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Background: Online instruction within higher education is a growing trend. Asynchronous online courses vary widely in design elements. Research is needed to evaluate the impact of course design on student outcomes. A large, asynchronous undergraduate medical terminology course was modified to increase authentic language use, student interaction, formative feedback, retrieval practice, and metacognition. The purposes of this study were to describe modified course design elements and evaluate the impact of modifications on student outcomes compared with a standard course implemented concurrently. Methods: This prospective, quasi-experimental study included 494 students (modified course, n = 277; standard course, n = 217). Measures included student participation, performance, course satisfaction, self-efficacy (SE), and engagement. Results: Participation in assignments was high (88–94%). Students in both courses experienced growth in SE for medical terminology use. Students in the modified course earned significantly higher course grades and reported higher satisfaction levels. No significant differences in SE or exam scores were found between courses. Marginal significance was found for increased behavioral engagement for students in the modified course. Conclusions: Modifications based on language learning and learning science principles were feasible to implement within a large, asynchronous online medical terminology course. Modifications resulted in greater student satisfaction and improved course grades. Exam performance was not significantly different between the modified and standard courses. Future research should focus on modifications preparing students for summative assessments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Editor's Note: This article was previously published in the San Diego County District Attorney's Office Law Enforcement Quarterly, Summer 2017 under the title A Landmark Case: Unlawful Business Practices Land [...]

Purpose: The PEDI-CAT mobility domain (PEDI-mob) is a parent-reported measure of mobility for children up to 21 years of age. The purpose of this research is to investigate the relationship between the PEDI-mob and Gross Motor Function Measure (GMFM)-66 and Gross Motor Function Classification Scale (GMFCS) levels. Methods: Fifty-seven children (N = 57), ages 2–8.8 years participated. PEDI-mob and GMFM were administered and GMFCS was confirmed during the same session. A Pearson correlation coefficient was calculated for PEDI-mob and GMFM-66 scores to evaluate the association between these two measures. An ANOVA was used to analyze PEDI-mob across GMFCS levels. Results: Large, statistically significant correlation was found between PEDI-mob and GMFM-66 scores (r = 0.894, p-value<0.001). Differences in PEDI-mob scores were found across GMFCS levels (p-value <0.001), where patients with higher GMFCS levels had lower PEDI-mob scores. Conclusion: These results support a strong relationship between parent-reported and clinically measured motor function. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Computer science as a discipline faces challenges in recruiting students, particularly young women, who have been underrepresented from the United States' economically stressed areas (e.g. African American, Latina, and Native American) continue to remain in the minority of the computer science population. One of the many explanations for this disparity is culturally irrelevant computer science activities that fail to consider women's intersecting cultural identities or potential for making a social impact through their innovations. We attended to these issues by designing and implementing culturally responsive computer science exercises for a multimedia program, entitled COMPUGIRLS, targeting adolescent girls (ages 13-18) from the United States' under resourced settings. This case study describes COMPUGIRLS' original iteration, the curriculum design, and the lessons learned in embedding a discipline that historically has not considered cultural issues or social justice within a framework that prioritizes these concepts - a culturally responsive framework. In the end, we consider how instructors might adopt and adapt our process and exercises for various underprivileged communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To compare efficacy of constraint-induced movement therapy (Baby-CIMT) with bimanual therapy (Baby-BIM) in infants at high risk of unilateral cerebral palsy., Study Design: This was a single-blind, randomized-comparison-trial that had the following inclusion criteria: (1) asymmetric brain lesion (2) absent fidgety General Movements, (3) Hammersmith Infant Neurological Examination below cerebral palsy cut-points, (4) entry at 3-9 months of corrected age, and (5) >3-point difference between hands on Hand Assessment Infants (HAI). Infants were randomized to Baby-CIMT or Baby-BIM, which comprised 6-9 months of home-based intervention. Daily dose varied from 20 to 40 minutes according to age (total 70-89.2 hours). Primary outcome measure was the HAI after intervention, with secondary outcomes Mini-Assisting Hand Assessment and Bayley III cognition at 24 months of corrected age., Results: In total, 96 infants (51 male, 52 right hemiplegia) born median at 37-weeks of gestation were randomized to Baby-CIMT (n = 46) or Baby-BIM (n = 50) and commenced intervention at a mean 6.5 (SD 1.6) months corrected age. There were no between group differences immediately after intervention on HAI (mean difference [MD] 0.98 HAI units, 95% CI 0.94-2.91; P = .31). Both groups demonstrated significant clinically important improvements from baseline to after intervention (Baby-BIM MD 3.48, 95% CI 2.09-4.87; Baby-CIMT MD 4.42, 95% CI 3.07-5.77). At 24 months, 64 infants were diagnosed with unilateral cerebral palsy (35 Baby-CIMT, 29 Baby-BIM). Infants who entered the study between 3 and 6 months of corrected age had greater change in HAI Both Hands Sum Score compared with those who entered at ≥6 months of corrected age (MD 7.17, 95% CI 2.93-11.41, P = .001)., Conclusions: Baby-CIMT was not superior to Baby-BIM, and both interventions improved hand development. Infants commencing intervention at <6 months corrected age had greater improvements in hand function., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest This study is funded by the Australian National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC project grant no. 1078877). The NHMRC has provided people support for the following team members: a Research Fellowship (RB, 1105038) Early Career Fellowship (KW, 631712). ACE was supported by Swedish Research Council (grant nos. 521-211-2655 and 521-2011-456), Stockholm City Council (2011-2117), Foundation Olle Engkvist Byggmästare and Foundation Frimurarna Barnhuset., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)