Situated cognition and learning environments: implications for teachers on- and offline in the new digital media age

John Seely Brown suggested that learning environments should be spaces in which all work is public, is subject to iterative critique by instructors and peers, and in which social interaction is primary. In such spaces, students and teachers engage in a situated cognition approach to teaching and learning where “cognitive accomplishments rely in part on structures and processes outside the individual”. Here we describe a qualitative analysis of a socially situated learning setting that aimed to develop children who can design, analyze, critique, and transform media, subjecting existing social media, their designs, and their peers’ designs to public and iterative critique. In this setting, adult mentors supported children’s self-expression, self-reflection, and skillbuilding through authentic, socially situated reading, writing, and discussion, and media production. Creating and leveraging such spaces is essential for preparing all children for successful experiences in the new knowledge economy in formal and informal educational settings.     

Thematic Analysis of Intergenerational Transmission of Trauma in Latinx Immigrant Families in the Southern US

Immigration is a growing social dynamic in many countries, eliciting a variety of different responses. Proponents of immigration note how the influx of new people into the United States (US) has enhanced the workforce and brought cultural enrichment; others have attributed to immigrants, particularly undocumented, a rise in crime and strains on social services. Consequently, immigrants often contend with discrimination and other unique stressors that increase the likelihood that immigration will be a traumatizing experience. Because scholarly focus on the impact of immigration upon psychological wellbeing typically highlights individual experiences, there is limited attention on the impact on immigrant families, particularly mixed-status families comprised of immigrant parents and children who are US citizens by birth. There is also limited attention on immigrant dynamics in the Southern US. This qualitative, thematic analysis explores the experiences of 71 pairs of Latinx immigrant mothers and their US citizen children, living in the Southern US, utilizing the lens of intergenerational transmission of trauma. Using narrative data taken from trauma assessment instruments, the authors identified the most prevalent themes shared by the mothers and their children as crime victimization, deportation, threats to family health, sexual abuse, and marital conflict.

     

Comparing Teaching Approaches About Maxwell’s Displacement Current

Due to its fundamental role for the consolidation of Maxwell’s equations, the displacement current is one of the most important topics of any introductory course on electromagnetism. Moreover, this episode is widely used by historians and philosophers of science as a case study to investigate several issues (e.g. the theory–experiment relationship). Despite the consensus among physics educators concerning the relevance of the topic, there are many possible ways to interpret and justify the need for the displacement current term. With the goal of understanding the didactical transposition of this topic more deeply, we investigate three of its domains: (1) The historical development of Maxwell’s reasoning; (2) Different approaches to justify the term insertion in physics textbooks; and (3) Four lectures devoted to introduce the topic in undergraduate level given by four different professors. By reflecting on the differences between these three domains, significant evidence for the knowledge transformation caused by the didactization of this episode is provided. The main purpose of this comparative analysis is to assist physics educators in developing an epistemological surveillance regarding the teaching and learning of the displacement current.     

Fluid intelligence as a predictor of learning: A longitudinal multilevel approach applied to math

The association between fluid intelligence and inter-individual differences was investigated using multilevel growth curve modeling applied to data measuring intra-individual improvement on math achievement tests. A sample of 166 students (88 boys and 78 girls), ranging in age from 11 to 14 (M = 12.3, SD = 0.64), was tested. These individuals took four math achievement tests, which were vertically equated via Item Response Theory, at the beginning and end of the seventh and eighth grade. The cognitive abilities studied were Numerical Reasoning, Abstract Reasoning, Verbal Reasoning, and Spatial Reasoning (as measured by the Differential Reasoning Test). The general cognitive factor was significantly associated with the parameters of initial level (intercept) and rate of change (slope). A high level of intelligence was associated with higher initial scores, as well as a steeper rise in math scores across the two years.     

Effects of weightlifting exercise,traditional resistance and plyometric training on countermovement jump performance: a meta-analysis

Jump performance is considered an important factor in many sports. Thus, strategies such as weightlifting (WL) exercises, traditional resistance training (TRT) and plyometric training (PT) are effective at improving jump performance. However, it is not entirely clear which of these strategies can enable greater improvements on jump height. Thus, the purpose of the meta-analysis was to compare the improvements on countermovement jump (CMJ) performance between training methods which focus on WL exercises, TRT, and PT. Seven studies were included, of which one study performed both comparison. Therefore, four studies comparing WL exercises vs. TRT (total n = 78) and four studies comparing WL exercises vs. PT (total n = 76). The results showed greater improvements on CMJ performance for WL exercises compared to TRT (ES_diff: 0.72 ± 0.23; _95%CI: 0.26, 1.19; P = 0.002; Δ % = 7.5 and 2.1, respectively). The comparison between WL exercises vs. PT revealed no significant difference between protocols (ES_diff: 0.15 ± 0.23; _95%CI: ?0.30, 0.60; P = 0.518; Δ % = 8.8 and 8.1, respectively). In conclusion, WL exercises are superior to promote positive changes on CMJ performance compared to TRT; however, WL exercises and PT are equally effective at improving CMJ performance.     

Perceived neighborhood environmental characteristics and different types of physical activity among Brazilian adolescents

Little is known about the association between environmental characteristics and types of physical activity in adolescents in a Latin American context. The aim of this study was to examine the association between perceived neighborhood environmental characteristics and different types of physical activity in 2,874 adolescents from Joao Pessoa, Paraiba State, Northeastern Brazil. The types of activity measured by questionnaire (≥10 min/day) included sports, physical exercises, active commuting and recreational activities. Neighborhood characteristics were measured by a 15-item scale. Multilevel analyses showed that adolescents who reported “having places they liked to go to” (OR = 1.41; 95%CI: 1.10–1.79) and “places with opportunities to practice” (OR = 1.29; 95%CI: 1.01–1.65) were more likely to play sports. “Seeing interesting things while walking” (OR = 1.24; 95%CI: 1.01–1.53) and “Seeing other adolescents engaged in physical activity” (OR = 1.47; 95%CI: 1,05–2,06) were associated with exercises. “Seeing other adolescents engaged in physical activity” (OR = 1.47; 95%CI: 1.18–1.82), “the neighborhood is not violent” (OR = 1.29; 95%CI: 1.04–1.60) and “having places they like to go to” (OR = 1.59; 95%CI: 1.13–2.25) were positively associated and “places with opportunities to practice” (OR = 0.79; 95%CI: 0.63–0.98) inversely related to active commuting. “Seeing other adolescents engaged in physical activities” (OR = 1.31; 95%CI: 1.05–1.63) and “seeing interesting things while walking” (OR = 1.26; 95%CI: 1.02–1.56) were associated with recreational activities. Neighborhood environmental characteristics associated with the physical activity vary with the type of practices adopted by adolescents.