Hierarchical task analysis ‐ An approach for diagnosing students’ conceptual difficulties

Pupils’ conceptual difficulties in scientific problem‐solving are examined on the basis of their performance on complex tasks and on the simple tasks of which the complex tasks are composed. A theoretical analysis reveals that identical errors on a complex task are not necessarily due to the same errors on the associated component tasks. This is illustrated by reference to actual research findings. The educational implications of this finding are discussed.     

Using Second Life to enhance classroom management practice in teacher education

The following article discusses an educational simulation created within Second Life (SL) in order to assist pre‐service teachers (PSTs) in gaining more experience managing student behavior. The article discusses the development, implementation, and assessment of the simulation as well as student data on the feasibility of the approach in comparison to other methods of learning classroom management. It includes discussion of the use of artificial intelligence (AI) methods to infuse the simulation with random student behavior, much as it would arise in the classroom. Results indicated that the students found the simulation to be a useful learning experience and put them in situations that forced them to think on their feet. Recommendations for future work with the simulation and for others considering the use of SL for educational purposes are discussed.

Der Gebrauch von Second Life zur Verbesserung von Unterrichtsmanagement in der Lehrerbildung

Im folgenden Beitrag wird über eine im Second Life (SL) erstellte Ausbildungssimulation zur Unterstützung von auszubildenden Lehrern (PSTs) beim Erwerb von Kompetenzen beim Steuern von Schülerverhalten berichtet. Der Artikel beschreibt die Entwicklung, die Einführung und Bewertung der Simulation ebenso wie die Studentendaten bei der Umsetzung der Annäherung im Vergleich zu anderen Methoden des, lernenden Klassenzimmer "…Managements”. Es schließt Diskussionen über die Nutzung von Methoden künstlicher Intelligenz (KI) zur Einführung der Simulation mit zufälligem Schülerverhalten in der Art, wie es im Unterricht entstehen könnte, ein. Die Ergebnisse zeigen, dass die Studenten die Simulation als nützliche Lernerfahrung ansahen und und die sie auch in Situationen benutzen, in denen sie zu grundsätzlichen Überlegungen aufgefordert waren. Empfehlungen für zukünftige Arbeit mit Simulationen und für andere Überlegungen des Gebrauchs von Second Life für pädagogische Zwecke werden angestellt.

L’utilisation de Second Life pour renforcer la pratique de la gestion de classe dans la formation des enseignants

L’article qui suit fait le bilan d’une simulation éducative crée au sein de Second Life (SL) dans le but d’aider les enseignants en formation (PSTs) à acquérir davantage d’expérience de la gestion des conduites d’élèves. Cet article examine le développement, la mise en place et l’évaluation de la simulation ainsi que les données provenant des étudiants sur la viabilité de ce mode d’approche par comparaison avec les autres méthodes d’étude de la gestion de classe. On y inclut une discussion sur l’usage des méthodes d’intelligence artificielle (IA) pour intégrer la stimulation avec le comportement aléatoire des élèves tel qu’il peut se produire en situation de classe. Les résultats ont indiqué que les enseignants en formation ont trouvé que la simulation était une expérience d’apprentissage utile et qu’elle les plaçait dans une situation qui les forçait à penser debout sur leurs pieds. On présente des recommandations en vue de travaux futurs avec la simulation et d’autres portant sur l’usage possible de Second Life à des fins éducatives.

El uso de Second Life para mejorar las prácticas de la gestión de aulas en la formación de los profesores

El artículo abajo trata de una simulación educativa creada dentro de Second Life (SL) para ayudar a los futuros profesores (PSTs) a adquirir más experiencia en el manejo de la conducta de los alumnos. El artículo examina el desarrollo, la puesta en práctica y la evaluación de la simulación además de los datos procedentes de los alumnos acerca de la factibilidad de este abordaje en comparación con otros métodos de estudio de la gestión de aulas. Se incluye también un estudio del uso de los métodos de (IA) inteligencia artificial para dotar la simulación de conductas estudiantiles aleatorias, parecidas a lo que ocurre en aulas reales. Los resultados han mostrado que los futuros profesores opinan que la simulación fue una experiencia de aprendizaje útil, poniendoles en situaciones que les obligaban a pensar « de pie ». Se hace también recomendaciones para otros trabajos, unos con la simulación y otros sobre los usos posibles de Second Life con fines educativos.     

Effect of worked examples and Cognitive Tutor training on constructing equations

Algebra students studied either static-table, static-graphics, or interactive-graphics instructional worked examples that alternated with Algebra Cognitive Tutor practice problems. A control group did not study worked examples but solved both the instructional and practice problems on the Cognitive Tutor (CT). Students in the control group requested fewer hints and made fewer errors on the CT practice problems but required more learning time on the instructional examples. There was no difference among the four groups in constructing equations on a paper-and-pencil posttest or on a delayed test that included training and transfer problems. However, students who studied worked examples with a table were best at identifying the meaning of the equation components. The concept of transfer-appropriate processing (the overlap between instructional task and assessment task) aided our interpretation of the findings. Although the CT had a short-term effect on reducing errors and hint requests on CT practice problems, the worked examples were as effective on delayed paper-and-pencil tests. The subsequent construction of a new module for the Animation Tutor (Reed and Hoffman, Animation Tutor: Mixtures. Instructional software, 2011) used both the interactive-graphics and static-table worked examples to take advantage of the complementary strengths of different representations (Ainsworth, Learn Instr 16:183–198, 2006).     

Revisiting curriculum inquiry: the role of visual representations

Curriculum materials and knowledge about curricular purposes and structures are valuable tools that teachers often draw upon to organize instruction and facilitate student learning. Careful analysis of teachers’ curriculum implementation and the decision-making that undergirds their curriculum use is critical for fully understanding enactment. This paper compares how integrity analyses of implementation of curriculum materials and actor-oriented analysis of teachers’ curriculum use can help researchers, teacher educators, and curriculum designers interpret teachers’ decisions about what aspects of new materials to use and how to use such materials. Drawing on evidence from teacher interviews and observations, we compare two teachers’ enactments of a new elementary-level environmental biology unit. Our analyses of integrity point to differences in teachers’ adaptations with respect to their consistency with the purposes and structures of curriculum materials as construed by designers. By contrast, our actor-oriented analysis explain how the teachers’ different approaches to interpreting the goals and structures of the curriculum unit partly account for patterns in their enactment in ways that can inform refinements to materials and the design of professional development supports for teachers. In so doing, we show how implementation integrity and actor-oriented analyses offer complementary perspectives to inform curriculum research and development.     

One-year endurance training: Effects on lung function and airway inflammation

Abstract

The aim of this study was to determine whether endurance training in athletes induces airway inflammation and pulmonary function disorders. Respiratory pattern and function were analysed in ten healthy endurance runners at rest, during sub-maximal exercise, and during the recovery. Inflammatory cells and metabolites (histamine, interleukin-8, and leukotriene E₄) were measured in sputum at rest and after exercise. The experiments were conducted on three different occasions (basic endurance training, pre-competitive and competitive periods). In spite of the absence of post-exercise spirometric changes and respiratory symptoms, airway cells counts and inflammatory markers changed significantly. At the beginning of the experiment, athletes' induced sputum showed an abundance of macrophages compared with neutrophils. We found a high percentage of neutrophils during the pre-competitive and competitive periods of the sport season (41% and 37%), a significant increase in macrophage counts during the pre-competitive period (51%), and a significant rise in total cells, interleukin-8, leukotriene E₄, and histamine during the competitive period. In conclusion, one year's training increased markers of inflammation in the airways of endurance runners without symptoms or changes in pulmonary function, suggesting that airway inflammation is of insufficient magnitude to markedly impact lung function in healthy athletes.     

“I am” versus “we are”: Effects of distinctive variants of self-talk on efficacy beliefs and motor performance

Abstract

Before completing a team-based dart-throwing activity, 80 undergraduates were randomly assigned to one of three pre-performance self-talk conditions: (a) self-talk statements that focused upon one's personal capabilities, (b) self-talk statements emphasizing the group's capabilities, or (c) a control condition where neutral statements were implemented. Participants in all conditions subsequently rated their confidence in their own (i.e. self-efficacy) as well as their team's (i.e. collective efficacy) capabilities, before carrying out the task. Overall, self-efficacy, collective efficacy, and performance indicators were all greatest for individuals who practised self-talk focusing on the group's capabilities, as opposed to individual-focused and neutral conditions. Findings are considered with respect to their novel theoretical contribution to the social cognition literature and their implications for fostering efficacy perceptions and team performance.     

Comparison of physical activity estimates using International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) and accelerometry in fibromyalgia patients: The Al-Andalus study

Abstract

The International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) has been widely used to assess physical activity in healthy populations. The present study compared physical activity assessed by the long, self-administrated version of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire with physical activity assessed by accelerometry in patients with fibromyalgia. A total of 99 (five men) participants with fibromyalgia completed the International Physical Activity Questionnaire and wore an accelerometer for nine consecutive days. We analysed the correlations of physical activity expressed as min · day^?1 of light, moderate, vigorous, and moderate to vigorous (MVPA) intensity, as well as time spent sitting, by the International Physical Activity Questionnaire and accelerometry by Spearman correlations. Bland and Altman plots were performed to verify the agreements between both instruments. The results showed weak yet significant correlations (Rs = 0.15–0.39, all P < 0.05) in all physical activity intensities between the two instruments, except for sedentary time. The highest correlations were observed for physical activity at home or in garden (Rs = 0.297, P < 0.01). The results suggest that the long self-administrated International Physical Activity Questionnaire is a questionable instrument to assess physical activity in patients with fibromyalgia. Therefore, physical activity measurement in fibromyalgia patients should not be limited solely to self-reported measures.