Cognitive Aptitude Research Articles

Uncovering principal factors influencing english performance in Chinese middle school students: a statistical and machine learning approach

This study delves into the predictors of English proficiency among middle school students in China, utilizing the rich dataset provided by the China Education Panel Survey (CEPS). By integrating multilevel modeling and Support Vector Regression (SVR), this research scrutinizes a broad spectrum of factors at the individual, family, class, and school levels. Key predictors identified include students’ native language proficiency (Chinese), cognitive aptitude, perceptions of English difficulty, attitudes toward English teachers, and parental involvement. The findings emphasize the significant impact of individual and family-level variables on English proficiency, highlighting the critical role of these modifiable factors (i.e. individual-level factors, such as students’ native language proficiency and perceptions and attitudes towards the English subject). The comparative analysis demonstrates that while both multilevel models and SVR offer valuable insights, their combined application yields a more comprehensive understanding of the predictors and their interactions. This dual-method approach showcases the potential of integrating multilevel modeling with support vector regression to enhance educational research, thereby informing policy and practice. The study’s insights are vital for developing targeted educational strategies and policies to support bilingual learners in China, ultimately improving language proficiency and educational outcomes.

Relationship Between Critical Thinking Skills and Mental Health Status Among University Students

This research delves into the intricate relationship between critical thinking skills and mental health status among university students in Selangor, presenting a nuanced exploration of the dynamic interplay between cognitive aptitude and emotional well-being. Employing a one-stage cluster random sampling method, 132 third-year students participated in the study, contributing to a nuanced understanding of this symbiotic relationship. The research utilized established measures to assess critical thinking skills and mental health status, revealing a noteworthy high level of critical thinking skills among participants. Concurrently, the mental health status was identified as moderate, highlighting potential areas for targeted intervention. Correlation analysis uncovered a significant negative relationship between critical thinking skills and mental health status, suggesting that heightened critical thinking abilities are associated with improved mental well-being. This implies that students with advanced critical thinking skills are likely to experience fewer mental health issues. The study's implications extend comprehensively to stakeholders, emphasizing the need for a holistic approach to student development. Students gain self-awareness, educators learn strategies to enhance students' mental health, and mental health professionals can target interventions more effectively. Parents, as key supporters, are empowered with insights to guide their children's academic and emotional journey. Policymakers can use the findings to advocate for comprehensive mental health programs within educational institutions. In conclusion, this study contributes to the growing body of knowledge by revealing the intricate relationship between critical thinking and mental health among university students, signalling the need for collaborative efforts to nurture a balanced and resilient student population

Digital computerised cognitive training for preventing cognitive decline among hypertensive patients: a study protocol for a multicentre randomised controlled trial (DELIGHT trial)

IntroductionMild cognitive impairment (MCI) is an important intervenable stage for the prevention of dementia. Hypertension is associated with impaired cognition, and when combined with MCI, it may lead to a...

Exploring Successful Cognitive Aging: Insights Regarding Brain Structure, Function, and Demographics.

In the realm of cognitive science, the phenomenon of "successful cognitive aging" stands as a hallmark of individuals who exhibit cognitive abilities surpassing those of their age-matched counterparts. However, it is paramount to underscore a significant gap in the current research, which is marked by a paucity of comprehensive inquiries that deploy substantial sample sizes to methodically investigate the cerebral biomarkers and contributory elements underpinning this cognitive success. It is within this context that our present study emerges, harnessing data derived from the UK Biobank. In this study, a highly selective cohort of 1060 individuals aged 65 and above was meticulously curated from a larger pool of 17,072 subjects. The selection process was guided by their striking cognitive resilience, ascertained via rigorous evaluation encompassing both generic and specific cognitive assessments, compared to their peers within the same age stratum. Notably, the cognitive abilities of the chosen participants closely aligned with the cognitive acumen commonly observed in middle-aged individuals. Our study leveraged a comprehensive array of neuroimaging-derived metrics, obtained from three Tesla MRI scans (T1-weighted images, dMRI, and resting-state fMRI). The metrics included image-derived phenotypes (IDPs) that addressed grey matter morphology, the strength of brain network connectivity, and the microstructural attributes of white matter. Statistical analyses were performed employing ANOVA, Mann-Whitney U tests, and chi-square tests to evaluate the distinctive aspects of IDPs pertinent to the domain of successful cognitive aging. Furthermore, these analyses aimed to elucidate lifestyle practices that potentially underpin the maintenance of cognitive acumen throughout the aging process. Our findings unveiled a robust and compelling association between heightened cognitive aptitude and the integrity of white matter structures within the brain. Furthermore, individuals who exhibited successful cognitive aging demonstrated markedly enhanced activity in the cerebral regions responsible for auditory perception, voluntary motor control, memory retention, and emotional regulation. These advantageous cognitive attributes were mirrored in the health-related lifestyle choices of the surveyed cohort, characterized by elevated educational attainment, a lower incidence of smoking, and a penchant for moderate alcohol consumption. Moreover, they displayed superior grip strength and enhanced walking speeds. Collectively, these findings furnish valuable insights into the multifaceted determinants of successful cognitive aging, encompassing both neurobiological constituents and lifestyle practices. Such comprehensive comprehension significantly contributes to the broader discourse on aging, thereby establishing a solid foundation for the formulation of targeted interventions aimed at fostering cognitive well-being among aging populations.

Analysis of Students Scientific Reasoning Ability and the Correlation to Students Cognitive Ability in Physics Learning

This study aims to identify students scientific reasoning ability in Palu city and the correlation between students’ scientific reasoning abilities and their cognitive aptitude within the context of physics education. In this study, we adopted a descriptive quantitative research method where the respondents consist of four high schools in Palu city, namely SMAN 1, SMAN 7, SMAN 6, and SMAN 4 Palu. An instrument by Lawson (LCSTR) was adapted for this study and it consist of 12 items two tier multiple-choice that contains conservation of mass and volume, proportional thinking, control of variables, probabilistic thinking, correlational thinking, and hypothetical deductive reasoning. Meanwhile, for the cognitive understanding test, we utilized a static fluid concept comprehension test. The findings of this research using SPSS to analyzed find that Pearson correlation coefficient is 0,54 that revealed significant correlations between students’ scientific reasoning abilities and their cognitive aptitude in the context of physics learning. These correlations provided valuable insights into how these components influence each other and impact students’ performance and achievement in physics. The study’s result has implications for educators as a reference in the selection of models and methods of physics learning appropriate to train and develop students scientific reasoning skills.

Recent advances in genetic etiology of non-syndromic deafness in children

Congenital auditory impairment is a prevalent anomaly observed in approximately 2–3 per 1,000 infants. The consequences associated with hearing loss among children encompass the decline of verbal communication, linguistic skills, educational progress, social integration, cognitive aptitude, and overall well-being. Approaches to reversing or preventing genetic hearing loss are limited. Patients with mild and moderate hearing loss can only use hearing aids, while those with severe hearing loss can only acquire speech and language through cochlear implants. Both environmental and genetic factors contribute to the occurrence of congenital hearing loss, and advancements in our understanding of the pathophysiology and molecular mechanisms underlying hearing loss, coupled with recent progress in genetic testing techniques, will facilitate the development of innovative approaches for treatment and screening. In this paper, the latest research progress in genetic etiology of non-syndromic deafness in children with the highest incidence is summarized in order to provide help for personalized diagnosis and treatment of deafness in children.

Sustained selective attention in adolescence: Cognitive development and predictors of distractibility at school

Despite much research into the development of attention in adolescence, mixed results and between-task differences have precluded clear conclusions regarding the relative early or late maturation of attention abilities. Moreover, although adolescents constantly face the need to pay attention at school, it remains unclear whether laboratory measures of attention can predict their ability to sustain attention focus during lessons. Therefore, here we devised a task that was sensitive to measure both sustained and selective attention and tested whether task measures could predict adolescents’ levels of inattention during lessons. In total, 166 adolescents (aged 12–17 years) and 50 adults performed a sustained selective attention task, searching for letter targets while ignoring salient yet entirely irrelevant distractor faces, under different levels of perceptual load—an established determinant of attention in adults. Inattention levels during a just preceding classroom lesson were measured using a novel self-report classroom distractibility checklist. The results established that sustained attention (measured with response variability) continued to develop throughout adolescence across perceptual load levels. In contrast, there was an earlier maturation of the effect of perceptual load on selective attention; load modulation of distractor interference was larger in the early adolescence period compared with later periods. Both distractor interference and response variability were significant unique predictors of distractibility in the classroom, including when controlling for interest in the lesson and cognitive aptitude. Overall, the results demonstrate divergence of development of sustained and selective attention in adolescence and establish both as significant predictors of attention in the important educational setting of school lessons.

EXPLORING PROJECT-BASED LEARNING FOR YOUNG LEARNERS IN ENGLISH EDUCATION

This research endeavors to bridge the existing gap in the literature by investigating the implementation of Project-Based Learning (PBL) in English education for young learners and its influence on their language acquisition and critical thinking abilities. Employing a mixed-methods approach, this study combines quantitative analysis of language proficiency tests with qualitative exploration of student perspectives and teacher insights to unveil the transformative potential of PBL in facilitating comprehensive language development and fostering essential cognitive competencies in young learners. The research findings offer compelling evidence that PBL serves as an effective instructional strategy, holding promise in augmenting language proficiency and nurturing vital cognitive aptitudes among young English learners. These valuable insights contribute to the advancement of educational practices and inspire innovative approaches to language teaching, ultimately empowering young learners to become confident communicators and astute critical thinkers in today's interconnected global landscape.

Some Knowns and Unknowns About Developing Cognitive Excellence: History, Research Methods, Policy, and Politics

Starting from an appreciation of history, this article considers aspects on developing cognitive excellence in the context of core tensions and themes surrounding gifted education that continue to be relevant to present scholarship and society. We discuss some of the knowns and unknowns regarding cognitive talent development in the context of history, research methods, policy, and politics with a focus on the intersection between the fields of gifted education and cognitive aptitudes in the U.S. with novel considerations for advances in methodology.

Emotionally Loaded Visual Stimuli to Alter Brain Arousal: A Flicker Fusion Study

Background: Human brain performance and arousal are still challenging and critical, especially in environments such as power plants. Since different emotions are common in daily work life and have inevitable effects on cognitive performance, it is important to evaluate whether emotional interventions can alter brain arousal. Poor cognitive performance in control room operators (CROs) can lead to mental fatigue and affect their cognitive emotion regulation. To address this issue, flicker fusion frequency (FFF) was employed as a simple and reproducible surrogate index for mental fatigue. Objectives: This study aimed to investigate whether emotionally loaded visual stimuli can alter brain arousal (brain fatigue) or is associated with cognitive emotion regulation (CER) ability. Methods: Flicker fusion frequency was assessed by RT-961, and the International Affective Picture System (IAPS) was adopted as the picture database of stimuli. Additionally, the Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (CERQ) was used to determine the participants’ cognitive emotion CER ability. Twenty volunteer CROs from Fars Combined Cycle Power Plant participated in this study. After completing the CERQ, they were assessed at 2 different time points (ie, before and after presenting emotional stimuli). Flicker fusion frequency was assessed 20 times at each round, and the average frequency was recorded. Emotionally loaded images were considered as stimuli. The stimuli sets were classified based on their arousal levels and valences, yet they were presented in random order. Subjects were exposed to each image for 5 seconds (30 minutes in total). Results: The participants’ mean age was 39.55 ± 7.02 years. The first and second FFFs were 42.15 ± 3.90 and 41.96 ± 3.98 in the appropriate group and 42.82 ± 3.59 and 42.26 ± 4.07 in the inappropriate group. Based on the statistical tests, there were no significant relationships between the measurements (P > 0.05). Conclusions: Control room operators may positively maintain their brain arousal during specific emotional stimuli when the intervention lasts less than 30 minutes. Considering the prolonged working hours in such industries (roughly over 8 hours a day) and the importance of cognitive aptitude in preventing work-related errors, we propose this line of research to gain momentum.

A biologically informed polygenic score of neuronal plasticity moderates the association between cognitive aptitudes and cortical thickness in adolescents

Although many studies of the adolescent brain identified positive associations between cognitive abilities and cortical thickness, little is known about mechanisms underlying such brain-behavior relationships. With experience-induced plasticity playing an important role in shaping the cerebral cortex throughout life, it is likely that some of the inter-individual variations in cortical thickness could be explained by genetic variations in relevant molecular processes, as indexed by a polygenic score of neuronal plasticity (PGS-NP). Here, we studied associations between PGS-NP, cognitive abilities, and thickness of the cerebral cortex, estimated from magnetic resonance images, in the Saguenay Youth Study (SYS, 533 females, 496 males: age=15.0 ± 1.8 years of age; cross-sectional), and the IMAGEN Study (566 females, 556 males; between 14 and 19 years; longitudinal). Using Gene Ontology, we first identified 199 genes implicated in neuronal plasticity, which mapped to 155,600 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). Second, we estimated their effect sizes from an educational attainment meta-GWAS to build a PGS-NP. Third, we examined a possible moderating role of PGS-NP in the relationship between performance intelligence quotient (PIQ), and its subtests, and the thickness of 34 cortical regions.In SYS, we observed a significant interaction between PGS-NP and object assembly vis-à-vis thickness in male adolescents (p = 0.026). A median-split analysis showed that, in males with a ‘high’ PGS-NP, stronger associations between object assembly and thickness were found in regions with larger age-related changes in thickness (r = 0.55, p = 0.00075). Although the interaction between PIQ and PGS-NP was non-significant (p = 0.064), we performed a similar median-split analysis. Again, in the high PGS-NP males, positive associations between PIQ and thickness were observed in regions with larger age-related changes in thickness (r = 0.40, p = 0.018). In the IMAGEN cohort, we did not replicate the first set of results (interaction between PGS-NP and cognitive abilities via-a-vis cortical thickness) while we did observe the same relationship between the brain-behaviour relationship and (longitudinal) changes in cortical thickness (Matrix reasoning: r = 0.63, p = 6.5e-05). No statistically significant results were observed in female adolescents in either cohort. Overall, these cross-sectional and longitudinal results suggest that molecular mechanisms involved in neuronal plasticity may contribute to inter-individual variations of cortical thickness related to cognitive abilities during adolescence in a sex-specific manner.

Potential Elements for Development of a Versatile Cognitive Function Screening Tool

Cognitive function screening tools are so useful in detection of cognitive impairment resulted from both neurodegenerative, non-neurodegenerative, neurodevelopmental and non-neurodevelopmental disorders. Moreover, it is also used as cognitive aptitude tests or general cognitive ability tests in non-clinical settings such as in various recruitment processes. However, most of the cognitive function screening tools (CFST) available now is highly subjective and don’t encompass a wide range of cognitive biomarkers and also don’t apply a wide range of cognitive reagents. Whether cognitive function screening tools are pen-paper basedor digital, these essential elements have to be taken into consideration to ensure versatility, efficacy and accuracy of cognitive function screening tools. The same principle can be applied in development of cognitive function training tools (CFTT) that can potentially provide effective cognitive rehabilitation. A dual-functional model has been proposed and demonstrated that can potentially be used in pre-clinical and non-clinical settings.

Effect of a vestibular-stimulating training program on motor skills in conjunction with cognitive aptitude of young school-aged children

IntroductionThe current study was conducted to evaluate the effects of the Minds-in-Motion Maze program on motor and cognitive abilities in school-aged children.MethodsThe experimental design used was a randomised controlled trial. Participants, belonging to a public primary school, were 100 young children (50% boys) ranging from 6.00 to 8.50 years old (7.32 ± 0.82 years in average). They were randomly assigned to experimental and control groups (50 subjects/each), and two dropped out from each group. While the control group received unstructured physical activity, the children in the experimental group engaged in the Minds-in- Motion Maze vestibular stimulation program (24 weeks of a 30-minute structured PA on a daily basis). A pre- and post-test were conducted to evaluate the performance in motor skills and cognitive ability using the Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor ProficiencyTM Second Edition, complete form and Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children, Fourth Edition.ResultsThe analysed data indicated that engaging in Minds-in-Motion Maze activities positively influenced the motor and cognitive abilities among the children. The between-group analysis exhibited strong significant improvement in the experimental group compared to the control group (p < 0.05), which did not show significant development. Boys outperformed girls on most tests, notably as age increased. The within-groups analysis (experimental group) demonstrated significant differences in the post-intervention gains of all motor and cognitive parameters (p < 0.05).ConclusionsTaken together, the current results reinforce causal evidence for the effects of Minds- in-Motion Maze based physical activity on improving both motor skills and cognitive aptitude in school-aged children.

Inspecting human evolution from a cave. Late Neanderthals and early sapiens at Grotta di Fumane: present state and outlook.

Of the many critical phases of human evolution, one of the most investigated is the transition from the Middle to the Upper Palaeolithic with the pivotal bio-cultural substitution of Neanderthals by Homo sapiens in Western Eurasia. The complexity of this over ten thousands years phase raises from the ensemble of evidence ascribed to the diverse adaptations expressed by Neanderthals and the first representatives of our species. In countless archaeological records Neanderthals left clear traces of a cultural variability dotted with innovations in the technology of stone and bone tools, alongside with manifestations in the range of the symbolic sphere. Together with other aspects of daily life, this evidence contributes shedding light on the cognitive aptitudes of those hominins and reassessing gaps in Pleistocene human diversities. Among archaeological contexts, the cave of Fumane in the Monti Lessini (Veneto Pre-Alps, northeastern Italy) is a key site. It is positioned along the potential trajectory of hominins moving into southern Europe from eastern and southeastern regions and includes a finely layered sedimentary sequence with cultural layers ascribed to the Mousterian, Uluzzian, Aurignacian and Gravettian. The ensemble constitutes one of the most complete, detailed and dated continental stratigraphic series from a segment of the late Pleistocene between 50 and 30 ka cal BP in a cave context of Southern Europe. Assessments based on sedimentological and palaeontological record provide indicators for framing Neanderthals in their respective ecological contexts since the late Middle Pleistocene until their demise during MIS3. On-going research is producing data ascribable to the human ecological relations and the interaction with specific natural resources, thus contributing to shed light on the complexity of Neanderthal behavior. Thanks to the high-resolution archaeological record of the earliest appearances of Homo sapiens, Fumane also provides clues to compare life, subsistence, and cultures between these Pleistocene hominins for comprehensive reasonings on our unicity.

Parietal Alpha Oscillations: Cognitive Load and Mental Toughness.

Cognitive effort is intrinsically linked to task difficulty, intelligence, and mental toughness. Intelligence reflects an individual’s cognitive aptitude, whereas mental toughness (MT) reflects an individual’s resilience in pursuing success. Research shows that parietal alpha oscillations are associated with changes in task difficulty. Critically, it remains unclear whether parietal alpha oscillations are modulated by intelligence and MT as a personality trait. We examined event-related (de)synchronization (ERD/ERS) of alpha oscillations associated with encoding, retention, and recognition in the Sternberg task in relation to intelligence and mental toughness. Eighty participants completed the Sternberg task with 3, 4, 5 and 6 digits, Raven Standard Progressive Matrices test and an MT questionnaire. A positive dependence on difficulty was observed for all studied oscillatory effects (t = −8.497, p < 0.001; t = 2.806, p < 0.005; t = −2.103, p < 0.05). The influence of Raven intelligence was observed for encoding-related alpha ERD (t = −2.02, p = 0.049). The influence of MT was observed only for difficult conditions in recognition-related alpha ERD (t = −3.282, p < 0.005). Findings indicate that the modulation of alpha rhythm related to encoding, retention and recognition may be interpreted as correlates of cognitive effort modulation. Specifically, results suggest that effort related to encoding depends on intelligence, whereas recognition-related effort level depends on mental toughness.

Analysis of Heart Rate Variability and Game Performance in Normal and Cognitively Impaired Elderly Subjects Using Serious Games

Cognitive decline is one of the primary concerns in the elderly population. Serious games have been used for different purposes related to elderly care, such as physical therapy, cognitive training and mood management. There has been scientific evidence regarding the relationship between cognition and the autonomic nervous system (ANS) through heart rate variability (HRV). This paper explores the changes in the ANS among elderly people of normal and impaired cognition through measured HRV. Forty-eight subjects were classified into two groups: normal cognition (NC) (n = 24) and mild cognitive impairment (MCI) (n = 24). The subjects went through the following experiment flow: rest for 3 min (Rest 1), play a cognitive aptitude game (Game 1), rest for another 3 min (Rest 2), then play two reaction-time games (Game 2&amp;3). Ten HRV features were extracted from measured electrocardiography (ECG) signals. Based on statistical analysis, there was no significant difference on the HRV between the two groups, but the experiment sessions do have a significant effect. There was no significant interaction between sessions and cognitive status. This implies that the HRV between the two groups have no significant difference, and they will experience similar changes in their HRV regardless of their cognitive status. Based on the game performance, there was a significant difference between the two groups of elderly people. Tree-based pipeline optimization tool (TPOT) was used for generating a machine learning pipeline for classification. Classification accuracy of 68.75% was achieved using HRV features, but higher accuracies of 83.33% and 81.20% were achieved using game performance or both HRV and game performance features, respectively. These results show that HRV has the potential to be used for detection of mild cognition impairment, but game performance can yield better accuracy. Thus, serious games have the potential to be used for assessing cognitive decline among the elderly.

Specific cognitive aptitudes and gifted samples

This paper explores the way in which the literatures on gifted education and specific cognitive aptitudes can be better integrated and inform one another to advance scientific knowledge. We first briefly review evidence accumulated to date on specific cognitive aptitudes and gifted samples and then explore what might be usefully investigated in the future. We consider measurement issues, value for applied uses of tests, specific cognitive aptitudes beyond what has been focused on to date and conclude with a discussion surrounding cross-field integration using the totality of evidence and consideration of policy. Continued research and better integration of research evidence across domains and translation to policy and practice might correspondingly improve basic scientific understanding of cognitive aptitudes.

Student Characteristics, Institutional Factors, and Outcomes in Higher Education and Beyond: An Analysis of Standardized Test Scores and Other Factors at the Institutional Level with School Rankings and Salary.

When seeking to explain the eventual outcomes of a higher education experience, do the personal attributes and background factors students bring to college matter more than what the college is able to contribute to the development of the student through education or other institutional factors? Most education studies tend to simply ignore cognitive aptitudes and other student characteristics—in particular the long history of research on this topic—since the focus is on trying to assess the impact of education. Thus, the role of student characteristics has in many ways been underappreciated in even highly sophisticated quantitative education research. Conversely, educational and institutional factors are not as prominent in studies focused on cognitive aptitudes, as these fields focus first on reasoning capacity, and secondarily on other factors. We examine the variance in student outcomes due to student (e.g., cognitive aptitudes) versus institutional characteristics (e.g., teachers, schools). At the level of universities, two contemporary U.S. datasets are used to examine the proportion of variance accounted for in various university rankings and long-run salary by student cognitive characteristics and institutional factors. We find that depending upon the ways the variables are entered into regression models, the findings are somewhat different. We suggest some fruitful paths forward which might integrate the methods and findings showing that teachers and schools matter, along with the broader developmental bounds within which these effects take place.

The impact of the SMART program on cognitive and academic skills: A systematic review and meta‐analysis

AbstractOnline interventions promoted to enhance cognitive ability hold great appeal for their potential positive impact in social, employment, and educational domains. Cognitive training programs have, thus far, not been shown to influence performance on tests of general cognitive aptitude. Strengthening Mental Abilities with Relational Training (SMART) is an online program that claims to raise intelligence quotient (IQ). This systematic review and meta‐analysis evaluates the effect of SMART on indices of cognitive aptitude and academic performance. The review protocol was registered at PROSPERO (CRD42019132404). A systematic literature search of bibliographic databases (ERIC, PsycINFO, PubMed, Applied Social Sciences Index and Abstracts, Scopus, Proquest Psychology) identified five studies (N = 195) that met the criterion for inclusion. The risk of bias was assessed using the Cochrane Collaboration Risk of Bias ‘RoB 2’ tool. Overall, there was a moderate impact of SMART on measures of nonverbal IQ (g = 0.57, 95% CI [0.24, 0.89]). There was insufficient evidence to determine the impact of SMART on any other domain. All studies included in the review were judged to be at a high risk of bias for their primary outcome. Despite the methodological limitations of published studies to date, these initial findings suggest that a large‐scale study of SMART is warranted. Practitioner notesWhat is already known about this topic SMART is a popular, commercially available online program that claims to improve cognitive skills in children. A number of controlled trials have investigated the efficacy of SMART and reported positive findings. There are no existing systematic reviews or meta‐analyses of the literature for this intervention. What this paper adds The present study represents the first systematic review and meta‐analysis of the effect of SMART on cognitive and educational outcomes. We identified five trials that met the criteria for inclusion in the review. All five studies were rated as having a high risk of bias using the Cochrane Collaboration Risk of Bias tool. We calculated a moderate overall impact of SMART on measures of nonverbal IQ. There was insufficient evidence to determine the impact of SMART in any other cognitive or educational domain. Implications for practice and/or policy Practitioners and/or teachers can use the review to inform their decisions about adopting SMART as an online educational tool. While the current findings are encouraging, the number of controlled trials conducted on SMART is small and the studies have a number of significant methodological limitations. We recommend that SMART be evaluated with larger and more robustly designed trials.

What Longitudinal Research and Large-Scale Population Representative Studies Can Tell Us About Gifted Students and Education Policy 50 Years After the Marland Report

The Marland Report included many correct observations about gifted education. Some findings, for example, were based on Project Talent, a large‐scale population representative longitudinal study of the US high school population. This paper uses the intersection of cognitive aptitudes and gifted education as a framework and synthesizes studies using prospective longitudinal data from numerous sources. Additional retrospective data on US high achievers are reviewed, as are longitudinal findings from other countries. All these sources will be used to reevaluate a selected set of claims made in the Marland Report. Specifically, we explore (a) the definition and understanding of gifted students; (b) the identification of and longitudinal research on gifted students; and (c) we briefly discuss the context of the Marland Report in the wider history of education policy and reform in the US, including how to best support talented students using information from the field of education policy.