Reliability and Validity of Play‐based Observations: relationship between the PLAY behaviour observation system and standardised measures of cognitive and social skills

Little, if any, examination of the reliability and validity of play‐based assessment exists in the current literature. Thus, the present study specifically examined the relationship between scores obtained on a classroom‐based play observation system and standardised measures of cognitive and social competence with preschool children. High reliability between observers was established for the play‐based assessment measure. In addition, concurrent validity was assessed by comparing scores on the PLA Y assessment measure with scores the children obtained on the Battelle Developmental Inventory (BDI) and Social Skills Rating Scale (SSRS‐T). Significant positive correlations in the predicted directions were obtained: Children rated as more cognitively and socially competent were found to engage in higher levels of play behaviours (e.g. associative‐constructive and co‐operative‐dramatic), while children identified as less cognitively and socially competent engaged in lower levels of play behaviours (e.g. solitary‐functional and onlooker). The study suggests that, when operationally defined play observation methods were used, observers were able to record accurately the level of play exhibited by each child, and these play behaviours did reflect the child's current cognitive and social developmental functioning.     

What Makes a Good MOOC: A Field Study of Factors Impacting Student Motivation to Learn

Massive Online Open Course (MOOC) research indicates that lack of student motivation to learn generally plays a significant role in student attrition and dropouts. Aside from this, very little is known specifically about student motivation to learn in MOOCs. The purpose of this study is to empirically investigate the ways in which content, navigation, learning and support, accessibility, interactivity, visual design, and self-assessment and learnability impact the student motivation to learn in a MOOC. Understanding these relationships will provide MOOC educators and administrators with valuable understanding of the factors impacting student motivation to learn. Furthermore, the study analyzes the motivational factors of learners and identifies learners into different categories. The data for the study were collected from the Coursera course “iMOOC101: Mastering American e-Learning.” The study findings indicate that content, accessibility, and interactivity significantly impact student motivation to learn, whereas navigation and learning and support marginally impact student motivation to learn. However, visual design and self-assessment and learnability were not found to be significant in student motivation to learn.     

Abusive parents' reports of child behavior problems: relationship to observed parent-child interactions

PURPOSE: We evaluated the hypothesis that abusive parents' reports may exaggerate rates of child behavior problems in a clinical sample. METHOD: The association between parental ratings of behavior problems and independent observations of child behaviors was examined in a sample of 205 clinic-referred families, 58 of which had a reported history of physical abuse. RESULTS: Relative to the comparison group, parents in the abuse group reported more externalizing problems in their children after controlling for parental psychopathology, and displayed more emotionally controlling and less supportive behavior during parent-child interactions. However, there was no association between abuse history and observed child behaviors during the interaction tasks. Abuse status significantly moderated the association between parent-reported externalizing behaviors and observed demanding behavior by the child; the association was significant among comparison families, but not in the abuse group families. CONCLUSIONS: Results indicate that abusive parents may over-report externalizing behavior problems in their children.     

Behavioral contrast in pigeons and rats: A comparative analysis

The effects of reinforcement rate on behavioral contrast were examined in pigeons and rats. Each species was exposed to a series of 12 multiple variable-interval schedules, divided into four 3-schedule series. Each series consisted of a standard contrast manipulation, and baseline schedules provided a different rate of reinforcement in each of the series. The functions relating reinforcement rate to the magnitude of contrast were different across species. Rats showed a U-shaped function, with reliable contrast occurring only at high reinforcement rates. Pigeons showed an inverted U-shaped function, with contrast occurring on all schedules except the schedule providing the lowest rate of reinforcement. Pigeons discriminated between schedule components better than rats did, although differences in discrimination were probably not responsible for the differences in contrast. The results suggest that behavioral contrast in rats may be a different phenomenon from behavioral contrast in pigeons. The results cannot be explained by current theories, which view contrast as the product of a single general process.     

Metro train-induced vibrations on historic buildings in Chengdu, China

In this paper, the vibration influence on a monument caused by Chengdu Subway Line 2 is analyzed. Due to its elaborate and unique design, both structural and architectural damages should be avoided. First, the allowable root mean square (RMS) velocity at the foundation of the monument is derived and a site measurement is performed to obtain the background vibrations induced by road traffic. In addition, a train-track coupled model and 3D tunnel-soil-structure coupled finite element models are built to predict the dynamic response of the monument. Prediction models are checked by site measurement in Beijing Subway Line 5. Different kinds of fasteners and train speeds are compared and discussed as well. Results show that: (1) At a train speed of 72 km/h, all the traffic vibrations exceed the low limit no matter what kind of fastener is used, which is mainly due to the contribution of road traffic. Slowing down train speeds can cause effective vibration attenuation; (2) Vibrations drop dramatically with the train speed from 65 to 58 km/h. When the train speed is lower than 58 km/h, vibrations are lower than allowable value even if the contribution of road traffic is considered.     

Peer‐prompted Social Skills: the role of teacher consultation in student success

ABSTRACT A peer‐prompted social skills programme was introduced to two teachers in a local Head Start preschool programme, and changes in standardised social skills, observed play and problem behaviours were examined. The first teacher was given continuing classroom consultation and training directly addressing the use of the social skills programme. The second teacher was given an equivalent amount of consultation, but no consultant‐initiated efforts were made to support the use of the programme. Significant improvement in standardised measures of social skills and observed levels of associative/co‐operative play behaviour were found only in the skill‐specific consultation classroom. No changes were found for problem behaviour for either classroom. The data suggest that reinforcing the children for appropriate social interactions is not sufficient. Rather, peer support and consultation must be available for the teacher to produce significant changes in the children's behaviour.     

Analytical study on the dynamic displacement response of a curved track subjected to moving loads

A closed-form out-of-plane dynamic displacement response of a curved track subjected to moving loads was pro- posed. The track structure was modeled as a planar curved Timoshenko beam periodically supported by the double-layer spring-damping elements. The general dynamic displacement response induced by the moving loads along the curve on the elastic semi-infinite space was firstly obtained in the frequency domain, according to the Duhamel integral and the dynamic reciprocity theorem. In the case of the periodic curved track structure subjected to moving loads, the dynamic displacement equation was simplified into a form of summation within the basic track cell instead of the integral. The transfer function for the curved track was expressed in the form of a transfer matrix. Single and series moving loads were involved in the calculation program. For the verification of the analytical model, the mid-span vertical deflection of a simply support curved beam subjected to moving load was recalculated and compared with the same case in the reference. The research results indicate that： under the same moving loads, the displacement response of the curved track decreases slightly with the increasing track radius, and the displacement response of the curved track with the radius greater than or equal to 600 m is almost equivalent to the displacement response of the straight track; the frequency spectrum of the curved track is more abundant than that of the straight track, which may result in more wheel-rail resonance and rail corrugation in the curved lines.     

Behavioral contrast as a function of component duration and baseline rate of reinforcement

Three experiments examined changes in size of multiple-schedule behavioral contrast with changes in an independent variable. Experiment 1 found that positive contrast generally increased with increases in component duration when pigeons pressed treadles. Experiments 2 and 3 found that positive and negative contrast generally increased with increases in the baseline rates of reinforcement when pigeons pecked keys. The experiments show that positive and negative contrast vary as similar functions of the same variables. Experiment 1 also suggests that these functions are different for different responses.