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The FAIR-2 ('Frankfurter Aufmerksamkeitsinventar') is a pen-and-paper test of visual attention in which participants have to search for targets among distractors. For similar pen-and-paper tests of attention (e.g., d2), the repetition of the test causes large improvements in performance that threaten both its (retest) reliability and validity. We investigated the size and possible sources of practice effects in the FAIR-2 in three experiments. In Experiments 1 and 2, participants were tested twice using the original FAIR-2. We compared how performance changed after 2 weeks (Experiment 1) or 3 months (Experiment 2), when the test was repeated (complete repetition), or when targets and distractors changed their roles (test reversal). For Experiment 3, we used self-constructed versions of the FAIR that allowed for a third neutral condition (complete alternation) without any stimulus overlap between the two tests. The complete repetition condition produced strong performance gains (25-35%) that persisted for 3 months. For the complete-alternation condition, we observed small to moderate improvements, suggesting that stimulus-independent learning had occurred in session 1. Finally, performance did not differ between test reversal and complete alternation, therefore, suggesting that improvements in target processing had caused the large improvements in the complete-repetition condition., (© 2021. The Author(s).)

The International Conference on Cognitive Modeling brings together researchers from around the world whose main goal is to build computational systems that reflect the internal processes of the mind. In this issue, we present the four best representative papers on this work from our 18th meeting, ICCM 2020, which was also the first meeting to be held virtually. Two of these papers develop novel techniques for building larger and more complex models using Reinforcement Learning and Learning By Instruction, respectively. The other two show how cognitive models connect to neuroscience, drawing on details of the hippocampus and cerebellum to constrain and explain the cognitive processes involved in memory and conditioning., (© 2021 Cognitive Science Society LLC.)

The widespread use of mobile devices and laptops has replaced traditional paper-based learning and the question of how the brain efficiency of digital tablet-based learning differs from that of paper-based learning remains unclear. The purpose of this study was to investigate the difference in brain efficiency for learning between paper-based and digital tablet-based learning by measuring activity in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) using functional near-infrared spectroscopy. Thirty-two subjects were randomly assigned to the paper-based learning or the digital tablet-based learning group. Subjects in each group performed a memory task that required memorizing a three-minute novel (encoding phase) on a paper or digital tablet, followed by a test in which they answered four multiple-choice questions based on the novel's content. To compare both groups, behavioral performance on the test (retrieval phase) and activity in the PFC were measured. As a result, no significant difference in behavioral performance between both groups was observed (p > 0.05). However, the paper-based learning group showed significantly lower activity in the PFC in the encoding phase than the digital tablet-based learning group (p < 0.05) but not in the retrieval phase. The current study demonstrated that brain efficiency in encoding is higher in subjects with paper-based learning than those with digital tablet-based learning. This finding has important implications for education, particularly in terms of the pros and cons of electronic document-based learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The author comments on Noel Entwistle's paper "Contributions of Educational Psychology to Understanding Student Learning: What Has Been Discovered -- What More Could Be Done?" He begins the article by expressing his delight because he feels Entwistle's work has been a beacon in the understanding of student learning and his contributions have helped the author's own teaching in universities incalculably. He observes that the paper for this Open Dialogue in "The Psychology of Education Review," seems to fall into two parts. The first offers a commentary on methods of inquiry used by psychologists and researchers, and the second gives a 'view from the bridge', succinctly summarising the research in the field of student learning over the years. The author confines his remarks to the first part of the paper on Entwistle's observations about different kinds of theory and the forms of inquiry conducted by psychologists in this area and elsewhere. [For "Contributions of Educational Psychology to Understanding Student Learning: What Has Been Discovered -- What More Could Be Done?" see EJ1247419.]

As part of a large exercise physiology laboratory (lab) reform project, we used blended learning to support graduate teaching assistants and lab technicians in developing their pedagogical knowledge and create an entry point to reflective conversations about teaching and learning. Because self-paced asynchronous online modules can enable reflective and self-determined learning, this asynchronous professional development course is punctuated with reflective questions for the instructional team preparing to teach reformed exercise physiology labs. Asynchronous course content was shared via short videos, podcasts, and readings. We debriefed this self-paced, SoTL-informed course together, in-person. This social debriefing kicked off our weekly synchronous reflective conversations about teaching and learning in a community of practice. Developing a shared language for talking about teaching, enabling student learning, practicing effective teaching, and beginning to contemplate teaching philosophies were described by graduate teaching assistants as notable aspects of this blended learning journey. Lab technicians described discovering SoTL and discussing learning challenges as helpful to their teaching. [Articles in this journal were presented at the University of Calgary Conference on Postsecondary Learning and Teaching.]

Objectives: The use of theory in research is reflected in its presence in research writing. Theory is often an ineffective presence in medical education research papers. To progress the effective use of theory in medical education, we need to understand how theory is presented in research papers. This study aims to elicit how theory is being written into general practice (GP) vocational education research papers in order to elucidate how theory might be more effectively used. This has relevance for the field of GP and for medical education more broadly., Methods: This is a scoping review of the presentation of theory in GP vocational education research published between 2013 and 2017. An interpretive approach is taken. We frame research papers as a form of narrative and draw on the theories of Aristotle's poetics and Campbell's monomyth. We seek parallels between the roles of theory in a research story and theories of characterisation., Results: A total of 23 papers were selected. Theories of 'reflective learning', 'communities of practice' and 'adult learning' were most used. Six tasks were assigned to theory: to align with a position; to identify a research problem; to serve as a vehicle for an idea; to provide a methodological tool; to interpret findings, and to represent an object of examination. The prominence of theory in the papers ranged from cameo to major roles. Depending on the way theory was used and the audience, theory had different impacts. There were parallels between the tasks assigned to theory and the roles of four of Campbell's archetypal characters. Campbell's typology offers guidance on how theory can be used in research paper 'stories'., Conclusions: Theory can be meaningfully present in the story of a research paper if it is assigned a role in a deliberate way and this is articulated. Attention to the character development of theory and its positioning in the research story is important., (© 2019 John Wiley & Sons Ltd and The Association for the Study of Medical Education.)

Background. The evaluation of successful aging includes objective criteria to measure cognitive function and psychological well-being and levels of functional capacity needed to perform daily activities related to the preservation of autonomy. In addition, the emergence of computerized cognitive training programs has allowed us to use a new class of tools to verify the theoretical postulates of neural plasticity in aging. Objective. The present study investigates subjective and objective criteria of successful aging in healthy older adults participating in a memory training program offered as two versions: computer and paper-and-pencil. Method. Fifty-four healthy older adult participants recruited for the study were organized into two training groups. Group 1 (G1) used the computer program and Group 2 (G2) used the paper-and-pencil program. Results. The analysis revealed no significant differences in psychological well-being between the two training groups. However, the groups did differ significantly in objective evaluations of successful aging, as measured by attention and everyday memory, and brain activity as measured by sLORETA, with G1 outperforming G2 on both measures. Conclusion. Computerized memory training programs show promise for restoring cognitive and cerebral functioning in older adults, and consequently, may be better suited to achieving the objective criteria of successful aging than paper-and-pencil memory training programs. However, this conclusion should be taken with caution since differences in age and educational level may have influenced the results.

As information and communication (ICT) has grown rapidly, there are many forms of technology provided to support and facilitate the teaching and learning process. Game-based learning these days has been growing interest. It is not only purposed for the teaching-learning media but also for the assessing phase. Quizizz is one of game-based learning platforms offering multiple tools to assess the students’ learning progress. It provides Paper-mode quizzes using printable or a quick-response code. In this research, the researcher deals with utilizing Paper-mode Quizizz for formative assessment in English teaching and learning. This research is a case study with qualitative data conducted at SMP SSA Negeri Kloposawit 1 Candipuro involving 41 students from 8A and 8C as the research participants. Further, to obtain the students’ perceptions, the researcher collects the data through interviews. The result indicates that most students show positive perceptiveness in utilizing Paper-mode Quizizz for formative assessment in teaching and learning English. It is stated that Paper-mode Quizizz is easy to use, enjoyable, fun, challenging, and very interesting. The students only show and rotate the answer, and the teacher will scan the code cards to display the real-time results. In addition, this makes students more motivated to have a test using Paper-mode Quizizz. To sum up, Paper-mode Quizizz is an effective-alternative platform to use for formative assessment in English teaching and learning.

Background: Taking notes during learning has benefits both during class (through writing things down to encode information) and after class (by using written notes as external storage for revision). Comparisons of note‐taking methods (i.e., using paper or a computer) have mainly shown that paper leads to better learning. However, previous studies have mostly been conducted in laboratory contexts. Aims: The current study investigates university students' perceptions of the efficacity of their own preferred note‐taking method, along with the strategies they employ. Sample: Data were collected from 108 university students. Methods: Students answered a questionnaire about their note‐taking strategies during initial note‐taking (in class) and revision (after class). Results: The results show that students who take notes on paper do not consider their method to be more effective, but they report engaging in more reformulation and less multitasking. Students who take notes on a computer are more likely to reformat their notes, and thus to reformulate at a later stage. For all students, review sheets are mostly done on paper. Conclusions: These results suggest that although students are not necessarily aware of the benefits of reformulation associated with handwriting on paper during initial note‐taking, when revising, they tend to choose handwriting and benefit from reformulation when aiming for deeper processing. Therefore, revision activities remain mainly paper‐based. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article explores the intersection of drama and academic learning, showcasing a playful narrative where a detective tackles the disappearance of a research paper on drama in literacy education. It mentions that this engaging storyline delves into the potential benefits of incorporating drama activities into education, highlighting the positive impact on literacy outcomes.

This study compared syntactic complexity between undergraduate students' research papers and published research papers. A 2 (Groups: experts, students) × 4 (Sections: introduction, methods, results, discussions) mixed factorial analysis of variance (ANOVA) was conducted on each of the following variables: T-unit length, clause density, the frequencies of adverbial clauses, relative clauses, and nominal clauses. The analyses showed there were longer T-units and fewer adverbial clauses in the published papers than in the student papers. Section effects were robust. Qualitative analyses were further conducted to reveal how the student research paper is different from the published papers syntactically. Implications for education were discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons (SAGES) has long recognized and championed increasing diversity within the surgical workplace. SAGES initiated the Fundamentals of Leadership Development (FLD) Curriculum to address these needs and to provide surgeon leaders with the necessary tools and skills to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in surgical practice. In 2019, the American College of Surgeons issued a request for anti-racism initiatives which lead to the partnering of the two societies. The primary goal of FLD was to create the first surgeon-focused leadership curriculum dedicated to DEI. The rationale/development of this curriculum and its evaluation/feedback methods are detailed in this White Paper. Methods: The FLD curriculum was developed by a multidisciplinary task force that included surgeons, education experts, and diversity consultants. The curriculum development followed the Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation and Evaluation (ADDIE) instructional design model and utilized a problem-based learning approach. Competencies were identified, and specific learning objectives and assessments were developed. The implementation of the curriculum was designed to be completed in short intervals (virtual and in-person). Post-course surveys used the Kirkpatrick's model to evaluate the curriculum and provide valuable feedback. Results: The curriculum consisted of interactive online modules, an online discussion forum, and small group interactive sessions focused in three key areas: (1) increasing pipeline of underrepresented individuals in surgical leadership, (2) healthcare equity, and (3) conflict negotiation. By focusing on positive action items and utilizing a problem-solving approach, the curriculum aimed to provide a framework for surgical leaders to make meaningful changes in their institutions and organizations. Conclusion: The FLD curriculum is a novel leadership curriculum that provided surgeon leaders with the knowledge and tools to improve diversity in three areas: pipeline improvement, healthcare equity, and conflict negotiation. Future directions include using pilot course feedback to enhance curricular effectiveness and delivery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study aimed to investigate whether chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) could learn a transverse pattern by being trained in the rules of the rock-paper-scissors game in which "paper" beats "rock," "rock" beats "scissors," and "scissors" beats "paper." Additionally, this study compared the learning processes between chimpanzees and children. Seven chimpanzees were tested using a computer-controlled task. They were trained to choose the stronger of two options according to the game rules. The chimpanzees first engaged in the paper-rock sessions until they reached the learning criterion. Subsequently, they engaged in the rock-scissors and scissors-paper sessions, before progressing to sessions with all three pairs mixed. Five of the seven chimpanzees completed training after a mean of 307 sessions, which indicates that they learned the circular pattern. The chimpanzees required more scissors-paper sessions (14.29 ± 6.89), the third learnt pair, than paper-rock (1.71 ± 0.18) and rock-scissors (3.14 ± 0.70) sessions, suggesting they had difficulty finalizing the circularity. The chimpanzees then received generalization tests using new stimuli, which they learned quickly. A similar procedure was performed with children (35-71 months, n = 38) who needed the same number of trials for all three pairs during single-paired sessions. Their accuracy during the mixed-pair sessions improved with age and was better than chance from 50 months of age, which indicates that the ability to solve the transverse patterning problem might develop at around 4 years of age. The present findings show that chimpanzees were able to learn the task but had difficulties with circularity, whereas children learned the task more easily and developed the relevant ability at approximately 4 years of age. Furthermore, the chimpanzees' performance during the mixed-pair sessions was similar to that of 4-year-old children during the corresponding stage of training.

An important aim of undergraduate science education is to develop student skills in reading and evaluating research papers. We have designed, developed, and implemented an on-line interactive resource entitled "Evaluating Scientific Research literature" (ESRL) aimed at students from the first 2 years of the undergraduate program. In this article, we describe the resource, then use student data collected from questionnaire surveys to evaluate the resource within 2 years of its launch. Our results add to those reported previously and indicate that ESRL can enable students to start evaluating research articles when used during their undergraduate program. We conclude maximal learning is likely to occur when the resource can be embedded in the curriculum such that students have a clearly articulated context for the resource's activities, can see their relevance in relation to assessed assignments and can be encouraged to think deeply about the activities in conversation with one another and/or with staff. © 2017 by The International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 45(6):483-490, 2017., (© 2017 The International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.)

To investigate if a written guide or augmented reality (AR) guide improves free recall of diversified chiropractic adjusting technique and to capture participants' impressions of the study in a poststudy questionnaire. Thirty-eight chiropractic students were evaluated for diversified listing (a nomenclature denoting vertebral malposition and correction) recall, pre-AR and post-AR, or written guide review. The vertebral segments used were C7 and T6. Two randomized groups reviewed an original course written guide (n = 18) or a new AR guide (n = 20). A Wilcoxon-Mann-Whitney (C7) and t test (T6) compared group differences in reevaluation scores. A poststudy questionnaire was given to capture participants' impressions of the study. Both groups showed no significant differences in free recall scores after reviewing the guides for C7 or T6. The poststudy questionnaire suggested a number of strategies could be used to improve current teaching material such as more detail in the written guides and organizing content into smaller blocks. Use of an AR or written guide does not seem to change participants' free recall ability when used to review diversified technique listings. The poststudy questionnaire was useful to identify strategies to improve currently used teaching material. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]