Domain-specific knowledge and memory performance in children

Developmental studies assessing the impact of domain-specific knowledge on memory are discussed. In the first section of the review, different ways through which domain-specific knowledge relates to strategy use in memory tasks are briefly summarized. Empirical evidence indicating nonstrategic effects of the knowledge base are discussed next. In particular, findings based on the expert-novice paradigm are used to compare the knowledge structure and memory performance of experts and novices of different ages, and to explore how individual differences relate to the acquisition and use of domain-specific knowledge. The review shows that domain-specific knowledge permits children to process and remember domain-related information more efficiently, apply strategies more effectively, and integrate novel information more easily than domains for which they have less detailed knowledge. If the knowledge base is particularly rich, it exerts a greater influence than other sources of memory development (i.e., memory capacity, strategies, and metamemory) combined.     

Reflections on “peer acceptance and social play of gifted kindergarten children”

In this article, we review methods of writing assessment, focusing specifically on a method designed for special education: curriculum-based measurement. At the elementary and middle school levels, valid and reliable indicators of performance have been identified. At the high school level, research is sparse and has not yet supported the validity and reliability of the measures. More research is needed on the development of measures at the high school level, on the technical adequacy of the measures as growth indicators, and on the effects of implementation of the measures as they relate to teacher instruction and student performance.     

The relationships between elementary students' knowledge-in-use performance and their science achievement

This longitudinal study examines the relationship between students' knowledge-in-use performance and their performance on third-party designed summative tests within a coherent and equitable learning environment. Focusing on third-grade students across three consecutive project-based learning (PBL) units aligned with the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), the study includes 1067 participants from 23 schools in a Great Lakes state. Two-level hierarchical linear modeling estimates the effects of post-unit assessments on end-of-year summative tests. Results indicate that post-unit assessment performances predict NGSS-aligned summative test performance. Students experiencing more PBL units demonstrate greater gains on the summative test, with predictions not favoring students from diverse backgrounds. This study underscores the importance of coherence, equity, and the PBL approach in promoting knowledge-in-use and science achievement. A systematically coherent PBL environment across multiple units facilitates the development of students' knowledge-in-use, highlighting the significance of designing science and engineering practices (SEPs) and crosscutting concepts coherently and progressively, with intentional revisitation of disciplinary core ideas (DCIs). The study also investigates how the PBL approach fosters equitable learning environments for diverse demographic groups, offering equitable opportunities through equity-oriented design. Contributions include a coherent assessment system that tracks and supports learning aligned with NGSS, emphasizing the predictive power of post-unit assessments, continuous monitoring and tracking. The implications of context similarity and optimal performance expectations within units are discussed. Findings inform educators, administrators, and policymakers about the benefits of NGSS-aligned PBL systems and the need for coherent and equitable learning and assessment systems supporting knowledge-in-use development and equitable opportunities for all learners.     

E-readers: new opportunities for hospital patients and staff

E-readers provide an opportunity for hospital librarians to reach out to staff and patients with new approaches to library lending. Librarians in four Veterans Health Administration medical centers are using e-readers to enlarge their scope of service in unique ways. The libraries of VA hospitals in Minneapolis, Des Moines, Tampa, and Philadelphia have developed several ways to reach out to new library users.     

Examining Equivalence of Accommodations on a Statewide Elementary-Level Science Test

This study examined the extent to which the underlying factor structure of the 2005 South Carolina Palmetto Achievement Challenge Tests (PACT) in science for grades 3, 4, and 5 was equivalent for students who were administered the test in a regular (standard) or accommodated form. Three accommodation groups were of interest: students who received any testing accommodations, students who received any testing accommodations excluding those for whom setting was the only accommodation provided, and students who received the oral administration accommodation. Each accommodation group was compared to a matched sample of the regular group. It was found that the science test for a given grade level is appropriately described by the factor model for regular and accommodation groups. Results indicated that the factor structure, factor loadings, and error variances of the science test were similar across the regular and accommodation groups.     

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Resumen

El artículo comenta el trabajo previo de revisión teórica realizado por López acerca de la estabilidad y el cambio en los vínculos de apego a lo largo del ciclo vital, publicado en este mismo número de la revista. El autor, que en líneas generales se muestra de acuerdo con los argumentos expuestos por López, analiza en primer lugar los conceptos de estabilidad vertical versus horizontal, añadiendo detalles en los que queda patente la complejidad del tema tanto en lo que respecta a su abordaje teórico como metodológico. En este sentido, se plantean las limitaciones de los datos disponibles hasta el momento (fundamentalmente en lo que atañe a instrumentos fiables, válidos y comparables de unas edades a otras, las muestras empleadas, la escasez de buenos diseños longitudinales) y se introduce una reflexión crítica acerca de cuánta estabilidad sería esperable para confirmar los postulados básicos de la teoría clásica de Bolwby. Por último, se completa el análisis de López añadiendo una consideración acerca de las teorías del apego “de banda ancha” versus las “de banda estrecha” en la predicción del ajuste social posterior del individuo.