Proofreading by students: implications of executive and non-executive components of working memory in the detection of phonological,orthographical, and grammatical errors

Reading and Writing - The present research studied the role of the non-executive and executive components of working memory in the detection of phonological, orthographical, and grammatical...     

A flow-map method of representing cognitive structure based on respondents' narrative using science content

Increasing interest in science education research has focused on ways of representing cognitive structure in graphical and quantitative terms. A method is presented for displaying the sequential and multirelational ideation of scientific narrative elicited from respondents. The flow map provides a figural representation of the flow of information, the points in the flow where multirelational and recurrent linkages are made, and the time required to retrieve and express the information at major intervals in the sequence and in total. In keeping with constructivist models of information analysis, the elicitation of responses requires minimal intervention by the interviewer, and flow-map representation requires low inference for its construction, providing a convenient diagram of the sequential and multirelational thought patterns expressed by the respondent. The method is illustrated by analyzing interviews from students varying in academic achievement under two interview conditions that varied in emphasis on recall of multiple relationships. The illustrative data show that students of increasing academic ability produce flow maps of more complex patterns with more cross-relational linkages. These kinds of linkages, on the whole, increase with increased emphasis in the interview on recall of relationships.     

Social Justice in Sport and Exercise Psychology: A Position Statement

ABSTRACT

There are varied approaches that have been used in sport for development (SFD) projects. This article is focused on the move by sport and exercise psychology researchers toward community-based SFD projects where marginalized groups are centralized. The authors have chosen two of their projects to exemplify different approaches to SFD. An initial project with an Aboriginal community is critically examined to reveal cultural missteps that perpetuated cultural colonization–something antithetical to community capacity building. The second project is then considered because of its closer alignment with cultural praxis and community capacity building. This second project focuses on the initial developments of a YMCA physical activity project designed to meet the needs of forced immigrants (a self-titled name developed by the refugee community members) and the staff who work with them. We culminate with five postulates proposed for SFD project teams derived from our vantage in sport and exercise psychology, where community engagement and eventual self-governance are imperatives.     

Associative structure of second-order conditioning in humans

Second-order conditioning (SOC; i.e., conditioned responding to S2 as a result of S1–US pairings followed by S2–S1 pairings) is generally explained by either a direct S2→US association or by an associative chain (i.e., S2→S1→US). Previous research found that differences in responses to S2 after S1 was extinguished often depended on the nature of the S2–S1 pairings (i.e., sequential or simultaneous). In two experiments with human participants, we examined the possibility that such differences result from S1 evoking S2 during extinction of S1 following simultaneous but not sequential S2–S1 pairings. This evocation of S2 by S1 following simultaneous pairings may have paired the evoked representation of S2 with absence of the outcome, thereby facilitating mediated extinction of S2. Using sequential S2-S1 pairings, both Experiments 1 and 2 failed to support this account of how extinction of S1 reduced responding to S2. Experiment 1 found that extinguishing S1 reduced responding to S2, while extinguishing S2 had little effect on responses to S1, although forward evocation of S1 during extinction of S2 paired the evoked representation of S1 with absence of the outcome. In Experiment 2, evocation of S2 during S1 nonreinforced trials was prevented because S2–S1 pairings followed (rather than proceeded) S1-alone exposures. Nevertheless, responding to S2 at test mimicked S1 responding. Responding to S2 was high in the context in which S1 had been reinforced and low in the context in which S1 had been nonreinforced. Collectively, these experiments provide additional support for the associative-chain account of SOC.     

Assessing visibility,legibility and comprehension for interactive whiteboards (IWBs) vs. computers

The usability of interactive whiteboards vs. computers was evaluated on three dimensions (visibility, legibility and comprehension) in the secondary school pupils. The visibility assessment consisted in detecting a visual stimulus varying in luminance using a staircase procedure, legibility was assessed with a target-search task, and we administered narrative and explanatory texts with or without illustrations to evaluate comprehension. The results of the visibility test showed that pupils found the light signal easier to detect on the IWB. For the legibility test, we observed differences in error rates and discriminability according to medium, font size and congruence between target and the distractor letters. Performances in the comprehension test were similar for both explanatory and narrative texts. Moreover, the presence of illustrations does not improve comprehension. These results could be related to the hierarchical structure of the texts, which facilitate comprehension.     

Qualité De L’éducation En Afrique: Le Rôle Potentiel Des Tic

THE QUALITY OF EDUCATION IN AFRICA: THE ROLE OF ICTS IN TEACHING – This article reports on the presence of ICT in educational institutions, presents an overview of the types of ICT uses found in African schools, and explores the relations between ICT use and the quality of education. Data were obtained from a transnational research project (Projet des écoles pionnières-TIC en Afrique / Pioneer ICT-Schools Project in Africa) funded by the International Research Development Centre (IDRC) of Canada. A total of 68,662 students, 2,627 teachers, 217 school administrators, and 428 additional education stakeholders in West and Central Africa participated in the study. The results show multiple uses of ICT in the participating schools, albeit centered on teaching ICT basic skills. A biaxial model with four quadrants is used to visualize the range of ICT usages in the schools. The analysis reveals a limited pedagogical use of ICT to teach academic subjects in most of the schools. Approximately 80% of the reported uses involved teaching ICT basic skills, while barely 17% involved subject-specific ICT integration for teaching and learning purposes.     

Self‐paced segmentation of written words on a touchscreen tablet promotes the oral production of nonverbal and minimally verbal children with autism

We investigated in a pilot study the effects of various types of visual mediation (photos, written words and self‐paced syllabic segmentation of written words displayed on a touchscreen tablet) that are thought to facilitate the oral production of nonverbal and minimally verbal children with autism, according to the participants’ level of oral language development and, more specifically, their ability to produce delayed echolalia. We also sought to identify the cognitive characteristics that need to be taken into account when seeking to develop the oral production of nonverbal children with autism. Results showed that the nonverbal and minimally verbal children with autism were able of using written words to produce them orally. Their performance was largely dependent on their level of language development. Tasks combining written and oral modalities prompted some of them to engage in oral production for the first time (isolated syllables for nonverbal children) and allowed others to produce non‐random strings of syllables (minimally verbal children).     

Herceptin functionalized microfluidic polydimethylsiloxane devices for the capture of human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 positive circulating breast cancer cells

Building on recent breakthroughs in the field of microfluidic-based capture of rare cancer cells circulating in the blood, the present article reports on the use of Herceptin functionalized PDMS devices designed to efficiently capture from blood cancer cells, overexpressing the tyrosine kinase human epidermal growth factor receptor (HER2). The identification of patients overexpressing HER2 is critical as it typically associates with an aggressive disease course in breast cancer and poor prognosis. Importantly, HER2 positive patients have been found to significantly benefit from Herceptin (Trastuzumab), a humanized monoclonal antibody (MAb) against HER2. Disposable PDMS devices prepared using standard soft lithography were functionalized by the plasma polymerization of an epoxy-containing monomer. The epoxy-rich thin film (AGEpp) thus created could be conjugated with Herceptin either directly or through a polyethylene glycol interlayer. The properties and reactivity toward the monoclonal antibody conjugation of these coatings were determined using x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy; direct conjugation provided a good compromise in reactivity and resistance to biologically nonspecific fouling and was selected. Using the breast cancer cell line SK-BR-3 as a model for cells overexpressing HER2, the immunocapture efficacy of the Herceptin functionalized PDMS was demonstrated in model studies. Validation studies confirmed the ability of the device to efficiently capture (～80% capture yield) HER2 positive cells from full blood.     

Understanding change through a high school mathematics teacher’s journey to inquiry-based teaching

This article focuses on an experienced high school mathematics teacher who changed her practice without participating in planned interventions aimed at producing this change. It reports on the nature of the teacher’s change from her perspective and an interpretation and understanding of the change from the researcher’s perspective. It illustrates how meaningful change can occur when the process is initiated and rooted in the teacher’s experience based on a tension in self and/or practice that is personal and real to him or her. It discusses three types of change that are possible depending on the level of engagement of the teacher in professional development opportunities: instrumental change, conceptual change, and foundational change.