Creating the Conditions for Cognitive Change: The Interaction between Task Structures and Specific Strategies

It is widely accepted that conceptual development must, to an extent, be constrained by the conceptual structures a child already possesses. Yet this conclusion raises a problem, for a given conceptual structure can only constrain the discovery of elements that are already implicit within itself. Thus it cannot constrain the discovery of structures that are qualitatively different from itself. And yet, qualitative change in conceptual structures does occur. It is proposed here that conceptual change is constrained not only by conceptual structures in the child but also by structures inherent in the tasks in which children deploy their skills. The dynamic interaction between the strategies children bring to the task and the detailed structure of the task in hand acts to redirect the child's attention to new aspects of a problem, opening up the possibility of new discoveries that were not prefigured in the child's original approach. This process is explored first in a microgenetic study of ( N = 30) children aged 5 to 9 years completing a bridge building task, focusing particularly on a case study of the problem solving of a 5-year-old child; and also through examining predictions as to the incidence of within-session change in problem solving in 5-year-olds playing the "Twenty Questions" game, using group data ( N = 62).     

A health education outreach partnership between an academic medical library and public library: lessons learned before and during a pandemic

Background:Public libraries serve as community centers for accessing free, trustworthy health information. As such, they provide an ideal setting to teach the local community about health and health literacy, particularly during public health crises like the COVID-19 pandemic. Since 2018, an outreach partnership between an academic medical library and public library has developed, delivered, and continuously evaluated a health education program targeting public library users.Case Presentation:Health education activities were integrated into three existing public library programs: adult workshops, child and family programming, and circulating family activity kits. Prior to COVID-19, events were held at the public library, which then pivoted online during the pandemic. An interprofessional team approach combined the expertise of academic medical and public librarians, medical school faculty and staff, and medical students in developing the educational programs. Twelve in-person and five virtual programs were offered, and five circulating health education family kits were launched. Activities were assessed using program evaluation surveys of the adult and children''s programs and circulation statistics of the kits.Conclusions:This case report showcases the lessons learned from implementing a longitudinal outreach partnership between an academic medical library and public library before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. The interprofessional team approach and flexibility in program design and delivery in both the in-person and virtual environments proved critical to the success of the partnership. This partnership could serve as a model for other libraries interested in pursuing interprofessional collaborations in educating local communities on healthy behavior and health information–seeking practices.     

Effects of footwear midsole thickness on running biomechanics

Shoe manufacturers launch running shoes with increased (e.g., maximalists) or decreased (e.g., minimalists) midsole thickness and claim that they may prevent running injury. Previous studies tested footwear models with different midsole thicknesses on the market but the shoe construct was not strictly comparable. Therefore, in the present study, we examined the effect of midsole thickness, from 1-mm to 29-mm, in a standard test shoe prototype on the vertical loading rates, footstrike angle and temporal spatial parameters in distance runners. Fifteen male habitual rearfoot strikers were recruited from local running clubs. They were asked to run on an instrumented treadmill in shoes with different midsole thicknesses. We found significant interactions between midsole thickness with vertical loading rates (p < 0.001), footstrike angle (p = 0.013), contact time (p < 0.001), cadence (p = 0.003), and stride length (p = 0.004). Specifically, shoes with thinner midsole (1- and 5-mm) significantly increased the vertical loading rates and shortened the contact time, when compared with thicker midsole shoes (25- and 29-mm). However, we did not observe any substantial differences in the footstrike angle, cadence and stride length between other shod conditions. The present study provides biomechanical data regarding the relationship between full spectrum midsole thicknesses and running biomechanics in a group of rearfoot strikers.     

Deaf Queer world-making: A thick intersectional analysis of the mediated cultural body

Nyle DiMarco, a Deaf, sexually fluid celebrity, helps audiences reimagine ways of being through mediated representations of his cultural body. Within the framework of a critical intercultural communication study and through a thick intersectional approach, we analyze DiMarco’s personae as texts across three TV shows: America’s Next Top Model, Dancing with the Stars, and Difficult People. First, we attend to his moments of sexual fluidity. Next, we attend to his moments of Deaf Gain. Finally, we attend to his character’s denouncing of the hearing homonormative. Through each performance, a Deaf Queer world-making is conjured, offering discursive possibilities beyond the normative.     

Microfluidic model of monocyte extravasation reveals the role of hemodynamics and subendothelial matrix mechanics in regulating endothelial integrity

Extravasation of circulating cells is an essential process that governs tissue inflammation and the body''s response to pathogenic infection. To initiate anti-inflammatory and phagocytic functions within tissues, immune cells must cross the vascular endothelial barrier from the vessel lumen to the subluminal extracellular matrix. In this work, we present a microfluidic approach that enables the recreation of a three-dimensional, perfused endothelial vessel formed by human endothelial cells embedded within a collagen-rich matrix. Monocytes are introduced into the vessel perfusate, and we investigate the role of luminal flow and collagen concentration on extravasation. In vessels conditioned with the flow, increased monocyte adhesion to the vascular wall was observed, though fewer monocytes extravasated to the collagen hydrogel. Our results suggest that the lower rates of extravasation are due to the increased vessel integrity and reduced permeability of the endothelial monolayer. We further demonstrate that vascular permeability is a function of collagen hydrogel mass concentration, with increased collagen concentrations leading to elevated vascular permeability and increased extravasation. Collectively, our results demonstrate that extravasation of monocytes is highly regulated by the structural integrity of the endothelial monolayer. The microfluidic approach developed here allows for the dissection of the relative contributions of these cues to further understand the key governing processes that regulate circulating cell extravasation and inflammation.     

Children’s Self-Reported Effects of Stimulant Medication

This study determined the self-reported positive and negative physical, academic, and social effects of stimulant medication on middle/junior high school and high school students who have been diagnosed with AD/HD. The study also identified other students’ attitudes toward those diagnosed with AD/HD and receiving stimulant medication. Students in regular education classrooms, classrooms for students with an emotional disturbance, and classrooms for students with learning disabilities participated by filling out a questionnaire. A convenience sample of 925 students in Wisconsin and Minnesota participated in the study. Eighty-six of the students were taking stimulant medication for the treatment of AD/HD. Students did report experiencing side effects from the medication. The social and behavioural effects of the medication rather than the academic achievement enhancement effects appear to be the reasons for taking stimulant medication. Students not taking stimulant medication reported neither they nor teachers treated students taking stimulant medication differently.     

Influence of text structure on learning counterintuitive physics concepts

The purpose of this study was to explore the influences of text structure on students' conceptual change. Case studies were conducted of three sections of physics (Physical World, Physics, and Honors Physics) for 8 months of an academic year. Qualitative data (including observation field notes, interviews, videotapes, audiotapes, and questionnaires) were analyzed from the perspective of grounded theory by constant comparison through the framework of social constructivism. Results showed that individuals used refutational text to change their alternative conceptions, find support for their scientific preconceptions, gain the language necessary to discuss their ideas, and acquire new concepts. We also found instances, however, when students ignored the text and persisted with their alternative conception, or when students found support for their nonscientific ideas from refutational text. In these cases, we found that either the refutation was not direct enough to be effective, or students' reading strategies were insufficient to facilitate conceptual change. In investigating the power of refutational text, we found that refutational text does cause cognitive conflict. We also discovered that while cognitive conflict may be necessary for conceptual change to occur, it is not sufficient. Although refutational text is effective on the average for groups of students, it will need to be supplemented by discussion for individuals. J Res Sci Teach 34: 701–719, 1997.