A Quest for the Holy Grail in the New Millennium: In Search of a Unified Theory of Cognitive Development

Our reply emphasizes the benefits of cooperation between researchers in developing a comprehensive model of cognitive development that considers the constraints of human brain structures and the interplay of general laws of development and individual differences in developmental pathways within the context of social and cultural environments.     

Special education in France

ABSTRACT

The French special education system has been formed around two educational groups, according to the perception of the possibilities of schooling for disabled children and adolescents. One has been organized around learning difficulties, and concerns children and adolescents whose abnormality is produced by the school institution. The other was developed around re‐education, and the re‐education of disabled children refused admission by the schools. The 1970s witnessed the appearance of an indisputable official policy in favour of integration into schools, implemented through diverse and numerous private and public initiatives. This policy and these initiatives are being translated more and more clearly, in many respects, into reality, yet they come up against the prevailing ways of thinking on institutionalization of care and education of children said to be disabled. In particular, the persisting dichotomy between an educational approach which is focused on the management of learning difficulties in schools, and the education of children with disabilities rooted within a medical orientation, stressing ‘re‐education’ (the teaching of social skills to children) or ‘re‐adaptation’ (training of various sorts with the intention of improving employment prospects) continues to exert a strong influence on possible reforms.     

Skill-dependent proximal-to-distal sequence in team-handball throwing

The importance of proximal-to-distal sequencing in human performance throwing has been reported previously. However, a comprehensive comparison of the proximal-to-distal sequence in team-handball throwing in athletes with different training experience and competition is lacking. Therefore, the aim of the study was to compare the ball velocity and proximal-to-distal sequence in the team-handball standing throw with run-up of players of different skill (less experienced, experienced, and elite). Twenty-four male team-handball players (n = 8 for each group) performed five standing throws with run-up with maximal ball velocity and accuracy. Kinematics and ball trajectories were recorded with a Vicon motion capture system and joint movements were calculated. A specific proximal-to-distal sequence, where elbow flexion occurred before shoulder internal rotation, was found in all three groups. These results are in line with previous studies in team-handball. Furthermore, the results of the present study suggest that in the team-handball standing throw with run-up, increased playing experience is associated with an increase in ball velocity as well as a delayed start to trunk flexion.     

A Model for Using Triadic Supervision in Counselor Preparation Programs

The Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (2001) has approved the use of triadic supervision as an alternative to individual supervision in clinical instruction. However, literature describing this mode of supervision is very limited. A model for triadic supervision is described, including presession planning, in‐session strategies, and administrative considerations and supervisee evaluation. An evaluation of the model from 2 recent studies is also discussed, and recommendations are provided for using triadic supervision in counselor preparation.     

Récupération de l’Information Sémantique en Mémoire: Recouvrement des Connaissances

European Journal of Psychology of Education - Dans cet article, nous avons tenté de montrer toute l’importance des activités de récupération de la représentation...     

Engineering graduates’ skill sets in the MENA region: a gap analysis of industry expectations and satisfaction

This study explored gaps between industry expectations and perceptions of engineering graduates’ skill sets in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. This study measured the importance that managers of engineers placed on 36 skills relevant to engineers. Also measured was managers’ satisfaction with engineering graduates’ skill sets. Importance and satisfaction were used to calculate skill gaps for each skill. A principal components analysis was then performed, consolidating the 36 skills into 8 categories. The means of importance, satisfaction, and skill gaps were ranked to determine the areas in which graduates needed improvement. Results showed significant gaps between managers’ expectations of and satisfaction with all 36 skills. The areas in which managers felt that graduates needed most improvement were communication, time management, and continuous learning. Managers reported that recent engineering graduates exhibited low overall preparedness for employment. These findings may help to inform curricular reform in engineering education.     

Measuring Determinants of Student Return VS. Dropout/Stopout VS. Transfer: A First-to-Second Year Analysis of New Freshmen

To reflect academic challenges and enrollment patterns of today’s freshmen, this study measures the impact of high school preparation, first-year academic performance, multi-institution enrollment, and financial aid support on second-year persistence. Using multi-year cohorts at a public research university, results confirm the importance of including first-year math experience, math intensity of the declared major, simultaneous enrollment at another college/university, and second-year financial aid offers when measuring freshmen retention. The positive impact of a large-scale, state-funded scholarship program in widening access to college must be balanced against findings that show academic performance and readiness to take on and pass first-year math to be more important than aid in explaining freshmen dropout and transfer-out during both first and second semesters. Middle-income students with greater levels of unmet need face an elevated departure risk, while academically well-prepared freshmen with unmet need are more likely to transfer to other institutions.     

How communication context impacts judgments of a potential peer mentor

Disclosure is a critical element of interpersonal relationships and individuals are often evaluated on what they share with others, whether in personal, professional, or learning contexts. Technology now allows for many different outlets for communicating with other people. We used experimental methods to explore the impact of communication medium (i.e. print diary, online diary, blog, or email) on psychosocial perceptions of a potential peer mentor. Female participants gave more positive mentor ratings on likeability, likeliness to disclose to the mentor, and perceived closeness than did males, but not on judgments of the mentor’s privacy. Participants judged the mentor to be more private when they viewed the print diary than in the online conditions and when reading the online diary than the blog (the least private condition). We also found that women were more likely to reciprocate disclosure when they viewed disclosures in the print condition than in the blog.