Key Cognitive Skills Research Articles

Dopaminergic Perturbation in the Aetiology of Neurodevelopmental Disorders.

Brain development may be influenced by both genetic and environmental factors, with potential consequences that may last through the lifespan. Alterations during neurogenesis are linked to neurodevelopmental cognitive disorders. Many neurotransmitters and their systems play a vital role in brain development, as most are present prior to synaptogenesis, and they are involved in the aetiology of many neurodevelopmental disorders. For instance, dopamine (DA) receptor expression begins at the early stages of development and matures at adolescence. The long maturation period suggests how important it is for the stabilisation and integration of neural circuits. DA and dopaminergic (DAergic) system perturbations have been implicated in the pathogenesis of several neurological and neuropsychiatric disorders. The DAergic system controls key cognitive and behavioural skills including emotional and motivated behaviour through DA as a neurotransmitter and through the DA neuron projections to major parts of the brain. In this review, we summarise the current understanding of the DAergic system's influence on neurodevelopment and its involvement in the aetiology and progression of major disorders of the developing brain including autism, schizophrenia, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, down syndrome, and fragile X syndrome.

CRITICAL THINKING AS A FACTOR IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF SOFT SKILLS

In this article we consider the problems of "critical thinking"as a cause of insufficient development of soft skills in high school students. In the course of theoretical analysis the concept and characteristics of critical thinking as a soft skill are established and different approaches to the development of critical thinking skills in high school students are outlined. Since critical thinking allows to guide and control the whole process of learning in school, including the independent development of students regarding the acquisition of not only knowledge, but also soft skills. The special connection between logic and creative thinking is noted. The main ways of developing critical thinking as a factor in the development of soft skills according to the Delphi model (Peter Facione) are outlined. The results of practical research based on the key cognitive skills have shown that the level of development of soft critical thinking skills is a necessary condition for the development of high school students, as soft critical thinking skills were developed in them during the experiment, albeit slightly (due to the use of modern techniques and methods of technology in the process of teaching and education), which determines the effectiveness of their further development. It is recommended to use in school education, in high schools, interactive techniques and methods of developing soft skills, while taking into account the age of students and their need to form critical thinking both for self-development and for the acquisition of other competencies.

A - 12 Investigating Relationships between Theory of Mind, Executive Functioning, and Adaptive Functioning in Non-Demented Older Adults.

Theory of mind (ToM) is a facet of social cognition that relies on the ability to infer the mental states of others and is a cognitive and emotional capacity that may become compromised in the context of neurodegeneration. This may put older adults at greater risk for financial exploitation or susceptibility to scams. We investigated relationships among executive functioning, financial capacity, and ToM in a sample of older adults who did not have a diagnosis of dementia. Participants were cognitively unimpaired or presented with subjective cognitive decline or mild cognitive impairment. As part of a comprehensive neuropsychological battery, participants completed the Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test (RMET), a measure of ToM in which participants view photos of the eye region of the face and select which social emotion they perceive to be depicted in each photo. Pearson correlations were calculated to test relationships among RMET performance and select measures of executive functioning (D-KEFS Trail Making Test 4, Letter Fluency) and basic financial skills (Financial Capacity Instrument, short form). Participants' (n = 72; M age = 75.36; M education = 15.676; 69% female) RMET performance was significantly associated with measures of executive functioning (r = 0.243, p = 0.041), mental flexibility (r = -0.283, p = 0.017), and financial skills (r = 0.291, p = 0.015). Capacity for ToM is linked with integrity of executive functioning skills and financial capacity in older adults with varying degrees of cognitive compromise. Older adults who demonstrate deficits in aspects of social cognition may be at risk for poor outcomes in key cognitive and adaptive skills in daily life.

Talking Together: The Effects of Traditional Māori Pedagogy on Children’s Early Literacy Development

This article presents findings from a project that sought to determine the effects of a home-based literacy intervention on bilingual (English and Te Reo Māori) preschool children’s early literacy skills. The culturally responsive intervention, which was adapted from Tender Shoots, incorporated traditional Māori teaching and learning approaches, such as the use of storytelling, songs, games, and reminiscing about the past, as practices for supporting key cognitive skills crucial to foundational literacy, specifically phonological awareness and vocabulary knowledge. Over a 12-week period, during which the intervention was conducted, data were gathered from eight Māori preschool children and their families. The study utilised a crossover design. Four children and their families participated in the Rich Reading and Reminiscing (RRR) component of the intervention, which ran for six weeks, followed by the Strengthening Sound Sensitivity (SSS) portion of the intervention. The remaining four children completed the intervention in the reverse order of delivery. The crossover approach established a control in the study and allowed the effects of each part of the intervention on the aforementioned cognitive skills to be more clearly revealed. Overall, the data indicate that traditional Māori pedagogical practices helped to strengthen the early literacy skills of the children participating in the study.

МЕТОДОЛОГІЧНИЙ КОМПОНЕНТ ПІЗНАВАЛЬНОЇ ДІЯЛЬНОСТІ У НАВЧАННІ ФІЗИКИ В НОВІЙ УКРАЇНСЬКІЙ ШКОЛІ

The article analyzes the content of the methodological component of students’ subject competence in the context of teaching physics in the New Ukrainian School. It is shown that the methodological component is an important component of subject competence, which is an integral characteristic of the subject of educational and cognitive activity, which includes knowledge, abilities, skills, attitudes, values, and orientations. The key cognitive skills that form the basis of the methodological component of subject competence and reflect the connection with the subject’s intellectual and heuristic sphere of cognitive activity, which unites creative qualities and abilities, are defined. It was established that the solution to the problem of effective formation of the methodological component of subject competence lies in the plane of effective combination of two functions of education: informative and illustrative and innovative and creative. The dialectical unity of reproductive and creative activity in education is an objective factor in achieving the desired result. One of the forms of realization of such unity is the dominant transformation of reproductive activity into creative activity. Creative cognitive activity is an effective mechanism for the formation of methodological knowledge, therefore the methodological component is an important factor in the design and organization of creative educational and cognitive activity in the context of the implementation of the competence approach in education.

Systematic Review of Mindfulness-Based Interventions in Child-Adolescent Population: A Developmental Perspective.

Human development implies deep changes in cognitive, attentional, emotional, and behavioral skills. Therefore, Mindfulness-Based Interventions (MBIs) should be adapted in terms of dose, frequency, kind of exercises, assessment methods, and expected effects regarding the abilities and limitations of each developmental period. The present review seeks to describe and compare MBIs characteristics, assessment methods, and effects in youth between 3 and 18 years old considering four developmental periods. A systematic review was carried out including experimental primary studies published during the last five years. Results show that the frequency of the sessions and program duration varies widely. Differences were observed in instructors’ training and in assessment strategies. Discrepancies were observed regarding the effects of MBIs both within and between periods in cognitive, socio-emotional, symptoms, and mindfulness variables. Consistency was observed in prosocial behaviors for preschoolers, and in emotional and behavioral problems and hyperactivity in ages between preschool and early adolescence. Nevertheless, it was impossible to compare most results and determine consistency or discrepancy due to the lack of studies. Regarding mindfulness, it is defined and assessed in different ways in each period. Orientations are suggested to move from a compartmentalized view of isolated MBIs, towards an integrative perspective that allows tracing developmental trajectories for mindfulness and other key cognitive and socioemotional skills for children and adolescents.

A Vocationally Focused Approach to Teaching Literacy in the 21st Century: A Vygotskian perspective

The overriding concern with economic crisis following Covid-19 pandemic meant that literacy education became narrowly defined as skills-for-employment. There have been attempted shifts towards a much more vocationally focused agenda, focusing on what is considered to be the key cognitive and workplace skills required for successful participation in the national economic development after the pandemic. Functional literacy links literacy with economic development, individual prosperity and vocational achievement. “The term ‘functional’ should be considered in the broad sense of providing learners with the skills and abilities they need to take an active and responsible role in their communities, everyday life, the workplace and educational settings. Functional English requires learners to communicate in ways that make them effective and involved as citizens, to operate confidently and to convey their ideas and opinions clearly (QCDA 2007). However, many young professionals with college degrees suffer an inability to use functional illiteracy, and this poses a threat to the country’s development. This paper suggests a model for teaching 21st century literacies in which new knowledge and skills necessary for successful adaptation to changing world are continuously acquired throughout life. It proposes a functional, vocationally-focused approach to education based on Vygotsky’s perspective on literacy in the 21st century in order to promote educational reform. This approach attempts to bridge the gap between disciplinary and practical knowledge integrating language and content within a CLIL methodology.

Connecting Community and Citizen Science to Stewardship Action Planning Through Scenarios Storytelling

Community and citizen science on climate change-influenced topics offers a way for participants to actively engage in understanding the changes and documenting the impacts. As in broader climate change education, a focus on the negative impacts can often leave participants feeling a sense of powerlessness. In large scale projects where participation is primarily limited to data collection, it is often difficult for volunteers to see how the data can inform decision making that can help create a positive future. In this paper, we propose and test a method of linking community and citizen science engagement to thinking about and planning for the future through scenarios story development using the data collected by the volunteers. We used a youth focused wild berry monitoring program that spanned urban and rural Alaska to test this method across diverse age levels and learning settings. Using qualitative analysis of educator interviews and youth work samples, we found that using a scenario stories development mini-workshop allowed the youth to use their own data and the data from other sites to imagine the future and possible actions to sustain berry resources for their communities. This process allowed youth to exercise key cognitive skills for sustainability, including systems thinking, futures thinking, and strategic thinking. The analysis suggested that youth would benefit from further practicing the skill of envisioning oneself as an agent of change in the environment. Educators valued working with lead scientists on the project and the experience for youth to participate in the interdisciplinary program. They also identified the combination of the berry data collection, analysis and scenarios stories activities as a teaching practice that allowed the youth to situate their citizen science participation in a personal, local and cultural context. The majority of the youth groups pursued some level of stewardship action following the activity. The most common actions included collecting additional years of berry data, communicating results to a broader community, and joining other community and citizen science projects. A few groups actually pursued solutions illustrated in the scenario stories. The pairing of community and citizen science with scenario stories development provides a promising method to connect data to action for a sustainable and resilient future.

The cognitive profile and text-based traits of struggling writers (El perfil cognitivo y los rasgos textuales de los escritores con dificultades)

ABSTRACT Writing difficulties have typically been investigated as the consequence of learning disabilities. However, several characteristics of texts and the underlying cognitive skills are often shared across these populations. Our aim was to investigate the writing and cognitive profile of children at risk of writing difficulties, regardless of whether they have concomitant diagnoses. Drawing from a sample of 357 primary school children, we identified children who showed low levels on a single writing component, such as handwriting (15), spelling (39) or text generation (17), and 11 children who showed difficulties across two or more components. We compared them to a typically developing group (50) on a series of writing features (e.g., spelling, vocabulary) and cognitive and linguistic skills (e.g., working memory, morphosyntax). Children who struggled with a single writing component showed difficulties also in other components. Children with multiple writing difficulties struggled with most writing features. All children displayed similar levels in key cognitive and linguistic skills. Our data thus present compelling evidence of children who struggle with writing, despite no obvious cognitive or linguistic impairments.

S0346 Prospective Pilot Study Evaluating Training in Per-Oral Endoscopic Myotomy (POEM) Using a Standardized Assessment Tool (STAT)

INTRODUCTION: In light of the increasing number of advanced endoscopy trainees (AETs) performing peroral endoscopic myotomy (POEM), standardization of competence assessment in POEM training is necessary. The aim of this pilot study was to develop a standardized assessment tool (STAT) to evaluate important cognitive and technical skills during POEM training. METHODS: Prospective single center pilot study evaluating advanced endoscopy trainee’s (AET) performance in POEM using the STAT. The tool was first designed by consensus opinion among expert POEM endoscopists, review of the literature and standardization to include key cognitive and technical skills (Figure 1). A 4-point scoring system was used to grade each endpoint. Global rating was provided using a 10-point scoring system. For pilot data analysis, competence was defined as a score of 3 or 4 for each endpoint and ≥7 for overall assessment. RESULTS: The AET’s POEM training was evaluated between July 2018 to Nov 2019. At baseline, the AET had cognitive and ex-vivo animal hands-on training (case volume 6) in POEM. During the first phase of his training in humans, the AET observed 22 cases performed by expert endoscopists followed by supervised limited hands-on participation in cases 23 through 40. The STAT was then introduced and used to evaluate his performance between cases 41 through 53. Competence in cognitive skills, such as identification of esophageal wall layers and the gastroesophageal junction during POEM, was achieved in 91.6% and 75% of the cases, respectively. From a technical standpoint, the AET demonstrated competence (score of ≥3) for all hands-on submucosal tunneling and myotomies during POEM cases 41 through 53. Conversely, both mucosal incision at the beginning of POEM and incision closure at the end of the procedure were technically more challenging, with the AET being graded as competent in only 63.6% and 66.6% of the cases, respectively. Overall competence in POEM (based on global rating) was attained in 83.3% of the cases. All POEM cases were successfully completed and there were no adverse events. CONCLUSION: Standardized evaluation of competence in POEM training is critical for quality assurance in patient care. Using the STAT, this pilot data demonstrated how competence is variable across different endpoints, and allows specific targeted feedback and monitoring of performance in various parameters. The POEM-STAT is currently being validated through an ongoing multicenter prospective trial.Figure 1.: Per Oral Endoscopic Myotomy Training Assessment Tool.

Early literacy and child wellbeing: Exploring the efficacy of a home-based literacy intervention on children’s foundational literacy skills

This paper reports on findings from a doctoral study that explored the efficacy of a home-based literacy intervention in advancing preschool children’s foundational literacy skills. Two key cognitive skills critical for early literacy success were examined in particular, those being phonological awareness, and elements of oral language, including vocabulary knowledge, which is the specific skill discussed in this paper. The intervention consisted of two main areas of focus – one, named Rich Reading and Reminiscing (RRR), concentrated on stimulating children’s oral language skills, and the other, called Stimulating Sound Sensitivity (SSS), aimed to generate shifts in children’s phonological awareness abilities. Data sets were gathered with eight children and their families over a twelve-week period, which corresponded with the duration of the intervention. A final set of data was collected six months after the intervention ceased. The study employed a crossover design, where four children and their families participated in the RRR component of the intervention, which ran for six weeks, followed by the SSS portion of the intervention. The remaining four children participated in the same parts of the intervention but in reverse order of delivery. The crossover approach established a control in the study, and allowed the effects of each part of the intervention on the children’s early literacy skills to be more clearly revealed. This paper reports on two children – one from each cohort – whose results are evidence of the efficacy of the intervention in advancing key aspects of children’s foundational literacy skills. Key Findings The children who participated in the RRR component of the intervention first showed improvements in vocabulary knowledge mid-intervention. Conversely, the children who participated in the SSS component first made gains in their phonological awareness skills before the other cohort of children did. These findings have implications for early childhood educators and families concerning the strategies adopted by these stakeholders which aim to foster strong cognitive skills critical for literacy success.

Diverse cognitive skills and team performance: A field experiment based on an entrepreneurship education program

Verbal and mathematical reasoning are key cognitive skills which individuals use throughout their lives to create economic value. We argue that individuals undertaking entrepreneurial tasks also draw on these skills, and we study how best these skills should be combined in entrepreneurial teams. To that purpose we conduct a randomized field experiment using data from the BizWorld entrepreneurship education program. Four different types of teams are created which differ in terms of their cognitive skill composition. Our results show that balanced skills are beneficial for a team’s venture performance only if it comes from within-person skill balance, and that combining team members with different skills in mixed teams does not compensate for a lack of members who individually possess balanced cognitive skills.

Cognitive deficits in childhood, adolescence and adulthood in 22q11.2 deletion syndrome and association with psychopathology

22q11.2 Deletion Syndrome (22q11.2DS) is associated with high risk of psychiatric disorders and cognitive impairment. It remains unclear to what extent key cognitive skills are associated with psychopathology, and whether cognition is stable over time in 22q11.2DS. 236 children, adolescents and adults with 22q11.2DS and 106 typically developing controls were recruited from three sites across Europe. Measures of IQ, processing speed, sustained attention, spatial working memory and psychiatric assessments were completed. Cognitive performance in individuals was calculated relative to controls in different age groups (children (6–9 years), adolescents (10–17 years), adults (18+ years)). Individuals with 22q11.2DS exhibited cognitive impairment and higher rates of psychiatric disorders compared to typically developing controls. Presence of Autism Spectrum Disorder symptoms was associated with greater deficits in processing speed, sustained attention and working memory in adolescents but not children. Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in children and adolescents and psychotic disorder in adulthood was associated with sustained attention impairment. Processing speed and working memory were more impaired in children and adults with 22q11.2DS respectively, whereas the deficit in sustained attention was present from childhood and remained static over developmental stages. Psychopathology was associated with cognitive profile of individuals with 22q11.2DS in an age-specific and domain-specific manner. Furthermore, magnitude of cognitive impairment differed by developmental stage in 22q11.2DS and the pattern differed by domain.

Разработка динамической веб-программы предметно-языкового курса на базе Google инструментов для развития устно-речевых медиативных умений студентов

The changing social demand as well as modern trends of education modernization in Russia, are aimed at organizing foreign language teaching in such a way as to train specialists who will possess not only all components of foreign language communication competence, but also who are able to carry out professional communication and act as mediators in difficult situations of communication in a foreign language. Content and language integrated learning (CLIL) due to its two-focused nature, provides an opportunity to cope with this task within one discipline. Web-based CLIL syllabus expands these possibilities for designing an educational online space in order to develop communicative and subject or professional competencies simultaneously. The purpose of this article is to describe the structure of web-based syllabus of the course “Political and Socio-Economic Systems of Canada and the United States in a Comparative Aspect” and to determine the didactic potential of some Google tools for designing web assignments and a web-based syllabus for the CLIL course. The article provides a comparative analysis of two educational standards of higher education in Russia, as well as an educational document of the Council of Europe to define some key cognitive skills that can be developed as part of CLIL course. The article also describes the structure of web-based CLIL syllabus created by the author in connection to the research.

Teaching heuristics and mnemonics to improve generation of differential diagnoses

ABSTRACT Background: Differential diagnosis (DDx) is one of the key cognitive skills that medical learners must develop. However, little is known regarding the best methods for teaching DDx skills. As metacognition plays a fundamental role in the diagnostic process, we hypothesized that the teaching of specific heuristics and mnemonics collectively termed metamemory techniques (MMTs) would enhance the capacity of medical students to generate differential diagnoses. Methods: In a 90-min DDx workshop, third-year medical students (N = 114) were asked to generate differentials before and after learning each of four MMTs. Differential sizes were compared using a linear mixed-effect model. Students also completed a post-session questionnaire which included a subjective ranking of the MMTs, as well as Likert-scale and free-text sections for course feedback. Results: One MMT (the Mental CT Scan, an anatomic visualization technique) significantly increased the size of student differentials (+13.3%, p =.0005). However, a marked cumulative increase across all four MMTs was noted (+36.5%, p <.0001). A majority of students ranked the Mental CT Scan the most useful MMT (51.5%). They found the workshop both worthwhile (4.51/5, CI 4.33–4.69) and enjoyable (4.33/5, CI 4.12–4.55), and considered the MMTs they learned useful and practical (4.49/5, CI 4.32–4.67). Conclusion: The MMT-based DDx workshop was effective in enhancing the skill of DDx generation, and was rated very favorably by students.

Children's Individual Differences in Executive Function and Theory of Mind in Relation to Prejudice Toward Social Minorities.

Executive function (EF) and theory of mind (ToM) are key cognitive skills for socio-emotional adjustment. Executive function develops considerably between 3 and 7 years of age, and fosters the development of social cognition skills such as ToM. Studies with adults have shown a link between EF and prejudice, as well as between empathy and prejudice. Moreover, the relationship between EF, cognitive and affective ToM and prejudice has barely been studied in children. In this study, we aimed at examining the relationship between individual differences in EF, cognitive and affective ToM and prejudice toward the Romany ethnic minority. We expected a positive association between EF and ToM skills, and a negative association between EF and prejudice. We also predicted a negative association between ToM and prejudice. A total of 86 preschool (5–6 years old, N = 43) and third-grade (8–9 years old, N = 43) children participated in the study. Results showed a negative relationship between EF and prejudice, as well as between affective ToM and prejudice, after controlling for intelligence. Moreover, we found that EF significantly predicted prejudice. Exploratory correlational analyses suggested age-related differences in the EF skills underlying prejudice regulation. These findings suggest a distinctive contribution of cognitive and affective components of ToM to prejudice, and highlight the central role of EF in social behavior regulation.

A Brief Review of the Application of Neuroergonomics in Skilled Cognition During Expert Sports Performance.

The elite sports environment provides a unique setting for studying human performance, where both cognitive and physical demands are high. Successful performance in sport is contingent upon key cognitive skills such as attention, perception, working memory and decision-making. The demands of competitive sport also increase loading on the central nervous system (CNS). Neuroimaging methods such as functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), functional near infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) and electroencephalography (EEG) offer the potential to investigate the cognitive demands of sport, neuroplasticity of athletes, and biofeedback training. However, practical and technical limitations of these methods have generally limited their use to laboratory-based studies of athletes during simulated sporting tasks. This review article, provides a brief overview of research that has applied neuroimaging technology to study various aspects of cognitive function during sports performance in athletes, alternative methods for measuring CNS loading [e.g., direct current (DC) potential], possible solutions and avenues of focus for future neuroergonomics research in sport.

Physical Education Pedagogies Built upon Theories of Movement Learning: How Can Environmental Constraints Be Manipulated to Improve Children's Executive Function and Self-Regulation Skills?

Physical education in schools has been marginalised across the globe, and as a result, children are missing out on opportunities to develop and acquire the foundation skills needed to lead a physically active life. The squeeze on physical education in schools, particularly in some western countries (United Kingdom, Australia and America), has been justified on the grounds that core subjects such as English and mathematics need more curriculum time, as this will lead to higher cognitive and academic performance. The aim of this paper is to highlight how physical education lessons in early childhood, underpinned by either of two major theories of motor learning, can support teachers in the creation of learning environments, as well as guide their pedagogical practice to facilitate children’s development of key cognitive skills, in particular executive function and self-regulation skills. These skills are crucial for learning and development and have been found to be a higher predictor of academic achievement than IQ. They also enable positive behaviour and allow us to make healthy choices for ourselves and others, therefore providing further evidence that the development of movement skills has the potential to secure positive attitudes and outcomes towards physical activity across the lifespan.

General Education Reconsidered

Abstract Public perception of the liberal arts is declining. Yet the cognitive skills that a liberal education aims to engender are the key skills that employers and the public value most. To address this seeming paradox, we must redesign the general education core and focus squarely on essential outcomes. Specifically, we must ensure that when students graduate, they are able to apply key cognitive skills such as effective communication, cultural sensitivity, ethics and values, information and technology literacy, relational skills, and quantitative literacy in their personal and professional lives. The most effective way to ensure this outcome is to focus on it directly and unequivocally in curriculum design.

Can you spell dyslexia without SLI? Comparing the cognitive profiles of dyslexia and specific language impairment and their roles in learning

The aim of the present study is to explore whether those with Specific Language Impairment (SLI) and dyslexia display distinct or overlapping cognitive profiles with respect to learning outcomes. In particular, we were interested in two key cognitive skills associated with academic performance – working memory and IQ. We recruited three groups of children – those with SLI, those with dyslexia, and a control group. All children were given standardized tests of working memory, IQ (vocabulary and matrix), spelling, and math. The pattern of results suggests that both children with dyslexia and SLI are characterized with poorer verbal working memory and IQ compared to controls, but preserved nonverbal cognitive skills. It appears that that these two disorder groups cannot be distinguished by the severity of their cognitive deficits. However, there was a differential pattern with respect to learning outcomes, where the children with dyslexia rely more on visual skills in spelling, while those with SLI use their relative strengths in vocabulary. These findings can have important implications for how intervention is tailored in the classroom, as disorder-specific support could yield important gains in learning.