Steps to abstract reasoning: An interdisciplinary program for cognitive development

A learning cycle approach to undergraduate instruction was implemented in a variety of subjects in the liberal arts and sciences. The students in the experimental program were typical representatives of an institution with liberal admissions policies. Significant gains were made in critical thinking and cognitive skill development by the experimental group. Additionally, retention of the experimental group was improved. Gains of this sort have the potential to rekindle hope in college faculties that some of the traditional goals of higher education that center on critical thinking and cognitive skill development need not be abandoned in institutions with liberal admissions policies.     

Quality in the early field experiences: A product of grade level and cooperating teachers training

Data collected for the study indicate that grade level and the supervisory training status of the cooperating teacher affect the quality of the early field experiences. Field experience students likely to have the most active, sequential, systematically evaluated experience were those placed in elementary settings with trained cooperating teachers. The authors discuss planning considerations for teacher educators suggested by this differentiation of quality by grade level and supervisory training.     

Challenges facing child protection

The challenges facing children in the 21st century are immense and will need to be faced if we are to achieve the goal of child protection for all. Three specific constraints on child protection are examined in this article, namely poverty, HIV/AIDS infection, and war. The authors use their experience in Africa to raise issues of resilience and adaptation, dangers to child protection programs, and possible solutions. Poverty can be both financial and psychological, and this affects the effect of prevention programs. In many African and Asian countries, the AIDS pandemic has changed the social structure of society with AIDS orphans and children infected and affected by HIV/AIDS becoming more common. The impact has devastating effects on the way we view child protection and in particular child sexual abuse. The consequences of post-traumatic stress resulting from war needs to be addressed, and the development of programs that place children in the center of relief programs to foster a culture of child protection is essential. Finally, the article notes that the picture is not overly pessimistic and the examines the achievements in the field of children's rights which underpin all programs aimed at protecting children and the future need to consolidate successes achieved.     

Photography

Pamela Jeffcott Parry's Photography Index: A Guide to Reproductions (Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press, 1979–$25.00)

Hilary Evans' The Art of Picture Research: A Guide to Current Practice, Procedure, Techniques and Resources (Newton Abbot, Y.K.; and North Pomfret, Vt.: David & Charles, 1979—$28.00)

Melissa Milar, ed. 1980 Photographer's Market: Where to Sell Your Photographs (Cincinnati, Ohio: Writer's Digest Rooks, 1979—$12.95)

Photographis '79 (New York: Hastings House, 1979–$49.50)

John Sander's Photography Year Book 1979 (New York: Fountain Press/Hastings House, 1979—$24.95)

Harold E. Edgerton and James R. Killian, Jr.'s Moments of Vision: The Stroboscopic Revolution in Photography (Cambridge, Ma.: MIT Press, 1979—$20.00)

Deborah Turbeville's Wallflower (New York: Congreve Publishing Co, 1978—$27.50)

Robert L. Kerns' Photojournalism: Photography with a Purpose (Englewood Cliffs, N.J.: Prentice-Hall, 1980—$14.95)

Focalguide to Slides by Graham Saxby (New York: Focal/Hastings House, 1979- 46.95, Paper)

Focalguide to Close-Ups by Sidney F. Ray (1978--$6.95, paper)     

Education Affects Attitudes of Physical Therapy Providers Toward People with Dementia

A survey was sent to every skilled nursing home (N = 495) in Indiana regarding the demographics, education, and whether the severity of dementia impacts the attitudes of people in physical therapy practice. Physical therapists (PTs) and physical therapist assistants (PTAs) practicing in nursing homes spend considerable time (44.0%) working with patients who have a diagnosis of dementia. As patients with dementia disorders declined cognitively, attitudes of PTs/PTAs become increasingly negative, and respondents feel that education, training, and resources are insufficient to maximize outcomes in the later stages of the disease.     

Development of an Augmented Reality Game to Teach Abstract Concepts in Food Chemistry

One of the most pressing issues for many land grant institutions is the ever increasing cost to build and operate wet chemistry laboratories. A partial solution is to develop computer‐based teaching modules that take advantage of animation, web‐based or off‐campus learning experiences directed at engaging students’ creative experiences. We used the learning objectives of one of the most difficult topics in food chemistry, enzyme kinetics, to test this concept. Students are apprehensive of this subject and often criticize the staid instructional methods typically used in teaching this material. As a result, students do not acquire a useful background in this important subject. To rectify these issues, we developed an interactive augmented reality application to teach the basic concepts of enzyme kinetics in the context of an interactive search that took students to several locations on campus where they were able to gather raw materials and view videos that taught the basics of enzyme kinetics as applied to the production of high fructose corn syrup (HFCS). The students needed this background to prepare for a mock interview with an HFCS manufacturer. Students and instructors alike found the game to be preferable to sitting in a classroom listening to, or giving, a PowerPoint presentation. We feel that this use of gaming technology to teach difficult, abstract concepts may be a breakthrough in food science education and help alleviate the drain on administrative budgets from multiple wet labs.     

What Are They Thinking? Findings for Educators and Practitioners on Youths’ Experience and Knowledge of the HPV Vaccine

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends the HPV vaccination for boys and girls starting at age 11, yet adoption rates are low. We use eight focus groups to explore the decision making process, experiences, and social influences, including media and sex education classes, shaping attitudes of male and female college students. We find many students who have misinformation or no knowledge of the vaccination yet are eager to learn more. Due to youths’ range of knowledge about the vaccination and varied preparedness for making their own medical decisions, practitioners are in a challenging position to inform and encourage responsible decision making without appearing coercive.