Developing observational skills and knowledge of anatomical relationships in an art and anatomy workshop using plastinated specimens

One of the strong trends in medical education today is the integration of the humanities into the basic medical curriculum. The anatomy program is an obvious choice for using the humanities to develop professionalism and ethical values. They can also be used to develop close observational skills. Many medical schools have developed formal art observation training in conjunction with nearby art museums to enhance the visual diagnostic skills of their medical students. We report here on an art and anatomy workshop that paired medical and art students who did drawing exercises from plastinated anatomical specimens and the animated face to hone observational skills. Each member of the pair brought a different perspective and expertise to the work that allowed each to be a mentor to the other. The workshop had three sessions: the first involved drawings of plastinated specimens that allowed an intimate experience with authentic human material; the second involved drawings of the human face; and the third included examination of anatomical texts of important anatomist-artists, a lecture on contemporary artists whose work involves anatomy, and a film demonstrating the facial muscles. We propose workshops such as these will help students increase their ability to detect details. This will assist the medical student in developing diagnostic skills for identifying disease and the art student in using the human body as subject. We further propose that these programs will help students develop humanistic sensitivities and provide an outlet for expression of the emotional aspects of dealing with disease and mortality.     

Laptop Use,Interactive Science Software,and Science Learning Among At-Risk Students

This year-long, quasi-experimental study investigated the impact of the use of netbook computers and interactive science software on fifth-grade students’ science learning processes, academic achievement, and interest in further science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) study within a linguistically diverse school district in California. Analysis of students’ state standardized science test scores indicated that the program helped close gaps in scientific achievement between at-risk learners (i.e., English learners, Hispanics, and free/reduced-lunch recipients) and their counterparts. Teacher and student interviews and classroom observations suggested that computer-supported visual representations and interactions supported diverse learners’ scientific understanding and inquiry and enabled more individualized and differentiated instruction. Finally, interviews revealed that the program had a positive impact on students’ motivation in science and on their interest in pursuing science-related careers. This study suggests that technology-facilitated science instruction is beneficial for improving at-risk students’ science achievement, scaffolding students’ scientific understanding, and strengthening students’ motivation to pursue STEM-related careers.     

‘The project cannot be approved in its current form’: feminist visual research meets the human research ethics committee

This article reflects on a university human research ethics committee’s unease regarding a feminist visual pilot study within the field of education. The small exploratory study proposed to explore a migrant mother’s production of her son’s identity through her family photograph collection. The committee requested substantial changes to the research design which centred primarily on their concerns regarding risk of harm to pre-existing relationships, and also issues of anonymity and consent. I consider the combined liberal individualist, utilitarian and positivist biomedical basis for the ethics committee’s discomfort with the proposed research which was to involve members of my family. I draw on my experience of the review process to critique the human research ethics committee paradigm which constructs the ideal researcher as an objective and disinterested observer, hinges on a weighing of risks and benefits, and considers humans to be independent and equal. I demonstrate how the blanket application of these values acts to problematise some kinds of research, and how these values can be inappropriate, incompatible and even destructive when applied to research proposals that are exploratory, visual, and/or involve the researcher’s family members as participants.     

Ki te Tika te Hanga,Ka Pakari te Kete: With the Right Structure We Weave a Strong Basket

Two Indigenous frameworks were successfully applied to a significant collection of junior Māori language material at the University of Auckland, New Zealand. Ngā Kete Kōrero Framework is used to assign levels to readers designed for structured literacy development and formed the basis of a new classification system. Ngā ūpoko Tukutuku is an Indigenous subject headings schema developed to empower and enrich records using Māori knowledge systems and terminology. Library staff worked collaboratively with Māori language literacy experts to transform access to the material. The Indigenous frameworks, their application for reclassification and record enhancement, and associated benefits of the project are described.     

The effect of support staff on pupil engagement and individual attention

Despite an unprecedented increase in classroom-based support staff, there are confusing messages about their appropriate deployment and a lack of systematic evidence on their impact. This article addresses the deployment and impact on pupil engagement and individual attention of support staff, commonly known as teaching assistants (TAs), in terms of: (1) a comparison between TAs and teachers; (2) differences between pupils with and without special educational needs (SEN); and (3) differences between primary and secondary schools. Systematic observations of pupil behaviour in 49 primary and secondary schools showed that support staff presence resulted in increased individualisation of attention and overall teaching, easier classroom control, and that pupils showed more engagement and a more active role in interaction with adults. This supports teachers’ positive view of support staff, but their presence also meant pupils’ contact with teachers declined and at secondary level there was less individual and active interactions between teachers and pupils.     

Child maltreatment, subsequent non-suicidal self-injury and the mediating roles of dissociation, alexithymia and self-blame

ObjectiveAlthough child maltreatment is associated with later non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI), the mechanism through which it might lead to NSSI is not well understood. The current retrospective case–control study examined associations between child maltreatment and later NSSI, and investigated the mediating roles of dissociation, alexithymia, and self-blame.MethodsParticipants were 11,423 Australian adults (response rate 38.5%), randomly selected from the Australian Electronic White Pages, aged between 18 and 100 (M = 52.11, SD = 16.89), 62.2% female. Data were collected via telephone interviewing. Main outcome measures were reported history of child maltreatment (sexual abuse, physical abuse, neglect) and reported 12-month NSSI. Dissociation, alexithymia, and self-blame were examined as potential mediating variables in the relationship between child maltreatment and later NSSI. All analyses were conducted using logistic regression and adjusted for age and psychiatric diagnosis.ResultsResults differed by gender. Compared to no child maltreatment, physical abuse (OR 2.75, 95% CI 1.68–4.51) and neglect (OR 2.56, 95% CI 1.65–3.99) independently increased the odds of NSSI among females. Physical abuse (OR 2.69, 95% CI 1.44–5.03) increased the odds of NSSI among males. Sexual abuse did not independently increase the odds of NSSI for males or females. For females, self-blame had the greatest effect on the child maltreatment–NSSI relationship (OR decreased by 14.6%, p < .000), although dissociation and alexithymia also partially mediated the relationship. For males, dissociation had the greatest effect (OR decreased by 12.9%, p = .003) with self-blame also having a relatively strong effect.ConclusionsThe results indicate that child maltreatment, and in particular, physical abuse, is strongly associated with the development of subsequent NSSI and may be partially mediated by dissociation, alexithymia, and self-blame for females and dissociation and self-blame for males. Altering attributional style (through cognitive therapy or emotion focussed therapy) and improving the capacity to regulate emotions (through dialectical behaviour therapy) may contribute to reduction or cessation of NSSI.     

Conceptual Ecology of the Evolution Acceptance among Greek Education Students: Knowledge,religious practices and social influences

In this study, we explored some of the factors related to the acceptance of evolution theory among Greek university students training to be teachers in early childhood education, using conceptual ecology for biological evolution as a theoretical framework. We examined the acceptance of evolution theory and we also looked into the relationship between the acceptance and parents' education level, thinking dispositions and frequency of religious practice as independent variables. Students' moderate acceptance of evolution theory is positively correlated with the frequency of religious practices and thinking dispositions. Our findings indicate that studying a controversial issue such as the acceptance of evolution theory in a multivariate fashion, using conceptual ecology as a theoretical lens to interpret the findings, is informative. They also indicate the differences that exist between societies and how socio-cultural factors such as the nature of religion, as part of the conceptual ecology, influence acceptance of evolution and have an influence on evolution education.