 95 ninth-grade students, a 2 × 2 between-subjects design was used to investigate the influence of providing classification support (or not) for either a tagging or a hierarchical system. Results showed that despite the low familiarity with tagging systems, using a hierarchical system is not necessarily a better approach than using a tagging system to organize previously found information. Rather, a tagging system seems to yield storage of fewer but higher-quality information sources. The most important conclusion is that, despite the low familiarity with tagging systems, using a hierarchical system was not beneficial over using a tagging system to organize previously found information.     

Developing local oral reading fluency cut scores for predicting high‐stakes test performance

This study evaluated the classification accuracy of a second grade oral reading fluency curriculum‐based measure (R‐CBM) in predicting third grade state test performance. It also compared the long‐term classification accuracy of local and publisher‐recommended R‐CBM cut scores. Participants were 266 students who were divided into a calibration sample (n = 170) and two cross‐validation samples (n = 46; n = 50), respectively. Using calibration sample data, local fall, winter, and spring R‐CBM cut scores for predicting students’ state test performance were developed using three methods: discriminant analysis (DA), logistic regression (LR), and receiver operating characteristic curve analysis (ROC). The classification accuracy of local and publisher‐recommended cut scores was evaluated across subsamples. Only DA and ROC produced cut scores that maintained adequate sensitivity (≥.70) across cohorts; however, LR and publisher‐recommended scores had higher levels of specificity and overall correct classification. Implications for developing local cut scores are discussed.     

A large-scale test of the relationship between procrastination and performance using learning analytics

Abstract

Many studies have found a relationship between students’ self-reported procrastination and their grades. Few studies have used learning analytic data as a behavioural measure of procrastination in order to predict performance, and there is no systematic research on how this relationship may differ across assessments or disciplines. In this study we analyse nine years’ worth of institutional electronic submission records, a total of 73,608 assignment submissions, to examine the relationship between submission time and grades across assignments, students, courses, and disciplines in higher education. A significant negative relationship was found overall, with students who submitted closer to the deadline obtaining lower grades, however the size of the relationship was negligible, accounting for less than 1% of the variance in grades. The relationship varied significantly depending on student, assignment, course and discipline.     

The necessity of each phase of the learning cycle in teaching high school physics

The learning cycle is a method of teaching—it is also a curriculum organization principle and is derived directly from the mental functioning model invented by Piaget. Although Jean Piaget contributed to the formation of the learning cycle (Piaget, 1973), its present structure has to be attributed to Dr. Robert Karplus and the persons who developed the materials of the Science Curriculum Improvement Study (SCIS). It was through the SCIS activities that many of us learned how to develop curricula and teach with the learning cycle. The learning cycle is built upon the premise that three distinct phases are necessary in developing understanding of a concept, that those phases have a definite sequence, and each phase has a definite structure or form. The research done in testing the form variable has already been reported in this journal (Renner, Abraham, & Birnie, 1985). This report explores whether or not each learning-cycle phase is necessary in learning a concept.     

Adult and Lifelong Education for Poverty Reduction: A Critical Analysis of Contexts and Conditions

Poverty reduction is deeply implicated in structures of politics, economy, culture, and technology, from the global down to local levels. Irrespective of the particular political ideology of a nation and of the specific strategy of mobilization, adult and life-long education can and must play a significant role in reducing poverty, including preventing its inception. Yet the adult-education sector does not seem to be ready for this challenge. The present study argues that the re-education of adult educators is a dire necessity for effective poverty reduction. It also maintains that adult educators must be re-socialized in terms of their potential new roles as intellectual-activists. Only so can they work successfully towards introducing systems of adult and life-long education that are truly comprehensive and genuinely commensurate with the goals of poverty reduction.

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Zusammenfassung ERWACHSENENBILDUNG UND LEBENSLANGE BILDUNG FüR DIE VERMINDERUNG VON ARMUT: EINE KRITISCHE ANALYSE VON ZUSAMMENH?NGEN UND BEDINGUNGEN – Die Verminderung von Armut ist tief verankert in den Strukturen von Politik, Wirtschaft, Kultur und Technologie, von der globalen bis hinab zur lokalen Ebene. Ungeachtet der jeweiligen politischen Ideologie einer Nation und der spezifischen Strategie zur Mobilisierung kann und muss die Erwachsenenbildung und die lebenslange Bildung eine bedeutende Rolle dabei spielen, die Armut zu vermindern, was mit einschlie?t, ihrer Entstehung vorzubeugen. Dennoch scheint der Sektor der Erwachsenenbildung für diese Herausforderung nicht gerüstet zu sein. Die vorliegende Untersuchung legt dar, dass die Neuausbildung der Erwachsenenbildner eine unbedingte Notwendigkeit für eine wirksame Verminderung der Armut darstellt. Sie stellt auch fest, Erwachsenenbildner auf ihre m?gliche neue Rolle als Bildungsaktivisten neu vorbereitet werden müssen. Nur so k?nnen sie erfolgreich darauf hinarbeiten, Systeme von Erwachsenenbildung und lebenslanger Bildung einzuführen, die wirklich umfassend sind und den Zielen der Verminderung von Armut tats?chlich entsprechen.

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Resumen EDUCACIóN DE LAS PERSONAS ADULTAS Y DURANTE TODA LA VIDA PARA LA REDUCCIóN DE LA POBREZA: UN ANáLISIS CRíTICO DE CONTEXTOS Y CONDICIONES – La reducción de la pobreza está profundamente implicada en las estructuras de la política, la economía, la cultura y la tecnología en todos los niveles, partiendo desde niveles globales y bajando hasta los niveles locales. Independientemente de la ideología política particular de cada nación o de la estrategia específica de movilización, la educación de las personas adultas y durante toda la vida puede y debe desempe?ar un papel importante en la reducción de la pobreza e incluso en la prevención de sus comienzos. Sin embargo, el sector de la educación de las personas adultas aún no parece estar preparado para enfrentar estos retos. Este trabajo sostiene que la reeducación de los educadores adultos es imperiosamente necesaria para lograr una reducción eficaz de la pobreza. También sostiene que los educadores adultos deben ser resocializados en cuanto a sus potenciales nuevos roles como activistas intelectuales. Solamente de esa manera podrán trabajar con éxito para implantar sistemas de educación de personas adultas y durante toda la vida que sean realmente completos y que, efectivamente, cumplan con los objetivos de reducción de la pobreza.

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Résumé éDUCATION DES ADULTES ET TOUT AU LONG DE LA VIE EN FAVEUR D’UNE RE′DUCTION DE LA PAUVRETé : UNE ANALYSE CRITIQUE DES CONTEXTES ET DES CONDITIONS – La réduction de la pauvreté est profondément impliquée dans les structures de la politique, de l’économie, de la culture et de la technologie, du niveau global jusqu’aux niveaux locaux. Indépendamment de l’idéologie politique particulière d’une nation et de la stratégie spécifique de mobilisation, l’éducation des adultes et tout au long de la vie peut et doit jouer un r?le significatif dans la réduction de la pauvreté, y compris en empêchant son commencement. Cependant, le secteur de l’éducation des adultes ne semble pas être prêt pour ce défi. L’étude présente soutient que la rééducation des éducateurs d’adultes est une dure nécessité pour la réduction effective de la pauvreté. Elle maintient également que les éducateurs d’adultes doivent être resocialisés en termes de leurs nouveaux r?les potentiels en tant qu’activistes intellectuels. C’est seulement ainsi qu’ils peuvent travailler avec succès afin d’introduire des systèmes d’éducation des adultes et tout au long de la vie qui soient vraiment complets et véritablement adaptés aux objectifs de la réduction de la pauvreté.

     

Association between attitudes of filial responsibility and parent caregiving behavior

Objective: To analyze the association between attitudes of filial responsibility and adult child caregivers’ behaviors in the Southern Region of Brazil.

Methods: Cross-sectional study with 100 child caregivers of older adults. The data were collected through an interview using the protocol of filial responsibility adapted and validated to Brazilian Portuguese. Filial Expectation and Filial Piety scales evaluated the attitudes of filial responsibility. Caring behaviors assessed were: instrumental support, emotional, financial support, and companionship. The variables that presented p< .20 value in the bivariate analysis were inserted into a multivariate Poisson regression model.

Results: Financial and emotional support behaviors were significantly associated with filial piety (p = .050 and p = .001, respectively) and filial expectation (p = .013 and p = .023, respectively). Providing companionship was associated with filial piety (p = .015).

Conclusion: Attitudes of filial responsibility are associated with some but not all caregiving behaviors. Brazilians caring for older parents show more similarities to Chinese than to Canadian caregivers. Furthermore, filial responsibility and caregiving behaviors are strongly affected by Brazilian social and cultural norms. Reasons are discussed.