Domain expertise and the effectiveness of dynamic simulator interfaces in the acquisition of procedural motor skills

Previous research into the effectiveness of dynamic versus static instructional design paradigms has reported divergent findings. Dynamic instructions have been shown to be more effective in teaching novel procedural skills. In contrast, the apparent benefit of dynamic over static instructions has been attributed in other studies to the cognitive capabilities and previous knowledge of the learner. Can the benefit of dynamic instruction persist in learners with domain expertise on learning novel tasks? In this paper, we report the result of an experiment that shows that irrespective of the learner's previous knowledge, dynamic instructions retain a significant effectiveness over statics for teaching intra‐domain novel task performance. Twenty‐four participants with domain expertise were divided into three independent groups to perform a procedural motor task following treatment with different training interfaces. After controlling for spatial abilities and excluding previous specific‐to‐task knowledge, we observe that participants that trained with interfaces containing dynamic content recorded better task performance measures than others using non‐dynamic interfaces. This suggest that within the context of motor skill acquisition, dynamic instructional interfaces can yield significant increases to post‐learning task performance measures, which is independent of the learner's cognitive capabilities or previous knowledge.     

Lived experiences and reflections of joint NCATE‐state reviews

Abstract

Teacher education faculty members, state certification officers, and NCATE staff share what they have learned from their NCATE‐state joint review and accreditation visits. Dilemmas concerning the joint review are addressed and include (a) proactive versus reactive measures for institutions of higher education and state affiliations of the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education, (b) issues of partnership versus separateness, and (c) process versus product frameworks in planning and documenting growth. Conceptual and practical suggestions are offered for working collaboratively to develop high quality teacher education programs and successful joint review and accreditation visits.     

Characteristics and Correlates of Supportive Peer Mentoring: A Mixed Methods Study

In this mixed methods study, we employed thematic analysis (TA) to examine peer mentors’ perceptions of benefits, challenges, and roles they experienced as mentors, as well as benefits and challenges experienced by first-year college students. We also utilized quantitative student ratings to classify mentors as highly, moderately, or minimally supportive in order to determine whether any subthemes from the TA appeared more or less frequently across the three groups. Highly supportive mentors reported greater camaraderie among their seminar students and fewer unmotivated students, but also fewer opportunities to provide support to students. Moreover, mentors’ and students’ perceptions in the minimally supportive group were discrepant; mentors in this group consistently reported providing more support than was perceived by mentees.     

Does the discussion help? The impact of a formally assessed online discussion on final student results

While there is agreement that participation in online asynchronous discussions can enhance student learning, it has also been identified that there is a need to investigate the impact of participation in online discussions on student course performance. This paper presents a case study based on an undergraduate engineering management unit employing a formally assessed online discussion area. It was observed that while many students read a significant number of discussion postings, generally, the posting of new and reply messages occurred at the minimum level required to qualify for the assignment marks. Based on correlation and multiple regression analysis, it was observed that two variables were significantly related to a student's final unit mark—prior academic ability and the number of new postings made to the online discussion. Each new posting contributed three times as much to the final unit mark as its nominal assessment value, suggesting that the work in preparing their new discussion postings assisted students in the completion of a range of assessable tasks for the unit. The number of postings read was not significantly correlated with the final unit mark, suggesting that passive lurking in this online discussion did not significantly contribute to student learning outcomes.     

‘Even with higher education you remain a woman’: a gender perspective on higher education and social change in the Toliara region of Madagascar

This article investigates some issues related to gender and education based on a qualitative, empirical study of women in higher education in the Toliara region of Madagascar. The focus is on how women’s participation in higher education has created changes in gender relations, and how these women have succeeded in achieving higher education. In spite of the interviewed women’s more influential social position and individual freedom, we found that the traditional gender expectations and economic expectations from the extended family are still present. Indeed, it appears that with rising social position and individual freedom, the pressure and demands from their extended families increase.     

Designing distributed learning environments in support of professional development in the field of psychology

This paper argues that the key to enhancing professional excellence in psychology education lies with ensuring strong alignments between curricular, pedagogical and media/technology mix concerns, delivered within an inter‐linked suite of distributed learning environments designed for the professional preparation of students. An overarching design is necessary because there are recognizable developmental stages of professional competence in psychology, with each stage characterized by specific curricular and pedagogical concerns, which in turn must be supported by different types of distributed learning environments. To equip students for the demands of the profession, deliberate design of distributed learning environments that support all stages of students' professional development in an integrated and purposeful way is essential.

Création d'environnements de formation décentralisée comme support du développement professionnel dans le domaine de la psychologie

Cet exposé démontre que la chose principale qui sert à augmenter le mérite professionnel de l'éducation de psychologie est de créer des rapports importants entre le but du programme des études, l'intérêt pédagogique et le mixe médias‐technologique. Ceci est transmit dans une suite connexe d'environnements de formation décentralisée importants pour la préparation professionnelle des étudiants. Un concept détaillé est nécessaire, parce qu'il existe de différents stages de développement de connaissance professionnelle dans le domaine de la psychologie, et chaque stage est caractérisé par des intérêts specifiques pédagogiques ainsi que par le programme des études, qui doivent être soutenus par de différents types d'environnements de formation décentralisée. Un concept réfléchi d'environnements de formation décentralisée qui soutient tous les stages de développement professionnel d'étudiants d'une manière integrée et orientée sur un but est essentiel.

Bildung dezentralisierter Lernumfelder als unterstützende Maßnahme der beruflichen Entwicklung im Bereich der Psychologie

Dieser Bericht zeigt auf, dass der Schlüssel für die Steigerung einer beruflich hervorragenden Leistung im Bereich der Schulpsychologie darin liegt, starke Verbindungen zwischen dem Lehrplans, den pädagogischen Anliegen und dem medien‐technologischen Mix zu schaffen, die innerhalb einer verknüpften Folge dezentralisierter Lernumfelder gefördert werden, die für die berufliche Qualifizierung von Studenten bestimmt sind. Eine umfassende Konzeption ist erforderlich, weil beim Erwerb beruflichen Fachwissens im Bereich der Psychologie erkennbare Entwicklungsphasen existieren, wobei jede Phase durch spezifische Lehrplan‐ und pädagogische Gesichtspunkte gekennzeichnet ist, die wiederum durch verschiedene Arten dezentralisierter Lernumfelder unterstützt werden müssen. Um Studenten auf die Anforderungen des Berufslebens vorzubereiten, ist es notwendig, dezentralisierte Lernumfelder zu bilden, die alle Phasen der beruflichen Entwicklung von Studenten auf eine integrierte und zielorientierte Art unterstützen.     

Winter

Winter is snowy and cold season.
Christmas is in winter.
Winter is when you get out for Christmas break.
Winter is when you have hot chocolate with marshal mallows.
Winter is the season for colds and sinus problems Winter is when you have snow days.