Fine Motor Control Underlies the Association Between Response Inhibition and Drawing Skill in Early Development

Previous research shows that the development of response inhibition and drawing skill are linked. The current research investigated whether this association reflects a more fundamental link between response inhibition and motor control. In Experiment 1, 3- and 4-year-olds (n = 100) were tested on measures of inhibition, fine motor control, and drawing skill. Data revealed an association between inhibition and fine motor control, which was responsible for most of the association observed with drawing skill. Experiment 2 (n = 100) provided evidence that, unlike fine motor control, gross motor control and inhibition were not associated (after controlling for IQ). Alternative explanations for the link between inhibition and fine motor control are outlined, including a consideration of how these cognitive processes may interact during development.     

‘Last goal wins’: re/engaging women of a ‘forgotten’ age through football?

This paper explores the physical activity experiences of a group of women based in England, and who are over the age of 30. This particular age group represent a ‘forgotten’ age, that is, they are largely ignored in academic scholarship, policy and physical activity provision. The paper explores how this group of women ‘re/engaged’ in physical activity after a sustained period of inactivity. The study is situated in a weekly football initiative (Monday Night Footy) based in the north of England, managed and organised by a group of women for women to train and play five-a-side football. Data were generated through semi-structured interviews and the use of photo-biographical boards with 11 women, all of whom are regular participants to the football sessions. We use a middle ground feminist lens and Archer's notion of ‘fr/agility’ to help make sense of the women's experiences. From these women's stories three key findings emerge: (a) Biographies of (in)activity – the ways in which relationships with physical activity can be characterised by fractures and fissures despite seemingly positive early physical activity experiences; (b) Pathways of re/engagement – the motives and enablers to these women once again participating in physical activity after a sustained absence; and (c) Monday Night Footy as a space for re/engagement – the ways in which this context contributes to these women's continued involvement in football and broader physical activity. The paper concludes by offering policy makers and physical activity providers with some recommendations alongside considerations for future research.     

A low-cost 3D printed microfluidic bioreactor and imaging chamber for live-organoid imaging

Organoids are biological systems grown in vitro and are observed to self-organize into 3D cellular tissues of specific organs. Brain organoids have emerged as valuable models for the study of human brain development in health and disease. Researchers are now in need of improved culturing and imaging tools to capture the in vitro dynamics of development processes in the brain. Here, we describe the design of a microfluidic chip and bioreactor, to enable in situ tracking and imaging of brain organoids on-chip. The low-cost 3D printed microfluidic bioreactor supports organoid growth and provides an optimal imaging chamber for live-organoid imaging, with drug delivery support. This fully isolated design of a live-cell imaging and culturing platform enables long-term live-imaging of the intact live brain organoids as it grows. We can thus analyze their self-organization in a controlled environment with high temporal and spatial resolution.     

Listening to Customers: How EBSCO Plans Enhancements and Product Acquisitions Based on Customer Feedback

The importance of customer feedback and the value that it adds to product development and enhancements cannot be overstated. Customer feedback also plays a key role in the development of online resources. But how do you merge customer feedback and the development of new proposals for product design? The balance between customer feedback and strategic direction is something EBSCO strives for in every build of new product enhancements. Many of the company's most important products and interface enhancements can trace their origins back (at least in part) to customer feedback or customer‐based advisory boards. By keeping an open channel of communication between customers and developers, EBSCO has positioned itself as a global leader in matching ongoing product development to current customer need. In doing so, the company has also laid the foundation for ascertaining and responding to the future needs of customers.     

Understanding Our Youngest Scientific and Technological Thinkers: International Developments in Early Childhood Science Education

Research in Science Education -     

Group Work with Multimedia in Mathematics: The Role of the Technology and of the Teacher

This paper reports on a study involving the evaluation and use of the National Curriculum Council sponsored multimedia package World of Number. The project was carried out in a South Yorkshire comprehensive school during the Spring Term of 1994. The intended mode of use of the package was unclear from the initial evaluation and also from initial teacher feedback. In addition little attention seemed to have been given to the role of the teacher. Examples of episodes of classroom interaction between the teacher/researcher and a small group of pupils working at the multimedia system are presented and an interpretation, which takes account of the role of the technology and of the teacher from a Vygotskian perspective, is offered.     

Pastoral Care in Initial Teacher Education: A Survey of Secondary Teacher Education Institutions

The study reported in this paper was undertaken to discover the extent of pastoral care training carried out during secondary initial teacher education. Questionnaires were sent to heads of initial teacher education institutions in England and Wales. It was found that institutions were likely to provide some form of training in pastoral care but the extent and method of training varied greatly between institutions. However, training in actual practical skills such as basic counselling skills was much less likely to be available. The authors conclude that there is still some considerable way to go before newly qualified teachers are likely to feel adequately prepared for their pastoral roles.     

Does shame influence nonsuicidal self-injury among college students? An investigation into the role of shame,negative urgency,and brooding

College students experience high levels of life stress that put them at increased risk for nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI). It is important to understand which vulnerabilities put students most at risk, in order to inform treatment in college counseling centers. This study investigated the joint contributions of specific vulnerabilities to lifetime history and frequency of NSSI among a sample of undergraduates (50% reported a history of NSSI). Results showed shame-proneness was uniquely associated with NSSI frequency beyond other negative emotions. Negative urgency and brooding exacerbated this effect. This study provides insights into the contributions of specific vulnerabilities to NSSI and implications for practice.     

External peer review of assessment: an effective approach to verifying standards?

There is growing international concern to regulate and assure standards in higher education. External peer review of assessment, often called external examining, is a well-established approach to assuring standards. Australian higher education is one of several systems without a history of external examining for undergraduate programmes that is currently considering the approach. What can entrants to external examining at that level learn from the UK higher education system's long history of external examining? To that end, this paper reports on a mixed methods research project designed to investigate current practices in how academic standards are conceived, constructed and applied by external examiners and debates the implications of the findings for the development of external examining in other countries. The findings suggest that the potential of experienced peers in a subject discipline to provide the assurance of standards is limited. It concludes by presenting various possible enhancements that might be considered.