Does an activity-based learning strategy improve preschool children's memory for narrative passages?

Contemporary embodiment theory's indexical hypothesis predicts that engaging in text-relevant activity while listening to a story will: (1) enhance memory for enacted story content; and, (2) result in relatively greater memory enhancement for enacted atypical events than for typical ones (16 and 17). To date, indexical hypothesis predictions and applications have been examined only with adults and elementary school-aged children. The present study extended previous research by comparing an activity-based listening strategy to a listening-only strategy with 56 preschool children. The first hypothesis was supported in that children in the activity-based condition recalled more story actions than children in the listening-only condition. At the same time, this effect was relatively greater for children who were initially better at remembering story content than for initially poorer story rememberers. Consistent with previous research findings, no statistical differences between conditions were observed on memory for nonaction story content. The second hypothesis – that children in the activity-based strategy would exhibit comparatively greater memory enhancement for atypical story events relative to typical ones – was not supported. Theoretical and practical implications of the findings are discussed.     

Social Capital, Financial Knowledge, and Hispanic Student College Choices

Hispanic students are significantly over-represented in community colleges compared to White and Black students. This paper uses a powerful but underutilized statistical technique, the Oaxaca decomposition, to explore the impact of social capital, as manifested through college financial information, on Hispanic student enrollment in 4-year and 2-year programs. Background differences between the groups were found to have only a small effect on the gap in attending 4-year schools, while the effect of differential returns to these background characteristics was strong and significant. The analysis revealed that some variables of college financial information contribute significantly to the gap.     

Measurement of ski snow-pressure profiles

Bulge-disc type pressure sensors of diameter 6 mm were fitted as near as possible to the running edge of a modern carved ski. The pressure signals were sampled at 30 Hz during long turns on snow, synchronously with signals from a geomagnetic compass and a pressure pad in the ski boot. The pressure from the snow was found to be highly variable with a mean value of about 50 kPa and dynamic pressure spikes up to 300 kPa. With the outside leg, the snow contact width in the rear part of the ski was found to be slightly wider, on average, than for the front part, as expected for a carving turn. Correlation within the pressure sensor data showed that the rapid pressure fluctuations were probably not due to bumps or features on the snow; instead they were probably caused by many small-scale collapses of the snow structure as the ski passed.     

Mobile Phone Use in AA Networks: An Exploratory Study

The purpose of this study was to explore the role of mobile phone use for mutual support within social networks of Alcoholic Anonymous (AA). A sample of mobile phone owners and non-owners in AA was surveyed to assess their perceptions and uses of this technology. Mobile phone owners reported very positive perceptions of the technology as a resource for recovery and heavy use of the mobile phone for this purpose. Non-owners also reported positive perceptions of the mobile phone as a resource for recovery and that expense was the primary reason for not using a mobile phone in their recovery efforts. Heuristic, theoretical, and practical implications of the study are included in the discussion.     

Implementation Quality: Lessons Learned in the Context of the Head Start REDI Trial

This study uses data collected in the intervention classrooms (N = 22) of Head Start REDI (Research-based, Developmentally Informed), a randomized clinical trial testing the efficacy of a comprehensive preschool curriculum targeting children's social-emotional competence, language, and emergent literacy skills delivered by teachers who received weekly coaching support. Multiple dimensions of implementation (Dosage, Fidelity, Generalization, and Child Engagement) were assessed across curriculum components. Results indicated that REDI Trainers perceived significant growth in teacher implementation quality over time but that patterns differed by implementation dimension. Dosage and Fidelity of all intervention components were high at the beginning of the year and remained so over time while Generalization was low at baseline but increased significantly across the year. Variation in implementation was associated with variation on several child outcome measures in the social-emotional domain but not in the language and literacy domains.     

Documenting gifted program results for key decision‐makers

One basic purpose of evaluation of gifted programs is to document the results or impact of the program. This purpose is particularly important to governing bodies such as state legislatures, state school offices, and local school boards which usually provide the funding for gifted programs. In documenting program results for such entitles, leaders in gifted education should consider the differences between evaluation and advocacy; should provide information in brief, clear, and timely ways; and should provide decision‐makers with the information they want, as well as the information they need.