Socioeconomic status impacts genetic influences on the longitudinal dynamic relationship between temperament and general cognitive ability in childhood: The Louisville Twin Study

The current analysis investigates genetic and environmental influences on the bidirectional relationships between temperament and general cognitive ability (GCA). Measures of GCA and three temperament factors (persistence, approach, and reactivity) were collected from 486 children ages 4–9 years (80% white, 50% female) from the Louisville Twin Study from 1976 to 1998. The results indicated a bidirectional dynamic model of temperament influencing subsequent GCA and GCA influencing subsequent temperament. The dynamic relationship between temperament and GCA arose primarily from shared genetic variance, particularly in families with higher socioeconomic status, where input from temperament contributed on average 20% to genetic variance in GCA versus 0% in lower SES families.     

Do stiffness and asymmetries predict change of direction performance?

Change of direction speed (CODS) underpins performance in a wide range of sports but little is known about how stiffness and asymmetries affect CODS. Eighteen healthy males performed unilateral drop jumps to determine vertical, ankle, knee and hip stiffness, and a CODS test to evaluate left and right leg cutting performance during which ground reaction force data were sampled. A step-wise regression analysis was performed to ascertain the determinants of CODS time. A two-variable regression model explained 63% (R² = 0.63; P = 0.001) of CODS performance. The model included the mean vertical stiffness and jump height asymmetry determined during the drop jump. Faster athletes (n = 9) exhibited greater vertical stiffness (F = 12.40; P = 0.001) and less asymmetry in drop jump height (F = 6.02; P = 0.026) than slower athletes (n = 9); effect sizes were both “large” in magnitude. Results suggest that overall vertical stiffness and drop jump height asymmetry are the strongest predictors of CODS in a healthy, non-athletic population.     

Meditations on Pleasure: John Ruskin and the Value of Art in the Classroom

Life is multiplex; information is ubiquitous. We do our best to learn, but we struggle not to forget. The demand to “know” is powerful; the experience of living can often feel overwhelming. We desire a better way of looking at the world around us. John Ruskin reminds us that it is a good thing to start small. He asks us to look, to train our eyes to see detail. He teaches us to appreciate the one thing for its own sake; it is by appreciating the one thing that we are enabled to better appreciate the world around us.     

Information access company: The evolution of InfoTrac multi-source databases and their importance to library end-users

Throughout the last twenty years, Information Access Company has partnered with libraries to develop a wide range of electronic databases for patron reference needs. The multi-source database, one which incorporates several different source types, has emerged as the premiere reference tool in assisting patrons with research projects from start to finish, from the general idea to precise detail. Information Access Company is organized into three separate divisions, serving library, corporate, and home users. This article will focus on Information Access Company’s multi-source databases for libraries, and includes coverage on the rationale behind development to production and usage in the library setting.     

Multicenter randomized comparative trial of Micromedex,Micromedex with Watson,or Google to answer drug information questions

Objective:The purpose of this study was to compare pharmacy students’ ability to correctly answer drug information questions using Micromedex with Watson, Micromedex without Watson, or Google.Methods:This multicenter randomized trial compared pharmacy student responses to drug information questions using Micromedex with Watson, Micromedex without Watson, or Google from January to March of 2020. First- to fourth-year pharmacy students at two institutions were included. The primary outcome was the number of correct answers. Secondary outcomes were the time taken to answer the questions and differences in number of correct answers by pharmacy student year and institution.Results:The analysis included 162 participants: 52 students in the Micromedex group, 51 students in the Watson group, and 59 students in the Google group. There was a significant difference among groups in the total number of questions answered correctly (p=0.02). Post-hoc analysis revealed that participants in the Micromedex group answered more questions correctly than those in the Google group (p=0.015). There were no significant differences between Micromedex and Watson groups (p=0.52) or between Watson and Google groups (p=0.22). There was also no difference in time to complete the questions among groups (p=0.72).Conclusion:Utilizing Google did not save students time and led to more incorrect answers. These findings suggest that health care educators and health sciences librarians should further reinforce training on the appropriate use of drug information resources.     

K-12 online lesson alignment to the principles of Universal Design for Learning: the Khan Academy

The field of K-12 education is being transformed, with an influx of students, including those with identified disabilities, engaging in blended and fully online learning. While online learning shows promise for students with disabilities through flexible content and personalised instruction, concerns regarding accessibility and appropriateness of online learning for this population still exist. In order to examine this concern, researchers developed and used a Universal Design for Learning (UDL) Scan Tool to measure lesson content and alignment with UDL principles, guidelines and checkpoints. Four hundred and seventy-eight math, science and world history Khan Academy lessons were randomly selected and evaluated for this study. The paper highlights the results of the study, in terms of the lessons’ alignment with UDL principles and guidelines, as well as a discussion on limitations and future research.     

Teaching for enjoyment: David Manson and his ‘play school’ of Belfast

The school operated by David Manson in 18th century Belfast was a centre of learning which represented a critical approach to traditional forms of education. Choice instead of coercion; encouragement rather than ridicule; achievement and recognition for all learners were the hallmarks of his method. Enjoyment in teaching and in learning was not just an aspiration but a reality. Play was not seen as mere diversion or leisure but as purposeful, enjoyable work imbued with creativity and success. An exploration of the role of play and enjoyment as a pedagogical philosophy presents interesting parallels with David Manson's experiments. This paper argues that teachers who provide engaging opportunities for collaborative learning and who place priority in developing a classroom culture where success and self-esteem take precedence over curriculum delivery discover that the delineation between ‘work’ and ‘play’ becomes less sharply defined. Manson's vision of a pedagogy of enjoyment has a timely relevance for the challenges and concerns of the teacher of the 21st century.     

Reframing resilience: Pilot evaluation of a program to promote resilience in marginalized older adults

ABSTRACT

Resilience has been described as a paradigm for aging that is more inclusive than models that focus on physiological and functional abilities. We evaluated a novel program, Resilient Aging, designed to influence marginalized older adults’ perceptions of their resilience, self-efficacy, and wellness. The multiweek group program incorporated an inductive definition of resilience based on group members’ lived experiences. Outcomes evaluation for this pilot study included pre/postassessments on resilience, self-efficacy, and six wellness variables. Twenty-nine participants completed the program. Pre/post-assessment indicated a statistically significant multivariate change across the eight outcome variables. Increases in resilience, physical wellness, and emotional wellness, and decreases in social wellness and intellectual wellness accounted for most of the multivariate change. Resilient Aging is a participant-centered and strengths-based program that has potential for enhancing participants’ perceptions of resilience and wellness. The program can be administered within community settings to promote resilience and wellness among marginalized older adults.     

The impact of varying argument quality and minority size on influencing the majority and perceptions of the minority

Past minority influence research has found that the number of minority subgroup members and argument quality can affect the likelihood of the minority subgroup being able to influence the majority subgroup. How minority size and argument quality affect minority influence and perceptions of the minority is addressed in this study. Confederates were used to vary argument quality and the size of the minority subgroup while keeping consistency of presenting the minority's side of the issue constant. Groups discussed a topic and measures were used to assess the amount of influence, perceived competence, perceived correctness, and how much the minority was liked. Results indicated that both argument quality and minority size were important when attempting to influence the majority and a large minority can compensate for a minority using weak arguments while a small minority using weak arguments residts in strengthening the majority's initial opinion. The perceptions fostered by the minority were a function of an argument quality by group size interaction.