Opportunities For Social Interaction Research Articles

Supporting Science Learning For English Language Learners

This study focused on two fourth-grade science classrooms with English learners (ELs), exploring how teachers supported students’ science and language/literacy learning in different language contexts. Three a priori research-based practices recommended for supporting science learning framed our exploration: (a) negotiation, opportunities for individual and social construction and critique of knowledge; (b) embedded language, opportunities for language and literacy learning as a natural aspect of science; and (c) non-threatening learning environments, opportunities for social apprenticeship and interaction. We provide insights into how science instructional practices supported ELs’ science and language learning. One key implication is that enacting these three principles of practice in students’ first language (Spanish), when less linguistic scaffolding is required, creates more opportunities to focus on disciplinary content and exploration of students’ ideas. The second key implication is that using open-ended questions and extending prompts and questions through exploration-based lessons was an effective way to support and guide ELs (and all students) to rich understandings of key concepts. A third key implication is that although teachers delivered instruction in two different languages, when they enacted these principles, they fostered student engagement and interest in science. Effective implementation of these practices outweighed the language of delivery.

An Ethnographic Case Study of Affordances in an Architecture Design Studio

Background/Context Studio-based courses—the primary approach in design education— have been viewed as effective environments for learning. This study uses an ecological approach to explore how the studio environment creates opportunities for social interaction through immersive studies of studio learning. Purpose/Objective/Research Question/Focus of Study We engaged in an ethnographic case study of a beginning architecture design course aimed at exploring the ways the learning environment of the studio affords social interaction, and how these interactions shape students’ understandings and behaviors as they learn. Particular attention was paid to the physical, structural, and instructional affordances that contribute to learning in the studio environment. Setting Over the course of one semester, we observed nine students and their instructor in Architecture Design 1 (AD 1), a first-year architecture studio at a large, public research institution. Population/Participants/Subjects The student participants ranged in age from 18 to 25, four of the participants identified as students of color, two identified as international students, three identified as female, and six, male. The instructor, who identifies as female, had taught AD 1 at the university for eight years prior to the study and holds a master's degree in architecture. Research Design We engaged in an ethnographic case study using an ecological approach, focused on the relationship between humans and their environment. We view learning and knowledge as individually constructed by the learner in a socially situated, public context; as such, a case study design using ethnographic methods of data collection was employed. Data Collection and Analysis Our data sources included observations of daily studio activities, participant interviews, researcher reflections on studio visits, and course artifacts such as the course syllabus and assignment handouts. We analyzed data using a two-cycle method of coding and analysis focusing on identifying patterns or themes in the data. Findings/Results We found several physical, structural, and instructional affordances that contribute to learning. The physical affordances of the studio environment of AD 1 included the open layout, public/private workspaces, and co-working in proximity to others. The structural affordances were long blocks of unscheduled work time, the project brief, and the sequencing of the projects, tasks, and deadlines. The instructional affordances included formal and informal critique, “mini-lectures,” and demonstrations. Conclusions/Recommendations Although focused within a design discipline, our findings have broader applicability to collegiate academic environments that support student learning. Recommendations include creating fluidity in the classroom space, centralizing feedback, demonstrating emerging understandings visually, and constraining constructivist learning environments.

Effect of digital writing instruction with tablets on primary school students’ writing performance and writing knowledge

The aim of this study is to explore the effect of digital writing instruction with tablets on fourth-year primary school students' writing performance and writing knowledge. This study, in which quantitative and qualitative data are collected together, is based on the simple view of writing and a new literacies perspective. The participants consisted of 96 students, of whom 47 were in the control group and 49 were in the experimental group. According to the quantitative findings, firstly, both the quality and number of words of the stories written during the process by students participating in the instruction with tablets were significantly higher than those of students who wrote with paper and pencil. Secondly, although writing quality scores for posttest stories of students participating in the instruction with tablets were significantly higher than those of students who wrote with paper and pencil, no significant difference was found between their numbers of words in the posttest. Thirdly, the posttest writing knowledge scores of students participating in the instruction with tablets were significantly higher than those of students who wrote with paper and pencil. The qualitative findings revealed that the students’ sharing of their writing on the class blog, their utilisation of multimedia components for writing training, and the opportunity for online social interaction enriched the writing instruction process with regard to the new literacies.

The shape of segregation: The role of urban form in immigrant assimilation

The built environment can mediate or constrain the opportunities for social interaction, essential to the formation of social ties. This study uses the large inflow of immigrants in Barcelona between 1998 and 2008 to study whether the configuration of buildings and open urban areas in a block is associated with the residential segregation of immigrants—a proxy for social interaction. Based on a rich set of shape metrics, I use machine learning techniques to classify each block in Barcelona into one of eight typologies, which provide a summary measure of their built environment. I then combine these data with measures of residential segregation constructed at the building level using data on the exact address of each resident of Barcelona. The findings show that some features of the built environment of a block—as measured by the typologies—are systematically associated with reduced residential segregation of Spaniards and newly arrived immigrants in that block.

PECULIARITIES OF MOBILE APPLICATION USAGE IN TEACHING ENGLISH FOR UNIVERSITY STUDENTS

Mobile technologies are increasingly being introduced into our lives, becoming ubiquitous, acquiring more and more advanced opportunities for social interaction and connection to the Internet. Technologies like these can have a big impact on the entire educational process. Learning will increasingly move away from the audience and enter the student's personal space, both real and virtual, and become more personal with elements of cooperation. Finding a new way of using mobile technologies to integrate them into learning as an extension of daily life will be considered a success. A fairly wide range and variety of existing mobile learning resources allow you to choose applications in accordance with the individual needs, interests and level of the student's language training. This article is dedicated to finding peculiarities of mobile application usage in teaching English for university students.

Experiences of American Older Adults with Pre-existing Depression During the Beginnings of the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Multicity, Mixed-Methods Study

To determine the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of older adults with pre-existing major depressive disorder (MDD). Participants were 73 community-living older adults with pre-existing MDD (mean age 69 [SD 6]) in Los Angeles, New York, Pittsburgh, and St Louis. During the first 2 months of the pandemic, the authors interviewed participants with a semistructured qualitative interview evaluating access to care, mental health, quality of life, and coping. The authors also assessed depression, anxiety, and suicidality with validated scales and compared scores before and during the pandemic. Five themes from the interviews highlight the experience of older adults with MDD: 1) They are more concerned about the risk of contracting the virus than the risks of isolation. 2) They exhibit resilience to the stress and isolation of physical distancing. 3) Most are not isolated socially, with virtual contact with friends and family. 4) Their quality of life is lower, and they worry their mental health will suffer with continued physical distancing. 5) They are outraged by an inadequate governmental response to the pandemic. Depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation symptom scores did not differ from scores before the pandemic. Most older adults with pre-existing MDD show resilience in the first 2 months of the COVID-19 pandemic but have concerns about the future. Policies and interventions to provide access to medical services and opportunities for social interaction are needed to help to maintain mental health and quality of life as the pandemic continues.

Revisiting Accessibility in a Context of Sustainable Transport: Capabilities and Inequalities in Bogotá

This research sets out to examine the interaction between accessibility, social inequalities and sustainability by revisiting a well-documented case of inequalities in access in Global South cities: Bogotá. Our analysis builds on the concept of accessibility, focusing on the role of transport as an enabler of opportunities for social interactions, healthcare and leisure, which are essential to the full participation in society. The research applies a methodological framework for accessibility developed and tested in the Latin American context, though it has not been previously applied to non-commuting travel. Our paper contributes to the existing evidence base showing the relevance of non-commuting travel to sustainable transport assessment in contexts of high inequality, which can be scaled up and applied in other contexts with various levels of social and environmental inequalities. The empirical analysis is based on data from Bogotá’s household travel survey. Using this dataset, we measure accessibility using a gravitational type of metric that is calibrated based on observed travel behavior. Accessibility levels were estimated by car and public transport for every zonal planning unit in the Bogotá Region. Accessibility indices are analyzed from an equity perspective using metrics such as the Palma ratio for differences of income and socioeconomic positions. Results show that on average, low- and middle-income areas have higher accessibility than high-income areas by both private and public transport. Accessibility conditions are discussed considering a framework of transitions to sustainable urban mobility, reflecting on various drivers and consequences of barriers to access in different areas and social groups. Our findings provide insights to support actions that redistribute accessibility of opportunities beyond the job market, questioning the applicability of accessibility measures to discuss equity and sustainability in cities such as Bogotá.

Relationships of self-management abilities to loneliness among older people: a cross-sectional study

BackgroundWe investigated relationships of broader self-management abilities (self-efficacy, positive frame of mind, investment behavior, taking initiatives, multifunctionality of resources, variety of resources) to social and emotional loneliness among community-dwelling older people while controlling for background characteristics.MethodsThis cross-sectional study employed a representative sample of 41,327 community-dwelling people aged ≥55 years in Limburg, the Netherlands, identified using the population register (weighted per district, complex sampling design). In total, 20,327 (50%) people responded to the questionnaire.ResultsAll self-management abilities were associated negatively with emotional loneliness. Taking initiatives, multifunctionality, self-efficacy, and a positive frame of mind were associated negatively with social loneliness. Self-efficacy had the strongest relationships with social and emotional loneliness.ConclusionsIn combatting loneliness among older people, investment in their ability to self-manage their social lives and activities, such as increasing opportunities for positive social interaction and social support and reducing maladaptive cognition, seems to be crucial.

Effects of lunch club attendance on the dietary intake of older adults in the UK: A pilot cross-sectional study.

Background:Lunch clubs are community-based projects where meals are offered with opportunities for social interaction, and a unique dining experience of dual commercial and communal nature.Aim:The aim of the present cross-sectional study was to assess differences in the dietary intake between lunch club and non-lunch club days among community-dwelling elderly, living in Dorset, UK.Methods:A total of 39 elderly individuals attending local lunch clubs were recruited. Socioeconomic factors were recorded, anthropometric measurements were taken and the dietary intake was assessed in lunch club and non-lunch club days via 24 hour dietary recalls.Results:For the majority of participants, having a hot meal (74.4%), meeting with friends (92.3%), dining outside home (76.9%), having a home-styled cooked meal (71.8%) and skipping cooking (43.6%) were considered as important factors for lunch club dining. Absolute energy intake, protein, fat, carbohydrate, saturated fatty acids, fibre, potassium, calcium, iron, vitamins A, C and folate and water from drinks were significantly greater on lunch club days. When intake was expressed as a percentage of the dietary reference values, all examined nutrients were consumed in greater adequacy during lunch club days, except potassium and vitamin D.Conclusions:Lunch clubs appear to be an effective means for ameliorating nutrient intake among older adults, while in parallel, offer the opportunity for socializing and sharing a hot meal with peers.

What motivates the masses: Understanding why people contribute to conservation citizen science projects

Participation in conservation citizen science projects is growing rapidly and approaches to project design are diversifying. There has been a recent shift towards projects characterised by contributors collecting data in isolation and submitting findings online, with little training or opportunities for direct social interaction with other citizen scientists. While research is emerging on developing citizen science projects by optimising technological modalities, little consideration has been given to understanding what motivates individuals to voluntarily contribute data. Here, we use the Volunteer Functions Inventory, combined with open-ended questions, to demonstrate that the two strongest motivations underpinning participation, for both individuals who contribute data systematically (regularly; n = 177) and opportunistically (ad hoc basis; n = 218), are ‘Values’ and ‘Understanding’. People take part in such projects because they have an intrinsic value for the environment and want to support research efforts (representing ‘Values’), as well as wanting to learn and gain knowledge (signifying ‘Understanding’). Unlike more traditional citizen science projects that involve specific training and considerable time investments, contributors to these newer types of project are not motivated by the potential to develop their career or opportunities for social interaction. The person-level characteristics of contributors considered in this study did not reliably forecast levels of motivation, suggesting that predicting high levels of motivation is inherently more complex than is often speculated. We recommend avenues for future research that may further enhance our understanding of contributor motivations and the characteristics that may underpin levels of motivation.

The association between walkability and personality: Evidence from a large socioecological study in Japan

Geographical personality differences robustly predict diverse consequential outcomes. However, comparatively little is known about the factors that create such differences, in particular the role of the built environment. To bridge the gap, the present study used a socioecological approach to examine the relationship between walkability and personality. Walkability reflects the degree to which urban areas are easily walkable and accessible for pedestrians. As such it is considered a defining feature of people's living environments. We utilized a large sample from the Data Sharing for Psychology in Japan (DSPJ) project, which assessed the Big Five personality traits of 5141 Japanese residents. Walkability estimates were extracted from Walk Score, an established online platform, based on individuals' place of living. Building on prior research, we hypothesized that walkability would be positively linked to Agreeableness and Extraversion due to increased opportunities for social interactions and selective migration. Multiple regression analyses showed that walkability was positively related to Extraversion (B = 0.033; 95%CI [0.019, 0.047]; β = 0.066), but not to Agreeableness. This pattern persisted in the presence of a conservative set of individual and socioecological controls. Taken together, our research suggests that walkable urban environments may be conducive to a more animated and lively social climate which is reflected in heightened extraversion among residents of such areas. As such it advances psych-geographical theory and our understanding of the role of the built environment in the emergence of geographical personality differences.

Home Is Where the Internet Is? High-speed Internet’s Impact on Rural Housing Values

The deployment of faster household Internet speeds enables new opportunities for entertainment, social interaction, and personal development, and many consider such access an essential component of everyday life. However, rural residents face lower availability, slower speeds and limited provider options, putting them at a disadvantage when compared to their urban counterparts. Connected rural households, especially those with higher speeds, may experience a premium on their home value. Data from the National Broadband Map, the Federal Communications Commission, and over 2,700 housing transactions from June 2011 to June 2017 are used to examine the impact of broadband availability on housing values in two rural Oklahoma counties via a hedonic price model. The results find no support for the existence of a broadband premium, and stress that differences across counties are crucial in assessing rural housing prices.

Physical activity benefits of attending a senior center depend largely on age and gender: a study using GPS and accelerometry data

BackgroundSenior centers offer important opportunities for physical activity and social interaction. Seniors who visit a senior center regularly can gain physical activity from transportation and from specific activities offered within the senior center. However, there is very little knowledge regarding the specific physical activity gains obtained from regular visits to senior centers, and no effort has been made to use device-based measures of physical activity to test the potential physical activity benefits of attending a senior center.MethodsTo fill this gap, the present study examined the physical activity patterns of 227 seniors living in the Barcelona Metropolitan Area in Spain. Using GPS and Accelerometer 7-day tracking data, and GIS measures we assessed the light physical activity and moderate-to-vigorous intensity physical activity (MVPA) benefits of attending the senior center on a weekly and daily basis.ResultsSeniors who attended a senior center at least once a week did not accumulate significantly more daily physical activity (211.6 min; 95% CI 196.6; 226.6) than seniors without any visit 215.9 min; 95% CI 202.7; 229). However, on a day-to-day basis, it was found that visiting a senior center had positive effects in physical activity and was associated with less sedentary time among younger participants in general (− 18.2 daily min 95% CI − 33.2;-3.3 p = 0.016) and among older female participants in particular (− 19.7 daily min 95% CI -21.06;-18.5 p = 0.011).ConclusionsThe benefits of attending senior centers in terms of physical activity should not be viewed as universal, but rather as contingent to the demographics of the user, and the type of activity that the visit is replacing.

Public park attributes, park visits, and associated health status

The salutary potential of urban greenspace for users’ physical and mental health has been investigated in a large number of empirical studies. Additionally, the pathways by which users derive health benefits from greenspace have been theorised; which include opportunities for psychological restorative experiences, physical activity and social interaction. In this paper, the relationship between health, current use of public greenspace and preferences for attributes within green settings are examined. First, we consider how several health indicators are associated with visits to greenspace to understand the benefits of current greenspace availability within cities. To address potential sorting and sample selection into greenspace use, a structural regression model is estimated within a two-step procedure. We also employ a choice experiment methodology to assess people’s preferences for attributes which can be provided in greenspaces. The utility afforded by each attribute is evaluated separately, facilitating an assessment of the potential increase in visitation associated with varying levels of greenspace attributes. Data originated from a survey of Irish citizens. Results indicate that higher levels of visitation to greenspaces are related to better health. Moreover, the attribute preference exploration suggests that number of visits are likely to increase with the provision of specific greenspace attributes, particularly visitor facilities.

Assessing the environmental quality of an adapted, play-based LEGO® robotics program to achieve optimal outcomes for children with disabilities

Purpose This study assessed the environmental quality of an adapted, play-based LEGO® robotics program for children and youth with disabilities to determine the degree to which the activity setting supports the therapeutic goals of the program. Materials and methods We measured the environmental qualities of a robotics program held at a paediatric rehabilitation hospital. We observed and coded video-recordings of the robotics program, specifically one session from each of five different rooms where the program took place. Using the 32-item Measure of Environmental Qualities of Activity Settings (MEQAS), we described the place- and opportunity-related qualities of these settings. Results Our observations revealed that, across all five settings, the environments support the therapeutic goals of the program, including providing opportunities for social interaction with peers and adults to a great extent. We also identified several environmental features of the robotics program that support optimal outcomes for children and youth with disabilities. Conclusions Our findings lend support for the value of examining environmental opportunities and affordances of play-based therapy within rehabilitation. IMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATION Assessing the environmental opportunities and affordances of play-based activities using the Measure of Environmental Qualities of Activity Settings (MEQAS) is valuable for supporting positive outcomes in rehabilitation. The settings of an adapted LEGO® robotics program offer children with disabilities opportunities to engage in social interactions with peers and adults, to learn a new skill, and to develop a sense of self-identity. Optimal therapeutic outcomes of an adapted LEGO® robotics program can be supported by environmental features, including: large tables with sufficient space for two youth and one or two adult volunteers to interact at eye-level, arranged separately with enough space to invite movement between tables, in such a way that children may also interact across tables.

School HPE: its mandate, responsibility and role in educating for social cohesion

ABSTRACT In a world of increasing diversity in which many established democracies are now consumed by capitalist individualism and protectionist ideals, a focus on equity and social justice is particularly pertinent. For many years, scholars have proposed that schools have the educational responsibility to prepare children for peaceful living in a heterogeneous society and claimed that health and physical education (HPE) activities at school can enhance interpersonal relations, and social cohesion. This paper explores the definition of social cohesion, as well as theories that support its inclusion in school practices before drawing on observational and interview data from of an international project that reveal how HPE teachers across three different countries teach for social cohesion. In our analysis of the data, we employ Allport’s ‘Contact Theory’ (1954) and Pettigrew’s (1998) extension of this theory to conceptualise and interpret the teaching for social cohesion in HPE practice. Within the overarching theme of teaching for social cohesion we present and discuss five sub-themes as examples of the teachers’ pedagogies: (1) a focus on inclusiveness; (2) the inclusion of culturally inclusive practices; (3) building teacher/student and student/student relationships; (4) planning and structuring activities for students to work together in heterogeneous teams while focusing on cooperation; and (5) focusing on personal and social responsibility by encouraging adherence to the principles of fair play and democratically determined rules. We conclude by stating that HPE should be recognised for its role in creating opportunities for constructive social interaction between students of difference, which can contribute to greater inclusion, social cohesion and ultimately social justice in society.

Risk exposure trade-offs in the ontogeny of sexual segregation in Antarctic fur seal pups.

Sexual segregation has important ecological implications, but its initial development in early life stages is poorly understood. We investigated the roles of size dimorphism, social behavior, and predation risk on the ontogeny of sexual segregation in Antarctic fur seal, Arctocephalus gazella, pups at South Georgia. Beaches and water provide opportunities for pup social interaction and learning (through play and swimming) but increased risk of injury and death (from other seals, predatory birds, and harsh weather), whereas tussock grass provides shelter from these risks but less developmental opportunities. One hundred pups were sexed and weighed, 50 on the beach and 50 in tussock grass, in January, February, and March annually from 1989 to 2018. Additionally, 19 male and 16 female pups were GPS-tracked during lactation from December 2012. Analysis of pup counts and habitat use of GPS-tracked pups suggested that females had a slightly higher association with tussock grass habitats and males with beach habitats. GPS-tracked pups traveled progressively further at sea as they developed, and males traveled further than females toward the end of lactation. These sex differences may reflect contrasting drivers of pup behavior: males being more risk prone to gain social skills and lean muscle mass and females being more risk averse to improve chances of survival, ultimately driven by their different reproductive roles. We conclude that sex differences in habitat use can develop in a highly polygynous species prior to the onset of major sexual size dimorphism, which hints that these sex differences will increasingly diverge in later life.

Play Captains on Play Streets: A Community-University Playful Learning and Teen Leadership Collaboration

Playful Learning Landscapes (PLL) merges playful learning pedagogy with community spaces to create playful learning opportunities for children, families, and communities. Prior PLL projects have demonstrated effectiveness in enhancing social interaction between children and caregivers by creating opportunities for social interaction derived from the learning sciences literature. In the present case study, a university-based team of PLL researchers partnered with a local community-based organization (CBO) that provides educational, skill building, and job training opportunities for teens in low-income neighborhoods. PLL provided consultation and training to transform the CBO’s Play Captains program into a Playful Learning program where local teenagers led playful learning activities for children on city streets (Play Streets) that were closed to vehicular traffic by Philadelphia’s Parks and Rec department. The teen Play Captains also conducted research observations of children on streets and completed surveys that assessed their own personal growth as a result of their experiences as Play Captains. Results suggest considerable social interaction and use of learning language among children on the Play Streets where Play Captains ran playful learning activities and significant increases in Play Captains’ self-confidence and understanding the benefits of playful learning. We discuss key lessons learned that can help to inform future university-community playful learning collaborations.

Virtual conferences get real

On 13 January 2020, over 1,000 researchers from 37 countries joined the first online conference in physics, the Photonics Online Meetup. With a raised awareness of the vast worldwide travel undertaken by researchers to attend conferences, virtual events provide an attractive solution, and can be organized to incorporate opportunities for social interaction.

Evaluating the life efficiency of Mosul before liberation

The research deals with the concept of urban liveability, which refers to cities that are able to satisfy the requirements of their inhabitants by providing a range of elements (healthy environment, safe public spaces, decent housing, gardens, opportunities for entertainment, social interaction, non-crowded roads and jobs). Studying the liveability of cities from the assessment of the reality of cities in order to identify the strengths of the city to conform them and identify its weaknesses to avoid them.The Iraqi government intends to assist the donor countries and humanitarian organizations to start the extensive reconstruction of Mosul city after it was destroyed by the liberation operations. So, the study aims to evaluate the reality of the city before the occupation of the city to identify the weaknesses to be avoided, and to identify the points of strengths to be fortified. The researchers came up with a set of conclusions and recommendations that are directly relevant to the research.