Technology use and learning characteristics of students in higher education: Do generational differences exist?

As digital technologies form an inextricable part of young people's everyday lives, some commentators claim that the current generation of learners think and learn differently from their predecessors. This study investigated the validity of this claim by surveying 799 undergraduate and 81 postgraduate students at a large research‐intensive university in New Zealand to document their use of digital technologies on university and social activities and comparing three age groups of students (under 20, 20–30 and over 30) to see whether there were any differences in their learning characteristics. The findings of the study showed that while students spent a large amount of time on digital technologies, the range of digital technologies they used was rather limited. There were also no practical generational differences in the technology use pattern and learning characteristics found in this study. The results of this study suggest that generation is not a determining factor in students' use of digital technologies for learning nor has generation had a radical impact on learning characteristics of higher education students.     

Neural Correlates of Self and Its Interaction With Memory in Healthy Adolescents

Adolescence is marked by the development of personal identity and is associated with structural and functional changes in brain regions associated with Self processing. Yet, little is known about the neural correlates of self‐reference processing and self‐reference effect in adolescents. This functional magnetic resonance imaging study consists of a self‐reference paradigm followed by a recognition test proposed to 30 healthy adolescents aged 13–18 years old. Results showed that the rostral anterior cingulate cortex is specifically involved in self‐reference processing and that this specialization develops gradually from 13 to 18 years old. The self‐reference effect is associated with increased brain activation changes during encoding, suggesting that the beneficial effect of Self on memory may occur at encoding of self‐referential information, rather than at retrieval.     

Comparing 'papers cited rates' with other measures for science journal evaluation

Thirty‐six ophthalmology journals indexed by the Science Citation Index (SCI) in 2003 were selected to study the role of the ‘papers cited rate’ in scientific journal evaluation. The 2‐year, 3‐year, 5‐year, 8‐year, and 10‐year cited rates of these papers were calculated to analyze statistically the correlations with impact factor, 5‐year impact factor, immediacy index, eigenfactor score, article influence score, and total cites. The results of questionnaires sent to 8,525 ophthalmologists were used to analyse the correlations between the papers cited rates for different years and traditional bibliometric indicators. The results showed that eigenfactor score and total cites were better than other indicators, and impact factor was better than the 5‐year impact factor. The 2‐year and 3‐year cited rates of papers were reasonable for evaluating science journals, and the 2‐year cited rate was better than the 3‐year cited rate. The 5‐year (and more than 5 years) cited rates were not significant in evaluating science journals.     

Evolutionary Perspectives on Mind,Brain, and Education

Understanding about human origins informs our understanding of what it means to be human. It is reasonable, therefore, to consider that an evolutionary perspective can provide insight into the nature and processes of human learning and education. This article reviews how ideas about evolution have influenced educational thinking in the past. It then considers how understanding of brain development and function is helping to inspire “new thinking” about evolution. The review converges on a range of benefits that may arise from the inclusion of evolutionary concepts within the field of mind, brain, and education. These benefits include scrutiny of evolutionary neuromyth, reconsideration of the cultural and political status of education, insight into notions of individual difference, and help with stimulating and directing research efforts aimed at improving educational outcomes.     

Introduction of Molecular Methods into a Food Microbiology Curriculum

Maintaining current, relevant curriculum in undergraduate Food Microbiology courses is essential for training future experts in food quality and safety. Having an understanding of the fundamental techniques (for example, polymerase chain reaction [PCR]) that are used in the food industry and regulatory agencies is critical for students entering the workforce. The purpose of this study was to assess the efficacy of integrating molecular methods into an undergraduate Food Microbiology course in both lecture and laboratory settings. Modules on PCR and pulsed‐field gel electrophoresis (PFGE), both of which are currently used by government agencies and the food industry to investigate the presence and persistence of foodborne pathogens, were developed, introduced, and evaluated among 269 students over 4 y. Multiple teaching and learning styles were incorporated through (i) traditional lecture format on the basics of PCR and PFGE; (ii) hands‐on group activities to build upon the lecture instruction; (iii) performing PCR and PFGE in the laboratory; and (iv) group discussions to analyze results from laboratory exercises. Pre‐ and postinstruction evaluations revealed significant increases in understanding and application of both methods in lecture and laboratory settings as demonstrated by 0.60 and 0.51 mean normalized gains for respective PCR and PFGE lectures and 0.50 and 0.56 mean normalized gains in respective labs. Academic year significantly impacted score improvement, potentially due to hidden factors, such as previous exposure to material and student aptitude. This study provides the platform for successful introduction of molecular techniques in an undergraduate Food Microbiology course. The guidelines and materials developed by our group are publicly available for use by other institutions.     

Identifying Characteristics of Dissemination Success Using an Expert Panel

Although considerable work has been done to develop new educational innovations, few have found widespread acceptance in the classroom. To improve the likelihood of adoption of educational innovations, researchers need to understand why some innovations are adopted and routinely used, while others are not. An initial aspect of the diffusion of innovations, as defined in the classical sociological literature, involves the communication of ideas and concepts related to innovations between individuals. This article presents an expert panel's answer to the following question: “What are the most important characteristics that relate to the dissemination of educational innovations?” As dissemination is a critical facet of the diffusion of an innovation, 45 researchers who received technology and engineering grants from the National Science Foundation (NSF) participated in a Delphi study designed to address this research question. In three rounds, the experts identified and ranked 11 characteristics of educational innovations, 6 characteristics of students, 13 characteristics of faculty members, and 5 characteristics of administrators that can relate to the successful dissemination of educational innovations. The results of this study led to the formation of a Characteristics of Dissemination Success (CODS) framework. This framework offers useful guidance for educational innovators seeking a better understanding of the influences on the dissemination of educational innovations.     

Microfluidic concentration of bacteria by on-chip electrophoresis

In this contribution, we present a system for efficient preconcentration of pathogens without affecting their viability. Development of miniaturized molecular diagnostic kits requires concentration of the sample, molecule extraction, amplification, and detection. In consequence of low analyte concentrations in real-world samples, preconcentration is a critical step within this workflow. Bacteria and viruses exhibit a negative surface charge and thus can be electrophoretically captured from a continuous flow. The concept of phaseguides was applied to define gel membranes, which enable effective and reversible collection of the target species. E. coli of the strains XL1-blue and K12 were used to evaluate the performance of the device. By suppression of the electroosmotic flow both strains were captured with efficiencies of up to 99%. At a continuous flow of 15 μl/min concentration factors of 50.17 ± 2.23 and 47.36 ± 1.72 were achieved in less than 27 min for XL1-blue and K12, respectively. These results indicate that free flow electrophoresis enables efficient concentration of bacteria and the presented device can contribute to rapid analyses of swab-derived samples.     

Problem Interpretation and Resolution via Visual Stimuli: The Use of ‘Mood Boards’ in Design Education

This paper defines and discusses ‘mood boards’– those assemblages of images and, less frequently, objects, which are used to assist analysis, creativity and idea development in design activity. There is need for discussion since little published information currently exists to guide students and tutors. The paper proposes that mood boards can assist problem finding as well as problem solving. Primarily, mood boards provide a mechanism for students and practising designers to respond to perceptions about the brief, the problem as it emerges and the ideas as they develop. The construction of mood boards potentially stimulates the perception and interpretation of more ephemeral phenomena such as colour, texture, form, image and status. They are, like Debono's lateral thinking techniques, partly responses to an inner dialogue and partly provocation to become engaged in such a dialogue. Examples are drawn from recent work in the field of industrial design at Loughborough University.