Neuroscience in the HBSE Sequence: Mandate and Methodology

Important findings from neuroscience research provide valuable knowledge for social work practice, and although these findings are already being incorporated into practice in many other disciplines, social work has been slow to integrate this content into foundation professional education. This article describes how one social work program incorporated this knowledge into Human Behavior in the Social Environment courses, noting both challenges and successes over 8 years. The authors include information on content, pedagogical methods, and useful resources.     

The DREAMS Team: Creating community partnerships through research advocacy training for diverse older adults

The DREAMS Team research advocacy training program helps clinical faculty and health students introduce basic clinical research concepts to diverse older adults to galvanize their active involvement in the research process. Older adults are frequently underrepresented in clinical research, due to barriers to participation including distrust, historical mistreatment, and their lack of health literacy. The DREAMS Team program aims to involve diverse older adults throughout all phases of research and increase research participation, thereby contributing to the growth of quality patient-centered, evidence-based health care. This course was developed for clinical faculty to deliver to diverse adults aged 55+ in eight 50-minute lectures, followed by half-hour small group discussions moderated by health students. A pilot cohort of 24 individuals was assessed for satisfaction post-program, and self-efficacy before and after the program. Older adult participants improved on a survey measure of self-efficacy, and indicated satisfaction on a post-program questionnaire. All agreed or strongly agreed that they enjoyed participating, and that classes enhanced knowledge/skills about the topics, were high quality, and provided useful information. Twenty-two out of 24 individuals who completed the program indicated they planned to get involved as research advocates. The DREAMS Team program can be offered either on its own, or as a follow-up program to a general health education course led by health students and/or professional researchers or clinicians. Educating older adults about the research process and advocacy through interactive seminars led by congenial and respectful researchers and health students may remove some barriers to research participation and involvement among diverse older adults.     

Should student learning journals be assessed?

This article addresses the controversial question of whether student learning journals should be assessed. It draws on a collaborative action research project into the uses of learning journals at the University of Sussex in which assessment was continually debated. The characteristics of learning journals in terms of pedagogic purpose, outcome and student writing identity are explored as a basis for looking at the advantages and disadvantages of summative and formative assessment of this ‘different’ form of writing. In conclusion, ‘compromise’ solutions to the question are proposed.     

The effects of an experimental social development program on children in the middle childhood period

The purpose of the study was to examine the effects of a social development program on role-taking, problem-solving skills, and classroom adjustment in 9- and 10-year-old children. The subjects in the study were 68 children (34 matched pairs); the 34 experimental children were matched on the basis of sex, race, age, and group IQ scores with students in the control group. The results indicated that the children in the experimental group gained in respect for others, ability to generate alternatives to problem situations, creative expression, patience, and self-reliance.     

Learning to Value Mathematics and Reading: Relations to Mastery and Performance-Oriented Instructional Practices

Changes in students' achievement values in mathematics and reading were examined in a sample of children and early adolescents. Hierarchical linear modeling techniques were used to account for both classroom- and student-level effects. At the student level, positive changes in students' achievement values were associated positively with self-concept of ability and the previous year's achievement values in both reading and math. Measures of teachers' mastery- and performance-oriented instructional practices were included in the full HLM model. Students experienced decrements in achievement values, after controlling for other student and classroom-level variables, in classrooms where performance-oriented instructional practices were used. In the full model, self-concept of ability was related positively to increases in achievement values, whereas gender was unrelated to changes in achievement values. Copyright 2001 Academic Press.     

A Second Chance in Second Grade: The Independent and Cumulative Impact of First- and Second-Grade Reading Instruction and Students' Letter-Word Reading Skill Growth

This study examines the relation of language arts instruction to students' letter-word reading skill growth from the beginning of 1st grade to the end of 2nd grade using cross-classified random effects models. Amounts of teacher-managed, code-focused instruction in 1st and 2nd grade each uniquely predicted students' letter-word reading skill growth; plus, there were child-by-instruction interactions. Students with weaker fall 1st grade letter-word reading scores demonstrated stronger letter-word reading at the end of 2nd grade when they spent more time in 1st-and 2nd-grade teacher-managed, code-focused instruction. Students with stronger initial reading skills demonstrated higher 2nd-grade reading scores when they spent less time in 1st grade but more time in 2nd-grade teacher-managed, code-focused instruction. Students who participated in optimally effective 1st-grade and 2nd-grade classroom instruction demonstrated greater letter-word reading growth from the beginning of 1st grade to the end of 2nd grade than did students who participated in less effective instruction in either 1st or 2nd grade, or both. Still, for children who entered 1st grade with weaker reading skills, results indicate that effective 2nd-grade instruction might offer a 2nd chance to achieve grade appropriate reading skills.     

Cognitive Skill Acquisition Through a Meta-Knowledge Processing Model

The emerging trend for taking a more collaborative approach to life-long learning is picking up pace. So, too, is the rate at which online learning systems are implemented by novice courseware designers. Nevertheless, if we want to sustain the momentum, we must understand more about how to manage the computer–human interaction (CHI) and, henceforth, the cognitive skills acquisition process involved in E-learning systems (McKay & Garner, 1999). Once we understand the CHI phenomenon, learn how to manage the E-learning environment successfully, manage media in an efficient and effective manner, conquer collaborative online communication and knowledge-sharing, we may be able to claim that context-mediated learning has arrived. This paper discusses an examination of the contextual issues involved in understanding the interactivity of instructional conditions and cognitive style as a metaknowledge acquisition process. Meta-knowledge is used here to convey knowledge about knowledge. This distinction is necessary to differentiate between the more common usage of the term, whereby knowledge is generated by an individual presented with various pieces of information. Further work is needed to substantiate the speculated mechanisms relating to the relationship between specific learning domains, and notational transfer (internal/external exchange process) in an online learning context.