Changing Aging Competency Following a GeroRich Intervention Initiative: Implications for Bachelor's and Master's Social Work Education

This article reports an evaluation of a GeroRich effort to increase age-specific content throughout bachelor and master-level social work curricula. A total of 426 students (128 BSWs and 298 MSWs) completed pre and posttests in 2004–2005, self-rating their aging competency using the Social Work with Aging Skill Competency Scale II (New York Academy of Medicine, 2005 New York Academy of Medicine . ( 2005 ). Practicum Partnership Program Geriatric Social Work Competency Scale II . Retrieved July 7, 2005, from New York Academy of Medicine Geriatric Practicum Partnership Program Web site:http://socialwork.nyam.org/pdf/GSWCompetencyScaleII.d  [Google Scholar]). Additional outcome questions were included to assess elements of the specific strategy. Findings indicate that both groups showed improved aging competency, but policy and human behavior courses were key to competency for BSW students, while practice and field classes predicted competency for MSWs.     

End-of-Life Decision Making in Older Korean Adults: Concerns,Preferences, and Expectations

This study explored Korean older adults’ concerns and preferences regarding end-of-life care and the expected role of physicians in the decision making process. The purpose was to assist health care professionals, in particular, physicians, to better understand how to interact with Korean older adults. A qualitative method using in-person interviews was conducted with Korean older adults (N = 54). The seven main themes generated in this study included the following: (a) life-sustaining treatments and hope for quality of life; (b) physician expert status; (c) truth telling and ethics; (d) preferred way to disclose bad news; (e) physician's role to treat, (f) potential misuse of life-sustaining treatments; and (g) priority of patients’ preferences. Overall, study participants generally anticipated a larger role for physicians in their own end-of-life decision making, though some expressed concerns about the outcome of giving such power to physicians, especially in agreeing to life-sustaining treatments. Although culture provides one important clue about expectations, it is always crucial for health care providers to ask about individual preferences and to develop an open communication style to decrease distress. Our findings highlight the importance of understanding concerns and preferences regarding end-of-life care among Korean older adults and the importance of assisting them in planning end-of-life care within a cultural framework.     

Blogging with pre-service teachers as action research: when data deserve a second glance

The implementation of digital pedagogies (i.e. blogging) is one way to mediate large classroom discussions in culturally relevant ways. This 2.5-year longitudinal mixed-method action research study reflects on the ways blogging can further promote culturally relevant discussions explored in face-to-face classes. Findings include pre-service teachers’ use of blogs in: interrogating issues as a means of developing cultural competence; recognizing their own trepidation and lack of self-knowledge related to topics of diversity; and exploring the disconnect between their current knowledge and future practice. Additionally, this study explores ways in which the authors could have further assisted students in challenging their beliefs and strengthening cultural competencies through blog responses.     

Decision making by humans in a behavioral task: Do humans, like pigeons, show suboptimal choice?

Consistent with human gambling behavior but contrary to optimal foraging theory, pigeons show a strong preference for an alternative with low probability and high payoff (a gambling-like alternative) over an alternative with a greater net payoff (Zentall & Stagner, Proceedings of the Royal Society B, 278, 1203-1208, 2011). In the present research, we asked whether humans would show suboptimal choice on a task involving choices with probabilities similar to those for pigeons. In Experiment 1, when we selected participants on the basis of their self-reported gambling activities, we found a significantly greater choice of the alternative involving low probability and high payoff (gambling-like alternative) than for a group that reported an absence of gambling activity. In Experiment 2, we found that when the inhibiting abilities of typical humans were impaired by a self-regulatory depletion manipulation, they were more likely to choose the gambling-like alternative. Taken together, the results suggest that this task is suitable for the comparative study of suboptimal decision-making behavior and the mechanisms that underlie it.     

Muscular activity characteristics associated with preparation for gait transition

PurposeThe purpose of this study was to investigate lower extremity neuromuscular activity patterns during gait transitions with continuously changing locomotion speeds.MethodsMuscular activities related to gait transitions (walk to run and run to walk) induced by changing treadmill speed were compared to muscular activities during walk and run at constant speeds. All transition and constant speed conditions were conducted in similar speed range. Surface electromyographic activities of gluteus maximus (GM), rectus femoris (RF), vastus lateralis (VL), biceps femoris long head (BFL), tibialis anterior (TA), gastrocnemius (GA), and soleus (SL) were collected and analyzed. The influences of speed and mode of locomotion were analyzed.ResultsWe have observed transition specific nonlinear muscular behavior in this study. For example, peak magnitudes of GM, RF, GA, and SL increased with speed quadratically as locomotion approached walk to run transition within the last five steps. Activity duration of GA decreased in a quadratic fashion with speed as approached run to walk transition within the last five steps. These nonlinear reactions to speed change were only observed in transition related conditions but not in the constant speed conditions.ConclusionThese results indicated that, in preparation for transition, neuromuscular modifications occur steps before gait transition due to changing speed. Gait transition is not a spontaneous event in response to any type of triggers.     

Mathematical Manipulative Models: In Defense of “Beanbag Biology”

Mathematical manipulative models have had a long history of influence in biological research and in secondary school education, but they are frequently neglected in undergraduate biology education. By linking mathematical manipulative models in a four-step process—1) use of physical manipulatives, 2) interactive exploration of computer simulations, 3) derivation of mathematical relationships from core principles, and 4) analysis of real data sets—we demonstrate a process that we have shared in biological faculty development workshops led by staff from the BioQUEST Curriculum Consortium over the past 24 yr. We built this approach based upon a broad survey of literature in mathematical educational research that has convincingly demonstrated the utility of multiple models that involve physical, kinesthetic learning to actual data and interactive simulations. Two projects that use this approach are introduced: The Biological Excel Simulations and Tools in Exploratory, Experiential Mathematics (ESTEEM) Project (http://bioquest.org/esteem) and Numerical Undergraduate Mathematical Biology Education (NUMB3R5 COUNT; http://bioquest.org/numberscount). Examples here emphasize genetics, ecology, population biology, photosynthesis, cancer, and epidemiology. Mathematical manipulative models help learners break through prior fears to develop an appreciation for how mathematical reasoning informs problem solving, inference, and precise communication in biology and enhance the diversity of quantitative biology education.