Opportunities for guiding development: insights from first-year life science majors' use of metacognition

Students with strong metacognitive skills are positioned to learn and achieve more than peers who are still developing their metacognition. Yet, many students come to college without well-developed metacognitive skills. As part of a longitudinal study on metacognitive development, we asked when, why, and how first-year life science majors use metacognitive skills of planning, monitoring, and evaluating. Guided by the metacognition framework, we collected data from 52 undergraduates at three institutions using semi-structured interviews. We found that first-year students seek study recommendations from instructors, peers, and online resources when they plan their study strategies. First-year students struggle to accurately monitor their understanding and benefit when instructors help them confront what they do not yet know. First-year students evaluate the effectiveness of their study plans at two specific points: immediately after taking an exam and/or after receiving their grade on an exam. While first-year students may be particularly open to suggestions on how to learn, they may need help debunking myths about learning. First-year students acknowledge they are still learning to monitor and welcome formative assessments that help them improve the accuracy of their monitoring. First-year students may be primed to receive guidance on their metacognition at the points when they are most likely to evaluate the effectiveness of their study strategies and plans. Based on our results, we offer suggestions for instructors who want to support first-year students to further develop their metacognition.

Mixed Reality in Clinical Settings for Pediatric Patients and Their Families: A Literature Review

In the post-pandemic context, there has been an increasing demand for technology-based interventions in education and healthcare systems, such as augmented and mixed reality technologies. Despite the promising outcomes of applying mixed reality (MR), there is limited aggregated evidence focusing on child-patient interventions in hospital-based or clinical settings. This literature review aimed to identify and synthesize existing knowledge on MR technologies applied to pediatric patients in healthcare settings. Following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, a comprehensive search of the Scopus and Web of Science databases was conducted to identify articles published in the last 10 years that address the application of augmented and/or MR technologies in pediatric hospital settings or clinical environments to improve patient and family outcomes. A total of 45 articles were identified, and following a rigorous screening and eligibility process, 4 review articles were selected for qualitative synthesis. From these reviews, 10 studies with relevant interventions and measured effects were extracted. The extracted studies were analyzed based on eight key attributes: country of origin, study design, characteristics of the study population, primary clinical setting, type of MR device used, nature of the intervention, variables measured, and significant effects observed in the outcome variables. The analysis revealed diverse approaches across different clinical settings, with a common focus on improving both emotional well-being and learning outcomes in pediatric patients and their families. These findings suggest that MR-based pediatric interventions generally provide children and their parents with positive emotional experiences, enhancing both learning and treatment outcomes. However, the studies reviewed were heterogeneous and varied significantly in terms of clinical settings and MR applications. Future research should focus on developing more controlled study designs that specifically target the pediatric population to strengthen the evidence base for MR interventions in healthcare.

Effects of gamification on academic motivation and confidence of undergraduate nursing students: A systematic review and meta-analysis

OBJECTIVES

This review aimed to evaluate the effects of gamification on academic motivation and confidence among undergraduate nursing students and identify the game design elements contributing to these effects.

DESIGN

Systematic review and meta-analysis.

DATA SOURCES

Comprehensive systematic searches were conducted to retrieve randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and quasi-experimental studies (QES) with control groups published in English and Korean from inception to January 31, 2024, using PubMed, Embase, CINAHL Plus, ERIC, ProQuest Central, Cochrane Library, and RISS.

REVIEW METHODS

Eligible studies, including grey literature, were selected. The quality of the selected studies was evaluated using the Joanna Briggs Institute Critical Tool. Meta-analyses based on a random-effects model were conducted to estimate the standardized pooled effects (SMD). Subgroup analyses were conducted to identify the effect size moderators and game design elements that contributed to the effect size. The grading of recommendations, assessment, development, and evaluation approach (GRADE) was used to evaluate the certainty of evidence.

RESULTS

A total of 22 studies were selected for the systematic review, and 18 studies were included in the meta-analysis. The SMD for academic motivation (SMD of RCTs = 0.86, 95 % CI [0.27, 1.45]; SMD of QES = 1.22, 95 % CI [0.17, 2.26]) and confidence (SMD of RCTs = 1.11, 95 % CI [0.54, 1.68]; SMD of QES = 0.79, 95 % CI [0.40, 1.19]) revealed moderate-to-large effects. The subgroup analysis revealed significant differences in effect sizes across academic years, measurement scales, study areas, study quality, game duration, and game design elements. GRADE assessments for academic motivation and confidence were rated as moderate and low, respectively.

CONCLUSION

This review provides convincing evidence for the positive effects of gamification interventions on academic motivation and confidence among undergraduate nursing students. However, the limited number of RCTs and moderate-to-low certainty of the evidence underscore the need for additional research.

The Influence of Parents' Educational Expectations on Children's Development: The Chain Mediation Role of Educational Anxiety and Parental Involvement

In the social context of the "Educational Involution", the educational expectations of parents have a potential influence on the development of children. High parental educational expectations create parental anxiety, which in turn results in a rise in parental involvement and eventually promotes the growth and progress of children. The current study administered an electronic questionnaire to 891 parents of young children in four provinces of China. The questionnaire included the Parental Educational Expectations Scale, the Educational Anxiety Scale, the Parental Involvement Scale, and the Child Development Scale. This study used SPSS 27.0 for statistical data analysis and the SPSS macro program PROCESS to explore the mediation role. We found that (1) educational anxiety plays a mediating role between parental educational expectations and child development; (2) parental involvement has a mediating effect between parental educational expectations and child development; and (3) educational anxiety and parental involvement play a chain mediating role between parental educational expectations and child development. In conclusion, parental educational expectations appear to contribute to child development, and this effect may be mediated individually and sequentially by educational anxiety and parental involvement.

Can written prompts help medical residents to accurately monitor their own communication skills and those of others?

In healthcare, effective communication in complex situations such as end of life conversations is critical for delivering high quality care. Whether residents learn from communication training with actors depends on whether they are able to select appropriate information or 'predictive cues' from that learning situation that accurately reflect their or their peers' performance and whether they use those cues for ensuing judgement. This study aimed to explore whether prompts can help medical residents improving use of predictive cues and judgement of communication skills. First and third year Kenyan residents (N = 41) from 8 different specialties were randomly assigned to one of two experimental groups during a mock OSCE assessing advanced communication skills. Residents in the intervention arm received paper predictive cue prompts while residents in the control arm received paper regular prompts for self-judgement. In a pre- and post- test, residents' use of predictive cues and the appropriateness of peer-judgements were evaluated against a pre-rated video of another resident. The intervention improved both the use of predictive cues in self-judgement and peer-judgement. Ensuing accuracy of peer-judgements in the pre- to post-test only partly improved: no effect from the intervention was found on overall appropriateness of judgements. However, when analyzing participants' completeness of judgements over the various themes within the consultation, a reduction in inappropriate judgments scores was seen in the intervention group. In conclusion, predictive cue prompts can help learners to concentrate on relevant cues when evaluating communication skills and partly improve monitoring accuracy. Future research should focus on offering prompts more frequently to evaluate whether this increases the effect on monitoring accuracy in communication skills.

Gene-environment correlation: the role of family environment in academic development

Academic achievement is partly heritable and highly polygenic. However, genetic effects on academic achievement are not independent of environmental processes. We investigated whether aspects of the family environment mediated genetic effects on academic achievement across development. Our sample included 5151 children who participated in the Twins Early Development Study, as well as their parents and teachers. Data on academic achievement and family environments (parenting, home environments, and geocoded indices of neighbourhood characteristics) were available at ages 7, 9, 12 and 16. We computed educational attainment polygenic scores (PGS) and further separated genetic effects into cognitive and noncognitive PGS. Three core findings emerged. First, aspects of the family environment, but not the wider neighbourhood context, consistently mediated the PGS effects on achievement across development-accounting for up to 34.3% of the total effect. Family characteristics mattered beyond socio-economic status. Second, family environments were more robustly linked to noncognitive PGS effects on academic achievement than cognitive PGS effects. Third, when we investigated whether environmental mediation effects could also be observed when considering differences between siblings, adjusting for family fixed effects, we found that environmental mediation was nearly exclusively observed between families. This is consistent with the proposition that family environmental contexts contribute to academic development via passive gene-environment correlation processes or genetic nurture. Our results show how parents tend to shape environments that foster their children's academic development partly based on their own genetic disposition, particularly towards noncognitive skills, rather than responding to each child's genetic disposition.

What we mean when we say semantic: Toward a multidisciplinary semantic glossary

Tulving characterized semantic memory as a vast repository of meaning that underlies language and many other cognitive processes. This perspective on lexical and conceptual knowledge galvanized a new era of research undertaken by numerous fields, each with their own idiosyncratic methods and terminology. For example, "concept" has different meanings in philosophy, linguistics, and psychology. As such, many fundamental constructs used to delineate semantic theories remain underspecified and/or opaque. Weak construct specificity is among the leading causes of the replication crisis now facing psychology and related fields. Term ambiguity hinders cross-disciplinary communication, falsifiability, and incremental theory-building. Numerous cognitive subdisciplines (e.g., vision, affective neuroscience) have recently addressed these limitations via the development of consensus-based guidelines and definitions. The project to follow represents our effort to produce a multidisciplinary semantic glossary consisting of succinct definitions, background, principled dissenting views, ratings of agreement, and subjective confidence for 17 target constructs (e.g., abstractness, abstraction, concreteness, concept, embodied cognition, event semantics, lexical-semantic, modality, representation, semantic control, semantic feature, simulation, semantic distance, semantic dimension). We discuss potential benefits and pitfalls (e.g., implicit bias, prescriptiveness) of these efforts to specify a common nomenclature that other researchers might index in specifying their own theoretical perspectives (e.g., They said X, but I mean Y).

The Effect of Metacognitive Intervention on the Listening Performance and Metacognitive Awareness of High- and Low-Working Memory Capacity EFL Learners

EFL listening comprehension has been a stark challenge for language learners, but little is known about the combined effect of individual differences, such as working memory capacity, and metacognitive intervention. Thus, the present experimental study investigates the effect of metacognitive intervention on the listening performance and metacognitive awareness of high- and low-WMC EFL learners. For this purpose, Oxford Placement Tests were distributed among 120 male Iranian EFL learners, of which 94 were identified as intermediate. Then, backward visual digit span tests were administered to measure their working memory capacity. Based on the median of all scores, 80 learners were selected and randomly assigned to two experimental groups and two control groups each with 20 participants. Next, their performance on the International English Language Testing System and the Metacognitive Awareness Listening Questionnaire was measured before and after the 8-session metacognitive intervention. Results showed that high-WMC experimental learners had a higher gain with a large effect size in terms of listening performance compared with all the other groups. In addition, the experimental group learners reported the significantly higher use of the metacognitive strategies with a moderate effect size. Interestingly, low-WMC learners' listening performance and metacognitive awareness also improved as a result of the intervention. Our findings bear pedagogical significance in that individual differences in WMC should be considered more in both EFL language classes and the future line of research involving the metacognitive intervention.

The Relationship between Bicultural Acceptance Attitude and Self-Esteem among Multicultural Adolescents: The Mediating Effects of Parental Support

As the rate of international marriage increases, the adaptation of multicultural families and their children-multicultural adolescents-remains an issue requiring continuous monitoring, support, and improvement. This study investigates the mediating effects of parental support on the relationship between bicultural acceptance attitude and self-esteem among multicultural adolescents. Data are derived from 1197 high school sophomores, all of whom were multicultural adolescents, surveyed by the National Youth Policy Institute in 2018. Descriptive statistics, correlation, and hierarchical regression were used during data analysis. Bicultural acceptance attitude, parental support, and self-esteem all showed mutual positive correlations. Parental support had a partial mediating effect on the relationship between bicultural acceptance attitude and self-esteem. Multicultural adolescents exposed to both parent's cultures are more likely to develop positive self-esteem and a healthy personality if they receive the support of their parents. The self-esteem of multicultural adolescents can be improved by implementing measures to nurture a bicultural acceptance attitude and parental support.

Community Asset Density and Past-Year Mental Health Symptoms Among Youths

Importance

Many youths experience mental health challenges. Identifying which neighborhood and community factors may influence mental health may guide health policy and practice.

Objective

To explore associations between community assets (eg, schools, parks, libraries, and barbershops) and past-year mental health symptoms among youths.

Design, Setting, and Participants

This cross-sectional study leveraged 3 datasets, which were linked by 26 zip codes: the Western Pennsylvania Regional Data Center, the Child Opportunity Index 2.0 database, and the Allegheny County Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS). The YRBS was administered during the study period in 2018 to youths across 13 high schools in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania; the study dates were from October 15 to October 19, 2018. Dates of analysis were from August 1, 2023, to July 15, 2024.

Exposures

Asset density in each zip code across 8 asset categories (transportation, education, parks and recreation, faith-based entities, health services, food resources, personal care services, and social infrastructure) was calculated.

Main Outcomes and Measures

The main outcomes were mental health measures included in the past 12 months, which comprised feelings of hopelessness (feeing so sad or hopeless that you stopped doing activities), nonsuicidal self-injury (hurt yourself on purpose without wanting to die), and suicidal ideation (seriously considered attempting suicide). All were operationalized to any or none. Data were analyzed using multivariable generalized linear mixed models and were adjusted for age, sex assigned at birth, race and ethnicity, and identification as sexually or gender diverse.

Results

Among 6306 students who were eligible for the YRBS based on their enrollment in participating high schools, 4487 students completed surveys, and 2162 were included in the analytic sample (mean [SD] age, 15.8 [1.2] years; 1245 [57.6%] were assigned female sex at birth). Over one-third of the participants (811 [37.5%]) reported past-year feelings of hopelessness; 587 (27.2%), past-year nonsuicidal self-injury; and 450 (20.8%), past-year suicidal ideation. High total asset population density (adjusted odds ratio [AOR], 0.85 [95% CI, 0.75-0.97]; P = .01), as well as population density of transportation assets (AOR, 0.77 [95% CI, 0.66-0.90]; P < .001), educational resources (AOR, 0.78 [95% CI, 0.67-0.92]; P = .002), and health services (AOR, 0.74 [95% CI, 0.60-0.91]; P = .006), were associated with lower odds of past-year hopelessness after adjusting for covariates. There were no correlations between asset density, Child Opportunity Index, and other mental health measures.

Conclusions and Relevance

The findings of this cross-sectional study suggest that access to certain community assets was associated with lower odds of feelings of hopelessness among youths. Ongoing work is needed to characterize other forms of social and cultural capital, which may mitigate negative mental health outcomes among adolescent youths.

Predicting cognitive load with EEG using Riemannian geometry-based features

Objective. We show that electroencephalography (EEG)-based cognitive load (CL) prediction using Riemannian geometry features outperforms existing models. The performance is estimated using Riemannian Procrustes Analysis (RPA) with a test set of subjects unseen during training.Approach. Performance is evaluated by using the Minimum Distance to Riemannian Mean model trained on CL classification. The baseline performance is established using spatial covariance matrices of the signal as features. Various novel features are explored and analyzed in depth, including spatial covariance and correlation matrices computed on the EEG signal and its first-order derivative. Furthermore, each RPA step effect on the performance is investigated, and the generalization performance of RPA is compared against a few different generalization methods.Main results. Performances are greatly improved by using the spatial covariance matrix of the first-order derivative of the signal as features. Furthermore, this work highlights both the importance and efficiency of RPA for CL prediction: it achieves good generalizability with little amounts of calibration data and largely outperforms all the comparison methods.Significance. CL prediction using RPA for generalizability across subjects is an approach worth exploring further, especially for real-world applications where calibration time is limited. Furthermore, the feature exploration uncovers new, promising features that can be used and further experimented within any Riemannian geometry setting.

Understanding time perspective's influence on academic burnout and achievement in Chinese undergraduates

University students are highly vulnerable to experiencing academic burnout due to various pressures, necessitating an exploration of its causes and effects. Time perspective theory emphasizes how individuals' perspectives of past, present, and future events shape their behavior. Yet, the relationship between time perspective, burnout, and academic achievement remains unclear. This study investigates this association in Chinese undergraduates using survey and official grade point average (GPA) data. Results indicate positive correlations between Past-Negative, Present-Hedonistic (PH), Present-Fatalistic time perspectives, and academic burnout. Additionally, only Present-Hedonistic (PH) and future time perspectives significantly predict GPA. A mediation model reveals misbehavior as a mediator between Present-Hedonistic (PH) time perspective and GPA. These findings highlight time perspective's importance in academic well-being and outcomes, shedding light on the distinct roles of future and Present-Hedonistic time perspectives.

Error Management Training and Adaptive Expertise in Learning Computed Tomography Interpretation: A Randomized Clinical Trial

Importance

Adaptive expertise helps physicians apply their skills to novel clinical cases and reduce preventable errors. Error management training (EMT) has been shown to improve adaptive expertise with procedural skills; however, its application to cognitive skills in medical education is unclear.

Objective

To evaluate whether EMT improves adaptive expertise when learning the cognitive skill of head computed tomography (CT) interpretation.

Design, Setting, and Participants

This 3-arm randomized clinical trial was conducted from July 8, 2022, to March 30, 2023, in 7 geographically diverse emergency medicine residency programs. Participants were postgraduate year 1 through 4 emergency medicine residents masked to the hypothesis.

Interventions

Participants were randomized 1:1:1 to a difficult EMT, easy EMT, or error avoidance training (EAT) control learning strategy for completing an online head CT curriculum. Both EMT cohorts received no didactic instruction before scrolling through head CT cases, whereas the EAT group did. The difficult EMT cohort answered difficult questions about the teaching cases, leading to errors, whereas the easy EMT cohort answered easy questions, leading to fewer errors. All 3 cohorts used the same cases.

Main Outcomes and Measures

The primary outcome was a difference in adaptive expertise among the 3 cohorts, as measured using a head CT posttest. Secondary outcomes were (1) differences in routine expertise, (2) whether the quantity of errors during training mediated differences in adaptive expertise, and (3) the interaction between prior residency training and the learning strategies.

Results

Among 212 randomized participants (mean [SD] age, 28.8 [2.0] years; 107 men [50.5%]), 70 were allocated to the difficult EMT, 71 to the easy EMT, and 71 to the EAT control cohorts; 150 participants (70.8%) completed the posttest. The difficult EMT cohort outperformed both the easy EMT and EAT cohorts on adaptive expertise cases (60.6% [95% CI, 56.1%-65.1%] vs 45.2% [95% CI, 39.9%-50.6%], vs 40.9% [95% CI, 36.0%-45.7%], respectively; P < .001), with a large effect size (η2 = 0.19). There was no significant difference in routine expertise. The difficult EMT cohort made more errors during training than the easy EMT cohort. Mediation analysis showed that the number of errors during training explained 87.2% of the difficult EMT learning strategy's effect on improving adaptive expertise (P = .01). The difficult EMT learning strategy was more effective in improving adaptive expertise for residents earlier in training, with a large effect size (η2 = 0.25; P = .002).

Conclusions and Relevance

In this randomized clinical trial, the findings show that EMT is an effective method to develop physicians' adaptive expertise with cognitive skills.

Trial Registration

ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT05284838.

Exploring the Interplay between Stress Perception and Approach-Avoidance Achievement Goal Orientation among Rural Students in College: A Longitudinal Study in China

The objective of this study was to examine the relationship between stress perception and achievement goals among rural college students in China. Using a two-wave random intercept cross-lagged model, this study analyzed data from a longitudinal survey conducted at 15 public universities in Beijing. First, there was a significant decline in stress levels among Chinese rural students from their junior to senior years. Second, the achievement goal orientations of these students remained relatively stable during the period. Third, while no significant association was found between approach goals and stress perception, a clear positive reciprocal relationship emerged between avoidance goals and stress perception. These results suggest that educators should focus on alleviating the stress experienced by rural college students through academic, employment, and interpersonal support to break the vicious cycle of stress perception and avoidance goal orientation. Future research should further explore the influence of diverse group characteristics and emotional states on these outcomes.

Strategies to enhance risk communication about medicines in Malaysia: a Delphi study among multinational experts

BACKGROUND

Effective risk communication about medicines is crucial to the success of all pharmacovigilance activities but remains a worldwide challenge. Risk communication has been conducted in Malaysia for decades, yet awareness on the communication methods remains low among healthcare professionals. While international guidelines are available, clear guidance on effectively communicating the risks of medicines in specific countries is scarce. This study aimed to establish a consensus on the priority strategies for enhancing risk communication about medicines by regulators.

METHODS

We conducted a two-round modified Delphi survey among local and international communication experts, and also recipients of medicines risk communication in Malaysia. We developed a list of 37 strategies based on the findings of our previous studies. In Round 1, participants were asked to rate the priority for each strategy using a 5-point Likert scale and suggest additional strategies via free-text comments. Strategies scoring a mean of ≥ 3.75 were included in Round 2. We defined consensus for the final list of strategies a priori as > 75% agreement. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and thematic analysis.

RESULTS

Our final Delphi panel (n = 39, 93% response rate) comprised medicines communication experts from nine countries and Malaysian healthcare professionals. Following Round 1, we dropped 14 strategies and added 11 strategies proposed by panellists. In the second round, 21 strategies achieved consensus. The priority areas identified were to improve the format and content of risk communication, increase the use of technology, and increase collaboration with various stakeholders. Priority ratings for the strategy "to offer incentives to pharmaceutical companies which maintain effective communication systems" were significantly higher among recipients compared to communicators [χ2(1, N = 39) = 10.1; p = 0.039] and among local versus international panellists [χ2(1, N = 39) = 14.3; p = 0.007].

CONCLUSIONS

Our study identified 21 priority strategies, which were used to develop a strategic plan for enhancing medicines risk communication. This plan is potentially adaptable to all countries with developing pharmacovigilance systems. The difference in views between communicators and recipients, as well as local and international panellists, highlights the importance of involving multiple stakeholders in research.

Relationship Between Neurodevelopmental Areas and Difficulties in Emotional-Behavioural Variables in Children With Typical Development Under 2 Years of Age: Sex Differences

The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between neurodevelopmental areas and possible difficulties in emotional-behavioural variables, and to determine if sex moderated this relationship. A community sample of 231 boys and girls with typical development and with a mean age of 19.84 months was evaluated, using the Bayley-III and CBCL 1.5-5 scales. The main results confirmed: (1) better linguistic abilities in girls in both language areas (receptive communication and expressive communication), finding more evidence according to the Bayesian analysis in expressive communication; (2) in the emotional-behavioural area girls had higher scores in withdrawal; (3) significant negative correlations of low magnitude were found between the Bayley and CBCL scales, particularly in the areas of language and cognitive and internalising and externalising problems; (4) children with low cognitive abilities and those with poor receptive communication showed more inter and externalising difficulties; (5) no significant predictive value or moderating effect of sex was found, (6) the number of participants who simultaneously manifested significant deficits in both domains (neurodevelopmental and emotional-behavioural) was very reduced. Future research should corroborate these results and the characteristics of the relationship found at these early ages. Detecting the population at risk in the first two years of life would enable the implementation of interventions aimed at improving neurodevelopmental deficits and emotional-behavioural problems. Thus, identification of deficits in one domain should lead to evaluation of the other.

Effect of Choose-Your-Own-Adventure (CYOA) Activities on Pharmacy Student Knowledge

OBJECTIVE

Many strategies are used in pharmacy education to maintain student engagement through active learning. Gamification, such as the choose-your-own-adventure activity (CYOAA), is one such method. The purpose of this study was to assess improvement in clinical knowledge and retention after the implementation of CYOAA.

METHODS

Two CYOAAs were designed and implemented within second-year pharmacy courses. One activity was on venous thromboembolism (VTE) and the other on chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Students completed a six question prequiz and postquiz for both activities mapped to core learning objectives and four similar but more difficult questions on corresponding exams. After the CYOAAs, the students completed a reflection and perceptions survey.

RESULTS

Seventy-five students completed the VTE CYOAA and 77 completed COPD CYOAA. Over the three time points, there was a significant decrease in the mean assessment scores on the VTE activity (68% to 65% to 40%) versus a significant and sustained increase in mean assessment scores on COPD (62% to 83% to 85%). Of the 36 and 33 students who completed the postsurvey, the majority agreed or strongly agreed that they preferred CYOAA to traditional cases and that the activities improved their knowledge, critical thinking skills, and confidence in clinical decision-making.

CONCLUSION

There was a mixed result in the mean assessment scores, with an increase seen with the COPD CYOAA and a decrease with VTE, as well as positive perceptions for VTE and COPD, indicating that this classroom innovation is well-liked and may improve knowledge outcomes.

Generative learning activities for online multimedia learning: when summarizing is effective but drawing is not

Introduction

The goal of this study is to determine whether two commonly used generative learning activities for text-based lessons-writing a summary or creating a drawing-help students learn from a multimedia lesson involving animations with short text captions without prior training in the generative activities.

Methods

Students viewed a series of four annotated animations on greenhouse gases. During pauses between the animations, students were asked to generate a written summary, to create a drawing, or to do both, whereas a control group viewed the lesson without any generative learning activities. Students were tested immediately (Experiment 1) or after a one-week delay (Experiment 2).

Results

In both experiments, students who produced written summaries scored significantly higher on the posttest than those who engaged in no generative learning activities (d = 0.48 in Experiment 1, d = 0.54 in Experiment 2), but there was no significant difference on the posttest for students who generated drawings compared to those who engaged in no generative learning activities. In addition, those who engaged in drawing and summarizing did not have significantly different posttest performance than those engaged in summarizing alone.

Discussion

We conclude that writing summaries during a highly visual animated lesson is effective for learning, possibly because it encourages students to engage in generative processing during learning more than drawing and we discuss potential reasons for this in the discussion. This work helps extend generative learning theory by pinpointing potential boundary conditions for learning by drawing and learning by summarizing.

Auxiliary diagnostic method of Parkinson's disease based on eye movement analysis in a virtual reality environment

Eye movement dysfunction is one of the non-motor symptoms of Parkinson's disease (PD). An accurate analysis method for eye movement is an effective way to gain a deeper understanding of the nervous system function of PD patients. However, currently, there are only a few assistive methods available to help physicians conveniently and consistently assess patients suspected of having PD. To solve this problem, we proposed a novel visual behavioral analysis method using eye tracking to evaluate eye movement dysfunction in PD patients automatically. This method first provided a physician task simulation to induce PD-related eye movements in Virtual Reality (VR). Subsequently, we extracted eye movement features from recorded eye videos and applied a machine learning algorithm to establish a PD diagnostic model. Then, we collected eye movement data from 66 participants (including 22 healthy controls and 44 PD patients) in a VR environment for training and testing during visual tasks. Finally, on this relatively small dataset, the results reveal that the Support Vector Machine (SVM) algorithm has better classification potential.

Prompting Strategy Use and Beyond: Examining the Relationships between Elaboration, Quantity, and Diversity of Learning Strategies on Performance

Elaboration is a generative learning strategy wherein learners link prior knowledge and experiences with to-be-remembered information. It is positively related to an array of learning outcomes. However, most students do not independently use generative learning strategies. We explored whether prompting elaboration learning strategies when reading an academic passage influenced knowledge test performance. Participants were randomly assigned to two conditions: receiving a prompt (i.e., experimental; n = 94) and no prompt (i.e., control; n = 112). The results revealed that participants who received the elaboration prompt (M = 13.88, SD = 2.20) did not outperform learners who did not receive the prompt (M = 13.67, SD = 2.43) on the knowledge test. However, we did find a positive relationship between the extent of elaboration strategy use and knowledge test performance across conditions (r = 0.17, p < 0.05). Twelve themes emerged from an exploratory thematic analysis, wherein participants were asked about the learning strategies they used when reading the passage. Students used a variety of learning strategies unprompted, although 42.15% reported not using any additional learning strategies outside of the prompt or using low-utility learning strategies (e.g., relying on memory, skimming). Further exploratory analyses found that the quantity and diversity of learning strategies used individually influenced knowledge test performance. ANCOVA results revealed, however, that when controlling for quantity, the diversity of learning strategies used did not significantly influence knowledge test performance. Our findings contribute to prior literature by (1) demonstrating a relationship between elaboration strategy use and test performance, (2) highlighting learning strategies students use to retain information, and (3) exploring additional factors regarding learning strategy use that influence performance.

Toward mastering foreign-language translations: transfer between productive and receptive learning

Learners can study foreign language-English vocabulary (e.g., denken - to think) both receptively and productively. Receptive learning involves being cued with a foreign language word (e.g., denken) and trying to translate it (i.e., to think). Productive learning involves being cued with an English word (e.g., to think) and trying to produce the translation. When students use retrieval practice to learn foreign-language translations in one direction (e.g., receptively) until they correctly recall the translation, do they demonstrate transfer in the other direction (i.e., productively)? Across three experiments, we answered this question by manipulating the order of learning schedule (reception first followed by production or vice versa). For a given schedule, participants continued to practice retrieving translations (with feedback) using the dropout method until they correctly recalled each translation three times; they then proceeded to practice the pairs in the opposite direction until they correctly recalled each translation three times. Across all experiments, transfer was partial (learning in one direction did not entirely eliminate the need to practice in the other), but transfer did occur regardless of which schedule students used first during practice.

The effects of procedural and conceptual knowledge on visual learning

Even though past research suggests that visual learning may benefit from conceptual knowledge, current interventions for medical image evaluation often focus on procedural knowledge, mainly by teaching classification algorithms. We compared the efficacy of pure procedural knowledge (three-point checklist for evaluating skin lesions) versus combined procedural plus conceptual knowledge (histological explanations for each of the three points). All students then trained their classification skills with a visual learning resource that included images of two types of pigmented skin lesions: benign nevi and malignant melanomas. Both treatments produced significant and long-lasting effects on diagnostic accuracy in transfer tasks. However, only students in the combined procedural plus conceptual knowledge condition significantly improved their diagnostic performance in classifying lesions they had seen before in the pre- and post-tests. Findings suggest that the provision of additional conceptual knowledge supported error correction mechanisms.

The case for metacognitive reflection: a theory integrative review with implications for medical education

The concepts of metacognitive reflection, reflection, and metacognition are distinct but have undergone shifts in meaning as they migrated into medical education. Conceptual clarity is essential to the construction of the knowledge base of medical education and its educational interventions. We conducted a theoretical integrative review across diverse bodies of literature with the goal of understanding what metacognitive reflection is. We searched PubMed, Embase, CINAHL, PsychInfo, and Web of Science databases, including all peer-reviewed research articles and theoretical papers as well as book chapters that addressed the topic, with no limitations for date, language, or location. A total of 733 articles were identified and 87 were chosen after careful review and application of exclusion criteria. The work of conceptually and empirically delineating metacognitive reflection has begun. Contributions have been made to root metacognitive reflection in the concept of metacognition and moving beyond it to engage in cycles of reflection. Other work has underscored its affective component, transformational nature, and contextual factors. Despite this merging of threads to develop a richer conceptualization, a theory of how metacognitive reflection works is elusive. Debates address whether metacognition drives reflection or vice versa. It has also been suggested that learners evolve along on a continuum from thinking, to task-related reflection, to self-reflection, and finally to metacognitive reflection. Based on prior theory and research, as well as the findings of this review, we propose the following conceptualization: Metacognitive reflection involves heightened internal observation, awareness, monitoring, and regulation of our own knowledge, experiences, and emotions by questioning and examining cognition and emotional processes to continually refine and enhance our perspectives and decisions while thoughtfully accounting for context. We argue that metacognitive reflection brings a shift in perspective and can support valuable reconceptualization for lifelong learning.

Where did pre-service teachers, teachers, and the general public learn neuromyths? Insights to support teacher training

BACKGROUND

Neuromyths may negatively influence teacher practice. Knowing where people learned misinformation can prevent its propagation and improve teacher training.

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the prevalence of neuromyths, their sources, and whether they influence teacher practice.

METHOD

157 participants (teachers, pre-service teachers, and the general public), assessed four neuromyths statements on a 4-point Likert scale. They indicate their sources, and if they were educators, whether they influenced their teacher practice.

RESULTS

Participants showed over 50 % agreement in neuromyths, and approximately 30 % of teachers reported using teaching strategies based on these misconceptions. Information sources included social media, instructional materials, books, as well as interactions with peers.

CONCLUSION

These results underscore the need to avoid the spread of neuromyths, especially the learning styles myth, targeting training courses and educational materials. Most teachers remember where they learned about neuromyths, which may help to identify the sources.

Do negative stereotypes and domain identification moderate novice participants' performance on a soccer-dribbling task ?

The present research aimed to explore whether negative stereotypes and domain identification moderate novice participants' performance on a soccer-dribbling task, using a novel statistical procedure to explore within-subjects moderation effects. Fifty-four women with no soccer experience (Mage = 19.92, SDage = 1.0) were recruited and assigned to a negative stereotype condition or a nullified-stereotype condition and performed a soccer-dribbling task as fast as possible. Using moderation analyses for repeated measures, results showed (i) that inducing a negative stereotype did not moderate participants' performance, and (ii) that domain identification did not moderate participants' performance in a stereotype threat situation. In conclusion, the novice participants performance did not depend on the value of domain identification and the stereotype condition. More research is nonetheless needed to disentangle the question of how and why novice participants can be impacted by a stereotype threat situation.

Family screening for neurodevelopmental problems and its associations with child cognitive function enable tailored treatment for childhood obesity

AIM

To identify neurodevelopmental disorders in children with obesity, and investigate associations to cognitive functions as well as parents' self-reported neurodevelopmental problems.

METHODS

Eighty children were included at two outpatient obesity clinics in Sweden 2018-2019. Of these, 50 children without previously diagnosed neurodevelopmental disorders were screened, and so were their parents. Children who screened positive for neurodevelopmental problems were referred to a specialised psychiatry unit for further diagnosis. Test results of cognitive functioning were compared with the norm and between study groups by neurodevelopmental diagnoses.

RESULTS

Of the screened families, 17/50 children were diagnosed by the psychiatric unit with attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and 15/82 parents screened positive for neurodevelopmental problems. Having a mother who screened positive for neurodevelopmental problems was associated with child ADHD (p < 0.05). The children's full-scale intelligence quotient (92.86 ± 12.01, p < 0.001) and working memory index (90.62 ± 12.17, p < 0.001) were lower than the norm. Working memory index was lower in children with ADHD compared to without ADHD: 84.76 ± 9.58 versus 94.09 ± 12.29 (p ≤ 0.01). Executive constraints were associated with verbal deviances.

CONCLUSION

Increased awareness is needed about the overlap between neurodevelopmental problems and obesity in obesity clinics.

Characterizing Features of Creative Writing in Older Adults

OBJECTIVES

How does creative expression change across the life span? Although creativity is generally preserved well into adulthood, certain cognitive functions, such as episodic detail and ideational fluency, have been shown to decline with age. The present study employs computational linguistic analyses to investigate the salient features of creative writing in older adults.

METHODS

We collected short stories from a sample of 50 older adults (age 65≤) which were subsequently rated for creativity by an independent set of participants. Mixed-effects linear regression models were used to describe semantic diversity and perceptual details as predictors of creativity. Semantic diversity reflects the extent to which a narrative connects divergent ideas and is closely associated with creativity. Perceptual details, characterized by sensorial descriptions, have been previously associated with creative writing and may serve to transport readers to alternative times and places. Additionally, we compare these measures to a previously collected sample of stories from younger adults.

RESULTS

Results indicate that the presence of perceptual details and semantic diversity were significant positive predictors of creativity (p < .05). Moreover, we find that stories written by older adults contain fewer perceptual details compared with stories written by younger adults.

DISCUSSION

These results advance our understanding of age-related changes in creativity and highlight the potential role of episodic simulation in writing creative short stories.

Exploring the use of metacognitive monitoring cues following a diagram completion intervention

Studying texts constitutes a significant part of student learning in health professions education. Key to learning from text is the ability to effectively monitor one's own cognitive performance and take appropriate regulatory steps for improvement. Inferential cues generated during a learning experience typically guide this monitoring process. It has been shown that interventions to assist learners in using comprehension cues improve their monitoring accuracy. One such intervention is having learners to complete a diagram. Little is known, however, about how learners use cues to shape their monitoring judgments. In addition, previous research has not examined the difference in cue use between categories of learners, such as good and poor monitors. This study explored the types and patterns of cues used by participants after being subjected to a diagram completion task prior to their prediction of performance (PoP). Participants' thought processes were studied by means of a think-aloud method during diagram completion and the subsequent PoP. Results suggest that relying on comprehension-specific cues may lead to a better PoP. Poor monitors relied on multiple cue types and failed to use available cues appropriately. They gave more incorrect responses and made commission errors in the diagram, which likely led to their overconfidence. Good monitors, on the other hand, utilized cues that are predictive of learning from the diagram completion task and seemed to have relied on comprehension cues for their PoP. However, they tended to be cautious in their judgement, which probably made them underestimate themselves. These observations contribute to the current understanding of the use and effectiveness of diagram completion as a cue-prompt intervention and provide direction for future research in enhancing monitoring accuracy.

Immersive distance simulation: Exploring the educational impact of stereoscopic extended reality (XR) video in remote learning environments

What was the educational challenge?There is a growing need for healthcare simulation options when local expertise or resources are not available. To connect instructors with remote learners, current options for distance simulation are typically limited to videoconferencing on desktop computers or mobile devices, which may not fully capture the complexity of clinical scenarios.What was the solution?Extended reality (XR) technology may provide a more immersive and realistic distance healthcare simulation experience compared to traditional videoconferencing options. Unlike computer- or phone-based video calls, stereoscopic video in XR provides a sense of depth that may increase spatial understanding and engagement in distance simulation.How was the solution implemented?We investigated the impact of XR for synchronous distance simulation compared to traditional desktop-based videoconferencing in Emergency Medicine (EM) resident training for an obstetrical emergency. A randomized controlled experiment was conducted with half of the residents using XR and half using computers to participate in the simulation.What lessons were learned that are relevant to a wider global audience?There was an unanticipated interaction between postgraduate year and condition such that performance in the XR condition was superior for first year residents, while this was reversed for more experienced residents. This indicates that the benefits of XR might be dependent on participant characteristics, such as learner level.What are the next steps?We plan to extend this research to clarify characteristics of learners and tasks that are important determinants of differences in outcomes between stereoscopic XR versus traditional videoconference displays.

Development and validation of the Workplace Learning Inventory in Health Sciences Education: a multimethod study

Health sciences students face many challenges in regard to clinical practical learning. A better understanding of student learning is required to address student needs in this crucial phase. The theory of self-regulated learning provides a comprehensive view of learning and could serve as a basis for further research. There are instruments to assess self-regulated learning in preclinical academic learning. However, there are no such instruments for workplace learning. The aim of the present study is to provide a comprehensive inventory from which researchers can select those scales that are relevant to their research questions in the investigation of workplace learning. Hence, the aim is to develop and validate a set of scales to assess undergraduates' workplace learning in health sciences education in four areas (cognition, motivation, emotion, and context) on two levels (the learning process level and the metalevel). Study 1 is a qualitative multimethod study to identify indicators and develop items. It integrates the perspectives of students, teachers, and researchers and includes six steps: literature review, interviews, synthesis, item development, expert review, and cognitive pretesting. This study yields a set of scales for each area on both levels. Study 2 is a quantitative study to assess the psychometric properties. The results show acceptable values in terms of unidimensionality, reliability and validity for each of the 31 scales. The newly developed Workplace Learning Inventory is comprehensive; the scales are relevant to workplace learning and short enough that their administration is feasible in the workplace setting. The rigorous process of questionnaire development contributes to the validity of scales. By providing the Workplace Learning Inventory, we hope to encourage research on workplace learning in health sciences education from an educational psychology perspective.

The relationship between homework time and academic performance among K-12: A systematic review

Background

Homework is a common educational task given to students around the world. It demands mental exertion, but staying focused can be challenging, especially for K-12 students. Too much homework can increase their cognitive load and mental fatigue, leading to decreased motivation and performance. This can cause boredom with homework and learning. To lessen their load and make homework more effective, it is important to establish the connection between homework duration and academic achievement.

Objectives

To evaluate the relationship between homework time and academic performance among K-12 students.

Search Methods

On November 5, 2021, we retrieved articles from a variety sources. Firstly, we searched 10 electronic databases for related publications, including Academic Search Premier, APA PsycArticles, APA PsycInfo, Business Source Premier, Education Resources Information Center (ERIC), Journal Storage (JSTOR), Learning and Technology Library (LearnTechLib), OCLC FirstSearch, Social Sciences Citation Index (Web of Science), and Teacher Reference Center. We also searched two publisher platforms: ScienceDirect and Taylor & Francis Online Database. Secondly, we consulted five educational organization website such as, American Educational Research Association, Best Evidence Encyclopedia, Education Endowment Foundation, European Educational Research Association, What Works Clearinghouse, and the Open Grey database for unpublished studies. We then searched Open Dissertations and ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global databases to locate the relevant dissertations and theses. Additionally, we hand-searched seven educational journals to identify unpublished documents, reports, and potential studies not indexed in the databases. Lastly, we searched Campbell Library to identify relevant reviews and primary (and nearly eligible studies) in these reviews. We also searched Google Scholar for related studies and checked the citations of eligible studies as well as their bibliographies.

Selection Criteria

Studies with the following criteria were included: - Population: K-12 school students with no disabilities or not attending special education schools;- Intervention: Homework assigned regularly by schoolteachers to students to complete during non-school hours;- Comparison: Different time spent on the homework;- Outcomes: Academic performance was the primary outcome. The secondary outcomes were academic motivation and the quality of homework;- Study design: Treatment-control group design or comparison group design studies.

Data Collection and Analysis

We reviewed the titles, abstracts, and full texts of the retrieved records. Our team extracted and coded all relevant information from the studies that met our inclusion criteria. To evaluate the risk of bias, we used the Cochrane Risk of Bias tool for randomized controlled trials and ROBINS-I for non-randomized controlled trials. A random-effect meta-analysis was conducted to determine the effect of homework on academic achievement as compared to no homework. A funnel plot, trim-and-fill method and Egger's test were used to test for any publication bias. Due to the insufficient data on homework duration and academic achievement, we analyzed these data using qualitative synthesis.

Main Results

Eleven publications were identified that examined the relationship between homework duration and academic outcomes using an experimental design. Based on their focus, we categorized them into two groups: comparisons of homework with no homework and comparison of homework with less homework. There were 10 articles with 14 independent reports that compared academic performance between students who did homework and those who did not. Overall, the meta-analysis revealed that the students who did homework had better academic performance than that those who did not (n = 14; g = 0.45, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.24-0.66; Q = 454.30, I 2 = 71.30%, τ 2 = 0.11), especially in arithmetic computation (n = 5; g = 0.46, 95% CI: 0.17-0.75; Q = 13.03, I 2 = 69.29%, τ 2 = 0.07) and arithmetic problems solving (n = 6; g = 0.17, 95% CI: 0.02-0.33; Q = 6.87, I 2 = 27.17%, τ 2 = 0.01), but not in arithmetic concepts (n = 3, g = -0.02, 95% CI: -0.22-0.18; Q = 1.46, I 2 = 0.00%, τ 2 = 0.00). Two experiments explored the effectiveness of homework moderated by homework time. In Koch (1965), the effects of long daily homework (20-30 min) and short daily homework (10-15 min) were compared. The authors found that achievement in arithmetic concepts was higher with long homework assignments every day. Recently, Dolean and Lervag (2021) confirmed the effect of homework on writing skills, and their findings were consistent with those of Koch (1965), who found that increasing time spent on homework was associated with greater writing achievement (average 20 min each time).

Authors' Conclusions

Homework could be used as a supplement to enhance the academic performance of primary school students. However, the optimal amount of time they should dedicate each day to homework to achieve the best results remains uncertain. More high-quality experiments are needed to determine the ideal homework duration for these students. Furthermore, additional research is required to understand the impact of homework on secondary school students.

The Making of Future Scientists: Faculty Mentor Cultural Awareness and Inclusive Science Labs

A compelling body of research suggests that students from racially marginalized and minoritized (RMM) backgrounds are systematically deterred from Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) fields when teachers and scientists create ideologically colorblind STEM learning environments where cultural differences are deemed irrelevant and disregard how race/ethnicity shapes students' experiences. We examine whether and how STEM faculty can serve as important sources of information that signal racial/ethnic diversity inclusion (or exclusion) that influence RMM students' motivation to persist in STEM. Specifically, we focus on RMM students' perceptions of their faculty research mentors' cultural awareness-the extent to which students believe that their faculty research mentor acknowledges and appreciates racial/ethnic differences in STEM research. Results from a longitudinal survey of RMM students (N = 150) participating in 74 faculty-led STEM research labs demonstrated that RMM students who perceived their faculty research mentor to be more culturally aware experienced more positive social climates in the lab and were more identified as scientists. Increased science identity, in turn, predicted their motivation to pursue STEM careers 3 months later. These findings demonstrate the importance of acknowledging, welcoming, and celebrating racial/ethnic diversity within STEM learning environments to broaden inclusive and equitable participation in STEM.

Metacognition for hearing in noise: a comparison between younger and older adults

Metacognition entails knowledge of one's own cognitive skills, perceived self-efficacy and locus of control when performing a task, and performance monitoring. Age-related changes in metacognition have been observed in metamemory, whereas their occurrence for hearing remained unknown. We tested 30 older and 30 younger adults with typical hearing, to assess if age reduces metacognition for hearing sentences in noise. Metacognitive monitoring for older and younger adults was overall comparable. In fact, the older group achieved better monitoring for words in the second part of the phrase. Additionally, only older adults showed a correlation between performance and perceived confidence. No age differentiation was found for locus of control, knowledge or self-efficacy. This suggests intact metacognitive skills for hearing in noise in older adults, alongside a somewhat paradoxical overconfidence in younger adults. These findings support exploiting metacognition for older adults dealing with noisy environments, since metacognition is central for implementing self-regulation strategies.

Effects of player-video game interaction on the mental effort of older adults with the use of electroencephalography and NASA-TLX

While player-video game interaction appears to affect older adults in gaming, there is limited knowledge regarding the cognitive demands associated with the anticipation of performing a button press, specifically focusing on the input and game elements relation (I/E relation) in game environments. The study aims to investigate the effects of lateral and rotational displacement amplitudes of game elements, triggered by a single button-press, on the cognitive effort of older adults. Both subjective and objective measurement methods were employed to assess these effects. A total of 48 older adults participated in three casual video game tasks encompassing lateral and rotational displacements at varying I/E relations (low, medium, and high). Results obtained from the NASA Task Load Index and electroencephalography (EEG) measurements revealed significant differences between the I/E relations. Specifically, the subjective rating of cognitive demand among older players was significantly impacted by a small rotation angle associated with a button press, leading to increased mental, physical, and temporal demands, along with decreased performance. Surprisingly, the analysis of EEG data, particularly the theta-alpha ratio, revealed significant interaction effects of I/E relations, button press type, and game type on the cognitive demand required during gameplay. These findings offer practical implications and point towards future avenues for developing player-video game interactions that are more cognitively friendly for older players in gaming environments.

How to deliver effective paediatric simulation based education

Simulation based education (SBE) is an educational tool increasingly used in the approach to the initial and ongoing education of healthcare professionals. Like all education tools, SBE needs to be used appropriately to achieve the desired outcomes. Using Cognitive Load Theory (CLT) in the instructional design of simulations is essential to maximise participant learning by reducing extraneous load and optimising intrinsic load. Educators can modify task fidelity, task complexity and instructional support to optimise learning. Specific methodologies can be used in program design such as rapid cycle deliberate practice, round the table teaching, low dose high frequency and flipped classroom. Fidelity and authenticity are important factors to consider when choosing design elements to ensure learner engagement, but not to overwhelm cognitive load. An integral part of SBE is the feedback or debriefing component. Several evidence-based methodologies can be employed to facilitate post simulation learning, including Debriefing with Good Judgement and PEARLS. Educators also need to consider faculty education and development, such as the discovery, growth and maturity model.

Research on metacognitive strategies of children's self-regulated learning

Background

Learning involves numerous self-regulatory processes, and self-regulated learning includes a few metacognitive strategies. Metacognitive skills start to develop at a very young age, though preschool children face some challenges while using metacognitive strategies.

Objectives

The study primarily aims to explore how young students are using metacognitive strategies in their daily activities and how effective they are.

Method

The sample of the study is 15 students from a public kindergarten in China, with ages ranging from 3 years to 6 years. The investigation is qualitative in nature and has employed a case study research design. It involves an observational study along with an interview with the teachers.

Results

From observational data and content analysis of the interviews, it is revealed that young children do use metacognitive strategies in their regular class activities, which vary according to their age. Teachers' support is found to be essential, especially for this age group of children, for effective use of these strategies. Moreover, it is also seen that metacognitive strategies are also important in developing social skills among young children.

Conclusion

Consequently, the findings of this research have significant implications, especially for the teachers and parents who support the children and use metacognitive interventions for their holistic development.

The whole is greater than the sum of its parts: Using cognitive profiles to predict academic achievement

BACKGROUND

Executive functions (EFs) are thought to work in concert to support academic skill. However, EFs are often examined independently, obscuring their symbiotic contribution. We examined the relationship between students' holistic EF profiles and their academic success.

METHODS

We sampled over 1200 7-15 year old students from a diverse school district (16 % White; 32 % low income) in the United States. We used 9 EF assessments to construct cognitive profiles via self-organizing maps. We then related profiles to academic achievement scores from both laboratory-based assessments and state-administered standardized tests of reading and math.

RESULTS

Six profiles differed in EF performance, but their differences in academic achievement did not suggest a linear relationship between individual EFs and academic skill.

CONCLUSIONS

We show cognitive profiles based on individual strengths and weaknesses in EFs can reveal multiple cognitive paths to the same academic outcome.

Validation and efficacy of the Varix Trainer model as a Training device for esophagogastroduodenoscopy

Background and study aims The Varix Trainer model 1 (VTM1) was created for trainees to safely practice basic endoscope manipulation skills. The VTM1 was tested to see if it could distinguish levels of endoscope manipulation skills (construct validity) and whether training with it could improve these skills faster (content validity). Patients and methods We enrolled 23 novice endoscopists, 18 second-year trainees, and 13 expert endoscopists. They were asked to point with the endoscope tip to 20 numbers in the model as quickly as possible using torque, single-hand small/large wheel manipulation (SHSW), and retroflexion techniques. Their mean times (t20) were compared to determine if the model could distinguish different levels of expertise. Subsequently, 14 novices trained for eight short sessions, and the pre-training and post-training t20 were compared. Nine novice endoscopists received no training and were retested after 4 to 6 weeks (controls). Results Experts had faster t20 than second-year trainees, who were faster than novices, for all three techniques ( P < 0.001). After eight sessions, the mean t20 for novices improved from 112 to 66 seconds for torque, 144 to 72 seconds for SHSW, and 108 to 63 seconds for retroflexion, (all P < 0.001). Their t20 were equivalent to second-year trainees. Improvement in t20 was also seen with the control group, but total reduction was less than for the training group. Conclusions The VTM1 distinguished varying levels of expertise for all techniques, suggesting that it is a valid tool for assessing endoscope manipulation skill. A short curriculum improved novices' manipulation skills faster than traditional practice.

Exploring educational transformations through the Innovative Flipped Learning Instruction Project Symposium

The flipped classroom is an innovative pedagogy that shifts content delivery outside the classroom, utilizing in-class time for interactive learning. The preclass and in-class activities in this framework encourage individualized learning and collaborative problem-solving among students, fostering engagement. The Innovative Flipped Learning Instruction Project (IFLIP) conducted faculty development workshops over 4 years, guiding science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) faculty in integrating flipped teaching (FT) into their courses. The research aimed to assess its impact on pedagogical practices, explore its effectiveness, and provide a framework to implement FT across multiple institutions. It sought to evaluate the experiences of these educators throughout the transitional period of instructional change. In the fourth year of this project, a symposium was organized for IFLIP participants to share their experiences and findings concerning FT. This symposium helped promote collaboration among IFLIP participants and faculty interested in FT to disseminate participants' knowledge and experiences in implementing FT strategies. A survey conducted at the end of the symposium indicated that faculty participants with FT experience continued to embrace this pedagogy, and the new adopters expressed intentions to incorporate it into their courses. The survey revealed positive responses: 93% of respondents plan to integrate FT methods in future classes, 90% gained new information from the symposium and intend to implement it, and 91% are likely to recommend FT to colleagues. Ultimately, the symposium underscored the transformative impact of FT in empowering educators to deepen students' conceptual understanding, emphasizing the significance of this pedagogical approach in advancing the quality of education.NEW & NOTEWORTHY Flipped pedagogy shifts content delivery outside the classroom, emphasizing interactive learning during in-class time. The Innovative Flipped Learning Instruction Project (IFLIP) guided science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) faculty in integrating flipped teaching (FT), tracked experiences during this transition, and provided a framework for FT implementation. A fourth-year symposium fostered collaboration, revealing sustained enthusiasm for FT. The symposium underscored its transformative impact on deepening students' understanding, highlighting its significance in enhancing education quality.

The Impact of Stimulant Medication on the Relation Between Working Memory and Activity Level in ADHD

There is a positive association between heightened activity levels and improved working memory performance (WM) in individuals with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Recent research suggests that stimulant medications may have a simultaneous positive impact on WM and motor skills. Yet, it is unclear the specific connection between movement, WM, and stimulant use. We examined how visuospatial (VS) and phonological (PH) WM performance varied with children's stimulant medication usage and naturally occurring activity level. In a repeated measures design, children with ADHD (n = 43; 7-12 years old) completed WM tasks while wearing actigraphy watches to monitor activity level on and off stimulant medication. Significant large sized main effects were observed for medication condition on PH (p < .05, ηp2 = .14) and VS (p < .001, ηp2 = .30) WM. Activity level also had significant medium sized main effects on PH (p < .01, ηp2 = .09) and VS (p < .005, ηp2 = .10) WM. There was a significant medium sized interaction for VS WM (p < .005, ηp2 = .11), indicating that the effect of medication on performance was greatest in the highest activity level category. The findings suggest that a combination of stimulant medication and an "optimal" level of movement may be most effective for improving VS WM.

The effects of urban green space and road proximity to indoor traffic-related PM2.5, NO2, and BC exposure in inner-city schools

BACKGROUND

Since there are known adverse health impacts of traffic-related air pollution, while at the same time there are potential health benefits from greenness, it is important to examine more closely the impacts of these factors on indoor air quality in urban schools.

OBJECTIVE

This study investigates the association of road proximity and urban greenness to indoor traffic-related fine particulate matter (PM2.5), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), and black carbon (BC) in inner-city schools.

METHODS

PM2.5, NO2, and BC were measured indoors at 74 schools and outdoors at a central urban over a 10-year period. Seasonal urban greenness was estimated using the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) with 270 and 1230 m buffers. The associations between indoor traffic-related air pollution and road proximity and greenness were investigated with mixed-effects models.

RESULTS

The analysis showed linear decays of indoor traffic-related PM2.5, NO2, and BC by 60%, 35%, and 22%, respectively for schools located at a greater distance from major roads. The results further showed that surrounding school greenness at 270 m buffer was significantly associated (p < 0.05) with lower indoor traffic-related PM2.5: -0.068 (95% CI: -0.124, -0.013), NO2: -0.139 (95% CI: -0.185, -0.092), and BC: -0.060 (95% CI: -0.115, -0.005). These associations were stronger for surrounding greenness at a greater distance from the schools (buffer 1230 m) PM2.5: -0.101 (95% CI: -0.156, -0.046) NO2: -0.122 (95% CI: -0.169, -0.075) BC: -0.080 (95% CI: -0.136, -0.026). These inverse associations were stronger after fully adjusting for regional pollution and meteorological conditions.

IMPACT STATEMENT

More than 90% of children under the age of 15 worldwide are exposed to elevated air pollution levels exceeding the WHO's guidelines. The study investigates the impact that urban infrastructure and greenness, in particular green areas and road proximity, have on indoor exposures to traffic-related PM2.5, NO2, and BC in inner-city schools. By examining a 10-year period the study provides insights for air quality management, into how road proximity and greenness at different buffers from the school locations can affect indoor exposure.

Communication in implant treatment planning, placement and reconstruction in the digital age: a technician's perspective

Effective communication between clinicians and the dental laboratory is paramount in the realm of dental implant restorations, where precision and meticulous planning are key for success. This article explores the transformative shift towards digital workflows, highlighting the collaborative dance between the clinician and the dental laboratory. The power of visual communication is emphasised, with examples illustrating its impact on the precision of treatment plans. Celebrating these digital tools, this article envisions a new era of collaboration, transcending traditional communication methods for more predictable and successful implant restorations.

Effects of physically active maths lessons on children's maths performance and maths-related affective factors: Multi-arm cluster randomized controlled trial

BACKGROUND

Physical activity (PA) may benefit academic performance, but it is unclear what kind of classroom-based PA is optimal for learning.

AIM

We studied the effects of physically active maths lessons on children's maths performance and maths-related effects, and whether gender and previous mathematical or motor skills modify these effects.

SAMPLE

A total of 22 volunteered teachers and their pupils with signed consent (N = 397, mean age: 9.3 years, 51% females) participated in a 5-month, teacher-led, multi-arm, cluster-randomized controlled trial.

METHODS

The intervention included a PAL group (20 min of physically active learning in each 45-min lesson), a breaks group (two 5-min PA breaks in each 45-min lesson) and a control group (traditional teaching). Maths performance was assessed with a tailored curriculum-based test. Maths-related enjoyment, self-perceptions and anxiety were measured with a self-reported questionnaire. The individual-level intervention effects were tested via covariate-adjusted linear mixed-effect models with school classes serving as random effects.

RESULTS

Changes in maths performance or self-perceptions did not differ between the intervention groups. Maths anxiety in learning situations increased in the PAL group (effect .28, 95% CI = .01-.56); there was no change in the other groups. Subgroup analyses suggested that maths anxiety increased in the PAL group among children in the two lowest tertiles of motor skills. It decreased in the highest tertile. Enjoyment decreased in the breaks group among pupils in the lowest motor skill tertile.

CONCLUSIONS

Physically active maths lessons did not affect maths performance or self-perceptions but had divergent effects on maths anxiety and enjoyment, depending on motor skills.

Executive functions as predictors of learning prerequisites in preschool: A longitudinal study

INTRODUCTION

This study focuses on 'learning prerequisites', cognitive and non-cognitive skills crucial for school success, often measured in preschoolers. Executive Functions (EF), like inhibition and cognitive flexibility, are vital among these prerequisites. While EF's role in early literacy and numeracy is acknowledged, some components are often overlooked.

OBJECTIVE

The study aims to longitudinally explore the link between EF, assessed at the beginning of the preschool year and the learning prerequites, measured at the end of the same preschool year.

METHOD AND RESULTS

Evaluating 70 preschoolers (62.30 months, SD 4.55), results showed that certain EF measures predicted performance in literacy and numeracy tasks. Specifically, response inhibition predicted rhyme and syllable recognition, series completion, and cognitive flexibility predicted rhyme recognition. Moreover, EF, particularly response inhibition, correlated with overall metaphonology and pre-math abilities.

CONCLUSION

The findings suggest the importance of integrating EF enhancement in early educational interventions, aiding in selecting and optimizing EF skills crucial for later academic success.

Individual differences in the impostor phenomenon and its relevance in higher education in terms of burnout, generalized anxiety, and fear of failure

Few theoretical and empirical works have described impostor phenomenon (IP) and no study explored impostorism from a dark perspective. We adopted a person-centered approach to identify clusters of impostors based on scores on the IP, perfectionistic self-presentation and the Dark Triad using a sample of 306 university students (Mage = 22.82). The latent profile analysis suggested a 6-cluster solution, which was further compared in terms of psychopathology symptoms (i.e., burnout, generalized anxiety, and fear of failure) by means of (M)ANOVAs. Our results indicated that impostorism relies on a self-presentation strategy. Moreover, individuals scoring high on IP experienced enhanced levels of psychopathology symptoms. Looking at IP from a continuum perspective might improve our understanding about what makes someone suffer from impostorism.

Empowering Disabled Voices: A Practical Guide for Methodological Shifts in Biology Education Research

Biology education research provides important guidance for educators aiming to ensure access for disabled students. However, there is still work to be done in developing similar guidelines for research settings. By using critical frameworks that amplify the voices of people facing multiple forms of marginalization, there is potential to transform current biology education research practices. Many biology education researchers are still in the early stages of understanding critical disability frameworks, such as Disability Critical Race Studies (DisCrit), which consists of seven tenets designed to explore the intersecting experiences of ableism and racism. Our Research Methods Essay uses DisCrit as a model framework and pulls from other related critical disability frameworks to empower disabled voices in biology education research. Drawing from existing scholarship, we discuss how biology education researchers can design, conduct, and share research findings. Additionally, we highlight strategies that biology education scholars can use in their research to support access for participants. We propose the creation and sharing of Access and Equity Maps to help plan-and make public-the steps researchers take to foster access in their research. We close by discussing frequently asked questions researchers may encounter in taking on critical frameworks, such as DisCrit.

Does a Video-Based and 3D Animation Hybrid Learning System Improve Teaching Outcomes in Orthopedic Surgery? A Randomized Controlled Trial

OBJECTIVE

This study aims to evaluate the instructional efficacy of a 3D Surgical Training System (3DSTS), which combines real surgical footage with high-definition 3D animations, against conventional surgical videos and textbooks in the context of orthopedic proximal humerus fracture surgeries.

DESIGN

Before the experiment, 89 participants completed a pre-educational knowledge assessment. They were then randomized into 3 groups: the 3DSTS group (n = 30), the surgical video (SV) group (n = 29), and the textbook group (n = 30). After their respective teaching courses, all participants took a posteducational assessment and completed a perceived cognitive load test. The 3DSTS group also filled out a satisfaction survey. Once all assessments were finished, the SV and textbook groups were introduced to the 3DSTS course and subsequently completed a satisfaction survey. All statistical analyses were executed using IBM SPSS version 24 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY). For data fitting normal distribution, we employed one-way analysis of variance (one-way ANOVA) and Tukey HSD tests, whereas, for non-normally distributed data, we used Kruskal-Wallis H tests and Dunn's tests. The significance level for all tests was set at p < 0.05.

SETTING

Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei Province, P. R. China.

PARTICIPANTS

About 89 doctors who undergoing standardized residents training.

RESULT

The initial assessment scores among the three groups were comparable, showing no significant statistical difference. Post-education revealed a marked difference in the scores, with the 3DSTS group outperforming both the SV and textbook groups. Specifically, the 3DSTS group exhibited statistically greater improvement in areas such as procedural steps, and specialized surgical techniques compared to the SV and textbook groups. During the 3DSTS teaching process, participants reported the least perceived cognitive load and expressed strong satisfaction, highlighting that the instructional materials are well-prepared, and considering this teaching method superior and more innovative than previous courses they had encountered.

CONCLUSION

The 3D Surgical Training System, integrating real videos with 3D animations, significantly enhances orthopedic surgery education over conventional methods, providing improved comprehension, lower cognitive load, and standardized learning outcomes. Its efficacy and high participant satisfaction underscore its potential for broader adoption in surgical disciplines. This study is registered with ClinicalTrials. gov ID: ChiCTR2300074730.

Profiles of Family and School Experiences and Adjustment of Adolescents During the Transition to High School

Although family and school experiences play an important role in adolescents' adjustment during the transition to high school, most prior studies investigated the effects of these experiences in isolation; their joint implications for both adolescents' concurrent and long-term adjustment outcomes are less clear, and the potential role of individual characteristics within such associations remains understudied. Based on 525 10th graders (Mage = 15.48, SDage = 0.71, 43.6% boys) who participated in a longitudinal study, the present research aimed to identify distinct family and school experience profiles among first-year high school students and examine their associations with adolescents' internalizing problems and externalizing problems, both concurrently and 18 months later. Latent profile analysis revealed four distinctive profiles: thriving, low resources-moderate family risk, developmental stress-high parental conflicts, and developmental stress-high peer victimization profiles. The other three profiles (vs. the thriving profile) reported significantly higher levels of concurrent internalizing problems; while these differences diminished after 18 months. However, the enduring impacts of these profiles on internalizing problems persisted among adolescents with higher levels of environmental sensitivity. Additionally, adolescents characterized by two developmental stress profiles (vs. the thriving profile) exhibited significantly higher levels of externalizing problems both currently and longitudinally. Findings underscore the importance of identifying at-risk populations among adolescents during the transition to high school by including both family and school experiences when examining environmental influence on their adjustment, as well as the necessity to take individual environmental sensitivity into account when examining these associations.

Mind the Gap: Investigating Disaggregated Student Performance in an Upper-Division Biochemistry Course Following Team-Based Learning

Team-based learning (TBL) is a highly intense active learning pedagogy that uses a cycle of preclass preparation, formative assessment for readiness, mini-lectures, and complex team exercises. Consistent with the literature on active learning, prior research on TBL consistently shows its benefits for student outcomes as compared with previous lecture. However, little work has examined student outcomes disaggregated by demographic variable. We analyzed assessment and student demographic data (i.e., binary gender, racial/ethnic group, generational status) in three semesters of TBL in an upper-division biochemistry course to understand the degree to which performance could be predicted by student demographics. We use theoretical and empirical research from social psychology to hypothesize that the intense interpersonal interactions of TBL could activate psychological threats, the effects of which would be measurable as differences in student performance that correlate with demographic variables. Our regression analysis did not support this hypothesis. This null result invites a deeper discussion on how we measure the potential effects of active learning on student outcomes, particularly given how important it is to account for intersectional and invisible identities.