Costs and benefits of dropout schedules of test–restudy practice: Implications for student learning

Background: Many studies have been conducted on tutor performance in problem-based curricula. In the past, the implicit assumption behind these studies was that tutor performance is a relatively stable characteristic. More recent studies demonstrate that a tutor's performance may be dependent on other circumstances, such as the level of structure in the curricular materials. The aim of this study was to investigate whether a tutor's performance is also dependent on the tutorial group's productivity. Purpose: The idea is that low-productive tutorial groups require much more input from a tutor than high-productive groups. In the problem-based curriculum under investigation, most tutors guide 2 tutorial groups within the same unit. A salient finding in this problem-based curriculum was that some tutors who guide 2 tutorial groups within the same unit have discrepancies in their tutor performance across the 2 groups. This finding might be explained by differences in both tutorial groups. In this study, first the scope of the discrepancy phenomena was studied. Second, the relation between the tutor's performance and the tutorial group's productivity was studied. Methods: The data set for this study included 136 tutors who, in total, ran 272 tutorial groups (each tutor ran 2 groups per unit). The analyses were conducted at the tutorial group level. Students were asked to judge the performance of their tutor. Low, medium, and high levels of tutor performance were distinguished. Tutors who were qualified as "low level of performance" in one tutorial group and "medium level of performance" in the other tutorial group were considered to have a discrepancy in their tutor performance: "discrepancy tutors." The same holds for tutors with medium level of performance in one group and high level of performance in the other group or low level of performance in one group and high level of performance in the other group. All other tutors were considered "nondiscrepancy tutors." The nondiscrepancy tutors had equal levels of performance in both groups: a low, medium, or high level. For each type of tutor (discrepancy tutors and nondiscrepancy tutors) the average tutorial group's productivity score was computed. Results: The results show that 39% of the tutors were classified as discrepancy tutors. In addition, it was found that a discrepancy tutor with a low level of tutor performance in one group also had a low productivity score in this group, whereas a high level of tutor performance corresponds with a high level of the tutorial group's productivity. Furthermore, the results show that nondiscrepancy tutors with a high level of tutor performance receive high tutor performance scores, irrespective of the tutorial group's level of productivity. Conclusions: These findings demonstrate that the tutorial group's productivity is another influencing factor in determining tutor performance. Low-productive groups require much more input from a tutor than high-productive groups. Nondiscrepancy tutors with consistent low levels of tutor performance and discrepancy tutors lack certain competencies that are needed when being confronted with a low-productive tutorial group. Nondiscrepancy tutors with a high level of tutor performance, on the contrary, know how to deal with low-productive tutorial groups, due to which their tutor performance is high irrespective of the tutorial group's productivity. Thus, a tutor's performance seems to be part tutor specific and part situation specific (i.e., dependent on the group's productivity).

When using response to intervention (RTI) for special education eligibility decisions, multidisciplinary teams (MDTs) may use performance level and rate of improvement (ROI) as two metrics when evaluating student responsiveness. Although examining student responsiveness to instruction is a critical component of an evaluation using RTI, previous research suggests that final level of performance is the main factor in MDT decisions. ROI is influenced by pre-intervention performance and is also inherently captured in students’ postintervention level, potentially limiting ROI's utility as a distinct indicator of performance. To address these issues with ROI, this study examined whether initial performance level and ROI improve actual MDT decisions about special education eligibility beyond the final level of performance. Results indicate that initial level of performance and ROI add no additional value to predicting MDT's eligibility decisions when using RTI despite identified students having significantly lower initial performance levels and lower ROIs than their nonidentified peers.

Applying the Science of Learning to Classroom Teaching: The Critical Importance of Aligning Learning with Testing

Utilizing multimedia tools such as videos and audio clips can be an effective way to promote student learning and engagement in online settings. This study explores the implementation of a photo-rich comprehensive counseling center environment through which students of a semester-long online graduate psychology class learned about important research methodology concepts. Student feedback is provided along with implications for student learning in future online course endeavors. This multimedia course design was the recipient of the 2013 Sloan-C Effective Practices Award.

Developmental coordination disorder (DCD) impacts occupational participation in adulthood, yet little is known about its multidimensional pattern (including objective and subjective dimensions). This study explores the participation patterns of adults with DCD. Fifty-five adults with DCD aged 21-35 (51% women) completed the young adults' daily activities participation scale. No consumer and community involvement were included in this study. Imbalanced patterns were noted, with a high frequency of participation but low levels of pleasure and performance in motor-related activities such as driving, cooking, and household-chores. Reduced frequency and low levels of performance, meaning, and pleasure were observed in fitness and sports, health management, shopping, bureaucratic and financial tasks, and spiritual or volunteering activities. Medium-low performance and low pleasure reported in most of the activities examined, except for interpersonal relationships and community and social life that reported with the highest level of performance, meaning, and pleasure. Individuals with DCD may face participation challenges during adulthood, highlighting their need for occupational therapy services. This study looked at how developmental coordination disorder (DCD) affects young adults' participation in their daily lives. The findings show that many adults with DCD have trouble with tasks like driving, finding their way, doing household chores, and taking care of themselves. However, even though they take part in social and leisure activities less often, they still enjoy these activities. Understanding these challenges can help create better support services and strategies for them. For example, occupational therapy can help people develop skills to perform daily tasks and enhance their enjoyment levels and confidence in performing these activities, leading to improved wellbeing.

The main purpose of this paper is to use the students' English learning situation on the Internet to formally evaluate the students' final English performance level. First of all, we introduce the concept of formative evaluation, and the principles of three kinds of data mining algorithms: naive Bayes classification, C4.5 decision tree, and Logistic regression; then, we use the student online learning data table to achieve the key calculation process of the above algorithm; Further, we use Matlab programming to predict the student's final grade level and compare the performance of each algorithm. Practice shows that, C4.5 performs better than Naive Bayes algorithm on predicting the four classifications of grades (great/good/medium/bad), but the accuracy is not very high; Naive Bayes performs better than the other two algorithms and has higher accuracy on predicting the two classifications of grades (good/bad). Considering the two factors of duration of online learning and number of submissions, the accuracy of the prediction has not been significantly improved. Therefore, there is no need to consider both in terms of this formative assessment. Formative assessment has a very important significance in teaching, and plays a key role in motivating students' learning and teacher guidance. According to the forecast results, it can provide some help and guidance for students' follow-up study, so as to improve students' learning effect.

The contextual interference (CI) approach has proposed that a random order of practice for motor skills is superior in facilitating learning compared to a blocked arrangement of practice trials. Two groups of physical education students learned sprint hurdles, employing either an increasing CI practice schedule (n = 23) or a blocked practice schedule (n = 23). In both the practice schedules, the same exercises were used in a different trial order during each learning session. Eleven practice sessions were conducted over a period of six weeks, with two days of practice per week. Ten and 40 days after the acquisition phase, a retention and transfer test were conducted. The results showed no differences between the two practice schedules during the retention tests. However, students practicing with an increasing CI arrangement performed better on the delayed transfer test compared to students which practiced with a blocked schedule. Specifically, the increasing CI group more effectively (p < 0.05) cleared the hurdles due to a lower take-off step angle and longer step length than the blocked practice group. Although utilizing an increase in CI during the learning phase of sprint hurdling produced more persistent learning effects relative to a traditional blocked practice schedule for adult novice learners, further research is warranted to explore the CI effect across a broader range of sport skills.

Testing the retrieval effort hypothesis: Does greater difficulty correctly recalling information lead to higher levels of memory?

The paper explores teachers’ language literacy practices in underprivileged, inner-city schools in Athens, Greece, and their implications for student learning and educational inclusion. The current developments of global/European and national education policy agendas on literacy and inclusion inform the research questions of the study. Bernstein’s theory of pedagogic discourse frames our analysis on the reproduction of social inequalities through schooling and informs our discussion on the discursive means and the pedagogic practices for their interruption. Findings, based on interview data and classroom observations, indicate that global discourses on inclusion, (re)articulated in the disadvantaged school settings of the study, invest the notion of inclusion with three different meanings: a. inclusion as assimilation and absorption into the dominant culture and society; b. inclusion as therapy for students’ emotional ‘traumas’; and c. inclusion as recognition of difference. We argue that these constructs of inclusion shape teaching practices that either promote or undermine student learning and empowerment.

When collaborative is not collaborative: Supporting student learning through self-surveillance

Context: Work-related stressors are a world phenomenon. It results in a variety of diseases or disorders in terms of physical, psychological, and behavioral. It is commonly associated with jobs that require a lot of direct interactions with clients such as nurses that could affect nurses' job performance and cause high costs for the hospital. A problem needs a sense of support from the organization.&#x0D; Aim: The present study was aimed to assess work-related stressors, coping strategies, and its relation to job performance and perceived organizational support among critical care nurses.&#x0D; Methods: The study was conducted at Critical Care Units at Benha University Hospital. Subjects: All staff nurses (235) who working at Critical Care Units at Benha University Hospital. A descriptive correlational design was utilized. Four tools were employed in this study, Work-Related Stressors Assessment Questionnaire, The Coping and Adaptation Processing Scale (CAPS), Nurses' job Performance evaluation (observational checklist), and Perceived Organizational Support Questionnaire.&#x0D; Results: This study's findings indicated that nearly three-fifths (60.4%) of staff nurses had a moderate level of the work-related stressor. Also, about two-thirds (63.90%) of them had a high level of coping strategies and, about two-thirds (65.90%) of staff nurses had a moderate level of perception of organizational support and nearly half (49.80%) of nurses had a low level of performance.&#x0D; Conclusions: The present study concluded that nurses reported a moderate perception level regarding work-related stressors and organizational support. While nurses reported a high level of coping strategies and a low level of job performance, there was a statistically significant negative correlation between the total score of work-related stressors and nurses' job performance. There was a statistically significant positive correlation between coping strategies and nurses' job performance. A statistically significant positive correlation was revealed between total perceived organizational support and total level of nurses' job performance. The study recommended that hospital administration organize seminars and workshops for nurses targeted at specific sources of stress like conflict resolution, workload, and time management. Efforts to improve nurses' performance must be performed, aiming to increase nurses' ability to complete tasks assigned to them through education and training.

This study presents findings on teacher educators’ practices in assessment and their implications for student learning in Tanzania. Research on classroom assessment has been dichotomizing assessment and teaching-learning processes instead of viewing assessment as an integral part of the teachinglearning process. It is against this background that this study delved into teacher educators’ practices in assessment and their implications for student learning in Tanzania. Data were collected using in-depth interviews and analysed using thematic coding. The findings show that teacher educators perceive assessment as a one-shot activity in terms of tests and examinations. Consequently, teaching, learning and assessment are performed disjointedly. Despite believing that learning is an active process, teachers predominantly use deductive teaching methods, which render students passive recipients of knowledge. It is concluded that although students need to see assessment as an essential measure of their learning and as an indication of opportunities for their improvement, teacher educators are still caught in a dilemma of either facilitating students’ meaningful learning or preparing students who can earn high grades. Keywords: Teacher education; Assessment for learning; Innovation

Previous research in motor learning has shown that random practice schedules facilitate retention and transfer of motor skills more than repetitive practice schedules. The purpose of this study was to investigate the generalizability of contextual interference effects. High school students (63 boys, 76 girls) from three physical education class periods were randomly assigned to one of three practice conditions, random, random-blocked, or blocked practice within a class period. Three teachers were randomly assigned to a practice group within a class period and taught a different practice condition each class period. There were nine groups with three practice groups per class period. Subjects practiced the volleyball forearm pass, set, or overhead serve for 30 trials every day for nine class periods. All subjects recorded scores for their practice trials each day during acquisition and were posttested after a 2-day retention interval. Analysis of variance indicated significant improvement in all groups but no significant effects of practice condition during acquisition or retention. These findings suggest that practice was long enough to produce change during acquisition. However, factors characteristic of physical education classes may reduce or mask contextual interference effects commonly observed in other settings.

Previous research in motor learning has shown that random practice schedules facilitate retention and transfer of motor skills more than repetitive practice schedules. The purpose of this study was to investigate the generalizability of contextual interference effects. High school students (63 boys, 76 girls) from three physical education class periods were randomly assigned to one of three practice conditions, random, random-blocked, or blocked practice within a class period. Three teachers were randomly assigned to a practice group within a class period and taught a different practice condition each class period. There were nine groups with three practice groups per class period. Subjects practiced the volleyball forearm pass, set, or overhead serve for 30 trials every day for nine class periods. All subjects recorded scores for their practice trials each day during acquisition and were posttested after a 2-day retention interval. Analysis of variance indicated significant improvement in all groups but no significant effects of practice condition during acquisition or retention. These findings suggest that practice was long enough to produce change during acquisition. However, factors characteristic of physical education classes may reduce or mask contextual interference effects commonly observed in other settings.

United Nations of Education Scientific and Cultural Organisation’s (UNESCO’s) founding statements about environmental education (EE) in the 1970s positioned it as a multidisciplinary field of inquiry. When enacted as such, it challenges traditional ways of organising secondary school education by academic subject areas. Equally, according to UNESCO, EE requires various forms of integrated and project-based teaching and learning approaches. These can involve hands-on experimentation alongside the retrieval and critical analysis of information from diverse sources and perspectives, and with different qualities and statuses. Multidisciplinary and knowledge engagement challenges are key considerations for an EE curriculum designed to harness information and communication technologies (ICT) to support and enhance student learning, which also challenge traditional instructional priorities that for example are largely based on textbooks. This review summarises research that has sought to integrate ICT and digital tools in EE. A key finding is that while there is a rich variety of such tools and applications available, there is far less research on their fit with and implications for student learning. The review calls for further studies that will provide models of productive forms of teaching and learning that harness ICT resources, particularly in developing the goals and methodologies of EE in the twenty-first century.