How do students integrate multiple texts? An investigation of top-down processing

European Journal of Psychology of Education - This study describes an in-depth investigation of students’ integration or connection formation across multiple texts. Students were asked to...     

Timing of Homework Completion vs. Performance in General Chemistry

The goal of this study was to investigate the timing of online homework completion and its effects on student performance. Data was collected from two large, first-semester general chemistry sections at a southwestern university. Specifically, this study aims to explore the link between when students complete their homework relative to the date the material was covered in lecture and student performance in that class. Topics covered in the study included VSEPR, Lewis structures, and molecular geometry. Performance was measured by different variables, namely in-class clicker scores (short-term) and exam grade (long-term). Students were divided into three groups: students who completed the relevant homework within 2 days after the lecture (before the next lecture), those who completed the homework 2 to 4 days after the lecture, and students who completed the homework more than 4 days after the material was covered in lecture. The study also took into consideration student reasoning abilities, as measured by the Test of Logical Thinking (TOLT), with a focus on at-risk students (low TOLT students). Results showed promising findings for low TOLT students. Instructors can employ results from this study to help their students better utilize the online homework resources.

     

Effects on response time and accuracy of technology-enhanced cloze tests: an eye-tracking study

Educational technology research and development - The transition from paper-based tests to corresponding computer-administered tests allows for the incorporation of improved interfaces that support...     

Quantons are Quaint but Basic and Real,and the Quantum Theory Explains Much but not Everything: Reply to my Commentators

The commentators on my target article (Bunge 2003) have pointed out some gapsand controversial points in it. However, we all agree that (a) although the quantum theory is basically correct, its orthodox or Copenhagen interpretation, particularly the claim that quantum events are mind-dependent, is false; and (b) quantons – the referents of the quantum theory – however strange, exist on their own, even if some of their properties depend partially upon their environment. I only differ from some of my commentators on whether the quantum theory has no precursors at all; on whether it can explain everything physical, including the universe as a whole; and on whether the quantum theory of measurement is relevant. In this collective reply I will (a) emphasize the peculiarities of quantons by contrast to classons, while at the same time rejecting the hypothesis of absolute novelty; (b) show why the standard quantum theory of measurement fails to explain how measuring devices work; and (c) state that quantum cosmology, which claims to know the state-vector of the universe, is so far just a fantasy.     

Resource Centres in Departments of Higher Education: a survey in Great Britain

This paper presents the results of a survey conducted among departmental resource centres in higher education. The survey aimed at quantifying, validating and supplementing information gathered through visits, case studies and the literature and was constructed around six areas: information about each center; details of the learning resources housed in them; an assessment of their use; feedback and evaluation activities; information about the staff in charge of centres; and finally a section on general comments made by respondents.     

Risk factors for infant maltreatment: a population-based study

CONTEXT: Of the approximately 900,000 children who were determined to be victims of abuse or neglect by US child protective services in 2002, the birth-to-3 age group had the highest rate of victimization (1.6%) and children younger than 1 accounted for the largest percentage of victims (9.6%). OBJECTIVE: To identify perinatal and sociodemographic risk factors associated with maltreatment of infants up to 1 year of age. DESIGN AND SETTING: Observational cohort study. PARTICIPANTS: 189,055 children born in 1996 in Florida. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Infant maltreatment, defined as a verified report of abuse, neglect, or threatened harm that occurred between day 3 of life and 1 year. RESULTS: 1,602 children (.85%) of the 1996 birth cohort had verified instances of maltreatment by age 1. Of 15 perinatal and sociodemographic variables studied, 11 were found to be significantly related to infant maltreatment. Five factors had adjusted relative risks (RR) of two or greater: Mother smoked during pregnancy (RR 2.8); more than two siblings (RR 2.7); Medicaid beneficiary (RR 2.1); unmarried marital status (RR 2.0); low birth weight infant (RR 2.0). Infants who had four of these five risk factors had a maltreatment rate seven times higher than the population average. CONCLUSIONS: Data on nearly all risk factors found to be significantly associated with infant maltreatment are available on the birth certificate. Such information can be incorporated into a population-based risk-assessment tool that could identify subpopulations at highest risk for infant maltreatment. Because resources are limited, these groups should be given priority for enrollment in child abuse prevention programs.     

Is religious education compatible with science education?

This paper tackles a highly controversial issue: the problem of the compatibility of science and religion, and its bearing on science and religious education respectively. We challenge the popular view that science and religion are compatible or even complementary. In order to do so, we give a brief characterization of our conceptions of science and religion. Conspicuous differences at the doctrinal, metaphysical, methodological and attitudinal level are noted. Regarding these aspects, closer examination reveals that science and religion are not only different but in fact incompatible. Some consequences of our analysis for education as well as for education policy are explored. We submit that a religious education, particularly at an early age, is an obstacle to the development of a scientific mentality. For this and other reasons, religious education should be kept away from public schools and universities. Instead of promoting a religious world view, we should teach our children what science knows about religion, i.e., how science explains the existence of religion in historical, biological, psychological and sociological terms.