The Nature and Effectiveness of Learning Disability Services for College Students

This article summarizes the research literature that describes the nature and effectiveness of services that are provided to college students with learning disabilities. Six categories of services are described: assistive technologies and programs, program modifications, therapy and counseling, strategy training, direct academic assistance, and interventions designed to strengthen weak academic skills. Nearly all of the literature that was examined fell within the first 5 categories, with only 3 studies describing efforts to directly improve the academic performance that identified a student's learning disability. In addition, there is almost a total lack of evidence showing that any of the first 5 categories of services resulted in improved academic performance. There was, however, evidence that attempts at improving academic skills resulted in improved academic performance. The article concludes with a discussion of the role that learning disability services should play in a college environment.     

A Survey of Canadian Early Childhood Educators’ Psychological Wellbeing at Work

The study aims to describe early childhood educators’ psychological wellbeing at work in terms of their interpersonal fit, thriving, feeling of competency, perceived recognition and desire for involvement. The study approach draws links between perceptions of autonomy at work and wellbeing. The analysis examines the results of a survey conducted among 1,535 early childhood educators in the province of Québec, Canada, using the Index of Psychological Well-Being at Work, developed by Dagenais-Desmarais (2010), an instrument presenting good internal consistency indicators, with alphas varying between .72 and .86. Additionally, a measure of perceived autonomy at work, producing an internal consistency of .83, has been adapted from an instrument originally designed to measure basic needs satisfaction in sports contexts (Gillet et al. 2008). The study results show that overall levels of wellbeing among early childhood educators are high, both among those working in centre-based settings and those working in home-based settings (private homes), throughout all career stages. However, a decrease in wellbeing levels is observed following the first 5 years of work, later followed by an increase in wellbeing levels among educators with 20 years of experience or more, in both work settings. The perception of autonomy proves to be related to wellbeing, accounting for 23 % of variance. The autonomy dimension, therefore, calls for greater attention from administrators concerned with the psychological wellbeing of workers in this sector of activity. The authors argue for the relevance and necessity of further research into the work lives of early childhood educators by emphasising that the issues raised in the study overlap with three areas of concern for a significant part of the population: early childhood educators’ profession, community family services, and the accumulation of knowledge in work psychology.     

Buckyballs,hairyballs, educational semiotics,and other interesting topics

This paper develops the thesis that the educational semiotic described by Cunningham offers an interesting perspective from which to view educational issues, but it offers little in the way of practical approaches to educational problems. After agreeing with Cunningham's argument that knowledge is constructed rather than received, the paper goes on to state three concerns about an educational semiotic: (a) The theory has the wrong architecture, (b) the theory is too powerful, and (c) the theory has no practical use. The paper closes with the observation that an educational semiotic must become more specific and it must provide empirical demonstrations of practical utility if it is to pose a challenge to currently prevailing theories.     

Peer groups and behaviour problems

Abstract

The study evaluated the effect of a programme for elementary school students with behaviour problems integrated into the regular classroom. The programme combined in-class social skills training and specific educational activities with peers, namely cooperative learning and tutoring by a prosocial peer. The innovative aspect is that the social status and affiliations of children with behaviour problems are key components in the matching of children during peer support. The goal is to improve social behaviour and to change peer perception through interventional strategies, therefore improving social reputation. Pre-test/post-test control group design was used. Results from traditional analysis indicated no significant difference between treatment and control groups after the programme. A modest effect size showed a relative improvement for students with behavioural disorders who participated in social skills training. Results are discussed in terms of the role of friends in the intervention programme.     

A multidimensional model of school dropout from an 8-year longitudinal study in a general high school population

This study tests an empirical multidimensional model of school dropout, using data collected in the first year of an 8-year longitudinal study, with first year high school students aged 12–13 years. Structural equation modeling analyses show that five personal, family, and school latent factors together contribute to school dropout identified at 19 years of age: poor parent–teenager relationships, youth depression and family difficulties, negative classroom climate, negative school interactions, and poor academic achievement. This model increases our understanding of the dropout process in the general population and has direct implications for the development of high school dropout prevention programs.     

Social Media Guidelines for Anatomists

Social Media has changed the way that individuals interact with each other - it has brought considerable benefits, yet also some challenges. Social media in anatomy has enabled anatomists all over the world to engage, interact and form new collaborations that otherwise would not have been possible. In a relatively small discipline where individuals may be working as the only anatomist in an institution, having such a virtual community can be important. Social media is also being used as a means for anatomists to communicate with the current generation of students as well as members of the public. Posting appropriate content is one of the challenges raised by social media use in anatomy. Human cadaveric material is frequently shared on social media and there is divided opinion among anatomists on whether or not such content is appropriate. This article explores the uses and challenges of social media use in the field of anatomy and outlines guidelines on how social media can be used by anatomists globally, while maintaining professional and ethical standards. Creating global guidelines has shown to be difficult due to the differences in international law for the use of human tissue and also the irregularities in acquiring informed consent for capturing and sharing cadaveric images. These nuances may explain why cadaveric images are frequently shared on social media. This article proposes that as standard practice, anatomists obtain informed consent from donors before sharing images of cadaveric material on social media and ensure posts include a statement stating the same.     

Improved medical student perception of ultrasound using a paired anatomy teaching assistant and clinician teaching model

This study describes a new teaching model for ultrasound (US) training, and evaluates its effect on medical student attitudes toward US. First year medical students participated in hands‐on US during human gross anatomy (2014 N = 183; 2015 N = 182). The sessions were facilitated by clinicians alone in 2014, and by anatomy teaching assistant (TA)‐clinician pairs in 2015. Both cohorts completed course evaluations which included five US‐related items on a four‐point scale; cohort responses were compared using Mann‐Whitney U tests with significance threshold set at 0.05. The 2015 survey also evaluated the TAs (three items, five‐point scale). With the adoption of the TA‐clinician teaching model, student ratings increased significantly for four out of five US‐items: “US advanced my ability to learn anatomy” increased from 2.91 ± 0.77 to 3.35 ± 0.68 (P < 0.0001), “Incorporating US increased my interest in anatomy” from 3.05 ± 0.84 to 3.50 ± 0.71 (P < 0.0001), “US is relevant to my current educational needs” from 3.36 ± 0.63 to 3.54 ± 0.53 (P = 0.015), and “US training should start in Phase I” from 3.36 ± 0.71 to 3.56 ± 0.59 (P = 0.010). Moreover, more than 84% of students reported that TAs enhanced their understanding of anatomy (mean 4.18 ± 0.86), were a valuable part of US training (mean 4.23 ± 0.89), and deemed the TAs proficient in US (mean 4.24 ± 0.86). By using an anatomy TA‐clinician teaching team, this study demonstrated significant improvements in student perceptions of the impact of US on anatomy education and the relevancy of US training to the early stages of medical education. Anat Sci Educ 11: 175–184. © 2017 American Association of Anatomists.     

Combined fluency and cognitive strategies instruction improves mathematics achievement in early elementary school

One hundred and seventy-eight second grade students from two states (Georgia and Massachusetts) participated in an experiment in which they were randomly assigned to either (1) a computer program designed to increase fluency in addition and subtraction, (2) a program designed to improve cognitive strategy use for addition and subtraction, (3) a program that combined the fluency and cognitive strategy instruction programs or (4) a control condition. The intervention consisted of 40 half-hour sessions (2 sessions per week for 20 weeks). Prior to the intervention, and immediately following the intervention, the participants were tested on fluency, cognitive strategy use, and mathematics achievement. ANCOVAs indicated that children in the combined fluency and cognitive strategy use condition significantly improved their mathematics achievement in comparison to the control group. When we examined the impact of the intervention as a function of gender, boys appeared to benefit from the intervention, but girls did not.     

Supporting Technology Integration through Action Research

New demands and high attrition levels of special education teachers have created a crisis for education and extensive additional stress for special education directors and principals. The critical shortage of highly qualified special education teachers has significantly increased the pressure to hire and retain them. This article discusses factors that affect teacher attrition and proactive recommendations to address the shortage. In addition, the authors make suggestions for systemic reform and improvement of the level of job satisfaction for special education teachers.