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The Early Years: Developing Observation Skills
NSDL National Science Digital Library
We typically know children are learning when they are able to make sense of an object's materials or a situation that was previously a bit mysterious and communicate what they have figured out. But what about observing? One of the process skills listed in
Ashbrook, Peggy
Learning to look: developing clinical observational skills at an art museum
Microsoft Academic Search
Context Clinical diagnosis involves the observation, description, and interpretation of visual information. These skills are also the special province of the visual arts. We describe an educational collaboration between a medical school and an art museum, designed for the purpose of developing student skills in observation, description, and interpretation. Objectives In the programme, medical students first examine painted portraits, under
Charles L Bardes; Debra Gillers; Amy E Herman
Science Journals in the Garden: Developing the Skill of Observation in Elementary Age Students
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
The ability to make and record scientific observations is critical in order for students to engage in successful inquiry, and provides a sturdy foundation for children to develop higher order cognitive processes. Nevertheless, observation is taken for granted in the elementary classroom. This study explores how linking school garden experience with the use of science journals can support this skill. Students participated in a month-long unit in which they practiced their observation skills in the garden and recorded those observations in a science journal. Students' observational skills were assessed using pre- and post-assessments, student journals, and student interviews using three criteria: Accuracy, Detail, and Quantitative Data. Statistically significant improvements were found in the categories of Detail and Quantitative Data. Scores did improve in the category of Accuracy, but it was not found to be a statistically significant improvement.
Kelly, Karinsa Michelle
Essential Communication and Documentation Skills. Module: Observation Skills.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
This module is the second of 10 in the Essential Communication and Documentation Skills curriculum. It develops observation, a workplace literacy skill identified as being directly related to the job of the direct care worker. The curriculum is designed to improve the competence of New York State Division for Youth (DFY) direct care staff using�
Medina, Muriel; And Others
A Women's Heterosocial Skill Observational Rating SystemBehavior-Analytic Development and Validation
A recurrent deficit in the heterosocial competence literature has been the lack of a behavioral assessment instrument that evaluates a broad range of important component behaviors or skills during an extended interaction. To remedy this deficit, two studies conducted with college women are reported. The first study describes the application of the behavior-analytic model in the identification of women's heterosocial
David J. Kolko; Michael A. Milan
The Development of Metacognitive Skills: Evidence from Observational Analysis of Young Children's Behavior during Problem-Solving
This study aimed to better understand how metacognitive skills develop in young children aged 5 to 7 years. In particular, we addressed whether developmental changes reflect quantitative or qualitative improvements, and how metacognitive skills change with age and task-specific ability. Previous research into the development of metacognitive�
Bryce, Donna; Whitebread, David
Developing Geoscience Students' Quantitative Skills
Sophisticated quantitative skills are an essential tool for the professional geoscientist. While students learn many of these sophisticated skills in graduate school, it is increasingly important that they have a strong grounding in quantitative geoscience as undergraduates. Faculty have developed many strong approaches to teaching these skills in a wide variety of geoscience courses. A workshop in June 2005 brought together eight faculty teaching surface processes and climate change to discuss and refine activities they use and to publish them on the Teaching Quantitative Skills in the Geosciences website (serc.Carleton.edu/quantskills) for broader use. Workshop participants in consultation with two mathematics faculty who have expertise in math education developed six review criteria to guide discussion: 1) Are the quantitative and geologic goals central and important? (e.g. problem solving, mastery of important skill, modeling, relating theory to observation); 2) Does the activity lead to better problem solving? 3) Are the quantitative skills integrated with geoscience concepts in a way that makes sense for the learning environment and supports learning both quantitative skills and geoscience? 4) Does the methodology support learning? (e.g. motivate and engage students; use multiple representations, incorporate reflection, discussion and synthesis) 5) Are the materials complete and helpful to students? 6) How well has the activity worked when used? Workshop participants found that reviewing each others activities was very productive because they thought about new ways to teach and the experience of reviewing helped them think about their own activity from a different point of view. The review criteria focused their thinking about the activity and would be equally helpful in the design of a new activity. We invite a broad international discussion of the criteria(serc.Carleton.edu/quantskills/workshop05/review.html).The Teaching activities can be found on the Teaching Quantitative Skills in the Geosciences website (serc.Carleton.edu/quantskills/). In addition to the teaching activity collection (85 activites), this site contains a variety of resources to assist faculty with the methods they use to teach quantitative skills at both the introductory and advanced levels; information about broader efforts in quantitative literacy involving other science disciplines, and a special section of resources for students who are struggling with their quantitative skills. The site is part of the Digital Library for Earth Science Education and has been developed by geoscience faculty in collaboration with mathematicians and mathematics educators with funding from the National Science Foundation.
Manduca, C. A.; Hancock, G. S.
Developing Managerial Skills in Palestine
This paper assesses the contribution of management training and development programmes (MTPs) to the development of managerial skills in small and medium enterprises (SMEs). Different sets of variables were used to explore the managers' skills development by dividing the managerial skills into three main categories: self, people, and task-related�
Al-Madhoun, Mohammed; Analoui, Farhad
Using Field Lab Write-ups to Develop Observational and Critical Thinking Skills
These assignments are adaptations of field labs to incorporate writing. For each field lab, students write a partial geologic report, consisting of a description (or "Structural Data") section, an interpretation section, and appropriate supporting figures (potentially including stereonets, field sketches, maps, cross-sections, etc.). Handouts given at the beginning of lab list: the goals to be accomplished in the field (measurement of foliations and lineations, measurement of bedding around a fold, description of structures, field sketches, etc.), the figures expected in the write-up (stereonets, field sketches, etc.), a list of information to include in the description section, and a list of questions to address in the interpretation section. Depending on the field area, students may be given two or more competing models to test in the field or may be asked to relate descriptive analysis to kinematic or mechanical analysis. This adaptation can be used for field labs at all levels, from labs designed to review field techniques and identify basic types of secondary structures to labs that simulate research experience. This type of write-up improves student writing by giving students practice using terminology and describing spatial relationships, and improves critical thinking skills by requiring written interpretation of structural data.
Hannula, Kim
Development and use of an observation tool for active gaming and movement (OTAGM) to measure children's movement skill components during active video game play.
This article presents a direct observational tool for assessing children's body movements and movement skills during active video games. The Observation Tool of Active Gaming and Movement (OTGAM) was informed by the Test of Gross Motor Development-2. 18 elementary school children (12 boys, 6 girls; M age = 6.1 yr., SD = 0.9) were observed during Nintendo Wii game play. Using the OTAGM, researchers were able to capture and quantify the children's body movements and movement skills during active play of video games. Furthermore, the OTAGM captured specific components of object control skills: strike, throw, and roll. Game designers, health promotion practitioners, and researchers could use this information to enhance children's physical activity and movement skills. PMID:24665809
Rosa, Rita L; Ridgers, Nicola D; Barnett, Lisa M
Look at That!: Using Madagascar Hissing Cockroaches to Develop and Enhance the Scientific Inquiry Skill of Observation in Middle School Students
Middle school students can develop and enhance their observation skills by participating in teacher-guided scientific inquiry (NRC 1996) activities where they observe animals that tend to act in known, predictable ways. Madagascar hissing cockroaches ("Gromphadorhina portentosa") are one such animal. This article presents beginning, intermediate,�
Wagler, Ron
A Change in Seasons : Increasing Student Observation Skills
The ability to accurately observe and notice small details is a skill important to scientists. To help students develop this skill, have them record and share observations, successively focusing in on smaller, more precise details. When students observe changes in the seasons, they can extend their science knowledge by carefully noting changes in color, shape, and patterns in vegetation, asking questions, and making predictions.
Sterling, Donna R.
Skill development in graduate education.
The process of training new PhDs is complex and has significant dropout rates associated with loss of financial and time investments by the student, mentor, and program. One approach to improve graduate education is to make explicit the skills students need to develop and to put in place mechanisms to develop those skills. PMID:22633484
Parker, Roy
Sketching for Developing Critical Thinking Skills
Sketching is a valuable field technique to support a person's observation, recording, interpretation and communication of important features in both natural and human-made landscapes. The Singapore geography syllabus employs an inquiry approach and encourages sketching as a fundamental geographical skill. Sketching allows the learner to connect with the world through a personal and kinesthetic experience. The Earth Observatory of Singapore collaborates with the Singapore Geography Teachers' Association, Urban Sketchers, and National Institute of Education professional development to give teachers both basic sketching skills and the opportunity to develop those skills in a scaffolded environment. In Singapore, geography and geology skills overlap in content area of coastal processes, climate change, and plate tectonics with its associated natural hazards such as volcanoes, earthquakes, and tsunami. Both disciplines are interested in how people live on the Earth. Likewise, basic skills such as observing, classifying, measuring, and communicating cut across disciplines of social and natural sciences in order to analyze, synthesize, and evaluate information about the world. Hence, sketching, commonly considered an art skill, is used to further scientific thinking. This somewhat unique collaboration to develop sketching in teachers is based on the long tradition of sketches in geological field work, the newly popular urban sketching community, and professional development by a professional organization and the Singapore National Institute of Education. Workshops provide technique as well as opportunities for sketching with experts in different areas relevant to the geography curriculum.
Eriksson, S. C.; Wang, P.; Sim, T. B.; Goh, E.; Ng, H. K.
Developing communication and investigative skills.
The need to develop effective communication and investigative skills is an essential part of the training of security officers. The following article contains recommendations for those responsible for such training, as set forth in the new IAHS Instructor's Training Manual. PMID:10272300
Guidelines for Developing Listening Skills.
Provides guidelines for developing listening skills at the elementary level. Asserts that effective listening instruction occurs as part of ongoing classroom activities, and suggests that students be given a variety of different listening experiences, such as listening for appreciation, information, critical analysis, and creative exposure.�
Funk, Hal D.; Funk, Gary D.
Employability Skills Development in the United Kingdom.
For the last 15 years, a series of policy initiatives have advocated for development of employability skills by young and unemployed people in the United Kingdom. The call for these employability skills has been championed by these two distinct but related movements: the Key Skills Development Movement (KSDM) and the Enterprising Skills�
Turner, Dave
Observing the Observer: Self-Regulation in the Observational Learning of Motor Skills
Motor skills are among the most basic and prevalent types of knowledge that individuals must acquire over the life span, and observational learning is one of the primary ways in which individuals acquire new knowledge and skills. Observational learning of a motor skill involves: (1) observation of the model, which allows one to imitate and understand a modeled demonstration, and
Michel Ferrari
Enhancing Life Skills Development: Chinese Adolescents' Perceptions
This study explored Chinese adolescents' perceptions of their own life skills development and the importance they place on such skills. The study also investigated the within-school and outside-school influences that may help develop and enhance life skills development. Six focus groups involving 52 high school students were conducted, using a set�
Yuen, Mantak; Chan, Raymond M. C.; Gysbers, Norman C.; Lau, Patrick S. Y.; Lee, Queenie; Shea, Peter M. K.; Fong, Ricci W.; Chung, Y. B.
Teaching Effectiveness and Social Skill Development.
Explores relationships between adjudicated teaching-effectiveness scores, an observation-based assessment instrument, and social-skills scores of preservice teachers. Finds that an individual's nonverbal communication skills, skills in receiving and interpreting nonverbal communication, and ability to engage in social discourse were related to�
Hamann, Donald L.; Lineburgh, Nancy; Paul, Stephen
Basic visual observation skills training course: Appendix B. Final report.
National Technical Information Service (NTIS)
The purpose of the basic visual observation skills course is to help safeguards inspectors evaluate and improve their skills in making observations during inspections and in evaluating and interpreting this information. The first 12 hours of the course pr...
J. L. Toquam F. A. Morris J. R. Griggs
Basic visual observation skills training course: Appendix A. Final report.
A Change in Seasons: Increasing Student Observation Skills
Using the seasons in the science classroom increases student observation skills as they focus on subtle differences such as shades of color and differences in structures. In this article, the author presents a variety of activities that can help students identify and demonstrate patterns and changes in leaf or plant development. The ability to�
Virtual Reality Simulator Developed Welding Technology Skills
The purpose of this study was to identify the suitability of VR welding simulator application towards CBT in developing welding skills upon new trainees at the Centre of Instructor and Advanced Skills Training (CIAST) Shah Alam Selangor and National Youth Skills Institute (IKBN) Pagoh Johor. The significance of the study was to create a�
Yunus, Faizal Amin Nur; Baser, Jamil Abd; Masran, Saiful Hadi; Razali, Nizamuddin; Rahim, Bekri
Development, Impact, and Measurement of Enhanced Physical Diagnosis Skills
Evidence suggests that the quality and frequency of bedside clinical examination have declined. We undertook the study to (1) determine whether intensive instruction in physical examination enhances medical student skills and (2) develop a tool to evaluate those skills using a modified observed structured clinical examination (OSCE). This was a�
Smith, Miriam A.; Burton, William B.; Mackay, Meggan
Improving the Development of Students' Reading Skills.
This report describes a program for improving the development of students' reading skills. The targeted population consisted of students in kindergarten, first, and second grades. The classrooms were located in adjoining lower socioeconomic areas. The problem of poorly developed reading skills was documented through data collected by the teacher�
Beneventi, Angela; McEndollar, Linda; Smith, Deborah
Groupware for Developing Critical Discussion Skills
Increasingly, social and collaborative processes are seen as central to the development of thinking skills, including the skills of scientific thinking. With colleagues we have developed a software system (Belvedere) to support high-school science students in engaging in collaborative reasoning and argumentation. We discuss how Belvedere is designed to support students' collaborative processes, describe our formative evaluation studies, and provide
Dan Suthers; Arlene Weiner
Observing the Observer: Self-Regulation in the Observational Learning of Motor Skills.
Notes that observational learning of a motor skill involves both observation of the model and self-observation. Examines observation of the modeled performance, including three moderators of observational learning: the properties of the model, the nature of the task, and observer determinants. Observer determinants are examined at length,�
Ferrari, Michel
Social Skill Development through Math
According to the U.S. Department of Education, 90% of the future jobs in the United States will require a college degree, and many of these jobs will be in the service industry (Spellings 2006). Service jobs that require people skills may be more difficult for adults with disabilities. Although many students with disabilities included in general�
Walker, Zachary M.; Hunt, Jessica H.
Developing Good Team-working Skills
This article offers advice to educators on developing learners' collaboration skills through problem solving. The author presents six categories of tasks, each of which addresses a set of teamwork skills (e.g. listening, sharing, reflecting) and includes several tasks which could serve as the vehicle. Links to the tasks, printable materials, and other resources are included.
Using simulation to develop handover skills.
This article outlines the potential impact of ineffective handover skills on nurses' confidence, competence and coordination, as well as on patient safety. It focuses on how student nurses can develop their communication skills by looking specifically at how the University of Derby used simulation to teach pre-registration student nurses effective handover techniques. PMID:24683692
Collins, Guy
Using Assessment for Developing Team Building Skills
"Ability to function in teams," "good team building skills," and "teamwork" are all now common phrases in the classifieds. It is increasingly important in society today, both in social and work environments, to be a good team player. But how do we actually develop those skills and evaluate whether our efforts have had a measurable impact so that we can adjust our approach for maximum benefit? This booklet presents a team assessment process developed to track and improve students team building skill as well as a complete description of its implementation. Preliminary research on team building skills development was performed with a group of community college students in the Electrical Technology Program. The results from the two year study indicate that active participation in the team assessment process is beneficial in developing team building and leadership skills in college students. All the materials necessary to implement the team assessment process for a classroom or workplace setting are provided in this booklet. Using these materials and methods can yield evidence of improved team building and leadership skills important in meeting accreditation standards or for use in evaluating corporate team skills and leadership development.
Akins, Lean M.; Barbuto, Daniel C.
Basic visual observation skills training course. Final report
SciTech Connect
This is the third report in a series prepared to assist the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA or Agency) in enhancing the effectiveness of its international safeguards inspections through inspector training in Observation Skills. The first report (Phase 1) was essentially exploratory. It defined Observation Skills` broadly to include all appropriate cognitive, communications, and interpersonal techniques that have the potential to help IAEA safeguards inspectors function more effectively. The second report (Phase 2) provided a more specific basis for the actual design and delivery of Observation Skills training to IAEA inspectors. The present report (Phase 3) documents the design of a Basic Visual Observation Skills course and delivery of the course to safeguards inspectors at IAEA Headquarters Vienna in February and May of 1995. The purpose of the course is to help safeguards inspectors evaluate and improve their skills in making observations during inspections and in evaluating and interpreting this information. The course is basic in the sense that it provides training in skills which are generally applicable to inspections of all types of facilities and activities subject to safeguards. The course is designed for 16 hours of classroom delivery, ideally in four 4-hour sessions over a period of four days. The first 12 hours provide training in five skill areas: perception and recognition; attention and attention to detail; memory; mental imaging, mapping, and modeling skills; and judgment and decision making. Following the training in each of the five skill areas is an Integrating Exercise involving a simulated safeguards inspection.
Toquam, J.L.; Morris, F.A.; Griggs, J.R.
Workforce Skills Development and Engagement in Training through Skill Sets: Literature Review. Occasional Paper
This literature review examines the available research on skill sets. It provides background for a larger research project "Workforce skills development and engagement in training through skill sets," the report of which will be released early next year. This paper outlines the origin of skill sets and explains the difference between skill sets�
Mills, John; Bowman, Kaye; Crean, David; Ranshaw, Danielle
Educating for Sustainability: Developing Critical Skills.
Advocates a critical theory approach to sustainability in business and environmental management education that incorporates a radical change perspective. Provides exercises for developing the critical skills of reflexivity, critique, and social action. (Contains 37 references.) (SK)
Kearins, Kate; Springett, Delyse
The Training and Validation of Behavior Observation and Description Skills.
Teaching critical treatment-related skills to behavior change agents is an important task. One such treatment-related skill is the ability to observe and specifically describe ongoing appropriate and inappropriate behaviors. In this study, the effectiveness of a training package in teaching behavior specificity was demonstrated in two experiments.�
Dancer, Daniel D.; And Others
Using a Social Skills Group to Develop and Maintain Relationships
This research investigated the relationship between social skills groups and the promotion of adolescent friendships in girls. All participants were identified as lacking social skills and having no friends. Each week of group focused on a different social skill and included a skill-basked activity. Each participant rated their social skills and capabilities by completing a survey developed by the researcher
Sharee L Washington
Development: Ages & Stages--Emerging Physical Skills
In this article, the authors discuss how children develop their motor skills at different age levels. Newborn's movements are jerky and uncoordinated. Spending lots of floor time with a baby lying on her back or stomach helps her develop coordination, balance, and muscle strength during her earliest months. As locomotion enters a baby's life, she�
Poole, Carla; Miller, Susan A.; Church, Ellen Booth
Development of Metacognitive Skillfulness: A Longitudinal Study
This study shows the results of a two-year longitudinal study where the same participants were followed for two consecutive years as they enter secondary school (aged 12-14 years). The main issue was to investigate the development of both the quantity and the quality of metacognitive skills. Another issue was to establish whether the development�
van der Stel, Manita; Veenman, Marcel V. J.
Low Compression Tennis Balls and Skill Development
PubMed Central
Coaching aims to improve player performance and coaches have a number of coaching methods and strategies they use to enhance this process. If new methods and ideas can be determined to improve player performance they will change coaching practices and processes. This study investigated the effects of using low compression balls (LCBs) during coaching sessions with beginning tennis players. In order to assess the effectiveness of LCBs on skill learning the study employed a quasi-experimental design supported by qualitative and descriptive data. Beginner tennis players took part in coaching sessions, one group using the LCBs while the other group used standard tennis balls. Both groups were administered a skills at the beginning of a series of coaching sessions and again at the end. A statistical investigation of the difference between pre and post-test results was carried out to determine the effect of LCBs on skill learning. Additional qualitative data was obtained through interviews, video capture and the use of performance analysis of typical coaching sessions for each group. The skill test results indicated no difference in skill learning when comparing beginners using the LCBs to those using the standard balls. Coaches reported that the LCBs appeared to have a positive effect on technique development, including aspects of technique that are related to improving power of the shot. Additional benefits were that rallies went on longer and more opportunity for positive reinforcement. In order to provide a more conclusive answer to the effects of LCBs on skill learning and technique development recommendations for future research were established including a more controlled experimental environment and larger sample sizes across a longer period of time. Key Points LCB may aid skill learning in tennis. Qualitative indicators. Statistical evidence not conclusive. Further studies of larger groups recommended.
Hammond, John; Smith, Christina
Team Task Skills as a Facilitator for Application and Development Skills
Software development requires the application of diverse skills from various sources. Often these are considered to be skills in development methodologies, application domains, and accomplishing general team tasks. Previous research, however, fails to establish a direct link between skills present in the development team and successful performance of the software development project. In an attempt to determine a more accurate
Chien-Lung Chan; James J. Jiang; Gary Klein
Activities: Developing Problem-Solving Skills.
Presents an activity for students in grades 7-10 (with ready-to-copy worksheets and overhead projector transparency masters) designed to develop the problem-solving skills of making and reading an organized list and searching for a pattern, and to provide practice in using the general heuristics of the problem-solving process. (JN)
Krulik, Stephen; Rudnick, Jesse A.
Developing Professional Skills in Journalism through Blogs
The curriculum for journalism is being forced to change because the traditional print-based and broadcast modes are being challenged by wide and easy access to online mass communication. Primarily, students need to develop proficiency in writing, editing and publishing. However, they are also expected to be skilled in the Web medium as they�
Hodgson, Paula; Wong, Dora
A Master Key to Workforce Skills Development
Canadian society is undergoing a significant transformation, largely in response to the forces of globalization and the development of the knowledge/information economy. The key to the economic and social well being of Canada's diverse communities lies in the knowledge-and-skills base of its citizens. Canada must design policies and programs which�
Association of Canadian Community Colleges, 2006
Skills Governance and the Workforce Development Programme
In the United Kingdom higher education environment, government may make efforts to encourage institutions to engage in governance structures to secure policy objectives through a steering approach. In this article connections between skills governance structures and the recent Higher Education Funding Council for England workforce development�
Hordern, Jim
Developing a Cooperative Library Skills Program.
The goals and objectives of a college library instruction program should be developed jointly by library staff and composition faculty. Such a program should (1) attempt to overcome student insecurity and confusion about conducting research; (2) focus on tools and skills necessary at each university level; (3) emphasize the unique aspects of the�
Quantic, Diane Dufva
The Effects of Motor Skill Acquisition on the Development of Intentional Communication
A multiple baseline design was used to investigate the effects of a neurobehavioral motor intervention on intentional communication development of 4 young children with neuromotor impairments. This intervention is based on the premise that early motor skills acquisition may facilitate development of skills across other domains. Related communication skills linked to motor targets were observed during scripted probe sessions designed
Developing Transferable Skills: Some Examples from Geomorphology Teaching.
Demonstrates how the development of transferable skills can be promoted as a matter of policy in undergraduate geography programs and implemented throughout individual classes. Defines transferable skills as skills of a widely applicable nature independent of the disciplinary context. Presents two examples of transferable skill development in�
Mottershead, Derek; Suggitt, Steve
Influence of Previous Knowledge, Language Skills and Domain-specific Interest on Observation Competency
Many epoch-making biological discoveries (e.g. Darwinian Theory) were based upon observations. Nevertheless, observation is often regarded as `just looking' rather than a basic scientific skill. As observation is one of the main research methods in biological sciences, it must be considered as an independent research method and systematic practice of this method is necessary. Because observation skills form the basis of further scientific methods (e.g. experiments or comparisons) and children from the age of 4 years are able to independently generate questions and hypotheses, it seems possible to foster observation competency at a preschool level. To be able to provide development-adequate individual fostering of this competency, it is first necessary to assess each child's competency. Therefore, drawing on the recent literature, we developed in this study a competency model that was empirically evaluated within learners ( N = 110) from different age groups, from kindergarten to university. In addition, we collected data on language skills, domain-specific interest and previous knowledge to analyse coherence between these skills and observation competency. The study showed as expected that previous knowledge had a high impact on observation competency, whereas the influence of domain-specific interest was nonexistent. Language skills were shown to have a weak influence. By utilising the empirically validated model consisting of three dimensions (`Describing', `Scientific reasoning' and `Interpreting') and three skill levels, it was possible to assess each child's competency level and to develop and evaluate guided play activities to individually foster a child's observation competency.
Kohlhauf, Lucia; Rutke, Ulrike; Neuhaus, Birgit
An Observational Study of Skilled Memory in Waitresses.
A two-phase study about skilled memory as it is used by waitresses included a participant-observer phase and an observational phase. Participants were three experienced waitresses who had worked at a midtown Manhattan restaurant for 14, 7, and 3 years respectively and a team of 5 confederate customers. Waitresses and customers wore microphones.�
Stevens, Joy
Acquisition and improvement of human motor skills: Learning through observation and practice
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Skilled movement is an integral part of the human existence. A better understanding of motor skills and their development is a prerequisite to the construction of truly flexible intelligent agents. We present MAEANDER, a computational model of human motor behavior, that uniformly addresses both the acquisition of skills through observation and the improvement of skills through practice. MAEANDER consists of a sensory-effector interface, a memory of movements, and a set of performance and learning mechanisms that let it recognize and generate motor skills. The system initially acquires such skills by observing movements performed by another agent and constructing a concept hierarchy. Given a stored motor skill in memory, MAEANDER will cause an effector to behave appropriately. All learning involves changing the hierarchical memory of skill concepts to more closely correspond to either observed experience or to desired behaviors. We evaluated MAEANDER empirically with respect to how well it acquires and improves both artificial movement types and handwritten script letters from the alphabet. We also evaluate MAEANDER as a psychological model by comparing its behavior to robust phenomena in humans and by considering the richness of the predictions it makes.
Iba, Wayne
From Competence to Excellence: Developing Excellence in Vocational Skills.
The United Kingdom's Learning and Skills Development Agency (LSDA), UK SKILLS, and the Further Education Skills Competition Council conducted a collaborative action research project to improve students' vocational learning and skills through enhanced learning experiences. From February 2001 to April 2002, three further education colleges worked to�
Smeaton, Barry; Hughes, Maria; Hall, Graeme
Skill Intensity and Skills Development in Bangladesh Manufacturing Enterprises
This paper reports on recent research into enterprise skill profiles and workplace training practices in the Bangladesh manufacturing industry. The article presents survey and interview data for 37 enterprises across eight manufacturing sectors collected during a study for the International Labour Organisation. The research analysed enterprise and�
Comyn, Paul
Reading skill and structural brain development.
Reading is a learned skill that is likely influenced by both brain maturation and experience. Functional imaging studies have identified brain regions important for skilled reading, but the structural brain changes that co-occur with reading acquisition remain largely unknown. We investigated maturational volume changes in brain reading regions and their association with performance on reading measures. Sixteen typically developing children (5-15 years old, eight boys, mean age of sample=10.06 � 3.29) received two MRI scans (mean interscan interval=2.19 years), and were administered a battery of cognitive measures. Volume changes between time points in five bilateral cortical regions of interest were measured, and assessed for relationships to three measures of reading. Better baseline performances on measures of word reading, fluency, and rapid naming, independent of age and total cortical gray matter volume change, were associated with volume decrease in the left inferior parietal cortex. Better baseline performance on a rapid naming measure was associated with volume decrease in the left inferior frontal region. These results suggest that children who are better readers, and who perhaps read more than less skilled readers, exhibit different development trajectories in brain reading regions. Understanding relationships between reading performance, reading experience, and brain maturation trajectories may help with the development and evaluation of targeted interventions. PMID:24407200
Houston, Suzanne M; Lebel, Catherine; Katzir, Tami; Manis, Franklin R; Kan, Eric; Rodriguez, Genevieve G; Sowell, Elizabeth R
Teaching Writing. Three Seasonal Activities to Hone Kids' Observation Skills.
The seasonal activities presented are: observing herbs to encourage use of the senses in writing; watching a jack-o'-lantern wither to learn skills in writing details; and building snowmen to learn to explain a string of events in writing. (SM)
Power, Brenda
Formal Art Observation Training Improves Medical Students' Visual Diagnostic Skills
Background Despite evidence of inadequate physical examination skills among medical students, teaching these skills has declined. One method of enhancing inspection skills is teaching �visual literacy,� the ability to reason physiology and pathophysiology from careful and unbiased observation. Objective To improve students� visual acumen through structured observation of artworks, understanding of fine arts concepts and applying these skills to patient care. Design Prospective, partially randomized pre- vs. post-course evaluation using mixed-methods data analysis. Participants Twenty-four pre-clinical student participants were compared to 34 classmates at a similar stage of training. Intervention Training the Eye: Improving the Art of Physical Diagnosis consists of eight paired sessions of art observation exercises with didactics that integrate fine arts concepts with physical diagnosis topics and an elective life drawing session. Measurements The frequency of accurate observations on a 1-h visual skills examination was used to evaluate pre- vs. post-course descriptions of patient photographs and art imagery. Content analysis was used to identify thematic categories. All assessments were blinded to study group and pre- vs. post-course evaluation. Results Following the course, class participants increased their total mean number of observations compared to controls (5.41?�?0.63 vs. 0.36?�?0.53, p?0.0001) and had increased sophistication in their descriptions of artistic and clinical imagery. A �dose-response� was found for those who attended eight or more sessions, compared to participants who attended seven or fewer sessions (6.31?+?0.81 and 2.76?+?1.2, respectively, p?=?0.03). Conclusions This interdisciplinary course improved participants� capacity to make accurate observations of art and physical findings. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s11606-008-0667-0) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
Naghshineh, Sheila; Hafler, Janet P.; Miller, Alexa R.; Blanco, Maria A.; Lipsitz, Stuart R.; Dubroff, Rachel P.; Khoshbin, Shahram
Looking is not seeing: using art to improve observational skills.
This project evaluated the effects of an art museum experience on the observational skills of nursing students. Half of a class of non-nurse college graduates entering an accelerated master's degree program (n = 34) were assigned to a museum experience, whereas the other half (n = 32) received traditional teaching methods. Using original works of art, students participated in focused observational experiences to visually itemize everything noted in the art piece, discriminate visual qualities, recognize patterns, and cluster observations. After organizing observed information, they drew conclusions to construct the object's meaning. Participants visiting the museum subsequently wrote more about what they saw, resulting in significantly more objective clinical findings when viewing patient photographs. In addition, participants demonstrated significantly more fluidity in their differential diagnosis by offering more alternative diagnoses than did the control group. The study supports the notion that focused viewing of works of art enhances observational skills. PMID:19731892
Pellico, Linda Honan; Friedlaender, Linda; Fennie, Kristopher P
Mathematics and Logic - Skill and Concept Development
This section of the website, Appetizers and Lessons for Mathematics and Reason, written by Alan Selby, PD. (see also Scout Report for Math, Engineering, and Technology, May 24, 2002) offers lesson ideas for teaching linear equations in high school or college. The approach uses stick diagrams to solve linear equations because they "provide a concrete or visual context for many of the rules or patterns for solving equations, a context that may develop equation solving skills and confidence." The idea is to build up student confidence in problem solving before presenting any formal algebraic statement of the rule and patterns for solving equations. Links to related chapters from his book, "Three Skills for Algebra," are also provided.
Skills set development of doctoral graduates and post doctoral staff.
Three pillars used to develop skills of early stage researchers are increased mobility, cooperation among higher education institutes, and interaction with non-academic stakeholders. Experiences as a Borlaug Fellow and a doctoral candidate illustrate ways to leverage these pillars to enrich the doctoral and post-doctoral experience. The doctoral and post doctoral staff requires skills to discover, integrate, and apply knowledge as well as to teach. Mentoring, attending workshops and seminars are essential. To acquire professional competencies to meet challenges of the next decade, early stage researchers need to take up and create opportunities to observe and learn from experienced researchers, practitioners and colleagues. PMID:20491399
Marete, M
Developing Study Skills in the Reading Process.
Study skills are comprised of both reading and thinking skills, and they can be classified as receptive, reflective, or expressive abilities. The objective of teaching study skills is to enable young people to study efficiently and independently in a variety of learning activities. The approaches to teaching study skills that are discussed in this�
Reid, Neil
Drawing Students Out: Using sketching exercises to hone observation skills
Integrating art into science can help students hone their observation skills. In this introductory biology course, the teacher requires students to sketch everything from prepared slides of mitosis and plant anatomy to field sightings of birds and protists. The sketchbooks are a valuable tool for assessing how much time and effort students dedicate to their world as well as how well they observe. Encourage your students to become "one" with nature by incorporating the suggestions presented in this article into your science curriculum.
Weekes, Harry
Business Studies and the Development of Managerial Skills.
Graduates and their employers rated a master- or diploma-level program in business administration along nine skill development dimensions: initiative, judgment, contact, expression, control, decision making, leadership, problem solving, and problem diagnosis. Cognitive skills were perceived as more successfully developed than instrumental skills.�
Maimon, Zvi
Using Active Group Games to Develop Basic Life Skills
Well-designed, active group games are more than just fun. They can help young children develop essential life skills that impact their development and contribute to school readiness. This article discusses how playing developmentally appropriate games allows children to build listening skills as well as social and cooperative skills, gain enough�
Torbert, Marianne
A Learned-Behavior Approach to Management Skill Development.
A learned-behavior approach to competency-based management education involves (1) learning and role plying of micro skills; (2) observing, critiquing, and reflecting on use of micro skills; (3) application in real situations; and (4) analysis of application. Micro skills components and inductive learning of behavior provide a useful foundation for�
Hunt, James G.; Sorenson, Ritch L.
The Skill Development Processes of Apprenticeship.
Case studies of apprenticeship in the Japanese tea ceremony, traditional crafts, and strategic thinking illustrate novices' growth in internal knowledge through reflective practice of skilled processes. As skilled experts, adult educators are engaged in continually improving the skilled processes they model. (SK)
Wolek, Francis W.
Developing Real-World Spelling Skills.
Presents strategies for incorporation into elementary level spelling programs to help students become real-world spellers. The article explains how to make spelling part of the writing process by expanding the word bank, improving proofreading skills, building dictionary skills, and conducting a roundup spelling test to practice new skills. (SM)
Angeletti, Sara; Peterson, Robert
Development and Use of "Evaluation of Cognitive Development--Pre-Reading Skills".
The methods and validity of evaluations of cognitive development, in language and numbers, of children ages three through six, by use of classroom observation inventory lists are discussed. The Evaluation of Cognitive Development--Pre-Reading Skills, an observational instrument (teacher completed), was administered to 134 first grade students in a�
Goolsby, Thomas M., Jr.; Frary, Robert B.
Haptic Glove Technology: Skill Development through Video Game Play
This article introduces a recently developed haptic glove system and describes how the participants used a video game that was purposely designed to train them in skills that are needed for the efficient use of the haptic glove. Assessed skills included speed, efficiency, embodied skill, and engagement. The findings and implications for future�
Bargerhuff, Mary Ellen; Cowan, Heidi; Oliveira, Francisco; Quek, Francis; Fang, Bing
Motor Development and Skill Analysis. Connections to Elementary Physical Education.
Drawing upon stages of motor development and elements of biomechanics, the authors used anatomical planes as a frame of reference to determine movement patterns and assess readiness to perform movement skills. The combination of determining readiness and analyzing skill enables the teacher to plan proper motor skill activities. (MT)
Mielke, Dan; Morrison, Craig
Developing 3D Spatial Skills for K-12 Students
Three-dimensional spatial skills have been shown to be critical to success in engineering and other technological fields. Well-developed 3D spatial skills are particularly important for success in engineering graphics courses. Further, 3D spatial skills of women lag significantly behind those of their male counterparts, which could hinder their�
Sorby, Sheryl A.
Texas Skills Development Program. Report to the Governor.
The Texas Skills Development Program (TSDP) is a key long-term strategy of the Smart Jobs initiative that will assist Texas business, industry, and labor in conveying job skill requirements to the public education and training system. Employers feel that job applicants do not have the basic reading, writing, and computation skills they need. TSDP�
Texas State Dept. of Commerce, Austin.
The Effects of Development Team Skill on Software Product Quality
This paper provides an analysis of the effect of the skill/experience of the software development team on the quality of the final software product. A method for the assessment of software development team skill and experience is proposed, and was derived from a workforce management tool currently in use by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Using data from 26 smallscale software development projects, the team skill measures are correlated to 5 software product quality metrics from the ISO/IEC 9126 Software Engineering Product Quality standard. in the analysis of the results, development team skill is found to be a significant factor in the adequacy of the design and implementation. In addition, the results imply that inexperienced software developers are tasked with responsibilities ill-suited to their skill level, and thus have a significant adverse effect on the quality of the software product. Keywords: software quality, development skill, software metrics
Beaver, Justin M.; Schiavone, Guy A.
Developing Listening Skills through Peer Interaction
Teachers who conduct ensembles of any ability level know that many skills are required for students to successfully participate. Often neglected or overlooked are the skills that students must have to interact musically with their peers. This article focuses on listening as a way to help make successful ensemble collaboration a reality. The method�
Johnson, Erik
Developing a Political Economy of Skill.
Finds little evidence of a paradigm shift in capitalism or a trend toward a high-skills knowledge economy. Points out problems in demand-side proposals. Concludes that it is necessary to recognize the centrality of conflict, power, and exploitation in capitalism and outlines a radical political economy of skill. (Contains 104 references.) (SK)
Lloyd, Caroline; Payne, Jonathan
To observe or not to observe peers when learning physical examination skills; that is the question
Background Learning physical examination skills is an essential element of medical education. Teaching strategies include practicing the skills either alone or in-group. It is unclear whether students benefit more from training these skills individually or in a group, as the latter allows them to observing their peers. The present study, conducted in a naturalistic setting, investigated the effects of peer observation on mastering psychomotor skills necessary for physical examination. Methods The study included 185 2nd-year medical students, participating in a regular head-to-toe physical examination learning activity. Students were assigned either to a single-student condition (n = 65), in which participants practiced alone with a patient instructor, or to a multiple-student condition (n = 120), in which participants practiced in triads under patient instructor supervision. The students subsequently carried out a complete examination that was videotaped and subsequently evaluated. Student�s performance was used as a measure of learning. Results Students in the multiple-student condition learned more than those who practiced alone (81% vs 76%, p < 0.004). This result possibly derived from a positive effect of observing peers; students who had the possibility to observe a peer (the second and third students in the groups) performed better than students who did not have this possibility (84% vs 76%, p <. 001). There was no advantage of observing more than one peer (83.7% vs 84.1%, p > .05). Conclusions The opportunity to observe a peer during practice seemed to improve the acquisition of physical examination skills. By using small groups instead of individual training to teach physical examination skills, health sciences educational programs may provide students with opportunities to improve their performance by learning from their peers through modelling.
Teaching Condom Use Skills: Practice Is Superior to Observation
Men exposed to a condom skills practice exercise were hypothesized to perform better on condom skills measures than those exposed only to a demonstration or to no intervention. As part of a larger National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) Clinical Trials Network HIV Prevention protocol, men in substance abuse treatment were administered male and female condom use skills measures (MCUS,
Donald A. Calsyn; Mary A. Hatch-Maillette; Suzanne R. Doyle; Sarah Cousins; TeChieh Chen; Melinda Godinez
The Effects of Motor Skill Acquisition on the Development of Intentional Communication.
A study investigated the effects of a neurobehavioral motor intervention on intentional communication development of four children (ages 1 to 3) with neuromotor impairments. Related communication skills linked to motor targets were observed. All subjects increased the use of communication behaviors following implementation of the motor-skill�
Jones, Hazel A.; Horn, Eva M.; Warren, Steven F.
Developing Thinking Skills through Literature. Learning Package No. 19.
Originally developed for the Department of Defense Schools (DoDDS) system, this learning package on developing thinking skills through literature is designed for teachers who wish to upgrade or expand their teaching skills on their own. The package includes a comprehensive search of the ERIC database; a lecture giving an overview on the topic; the�
Collins, Norma; Smith, Carl, Comp.
Developing Transferable Skills in Undergraduate Mathematics Students through Mathematical Modelling.
Discusses certain transferable skills and a strategy for developing them via an intensive short course on mathematical modeling. Includes student reactions and comments on the course. Suggests that this course developed modeling as well as generic skills through teaching, learning, and assessment style. (Author/KHR)
Nyman, Melvin A.; Berry, John
Developing Skilled Learners: A Strategy for Coping with New Technology.
Description of technique to enhance the development of learning skills, called Developing Skilled Learners (DSL), focuses on two case studies in British industry. The effects of change generated by new technology are discussed and the emphasis on learning processes rather than training methods is explained. (LRW)
Pearn, Michael; Downs, Sylvia
Pharmacist prescribers� written reflection on developing their consultation skills
It has long been argued that reflection is an essential element of lifelong learning and professional development, however pharmacy in the UK is still at an early stage in promoting the use of reflection for learning and professional practice development. This study presents an analysis of pharmacists� written reflection on their consultation skills after a communication skills learning programme. The
Ruth M. Edwards; Jennifer Cleland; Karen Bailey; Seonaid McLachlan
Helping Preschoolers Prepare for Writing: Developing Fine Motor Skills
Early childhood is the most intensive period for the development of physical skills. Writing progress depends largely on the development of fine motor skills involving small muscle movements of the hand. Young children need to participate in a variety of developmentally appropriate activities intentionally designed to promote fine motor control.�
Huffman, J. Michelle; Fortenberry, Callie
Using News Assignments to Develop Skills for Learning about Science from Public Information Sources
News assignments based on contemporary issues with a scientific basis are used in two general education chemistry courses for nonmajors to develop learning skills. Students' favorable responses are observed towards the assignments.
Wakzak, Mary M.
The Development of Decision-Making Skills
This paper suggests an innovative idea of using the "technology fair" as a means for promoting pre-service teachers (university students) decision-making skills. The purpose of the study was to investigate the influence of a procedure of working with primary school children to complete and present a technology fair project, on the decision-making�
Mettas, Alexandros
Developing students' physics problem-solving skills
This paper describes a protocol designed to help students taking their first undergraduate physics course in acquiring the basic skills of physics problem-solving. The educational effectiveness of this protocol for mature students in distance education has been extensively evaluated, and it is now being used as the basis for an interactive multimedia learning package.
Bolton, John; Ross, Shelagh
Developing Students' Physics Problem-Solving Skills.
Describes a protocol designed to help students taking their first undergraduate physics course acquire the basic skills of physics problem solving. Discusses the evaluation of the educational effectiveness of this protocol and its use in an interactive multimedia learning package. Contains 16 references. (Author/JRH)
Developing Social Skills among Day Care Children.
Constituting a secondary preventive intervention, 61 low SES preschool children attending four inner-city day care centers were provided a program of social skills building exercises. In contrast to primary preventive efforts that focus on a central concern, secondary prevention attends to potentially serious concomitant issues. In this study the�
Jason, Leonard A.; And Others
Development of Map Construction Skills in Childhood
Two studies examined children's map construction skills when drawing demands were removed from the task and scenes were highly simplified. Study 1 compared the performance of first graders and third graders on their ability to preserve configuration during transformation of pictured arrays from eye-level to aerial views. For children with�
Hirsch, Pamela L.; Sandberg, Elisabeth Hollister
System and method for providing music based cognitive skills development
US Patent & Trademark Office Database
The present invention provides systems and methods for providing music based cognitive skills development. More particularly the present invention may provide a music based cognitive skills development platform. The platform is provided using computer implemented systems and methods for training a human subject so as to enhance his/her intelligence, attention, language skills and brain functioning. The present invention provides these benefits using exercises, one or more of which are based on musical training aspects, however, in addition to musical training other cognitive skills development exercises may be used, as described herein. The invention may be utilized by users of varying musical skills and may be presented at a level corresponding to the prior musical training (if any) of a user, and in a form corresponding to the cognitive capacity, interests and attention span of a user.
SIDES: a cooperative tabletop computer game for social skills development
This paper presents a design case study of SIDES: Shared Interfaces to Develop Effective Social Skills. SIDES is a tool designed to help adolescents with Asperger's Syndrome practice effective group work skills using a four-player cooperative computer game that runs on tabletop technology. We present the design process and evaluation of SIDES conducted over six months with a middle school
Anne Marie Piper; Eileen O'brien; Meredith Ringel Morris; Terry Winograd
Using Dialogues to Develop Critical Thinking Skills: A Practical Approach.
Presents a two-step approach that uses classroom dialogs to guide students in developing and applying critical-thinking skills. Describes how students evaluate written dialogs for biases, evidence, interpretations, and errors in reasoning, then take part in discussion as role players, analyzing errors in thinking, identifying reasoning skills,�
Robertson, Julie Fisher; Rane-Szostak, Donna
Development of Information Search Expertise: Postgraduates' Knowledge of Searching Skills
This paper reports on a study of the development of information searching expertise by 12 postgraduate research students. Six of the students were studying education, and six were studying engineering. The paper focuses on the students' perception of the importance of searching skills and the growth of their knowledge with these skills as they�
Chu, Samuel Kai-Wah; Law, Nancy
Teaching Parents New Skills to Support Their Young Children's Development
Teaching parents new skills to support the development of their young children with developmen- tal disabilities has been controversial in the field of early intervention even though there is considerable empirical evidence supporting this approach. We propose that teaching parents to implement family-centered interventions can be highly effective by: (a) allowing parents to choose when to learn new skills; (b)
Ann P. Kaiser; Terry B. Hancock
Developing Argument Skills Across Scientific and Social Domains
Instant-messaging software was used as a method to promote development of argumentation skills in middle schoolers. Transfer of skills across content domains was the major question investigated. Forty sixth graders engaged in electronic dialogues with peers on a controversial topic�for half a science topic (dinosaur extinction) and for half a social topic (home schooling). During 13 sessions, participants worked with
Kalypso Iordanou
Developing, Field Testing and Calibrating a Word Analysis Skill Inventory.
The Rasch Model was used to define the word analysis skill variable and to develop, field test, and calibrate a corresponding test for grades 2-12: the Emory Word Analysis Skill Inventory (EWASI). Word analysis objectives focusing on content and hierarchical levels of difficulty were identified and field tested with 78 students, grades 2-12,�
Avant, Glen R.; O'Brien, Michael L.
Using Blended Learning in Developing Student Teachers Teaching Skills
The research aims to determine the effectiveness of using blended learning Approach in developing student teachers teaching skills, and defining teaching skills that confront students of teachers college at King Saud University need it. The research uses the Quasi- Experimental approach, with four experimental groups (Mathematics (21)--Science�
Isman, Aytekin; Abanmy, Fahad AbdulAziz; Hussein, Hisham Barakat; Al Saadany, Mohammed Abdelrahman
Developing Argument Skills across Scientific and Social Domains
Instant-messaging software was used as a method to promote development of argumentation skills in middle schoolers. Transfer of skills across content domains was the major question investigated. Forty sixth graders engaged in electronic dialogues with peers on a controversial topic--for half a science topic (dinosaur extinction) and for half a�
Iordanou, Kalypso
Developing Critical Thinking Skills through a Variety of Instructional Strategies.
This action research project sought to develop students' critical thinking skills by implementing a variety of instructional strategies. Targeted for this study were students in one early childhood special education program, one kindergarten class, and one eighth grade science class. The deficit in critical thinking and problem-solving skills was�
Collier, Karen; Guenther, Traci; Veerman, Cathy
Development of fine motor skills in preterm infants.
Fine motor skills are related to functioning in daily life and at school. We reviewed the status of knowledge, in preterm children, on the development of fine motor skills, the relation with gross motor skills, and risk factors for impaired fine motor skills. We searched the past 15 years in PubMed, using ['motor skills' or 'fine motor function' and 'preterm infant'] as the search string. Impaired gross and fine motor skills are among the most frequently occurring problems encountered by preterm children who do not develop cerebral palsy. The prevalence is around 40% for mild to moderate impairment and 20% for moderate impairment. Fine motor skill scores on the Movement Assessment Battery for Children are about 0.62 of a standard deviation lower compared with term children. Risk factors for fine motor impairments include moderately preterm birth (odds ratio [OR] 2.0) and, among very preterm children (<32 wk gestation), intra-uterine growth restriction (ORs 2-3), inflammatory conditions (late-onset sepsis and necrotizing enterocolitis, ORs 3-5), and dexamethasone therapy for bronchopulmonary dysplasia (OR 2.7). A better understanding of factors that play a role in the development of and recovery from brain injury could guide future intervention attempts aimed at improving fine motor skills of preterm children. PMID:24237270
Bos, Arend F; Van Braeckel, Koenraad N J A; Hitzert, Marrit M; Tanis, Jozien C; Roze, Elise
The Development of Children's Early Memory Skills
A multi-task battery tapping nonverbal memory and language skills was used to assess 60 children at 18, 24, and 30 months. Analyses focused on the degree to which language, working memory, and deliberate memory skills were linked concurrently to children�s Elicited Imitation performance, and whether the patterns of association varied across the different ages. Language ability emerged as a predictor of immediate Elicited Imitation performance by 24 months and predicted delayed performance at each age. In addition to the contributions of language, the children�s abilities to search for and retrieve toys in the deliberate memory task were associated with their immediate Elicited Imitation performance at each age. In addition to language, working memory was positively associated with aspects of both immediate and delayed performance at all ages. The extent to which it was possible to replicate and extend previous cross-sectional work in this longitudinal study is discussed.
Haden, Catherine A.; Ornstein, Peter A.; O'Brien, Barbara S.; Elischberger, Holger B.; Tyler, Caroline S.; Burchinal, Margaret J.
Practice Skill Development Through the Use of Human Patient Simulation
Human patient simulation (HPS) is used in health care education to enhance the transition from classroom learning to competent performance. It has been used frequently in nursing and medical schools and less often in pharmacy and other allied health professions. HPS is used to improve the development of pharmacy practice skills such as physical assessment, pharmacotherapy plan development, and monitoring plans. Engaging multiple health care disciplines in simulations enables participants to practice teamwork and communication skills that are essential in preventing errors and events of harm to patients. This article reviews current literature and use of simulation in pharmacy curricula for the development, enhancement, and assessment of pharmacy practice skills.
Developing teamwork skills in capstone design courses.
The majority of our biomedical engineering graduates will eventually work in an industry where they will be part of multidisciplinary teams that use the collective skills, expertise, experience, and training of each team member. Diversity within these teams provides different perspectives, opinions, and ways of viewing problems, leading to a larger set of potential solutions. Successful careers require engineers to be able to function on multidisciplinary teams. PMID:20659852
Goldberg, Jay
Development of the Tactical Skills Inventory for Sports.
Purpose of this study, in which 19 trainers and 415 competitive youth field hockey and soccer players (M age=15.9, SD=1.6; 283 boys and 132 girls) selected by their age, sex, and performance status participated, was to develop a practical, reliable, and valid measure of tactical skills in sports. With trainers, 34 questions were formulated involving tactical skills. Factor analysis yielded the Tactical Skills Inventory for Sports. Scales were labeled Positioning and Deciding, Knowing about Ball Actions, Knowing about Others, and Acting in Changing Situations, covering all aspects of tactical skills regarding Declarative versus Procedural knowledge and Attack and Defense. Internal consistency and test-retest measures for reliability (except Knowing about Ball Actions) were within acceptable limits. Elite players scored better than nonelite players, supporting construct validity. The inventory is suitable for measuring tactical skills in youth field hockey and soccer players in sports practice. PMID:15648483
Elferink-Gemser, M T; Visscher, C; Richart, H; Lemmink, K A P M
Developing Thinking Skills through the Use of Simple Computer Programming.
The article describes specific thinking skills that can be developed and used with BASIC programing, LOGO programing, and data processing with PFS:FILE. Experiences of the computer education program at the Austine School for the Deaf are cited. (CL)
Palmer, Philip P.
Developing Export Management Competencies and Skills among Undergraduate Business Students.
Responses of 25 Northern Ireland business students who undertook client-sponsored projects in local businesses reported increased proficiency in conducting research, improved competence in export management, development of soft skills, and better ability to apply theory to practice. (SK)
Scharf, Fred; Bell, Jim
Movement Skill Assessment of Typically Developing Preschool Children: A Review of Seven Movement Skill Assessment Tools
The importance of movement is often overlooked because it is such a natural part of human life. It is, however, crucial for a child�s physical, cognitive and social development. In addition, experiences support learning and development of fundamental movement skills. The foundations of those skills are laid in early childhood and essential to encourage a physically active lifestyle. Fundamental movement skill performance can be examined with several assessment tools. The choice of a test will depend on the context in which the assessment is planned. This article compares seven assessment tools which are often referred to in European or international context. It discusses the tools� usefulness for the assessment of movement skill development in general population samples. After a brief description of each assessment tool the article focuses on contents, reliability, validity and normative data. A conclusion outline of strengths and weaknesses of all reviewed assessment tools focusing on their use in educational research settings is provided and stresses the importance of regular data collection of fundamental movement skill development among preschool children. Key pointsThis review discusses seven movement skill assessment tool�s test content, reliability, validity and normative samples.The seven assessment tools all showed to be of great value. Strengths and weaknesses indicate that test choice will depend on specific purpose of test use.Further data collection should also include larger data samples of able bodied preschool children.Admitting PE specialists in assessment of fundamental movement skill performance among preschool children is recommended.The assessment tool�s normative data samples would benefit from frequent movement skill performance follow-up of today�s children. Abbreviations MOT 4-6: Motoriktest fur vier- bis sechsj�hrige Kinder, M-ABC: Movement Assessment Battery for Children, PDMS: Peabody Development Scales, KTK: K�rper-Koordinationtest f�r Kinder, TGDM: Test of Gross Motor Development, MMT: Maastrichtse Motoriektest, BOTMP: Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency. ICC: intraclass correlation coefficient, NR: not reported, GM: gross motor, LV: long version, SV: short version, LF: long form, SF: short form, STV: subtest version, SEMs: standard errors of measurement, TMQ: Total Motor Quotient, TMC: Total Motor Composite, CSSA: Comprehensive Scales of Student Abilities MSEL: Mullen Scales of Early learning: AGS Edition AUC: Areas under curve BC: Battery composite ROC: Receiver operating characteristic
Cools, Wouter; Martelaer, Kristine De; Samaey, Christiane; Andries, Caroline
Development of oral motor behavior related to the skill assisted spoon feeding.
Milestones in the typical development of eating skills are considered to be nippling (breast or bottle), eating from a spoon, drinking from a cup, biting and chewing. The purpose of this research was to study the development and consolidation of oral motor behavior related to the skill assisted spoon feeding in young infants. The present study longitudinally investigated the development of this skill in 39 healthy children from the start of spoon feeding until the skill was acquired. The Observation List Spoon Feeding with 7 observation items for oral motor behavior and 6 items for abnormal behavior was used. Results showed that infants between 4 and 8 months of age needed 5.7 weeks (SD 2.1), with a range of 8 weeks (from 2 to 10 weeks) to acquire this skill. No significant correlation (p=.109) between age at start spoon feeding and weeks needed to develop the skill was found. During this period oral motor behavior consolidated and abnormal behavior diminished. With this study it is shown that the period in weeks needed to acquire the oral motor behavior for the skill assisted spoon feeding is important in case of feeding problems. PMID:24571957
van den Engel-Hoek, Lenie; van Hulst, Karen C M; van Gerven, Marjo H J C; van Haaften, Leenke; de Groot, Sandra A F
A Systems Approach to Scaffold Communication Skills Development
Objectives To implement a communication skills development (CSD) system and evaluate its effectiveness in a clinical communications course. Design Students conducted baseline interviews and wrote SOAP notes, and based on faculty, patient, self- and peer assessments, set goals for improvement of their communication skills. Students participated in various activities to scaffold their learning, several of which took place in a web-based environment to enhance access and function for both students and faculty members. Quantitative and qualitative analyses were performed. Assessment Students' communication skills improved as evidenced by assessment scores. Student and faculty comments offered additional evidence of the effectiveness of standardized patient interviews, learning strategies, and assessment methods. Conclusion The CSD system effectively integrated various types of learning activities and feedback processes. The use of scaffolding strategies appeared to enhance the development of students' communication skills.
Er, Nelson L.
Does a brief suicide prevention gatekeeper training program enhance observed skills?
Background Suicide is a significant public health problem worldwide that requires evidence-based prevention efforts. One approach to prevention is gatekeeper training. Gatekeeper training programs for community members have demonstrated positive changes in knowledge and attitudes about suicide. Changes in gatekeeper skills have not been well established. Aims To assess and predict the impact of a brief, gatekeeper training on community members� observed skills. Methods Participants in a community gatekeeper training were employees at US universities. 50 participants were randomly selected for skills assessment and videotaped interacting with a standardized actor prior to and following training. Tapes were reliability rated for general and suicide-specific skills. Results Gatekeeper skills increased from pre- to posttest: 10% of participants met criteria for acceptable gatekeeper skills before training, while 54% met criteria after training. Pretraining variables did not predict increased skills. Limitations Results do not provide conclusions about the relationship between observed gatekeeper skills and actual use of those skills in the future. Conclusions Gatekeeper training enhances suicide-specific skills for the majority of participants. Other strategies, such as behavioral rehearsal, may be necessary to enhance skills in the remaining participants.
Cross, Wendi; Matthieu, Monica M.; Lezine, DeQuincy; Knox, Kerry L.
Evaluation of a Classwide Teaching Program for Developing Preschool Life Skills
Recently, nonmaternal center-based child care has been linked to problem behavior in young children (National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, 2003). In response, a comprehensive program to promote prosocial skills was evaluated in a classroom of 16 children between the ages of 3 and 5?years. Classroom observations were conducted during evocative situations to determine the likelihood of problem behavior (noncompliance, vocal or motor disruptions, aggression) and preschool life skills. A classwide teaching program was then implemented in a staggered manner across instruction following, functional communication, delay tolerance, and friendship skills. These four categories of preschool life skills, which included two to four related skills, were selected for classwide teaching because they were either identified by educators as important for early school success, have often been taught following functional assessments of more severe problem behavior, or both. Skills were taught on a classwide basis during typically scheduled activities (circle, free play, transitions, meals) via instructions, modeling, role play, and feedback. A multiple probe design showed that the program resulted in an 74% reduction in problem behavior and a more than four-fold increase in preschool life skills. Similar beneficial effects of the program were evident in questionnaire data gathered prior to and at the close of the evaluation. Finally, the teachers who implemented the program reported overall high levels of satisfaction with the classwide teaching program, the target skills, and the results. Implications for the design of early childhood experiences for preempting the development of serious problem behavior are discussed.
Hanley, Gregory P; Heal, Nicole A; Tiger, Jeffrey H; Ingvarsson, Einar T
Developing Elementary Math and Science Process Skills Through Engineering Design Instruction
This paper examines how elementary students can develop math and science process skills through an engineering design approach to instruction. The performance and development of individual process skills overall and by gender were also examined. The study, preceded by a pilot, took place in a grade four extracurricular engineering design program in a public, suburban school district. Students worked in pairs and small groups to design and construct airplane models from styrofoam, paper clips, and toothpicks. The development and performance of process skills were assessed through a student survey of learning gains, an engineering design packet rubric (student work), observation field notes, and focus group notes. The results indicate that students can significantly develop process skills, that female students may develop process skills through engineering design better than male students, and that engineering design is most helpful for developing the measuring, suggesting improvements, and observing process skills. The study suggests that a more regular engineering design program or curriculum could be beneficial for students' math and science abilities both in this school and for the elementary field as a whole.
Strong, Matthew G.
Skill Development of Plant Operators in the Chemical Industry
In the chemical industry, most of the chemical products are manufactured by operating equipment and changing raw materials chemically and physically. Knowledge and skills regarding the raw materials and the products are required to manufacture the products of good quality safely. Furthermore the knowledge and skills concerning the chemical process, the equipment and other treated materials are needed to operate plant appropriately. The way of plant operation partially depends on the type of process such as continuous process and batch process. As a plant operator is promoted to an upper position, required to improve one's skills. To operate plant safely, the base action to prevent an error of judgment, and the adaptive action based on the rule and principle i.e. KNOW-WHY are also required. In this paper, it reports on some cases of the skill development of plant operators in Omuta Works.
Sakata, Kouichi
Developing authentic problem solving skills in introductory computing classes
The ability to solve problems is the key to developing software, and it is an ability that can be difficult to learn. Introductory Computer Science students are often taught syntax and semantics, along with simple problems designed to develop logical, structured thinking, but authentic problem-solving skills are rarely developed at these early stages. In this paper we describe an approach
Katrina Falkner; Edward Palmer
Credit Systems for Learning and Skills: Current Developments. LSDA Reports.
In January 2003, a national working group was established to review past and current credit developments in England and recommend ways of taking learning credit developments forward in the future. The Learning Skill and Development Agency's case for credit was said to rest on the objectives of recognizing achievement and motivating learners and�
Tait, Tony
A Coordinated Approach to Curricular Review and Development in Undergraduate Geoscience Programs: Using a Matrix to Identify and Track Skills and Skill Development
One approach to curriculum review and development is to construct a matrix of the desired skills versus courses in the departmental curriculum. The matrix approach requires faculty to articulate their goals, identify specific skills, and assess where in the curriculum students will learn and practice these skills and where there are major skills gaps. Faculty members in the Geology Department
R. MacDonald; M. E. Savina
Direct observation of playgroup therapy for social skills deficits
This study assesses the impact of play-group therapy on five 5-year-old boys suffering from relation difficulties within their peer groups. Twelve non-directive therapy sessions were conducted by two therapists, and were based on proven models of operant conditioning, modeling and coaching. A comparison of pre-and post-therapy assessments showed a significant improvement in social skills and in behavior overall. Further prospective
Michel D. Boulanger; Catherine Langevin
Stimulating Interest in Natural Sciences and Training Observation Skills: The UAP Observations Reporting Scheme
For a number of reasons the general public and many young people are fascinated by the ideas of UFOs and extra-terrestrial life. As mysteries motivate to gain interest and knowledge, an opportunity exists, throughout these topics, to stimulate the people's interests to natural sciences and technology. A major problem however exists, concerning the fact that the general public generally associates any strange aerial sighting to something exotic, unknown, and to the possibility of extraterrestrial visitations. Rumours, irrational thinking and conspiracy theories prevail around these topics. Launched under the framework of the 2009 International Year of Astronomy, the Unidentified Aerospace Phenomena (UAP) Observations Reporting Scheme seeks to tackle this situation through approaching the topic from a professional and rational perspective, providing an opportunity to teach the public how to think more critically, demystifying UFO events, and ultimately attempting to stimulate the interest in natural sciences and technological disciplines. This is tentatively attempted through the following resources: Firstly, the project's website (1) provides an extensive resource for inquiry-based learning regarding the various natural or man-made phenomena that often give rise to false UAP sightings. It serves as a general forum for educating the public about human, atmospheric and astrophysical phenomena that could be observed in the sky. Secondly, the basic educational information provided on the web site allows potential UAP witnesses to critically evaluate the potential cause of their sightings. Visual descriptions, photos, video clips, tools, and links to relevant websites are provided for each category of phenomena, in order to assist the observer in his self-analysis. Amateur astronomers and societies who receive questions about UFOs can redirect queries to the website. Thirdly, the website provides novice observers viewing tips (e.g. elevation, azimuth, angular size) about how to record as accurately as possible a UAP event, in order to facilitate future identification and study. Lastly, one of the project's objectives is also to collect reports of trained observers (astronomers) of apparently inexplicable events for further analysis. Certainly, whenever there are unexplained observations there is the possibility that scientists could learn something new by studying these events. During this presentation, we will provide an overview of the project, present the website's extensive and well illustrated list of misidentifications, describe how people can further check details, develop their knowledge (e.g. satellite paths, stars/planets charts, characteristics of meteors, pictures of sprites, clouds classification) and enhance their observation skills. In order to show the relevance of the project, a short illustrated list of UAP cases received by the project will be featured, both explained and inexplicable. Finally, we will explore potential plans for strengthening the visibility and usefulness of the project, while requesting feedback from the community of atmospheric and natural sciences' researchers. (1) www.uapreporting.org (*): Disclaimer: Work undertaken as personal work; not endorsed as research activity by ESA.
Ailleris, P.
Instrument development for 21st century skills in Biology
This study aims to develop a valid and reliable instrument for measuring 21st century skills towards biology among Malaysian secondary school students using the application of Rasch Model. The sample of this study consisted of 433 form four students who are currently taking Biology as one of their elective subject. The instrument was developed to determine five constructs: digital age
Nurazidawati Mohamad Arsad; Kamisah Osman; Tuan Mastura Tuan Soh
Young Children's Computer Skills Development from Kindergarten to Third Grade
This investigation explores young children's computer skills development from kindergarten to third grade using the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study-Kindergarten (ECLS-K) dataset. The sample size of the study was 8642 children. Latent growth curve modeling analysis was used as an analytical tool to examine the development of children's computer�
Sackes, Mesut; Trundle, Kathy Cabe; Bell, Randy L.
Supporting the Development of Interactive Storytelling Skills in Teenagers
In this paper, we discuss the development of young people's interactive storytelling skills within a game creation environment. We describe the Gamemaker workshop series, in which young people learn to use a commercial game creation environment to develop interactive, branching stories within a 3D virtual reality role-playing environment. Given this new medium for story expression, we sought to better under-
Judy Robertson; Judith Good
Developing Courteous Listening Skills in Transitional Kindergarten Students.
This master's paper demonstrates the use of instructional system design in the development of a program to foster courteous listening skills in at-risk, transitional kindergarten students. Instructional production phases of analysis, design, development, implementation, and evaluation were used. Kindergarten students were presented three lessons�
Kanter, Linda
Developing Students' Metacognitive Skills in a Data-Rich Environment
This paper examines the development of students' metacognitive skills in a data-rich environment. The study involves the development and use of a Metacognitive Inventory, which evaluates students' awareness of their cognitive processes as they approach and solve problems. This 26-item inventory is based on the Problem Solving Inventory and State�
DeLuca, V. William; Lari, Nasim
Development of Reading Skills Among Preschool and Primary School Pupils
This study investigated the trajectories of preschool and first-grade childrens development of reading skills, as well as the cognitive and social antecedents of that development. One-hundred and ninety-six 5- to 6-year-old children were tested in October and April of their preschool year and again in the first grade. Data included measures of�
Leppnen, Ulla; Niemi, Pekka; Aunola, Kaisa; Nurmi, Jari-Erik
Online Graduate Student Identity and Professional Skills Development
Graduate students are assumed to develop skills in oral and written communication and collegial relationships that are complementary to formal graduate programs. However, it appears only a small number of universities provide such professional development opportunities alongside academic programs, and even fewer do so online. There appears to be�
Hurst, Deborah; Cleveland-Innes, Martha; Hawranik, Pamela; Gauvreau, Sarah
Many epoch-making biological discoveries (e.g. Darwinian Theory) were based upon observations. Nevertheless, observation is\\u000a often regarded as �just looking� rather than a basic scientific skill. As observation is one of the main research methods\\u000a in biological sciences, it must be considered as an independent research method and systematic practice of this method is\\u000a necessary. Because observation skills form the basis
Lucia Kohlhauf; Ulrike Rutke; Birgit Neuhaus
Developing Critical Thinking Skills in Accounting Students
The Accounting Education Change Commission has called for a reorientation in accounting education that emphasizes development of the student's capability to learn and preparation of students for life-long learning. As accounting educators consider the implications for teaching and assessment strategies, the cogent research in other academic fields is useful in developing the response to the committee's recommendations. This article examines
Lloyd D. Doney; Noreen E. Lephardt; James P. Trebby
Team Science: Organizing Classroom Experiments That Develop Group Skills.
This book contains classroom experiments designed to promote group skills. Each lesson has 4 parts: a 3-minute set-up; 5-minute warm-up, 25-minute experiment, and 5-minute clean-up. During each part, each member of the group is responsible for performing a specific task. Included are 34 labs that cover a range of topics: observations, physical�
Coffin, Marilyn
Does the inclusion of 'professional development' teaching improve medical students' communication skills?
Background This study investigated whether the introduction of professional development teaching in the first two years of a medical course improved students' observed communication skills with simulated patients. Students' observed communication skills were related to patient-centred attitudes, confidence in communicating with patients and performance in later clinical examinations. Methods Eighty-two medical students from two consecutive cohorts at a UK medical school completed two videoed consultations with a simulated patient: one at the beginning of year 1 and one at the end of year 2. Group 1 (n = 35) received a traditional pre-clinical curriculum. Group 2 (n = 47) received a curriculum that included communication skills training integrated into a 'professional development' vertical module. Videoed consultations were rated using the Evans Interview Rating Scale by communication skills tutors. A subset of 27% were double-coded. Inter-rater reliability is reported. Results Students who had received the professional development teaching achieved higher ratings for use of silence, not interrupting the patient, and keeping the discussion relevant compared to students receiving the traditional curriculum. Patient-centred attitudes were not related to observed communication. Students who were less nervous and felt they knew how to listen were rated as better communicators. Students receiving the traditional curriculum and who had been rated as better communicators when they entered medical school performed less well in the final year clinical examination. Conclusions Students receiving the professional development training showed significant improvements in certain communication skills, but students in both cohorts improved over time. The lack of a relationship between observed communication skills and patient-centred attitudes may be a reflection of students' inexperience in working with patients, resulting in 'patient-centredness' being an abstract concept. Students in the early years of their medical course may benefit from further opportunities to practise basic communication skills on a one-to-one basis with patients.
Developing a Workplace Skills Course: Lessons Learned.
Describes the development of a multidisciplinary cornerstone business course focused on communication, teamwork, problem solving, professional demeanor, research, ethics, and diversity. Discusses lessons learned: change itself raises obstacles, appropriate faculty are crucial, and time frame and course content should not be overly ambitious. (SK)
Holter, Norma C.; Kopka, Donald J.
Life Skills Developed on the Camp "Stage."
Draws on research concerning the components of sense of place, the rootedness of college students to their hometowns, and categories of environmental competence. Offer insights to camp staff into fostering sense of place and the emotional attachments to camp that comprise place attachment, and to developing environmental competence among campers�
Powell, Gwynn M.
This article is based on a paper presented at the CALICO '89 Sixth Annual International Symposium, Colorado Springs, Colorado. This article describes and discusses some ideas for exercise types that can best exploit the capabilities of the computer-controlled laser audio disc in the design and development of foreign language listening comprehension learning activities. The exercises considered include vocabulary recognition, discovering
Jorge Salazar
Developing Skills through Partnerships: Symposium Report
In November 2005, the province of Ontario and the federal government signed two historic agreements--the Canada-Ontario Labour Market Development Agreement and the Canada-Ontario Labour Market Partnership Agreement. One year later, on Nov. 24, 2006, key labour market stakeholders, including users, delivery agents and government came together to�
Colleges Ontario, 2011
The development of aerobic and skill assessment in soccer.
Methods of assessing soccer players' performance have developed significantly in recent times. The fitness profiles and skill levels of a prospective elite soccer player is a valuable resource for coaches in the process of identifying talent. Traditional means to measure aerobic fitness have centred on the 'aerobic capacity' or '&OV0312;O(2max)' test (also known as the maximal oxygen consumption test) but, over time, this has been shown not to be a sensitive measure for specific aspects of soccer in a match situation. Therefore, numerous soccer-specific simulations have been designed to re-create exercise patterns similar to those experienced during a match. Some of these studies have yet to be validated, while others have been shown to result in a similar physiological load to that encountered during regular match play. Further developments have led to specifically designed intermittent sprint tests, which are used as a sensitive tool to accurately measure the fluctuations in players' ability both between and within soccer seasons. Testing procedures have also been developed that incorporate elements of both skill and physical ability. Soccer-specific field tests have been designed, incorporating skill and dynamic movements, and this opens up the possibility of teams testing the aerobic capacity of their elite players using soccer-specific movements. Valid studies assessing soccer-specific skills in an ecologically sound environment have been quite rare until recently. Some test protocols have been deemed largely irrelevant to soccer match play, while others have had limited impact on scientific literature. More recently, skill tests have been developed and shown to be valid and reliable methods of assessing soccer skill performance. Many new skill tests continue to be developed, and some have been shown to be highly reliable, but further study of these relatively novel concepts is required before a more solid recommendation can be made. Overall, while significant work has been completed to date, there is still a need for further focused investigations, which can more closely assess the physiological demands of an elite soccer player, with a particular emphasis on sport-specific exercises during the execution of soccer skills. In this regard, more reliable and specific performance tests can be designed to more efficiently assess soccer players in the future. PMID:23046223
O'Reilly, John; Wong, Stephen H S
Just Google It? Developing Internet Search Skills
Do Internet search engines point us to the information that we need or confuse us with irrelevant or questionable information? How can Internet users improve their searches to find reliable information? What are some ways to perform effective searches? In this lesson, students conduct Web searches on open-ended questions, and draw on their experiences to develop guides to searching effectively and finding reliable information online.
Kavanagh, Sarah; Ojalvo, Holly E.
Assessment of Critical Business Skill Development by MBA Alumni
Six years of survey data were analyzed to assess, among other things, the degree to which an AACSB accredited graduate business program successfully developed student skills in a variety of areas deemed important for career success. The study illustrates a methodology institutions can use to respond to increasing demands for program evaluation and�
Glynn, Joseph G.; Wood, Gregory R.
Three Steps to Developing High School Students' Notetaking Skills.
A method to help hearing-impaired high school students develop notetaking skills involves sample lectures to provide notetaking practice in three stages: (1) reorganizing details, (2) summarizing a list of steps, and (3) recording the main points of less structured lectures. (DB)
Heathman, Marilyn D.; LeBuffe, James R.
Use of Gesture Development in Profiling Children's Prelinguistic Communication Skills
Purpose: Comparing children's skills across and within domains of development has become a standard in providing early intervention services. Profiling a child's strengths and challenges can help in making decisions regarding eligibility, diagnosis, and intervention. Profiling is particularly important for children who are not yet talking, due to�
Crais, Elizabeth R.; Watson, Linda R.; Baranek, Grace T.
Maturing Brain Mechanisms and Developing Behavioral Language Skills
The relation between the maturation of brain mechanisms responsible for the N400 elicitation in the event-related brain potential (ERP) and the development of behavioral language skills was investigated in 12-month-old infants. ERPs to words presented in a picture-word priming paradigm were analyzed according to the infants' production and�
Friedrich, Manuela; Friederici, Angela D.
Global Perspectives: Developing Media Literacy Skills to Advance Critical Thinking
Women's studies and feminist curricula have been lauded for the development and application of critical thinking skills for social and political change in its students (Fisher; Kellner and Share; Mayberry). Critical thinking can be defined as the ability to identify and challenge assumptions, to search for alternative ways of thinking, and to�
Radeloff, Cheryl L.; Bergman, Barbara J.
Practices for Developing Reflective Thinking Skills among Teachers
In this article, the authors advocate the practice of reflection and reflective thinking skill development. More specifically, they offer definitions of reflection, identify reasons that may inhibit preservice teachers' reflection, and suggest practices that specifically encourage reflection on teaching among preservice and inservice�
Rieger, Alicja; Radcliffe, Barbara J.; Doepker, Gina M.
The importance of human skills in project management professional development
Purpose � The purpose of this paper is to provide insights into the importance of human skills in project management success and the apparent emphasis placed on this within the context of university education. Design\\/methodology\\/approach � An investigation into the effectiveness of a British Project Management Professional Development Programme (PMPDP) case study is reported. Using as a benchmark, the core
M. Alam; A. Gale; M. Brown; A. I. Khan
United Kingdom: Skills Development for the Twenty-First Century
The Learning and Skills Development Agency (LSDA), together with the British Council, provides the leadership for the UNEVOC centre in the United Kingdom (UK). LSDA is a strategic national agency whose mission is to improve the quality of post-16 education and training in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. It does this by conducting research to�
Baines, John; Cohen, Judith; Martin, Stephen
Managerial-Skills Development: An Experience in Program Design
The article is an overview of the design of a Managerial Skills Development Program Model in an industrial setting which was based on adult education principles. Discussed are: program objectives and philosophy, educative environment, group commitment, group-centered action, program evaluation and revision, manager/instructor teams, and�
Thorne, Edward H.; Marshall, Jean L.
Building Consensus: How the Electronics Industry Is Developing Skill Standards.
The Electronics Industry Association is developing consistent, industry-based, voluntary national skill standards to improve the competence expected of and achieved by work-ready electronics technicians. Participants contribute through an executive advisory board, technical committee, or ad hoc groups. (JOW)
Kaplan, Irwin; Seymour, Walter
SMEs and Barriers to Skill Development: A Scottish Perspective.
Analysis of Scottish small and medium-sized enterprises reveals that small business culture is a significant barrier to skill development. Other barriers include awareness, finance, and access to training. A welter of recent policy initiatives has added to a state of confusion about the role of training. (SK)
Lange, Thomas; Ottens, Melanie; Taylor, Andrea
Skills development for poverty reduction (SDPR): The case of Tajikistan
Vocational education and training (VET) can contribute to the attainment of the United Nations Millennium Development Goals. A key to economic and social progress is the training of better-qualified individuals and skilled enterprise staff who will be more productive, improving goods, increasing incomes and adapting to changing markets. Experts from international cooperation agencies see VET projects as suitable instruments for
Manfred Wallenborn
Development and Validation of a Microcounseling Skill Discrimination Scale
A Microcounseling Skill Discrimination Scale (MSDS) was developed to measure ability to discriminate between effective and ineffective verbal and nonverbal helping messages. Both trained and naive groups successfully discriminated between effective and ineffective verbal and nonverbal helping messages, with trained raters showing a greater range�
Lee, Dong Yul; And Others
Developing Worksheet Based on Science Process Skills: Factors Affecting Solubility
The purpose of this study is to develop a worksheet about the factors affecting solubility, which could be useful for the prospective science teachers (PST) to remind and regain their science process skills (SPS). The pilot study of the WS was carried out with 32 first grade PST during the 2007-2008 academic year in the education department at�
Karsli, Fethiye; Sahin, Cigdem
Developing Higher-Order Thinking Skills through WebQuests
In this study, 32 teachers participated in a year-long professional development project related to technology integration in which they designed and implemented a WebQuest. This paper describes the extent to which higher-order thinking skills (HOTS) and levels of technology implementation (LoTI) occur in the WebQuests that participants designed.�
Polly, Drew; Ausband, Leigh
Let's Talk: Developing Speaking Skills in the ESL Classroom.
Issues regarding the development of student's speaking skills and English as a second language (ESL) techniques designed to improve the teaching of conversation are described. Ten true and false assumptions about the teaching of conversation are considered: (1) everyone enjoys talking and participating in class discussion; (2) discussion topics in�
Lono, Luz Paredes
Teacher Views on Social Skills Development in Primary School Students
The aim of the present research is to survey the views of teachers regarding social skills development in primary school students. The research was carried out using the qualitative research technique. A questionnaire prepared by the researcher was used to collect data. The results show that there are four main factors that play an important role�
Samanci, Osman
Task and Observer Skill Factors in Accuracy of Assessment of Performance.
A proposed measure of the perceptual organization of ongoing behavior was applied to the problem of operationalizing observer skills. Twelve experimental studies were completed. Evidence was obtained verifying that the proposed measure taps a low-level pe...
D. Newtson
Role of early parenting and motor skills on development in children with spina bifida
The impact of parenting and motor skills on the development of cognitive, language, and daily living skills was examined in 165 children (91 with spina bifida, SB), from 6�36�months of age. Motor scores significantly influenced cognitive, language, and daily living skills. Higher quality parenting was associated with higher levels of development and faster growth in cognitive and language skills for
Laura E. Lomax-Bream; Heather B. Taylor; Susan H. Landry; Marcia A. Barnes; Jack M. Fletcher; Paul Swank
Information literacy skill development and life long learning: exploring nursing students' and academics' understandings
Objectives The aim of this study was to map information literacy (IL) skill development in the Bachelor of Nursing (BN) content; identify educational practices in courses to asses students' information literacy (IL) skills; explore BN students' understandings of their IL skill development; and explore students' and academics' understandings of the link between IL skills and life long learning. Design The
Robyn Nayda; Elaine Rankin
Developing an equipment library for clinical skills and simulation training.
This article describes the the development of a regional equipment library for clinical skills and simulation training. This was a project undertaken to address a reduction in the available funding for the purchasing of clinical skills equipment throughout the Yorkshire and Humber region. It was envisaged that utilizing regionally accessible equipment through the development of an equipment library could support clinical areas with no other means of acquiring the necessary equipment for training. A consultation exercise met with initial concerns around the cost of some of this equipment and who would be responsible for the repair, transportation costs and maintenance. A SWOT analysis identified how these concerns may be addressed and processes of developing a database, tracking usage and auditing of the service emerged. PMID:21841634
Barrott, Joanne; Hope, Angela
A-Gendering Skill. Conversations around Women, Work and Skill: An Australian Perspective. EEE703 Project Development Plan 2.
These 12 papers are part of the study materials for the one-semester distance education unit, Project Development Plan 2, in the Open Campus Program at Deakin University (Australia). They examine the breadth and depth of the actions and debates around the social construction of skill and the critical role played by the concept of skill in the�
Butler, Elaine, Ed.; Brown, Mike, Ed.
Reading Instruction Affects the Cognitive Skills Supporting Early Reading Development
This study examined the cognitive skills associated with early reading development when children were taught by different types of instruction. Seventy-nine children (mean age at pre-test 4;10 (0.22 S.D.) and post-test 5;03 (0.21 S.D.)) were taught to read either by an eclectic approach which included sight-word learning, guessing from context and�
McGeown, Sarah P.; Johnston, Rhona S.; Medford, Emma
Essential leadership skills for motivating and developing staff.
Achieving and sustaining high quality patient care and containing costs are important aspects of a nurse manager's role, and a successful manager needs to have the skills and ability to motivate and develop staff. This article focuses on how effective leadership can increase motivation and empowerment among nurses, examines the relevance of transformational leadership to motivation, and suggests practical ways of maintaining a motivated work environment. PMID:21977896
Curtis, Elizabeth; O'Connell, Rhona
Look who's talking too: graduates developing skills through communication.
Greater opportunities for young scientists to present their doctoral research to large general audiences will encourage development of transferable skills and involvement in the scientific community. We look at ways students communicate their research and explore the benefits of student-led meetings. The organization of the first Sanger-Cambridge Ph.D. Symposium provides an example of how students can act to establish forums for their work and we call on other young scientists to do the same. PMID:17680006
Tomazou, Eleni M; Powell, Gareth T
Influence of Previous Knowledge, Language Skills and Domain-Specific Interest on Observation Competency
Many epoch-making biological discoveries (e.g. Darwinian Theory) were based upon observations. Nevertheless, observation is often regarded as "just looking" rather than a basic scientific skill. As observation is one of the main research methods in biological sciences, it must be considered as an independent research method and systematic practice�
Development of a Supervisory Skills Course for Hospital Pharmacy Workplaces
Background and Objective: Many Canadian hospital pharmacies are experiencing difficulties recruiting supervisory personnel. It was expected that, through a �learning-by-doing� course, pharmacy staff would learn to apply basic skills in the day-to-day supervision of pharmacy operations and human resources and to apply the principles of supervisory documentation. Methods: A supervisory skills course targeted to pharmacy staff members was developed and implemented by the pharmacy department of a large urban health region. The course was initially offered to practising pharmacy technicians. The course design emphasized a constructivist framework incorporating authentic learning and reflective practice during seminars, with experiential and self-directed learning in the workplace. Preceptors assisted learners to achieve the course goals. Learners and preceptors provided feedback about hours spent (as the course progressed) and about their satisfaction with the course itself (at the end of the course). Learners and preceptors completed a post-program evaluation 2 months after completing the course to help in the assessment of the transfer of learning (lasting impact) associated with the course. Overall performance in the course was assessed on a pass/fail basis. Results: Eighteen pharmacy technicians were admitted to the program, but one withdrew because of a job change. All learners successfully completed the course. Two months after the course, learners and preceptors described enhanced organization, time management, leadership, communication, and conflict-resolution skills on the part of learners, as well as their increased confidence, maturity, and ability to supervise staff. Learners� evaluations revealed a broadened perspective of pharmacy. The preceptors valued the enhancement of learners� skills and their increased enthusiasm. At the time of writing, 6 of the participants had secured supervisory positions. Conclusion: Creating formal instruction that engages pharmacy staff to pursue management positions is challenging. Instructional design grounded in constructivist theory and incorporating authentic learning experiences and reflection resulted in high learner satisfaction with learning outcomes.
Woloschuk, Donna M M; Raymond, Colette B
Use of Digital Video to Assess Orientation and Mobility Observational Skills
This study compared the observational skills in orientation and mobility (O&M) of nine university students and nine certified O&M specialists using a digital video assessment. The students differed from the O&M specialists in their stylistic observations and the details of their responses. Implications for the improvement of video assessments are�
Zebehazy, Kim T.; Zimmerman, George J.; Fox, Lynn A.
Designing and Evaluating a Personal Skills Development Program for Management Education
Success in preparing business students for professional careers requires these students to develop a set of well-defined personal skills. The present study examined 145 business students to assess the effectiveness of a personal skills development (PSD) program by measuring the impact of the training on the students' attitudes in skill development�
Pang, Elvy; Hung, Humphry
Systems in Development: Motor Skill Acquisition Facilitates 3D Object Completion
How do infants learn to perceive the backs of objects that they see only from a limited viewpoint? Infants� 3D object completion abilities emerge in conjunction with developing motor skills�independent sitting and visual-manual exploration. Twenty-eight 4.5- to 7.5-month-old infants were habituated to a limited-view object and tested with volumetrically complete and incomplete (hollow) versions of the same object. Parents reported infants� sitting experience, and infants� visual-manual exploration of objects was observed in a structured play session. Infants� self-sitting experience and visual-manual exploratory skills predicted looking to the novel, incomplete object on the habituation task. Further analyses revealed that self-sitting facilitated infants� visual inspection of objects while they manipulated them. The results are framed within a developmental systems approach, wherein infants� sitting skill, multimodal object exploration, and object knowledge are linked in developmental time.
Soska, Kasey C.; Adolph, Karen E.; Johnson, Scott P.
Advanced mathematical study and the development of conditional reasoning skills.
Since the time of Plato, philosophers and educational policy-makers have assumed that the study of mathematics improves one's general 'thinking skills'. Today, this argument, known as the 'Theory of Formal Discipline' is used in policy debates to prioritize mathematics in school curricula. But there is no strong research evidence which justifies it. We tested the Theory of Formal Discipline by tracking the development of conditional reasoning behavior in students studying post-compulsory mathematics compared to post-compulsory English literature. In line with the Theory of Formal Discipline, the mathematics students did develop their conditional reasoning to a greater extent than the literature students, despite them having received no explicit tuition in conditional logic. However, this development appeared to be towards the so-called defective conditional understanding, rather than the logically normative material conditional understanding. We conclude by arguing that Plato may have been correct to claim that studying advanced mathematics is associated with the development of logical reasoning skills, but that the nature of this development may be more complex than previously thought. PMID:23869241
Attridge, Nina; Inglis, Matthew
An Examination of Two Prompt Fading Procedures and Opportunities to Observe in Teaching Handicapped Preschoolers Self-Help Skills
Utilizing four pairs of preschoolers with Down's Syndrome, the efficacy of two prompt fading procedures was compared during instruction of two self-help skills. In addition, the efficacy of observational learning was examined. Within a modified multiple baseline and multi-element design, one member of each pair received direct instruction on two skills. One skill was taught using a decreasing assistance prompting
Sharon F. Schoen; Francis E. Lentz; Robert J. Suppa
Development and validation of a test of integrated science process skills
The aim of science education is to help students to understand scientific knowledge and to develop students� ability of the scientific approach to enquiry. The science process skills, along with the knowledge those skills produce are the instructional objectives of Malaysian science education. This paper describes the development and validation of a Test of Integrated Process skill, a paper-and-pencil objective
Edy Hafizan Mohd Shahali; Lilia Halim
Development of young adults' fine motor skills when learning to play percussion instruments
When playing percussion instruments, the main activity is done with the help of a motion or motor skills; to perform it, developed fine motor skills are necessary: the speed and precision of fingers, hands and palms. The aim of the research was to study and test the development of young adults' fine motor skills while learning to play percussion instruments.
Talis Gzibovskis; Mara Marnauza
Early Numerical Development and the Role of Non-Symbolic and Symbolic Skills
For learning math, non-symbolic quantity skills, symbolic skills and the mapping between number symbols and non-symbolic quantities are all important precursors. Little is known, however, about the interrelated development of these skills. The current study focuses on numerical development by: (a) investigating the structure of non-symbolic,�
Kolkman, Meijke E.; Kroesbergen, Evelyn H.; Leseman, Paul P. M.
Developing a Life Skills Diploma Program in an Urban Setting--A Model for Replication.
The External High School Diploma (EHSD) Program is a specially developed program to grant credits to urban adults for skills developed through life experiences. This District of Columbia program is designed to grant credit for life experiences and career-related skills by documenting the levels of knowledge and skills adults have attained by�
Rawlings, Lyngrid S.; Davison, Jean B.
A Comparison of Two Instructional Formats on Heart Rate Intensity and Skill Development.
This study examined the effect of adding aerobic training to football skills development activities for male seventh graders. Two groups completed one or the other type of training. Heart rate monitor and skill assessment data indicated that the addition of the planned fitness component did not detract from skill development. (SM)
Quinn, Patrick B.; Strand, Brad
Role of Early Parenting and Motor Skills on Development in Children with Spina Bifida
The impact of parenting and motor skills on the development of cognitive, language, and daily living skills was examined in 165 children (91 with spina bifida, SB), from 6-36 months of age. Motor scores significantly influenced cognitive, language, and daily living skills. Higher quality parenting was associated with higher levels of development�
Lomax-Bream, Laura E.; Taylor, Heather B.; Landry, Susan H.; Barnes, Marcia A.; Fletcher, Jack M.; Swank, Paul
Autonomous maritime navigation: developing autonomy skill sets for USVs
Many emerging UV (Unmanned Vehicle) cooperative control systems utilizing mission decomposition and generic UV management techniques are UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) oriented and transition well from model simulations to hardware due to the relative homogeneity of the air environment. Unmanned Surface Vehicles (USV's) and other ground borne vehicles, to function robustly, must have an additional onboard capacity to negotiate local environmental and indigenous operational factors in order to be commanded by a network, and this capacity is most easily delineated into Skill Sets. The Autonomous Maritime Navigation Program (AMN) is developing USV systems which target full intelligent autonomous operations and autonomy Skill Sets to allow USV's to perform unsupervised complex missions over extended time periods at the platform level with minimum human supervision. Importantly, this allows control systems developed for cooperating UV's to effectively control USV's by enabling local platform issues decision making at the platform level. Using a 40 foot laboratory boat, advanced on-board control, sensing, data fusion, physical plant and payload monitoring and management are being adapted and integrated as a system to replace traditional human crew functions. This paper discusses a path to achieve the goal of full USV autonomy equipped with skills to self manage, survive and navigate, and progress being made with enabling technology pieces. Initiatives and partnerships have been formed with academia, industry, and other DoD laboratories to these ends in both independent and collaborative RDT&E projects. Discussion includes ongoing work in sensing, data fusion, dynamic mission planning, execution and boat operations, and integration to JAUS/TCS control protocols.
Hansen, Eric; Huntsberger, Terry; Elkins, Les
Predictability and forecast skill of observed sea surface temperatures in the Atlantic sector
In the Atlantic, large-scale coherent sea surface temperature (SST) fluctuations can arise from various possible physical mechanisms. It remains difficult to exclude any of the proposed mechanisms due to the relatively short historical record and to the poor ability of numerical models to properly simulate the variability in the Atlantic sector. In this study, the statistical properties of the observed SST record between 1850 and 2009 are used to construct a model of Atlantic variability in order to investigate the dynamics of Atlantic SST anomalies and their forecast skill. Using a multivariate statistical model, different properties of the dynamical system representing the Atlantic variability are diagnosed. The results obtained by the statistical model based on observations are used as benchmark against numerical simulations to explain the role of the ocean and atmosphere in the dynamics of low-frequency variability and their forecast skill. (1) The forecast skill is assessed and is shown to be on the order of 3 to 5 yr arising from the ocean dynamics. (2) After a few years the skill is greatly reduced, especially in the subpolar region, possibly due to the ocean-atmosphere coupling. (3) The skill arises from four damped eigenmodes which are shown to be relevant in particular for the optimal growth events of SST variance, with a pattern reminiscent of the low-frequency mode of variability, and in general for the predictability and variability of Atlantic SSTs on interannual time scales.
Zanna, L.
Comparison of Marital Observational Measures: The Marital Interaction Coding System and the Communication Skills Test.
Compared the Marital Interaction Coding System (MICS) and the Communication Skills Test (CST) to determine the similarities and differences in the assessment data obtained from these observational measures. Coded videotaped marital conflict-resolution discussions of married couples with both systems. Husband-wife and distressed and nondistressed�
Floyd, Frank J.; And Others
Sequential motor skill in preadolescent children: the development of automaticity.
This study investigated to what extent preadolescent children, like young adults, learn to perform sequential movements in an automatic fashion. A sample of 24 children (mean age = 11.3 years) practiced fixed 3-key and 6-key sequences in the discrete sequence production task by responding to key-specific stimuli via spatially compatible key presses. We compared their performance with that of 24 young adults (mean age = 22.0 years). Results showed that performance improved with practice for both age groups, although children were generally slower. Compared with young adults, children had less explicit knowledge but relied more on the available explicit knowledge when executing familiar 6-key sequences. Furthermore, they completed fewer of these sequences on the basis of just the first stimulus and showed a slower transition between successive segments within the sequences. Together, these findings provide insight into the degree to which preadolescent children develop automaticity in sequential motor skill, suggesting that preadolescent children automatize the processes underlying longer movement sequences slower and/or to a lesser extent than is the case with young adults. The current study is in line with the idea that there are several mechanisms that underlie sequencing skill and suggests that the use of these mechanisms may be dependent on age. PMID:23708125
Ruitenberg, Marit F L; Abrahamse, Elger L; Verwey, Willem B
Engaging the Audience: Developing Presentation Skills in Science Students
This article describes a graduate class in presentation skills (�PClass�) as a model for how a class with similar objectives, expectations and culture might be mounted for undergraduates. The required class is given for students in neuroscience and physiology programs at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; I describe the class in the years I led it, from 2003�2012. The class structure centered on peer rehearsal, critiquing of PowerPoint, and chalk talks by the students; video-recording of student talks for later review by the student with the instructor; and presentation of polished talks in a formal setting. A different faculty visitor to the class each week gave the students a variety of perspectives. The students also gained insight into their own evolving skills by discussing the strengths and weaknesses of seminars given by visitors to the campus. A unique feature of the class was collaboration with a professional actor from the University�s Department of Dramatic Arts, who helped the students develop techniques for keeping the attention of an audience, for speaking with confidence, and for controlling nervousness. The undergraduate campus would be expected to lend itself to this sort of interdisciplinary faculty cooperation. In addition, students worked on becoming adept at designing and presenting posters, introducing speakers graciously and taking charge of the speaker�s question session, and speaking to a lay audience.
Stuart, Ann E.
Engaging the audience: developing presentation skills in science students.
This article describes a graduate class in presentation skills ("PClass") as a model for how a class with similar objectives, expectations and culture might be mounted for undergraduates. The required class is given for students in neuroscience and physiology programs at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; I describe the class in the years I led it, from 2003-2012. The class structure centered on peer rehearsal, critiquing of PowerPoint, and chalk talks by the students; video-recording of student talks for later review by the student with the instructor; and presentation of polished talks in a formal setting. A different faculty visitor to the class each week gave the students a variety of perspectives. The students also gained insight into their own evolving skills by discussing the strengths and weaknesses of seminars given by visitors to the campus. A unique feature of the class was collaboration with a professional actor from the University's Department of Dramatic Arts, who helped the students develop techniques for keeping the attention of an audience, for speaking with confidence, and for controlling nervousness. The undergraduate campus would be expected to lend itself to this sort of interdisciplinary faculty cooperation. In addition, students worked on becoming adept at designing and presenting posters, introducing speakers graciously and taking charge of the speaker's question session, and speaking to a lay audience. PMID:24319389
Stuart, Ann E
Development of Reaching and Grasping Skills in Infants with Down Syndrome
Reaching and grasping skills have been described to emerge from a dynamic interaction between intrinsic and extrinsic factors. The aims of the study were to investigate the effect of such intrinsic factors as age and Down syndrome on the development of reaching and grasping skills and on overall gross motor skill, and to test the influence of the�
de Campos, Ana Carolina; Rocha, Nelci Adriana Cicuto Ferreira; Savelsbergh, Geert J. P.
Instructional Leadership Development for Generic Work Skills Curriculum. Module 1: Foundations.
This document is one of a set of four documents which present a personnel development program aimed at improving the competence of instructional leaders in planning and implementing curricula in generic work skills, especially in vocational education. (Generic work skills are defined as those skills that facilitate the operation of goal-oriented�
Banathy, Bela H.; And Others
Developing Young Thinkers: An intervention aimed to enhance children's thinking skills
It is increasingly popular to �teach� thinking skills in schools. A diverse variety of programmes exist to support practitioners in this task, and some research has been gathered on the effectiveness of individual approaches. However, the difficulties when assessing the development of thinking skills are widely documented. This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of teaching thinking skills explicitly to
Lynsey A. Burke; Joanne M. Williams
Understanding Writing Problems in Young Children: Contributions of Cognitive Skills to the Development of Written Expression
While several models of adult writing have been proposed and studied, the development of writing skills in young children has only recently garnered attention. Using measures of fine-motor, language, working memory, and attention/executive functions, the current study explored motor and cognitive skills that may contribute to writing skill in�
Childress, Amy
Development of communication skills workshop for oncology advanced practice nursing students
Background. Communication skills have not traditionally been included in nursing curriculum. The best educational method to improve\\u000a health care providers� practice in comunication skills is first, introduction of content, followed by continuous skills assessment\\u000a and mentored feedback.Methods. A communication skills workshop using standardized patients (SPs) was planned for oncology nurse practitioner students.\\u000a A 6-step development plan was used to design,
Margaret Rosenzweig; Maurice Clifton; Robert Arnold
Tried and True: Thinking spatially--taking observation, classification, and communication skills to a higher level of reasoning
When students classify, they embark on observing and identifying the properties of the object, and then they categorize, sort, group, organize, arrange, or grade objects into smaller and similar clusters or divisions. Therefore, observing and classifying are fundamental skills for comparing and contrasting material objects. In addition, observing and classifying are skill-based stepping stones to helping students to think spatially. The following discussion focuses on three questions: (1) What is spatial thinking? (2) How do spatial-thinking skills apply to everyday problems and situations? and (3) How do spatial-thinking skills integrate into the science curriculum?
Llewellyn, Douglas
Imitation and communication skills development in children with pervasive developmental disorders
This study evaluates the correlation between failure to develop spontaneous imitation and language skills in pervasive developmental disorders. Sixty-four children between the age of 3 and 8 years were assessed using the Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised (ADI-R), the Childhood Autism Rating Scale (CARS), and the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS), as well as direct observation of imitation. The sample was subdivided into a verbal and a nonverbal group. Analysis of mean scores on the CARS �imitation� items and of ADI-R �spontaneous imitation� and �pointing to express interest� revealed a statistically significant difference between verbal and nonverbal groups, with more severe impairment/higher scores in the nonverbal than the verbal group. These results suggest that nonverbal children have specifically impaired imitation and pointing skills.
De Giacomo, Andrea; Portoghese, Claudia; Martinelli, Domenico; Fanizza, Isabella; L'Abate, Luciano; Margari, Lucia
The role of simulation in developing surgical skills.
Surgical training has followed the master-apprentice model for centuries but is currently undergoing a paradigm shift. The traditional model is inefficient with no guarantee of case mix, quality, or quantity. There is a growing focus on competency-based medical education in response to restrictions on doctors' working hours and the traditional mantra of "see one, do one, teach one" is being increasingly questioned. The medical profession is subject to more scrutiny than ever before and is facing mounting financial, clinical, and political pressures. Simulation may be a means of addressing these challenges. It provides a way for trainees to practice technical tasks in a protected environment without putting patients at risk and helps to shorten the learning curve. The evidence for simulation-based training in orthopedic surgery using synthetic models, cadavers, and virtual reality simulators is constantly developing, though further work is needed to ensure the transfer of skills to the operating theatre. PMID:24740158
Akhtar, K S N; Chen, Alvin; Standfield, N J; Gupte, C M
Professional Development: A 21st Century Skills Implementation Guide
To succeed in college, career and life in the 21st century, students must be supported in mastering both content and skills. This Implementation Guide presents state leaders, policymakers and/or district and school leaders with assessment tactics and examples to assist in statewide 21st century skills initiatives. The Partnership for 21st Century�
Partnership for 21st Century Skills, 2009
Developing Knowledge and Skills in Engineers: A Learning Laboratory
This paper discusses the knowledge and skill requirements for manufacturing system design and describes an innovative "learning laboratory" approach to educating graduate level manufacturing engineers. The laboratory provides a mechanism that gives engineers a wide range of knowledge and skills in design and implementation, much of which cannot be�
Platts, K.W.
Coherence and the Development of Professional Knowledge and Skills
It can be difficult for students to relate theoretical knowledge and practical skills when making the transition from the classroom to professional practice. The concept of coherence has been suggested as an appropriate way to address how the relationships involved (i.e. between theoretical knowledge and practical skills and between classroom�
Smeby, Jens-Christian; Heggen, K�re
Visual, kinaesthetic and cross-modal development: relationships to motor skill development
The ability of children between the ages of S and 10 years to match the length of lines within and between the modalities of vision and kinaesthesis was studied. No evidence was found for specific increases in cross-modal skill which could not be explained in terms of within-modal development. Performance in the perceptual task was related to measures of developing
Charles Hulme; Anne Smart; Georgina Moran; Adrian Raine
Development of Auditory-Vocal Perceptual Skills in Songbirds
Songbirds are one of the few groups of animals that learn the sounds used for vocal communication during development. Like humans, songbirds memorize vocal sounds based on auditory experience with vocalizations of adult �tutors�, and then use auditory feedback of self-produced vocalizations to gradually match their motor output to the memory of tutor sounds. In humans, investigations of early vocal learning have focused mainly on perceptual skills of infants, whereas studies of songbirds have focused on measures of vocal production. In order to fully exploit songbirds as a model for human speech, understand the neural basis of learned vocal behavior, and investigate links between vocal perception and production, studies of songbirds must examine both behavioral measures of perception and neural measures of discrimination during development. Here we used behavioral and electrophysiological assays of the ability of songbirds to distinguish vocal calls of varying frequencies at different stages of vocal learning. The results show that neural tuning in auditory cortex mirrors behavioral improvements in the ability to make perceptual distinctions of vocal calls as birds are engaged in vocal learning. Thus, separate measures of neural discrimination and behavioral perception yielded highly similar trends during the course of vocal development. The timing of this improvement in the ability to distinguish vocal sounds correlates with our previous work showing substantial refinement of axonal connectivity in cortico-basal ganglia pathways necessary for vocal learning.
Miller-Sims, Vanessa C.; Bottjer, Sarah W.
Factor Structure and Construct Validity of the Counselor Skills Personal Development Rating Form.
Presents an exploratory factor analysis of the scores of 248 counselors-in-training on the Counselor Skills Personal Development Rating Form (CSPD-RF). Authors of the test hypothesized that the CPSD-RF measured 2 factors, personal development and skills development. Factor analysis revealed 4 factors accounting for 58.4% of the total variance,�
Torres-Rivera, Edil; Wilbur, Michael P.; Maddux, Cleborne D.; Smaby, Marlowe H.; Phan, Loan T.; Roberts-Wilbur, Janice
A Model of Professional Development for Practicing Genetic Counselors: Adaptation of Communication Skills Training in Oncology
Ongoing professional development for practicing genetic counselors is critical in maintaining best practice. Communication\\u000a skills training (CST) workshops for doctors in oncology, utilizing trained actors in role plays, have been implemented for\\u000a many years to improve patient-centred communication. This model was adapted to provide professional development in counseling\\u000a skills for practicing genetic counselors, already highly trained in counseling skills. Detailed
Kate L. Dunlop; Kristine Barlow-Stewart; Phyllis Butow; Paul Heinrich
Contributions of Precipitation and Soil Moisture Observations to the Skill of Soil Moisture Estimates in a Land Data Assimilation System
The contributions of precipitation and soil moisture observations to the skill of soil moisture estimates from a land data assimilation system are assessed. Relative to baseline estimates from the Modern Era Retrospective-analysis for Research and Applications (MERRA), the study investigates soil moisture skill derived from (i) model forcing corrections based on large-scale, gauge- and satellite-based precipitation observations and (ii) assimilation of surface soil moisture retrievals from the Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer for the Earth Observing System (AMSR-E). Soil moisture skill is measured against in situ observations in the continental United States at 44 single-profile sites within the Soil Climate Analysis Network (SCAN) for which skillful AMSR-E retrievals are available and at four CalVal watersheds with high-quality distributed sensor networks that measure soil moisture at the scale of land model and satellite estimates. The average skill (in terms of the anomaly time series correlation coefficient R) of AMSR-E retrievals is R=0.39 versus SCAN and R=0.53 versus CalVal measurements. The skill of MERRA surface and root-zone soil moisture is R=0.42 and R=0.46, respectively, versus SCAN measurements, and MERRA surface moisture skill is R=0.56 versus CalVal measurements. Adding information from either precipitation observations or soil moisture retrievals increases surface soil moisture skill levels by IDDeltaR=0.06-0.08, and root zone soil moisture skill levels by DeltaR=0.05-0.07. Adding information from both sources increases surface soil moisture skill levels by DeltaR=0.13, and root zone soil moisture skill by DeltaR=0.11, demonstrating that precipitation corrections and assimilation of satellite soil moisture retrievals contribute similar and largely independent amounts of information.
Reichle, Rolf H.; Liu, Qing; Bindlish, Rajat; Cosh, Michael H.; Crow, Wade T.; deJeu, Richard; DeLannoy, Gabrielle J. M.; Huffman, George J.; Jackson, Thomas J.
Development of the Counselor Response Observation System
The purpose of this study was to validate the measures included in the Counselor Response Observation System. The Counselor Response Observation System consists of the Counselor Response Coding System and the Skilled Verbal Responding Scale. Detailed results of their validity and reliability are presented.
Rantanen, Antti P.; Soini, Hannu S.
Developing Emergent Leadership Skills in Elementary and Junior High Students.
A summer enrichment program at the University of Redlands (California) for elementary and junior high gifted students focused on leadership skills, specifically creativity problem solving in groups. Data analysis and measurement posed a problem. (CL)
Hensel, Nancy; Franklin, Carol
Coordination variability and skill development in expert triple jumpers
The aim of this study was to examine the influence of skill of expert triple jumpers on the coordination variability of lower extremity intra-limb couplings. In contrast to the traditional motor learning perspective, we hypothesized that as skill and thus performance increases, movement coordination variability will also increase. Three-dimensional kinematic and ground reaction force data were collected during the hop�step
Cassie Wilson; Scott E. Simpson; Richard E. A. Van Emmerik; Joseph Hamill
Language Development and Learning to Read: The Scientific Study of How Language Development Affects Reading Skill
Research on reading has tried, and failed, to account for wide disparities in reading skill even among children taught by the same method. Why do some children learn to read easily and quickly while others, in the same classroom and taught by the same teacher, don't learn to read at all? In "Language Development and Learning to Read", Diane�
McGuinness, Diane
Development of an Evaluation Method for Controlling Skill of a Myoelectric Control Hand
The aim of this study was to develop a new evaluation method for controlling skill of a myoelectric control hand (MCH). Four amputees who daily used the MCH participated in this study. Measurement of two signals which were needed to control motion of the MCH was made. The two signals were assigned average rectified electromyogram of forearm extensors and flexors, respectively. The values of the signals increased depending on the muscles contraction level. Therapy for using the MCH was done to improve the ability of separate contractions of two muscles. This ability was defined as the skill to control motion of the MCH. The skill in each motion was evaluated by regression coefficient which was calculated by the least squares method. Regression coefficient was in inverse proportion to the skill. The quantitative index of the skill would be provide by developed method, and should be useful for efficient therapy to improve the controlling skill of myoelectric control hand.
Hara, Yoshiaki; Matsubara, Hiroyuki; Shibata, Yaeko; Mizobe, Futoshi; Fukazawa, Yoshihiro; Okamoto, Makiko; Chin, Takaaki; Minato, Kotaro; Yoshida, Masaki
Bamboo and Poison Gas: Take-Off Points for Developing Skills.
Shows how to use common topics within area studies to develop important social studies skills. The example provided illustrates how to develop data analysis, data evaluation, problem solving, and map skills using the topics of bamboo and the Bhopal, India, chemical disaster. (JDH)
Hantula, James
Typical and Atypical Development of Basic Numerical Skills in Elementary School
Deficits in basic numerical processing have been identified as a central and potentially causal problem in developmental dyscalculia; however, so far not much is known about the typical and atypical development of such skills. This study assessed basic number skills cross-sectionally in 262 typically developing and 51 dyscalculic children in�
Landerl, Karin; Kolle, Christina
Earthquake! An Example of How to Develop Reading Skills Using a Topic of Current Interest.
A topic of student interest, earthquakes, is used as a vehicle for teaching reading and research skills in a California junior high school. Students develop geography skills by labeling fault lines on maps of the Pacific Basin, California, and San Francisco; develop their vocabulary by preparing a list of words about earthquakes; and practice word�
Montori, Laura; Lally, Julia
The Development of Critical Thinking Skills in Undergraduate Supervisory Management Units: efficacy of student peer assessment
Well?developed critical thinking skills are essential to good management, yet the fundamentals of critical thinking are often not taught explicitly to management students. This paper reports on the efficacy of a module designed to develop students� critical thinking skills in the context of peer evaluation in a second?year supervisory management unit. The module comprised a lecture and a seminar on
Karen Macpherson
Development of Sensor-Based Measures of Rifle Marksmanship Skill and Performance. CRESST Report 756
Measures of rifle marksmanship skill and performance were developed using a prototype instrumented laser-based training system. Measures of performance were derived from laser strikes on a video-projected target. Measures of rifle marksmanship skill--breath control, trigger control, and muzzle wobble--were developed from shooters' breathing and�
Espinosa, Paul D.; Nagashima, Sam O.; Chung, Gregory K. W. K.; Parks, Daniel; Baker, Eva L.
The Science Fair as a Means for Developing Children's Graphing Skills in Elementary School
This article reports on an ongoing research program aiming at the pedagogical exploitation of the science fair as a mechanism for developing investigative skills in elementary school and promoting student inquiry through a sequence of formal and non-formal activities. Specifically, this paper refers to the development of data graphing skills by children aged 10-12 years old. The students, who participated
Evaggelia Kyriazi; Constantinos P. Constantinou
Developing Young Children's Thinking Skills in Greek Early Childhood Classrooms: Curriculum and Practice
In early childhood education, opportunities for developing children's thinking skills are unlimited. One of the most effective teaching strategies for this purpose is open-ended questioning. The study presented here aimed to explore the degree to which Greek early childhood teachers promote the development of thinking skills in their pupils.�
Birbili, Maria
Development of a Test of Process Skills for Grade 3 Elementary School Pupils.
Although the development of process skills has been accepted as being an important part of elementary school curricula in science and in other subjects, few valid and reliable tests exist for their assessment. Therefore, a test is currently being developed to assess these skills. It is designed to meet seven criteria (such as testing process�
Isaacs, Patricia A.
Predicting first-year achievement by pedagogy and skill development in the first weeks at university
Central in this study is the relationship between the pedagogical approach and generic skill development in the first 10 weeks at university, students� perception of the fit between secondary and university education and first-year achievement. Information regarding the pedagogical approach and generic skill development was gathered through questionnaires, interviews and analyses of syllabus information. Students� perception of the fit was
M. Torenbeek; E. P. W. A. Jansen; W. H. A. Hofman
Home and Preschool Learning Environments and Their Relations to the Development of Early Numeracy Skills
This study examined the influence of the quality of home and preschool learning environments on the development of early numeracy skills in Germany, drawing on a sample of 532 children in 97 preschools. Latent growth curve models were used to investigate early numeracy skills and their development from the first (average age: 3 years) to the third�
Anders, Yvonne; Rossbach, Hans-Gunther; Weinert, Sabine; Ebert, Susanne; Kuger, Susanne; Lehrl, Simone; von Maurice, Jutta
A Curriculum Skills Matrix for Development and Assessment of Undergraduate Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Laboratory Programs
We have designed a skills matrix to be used for developing and assessing undergraduate biochemistry and molecular biology laboratory curricula. We prepared the skills matrix for the Project Kaleidoscope Summer Institute workshop in Snowbird, Utah (July 2001) to help current and developing undergraduate biochemistry and molecular biology program�
Caldwell, Benjamin; Rohlman, Christopher; Benore-Parsons, Marilee
Music training for the development of reading skills.
The beneficial effects of musical training are not limited to enhancement of musical skills, but extend to language skills. Here, we review evidence that musical training can enhance reading ability. First, we discuss five subskills underlying reading acquisition-phonological awareness, speech-in-noise perception, rhythm perception, auditory working memory, and the ability to learn sound patterns-and show that each is linked to music experience. We link these five subskills through a unifying biological framework, positing that they share a reliance on auditory neural synchrony. After laying this theoretical groundwork for why musical training might be expected to enhance reading skills, we review the results of longitudinal studies providing evidence for a role for musical training in enhancing language abilities. Taken as a whole, these findings suggest that musical training can provide an effective developmental educational strategy for all children, including those with language learning impairments. PMID:24309256
Tierney, Adam; Kraus, Nina
Development of figurative language skills following central nervous system-directed chemotherapy delivered in early childhood.
Central nervous system (CNS)-directed chemotherapy is delivered for the treatment of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL). Figurative language deficits have been described in children following CNS-directed chemotherapy; however, comprehensive analysis of figurative interpretation errors, potentially providing clinical utility to assist with intervention planning, has never been performed. The present study aimed to compare the figurative language skills of seven children treated with CNS-directed chemotherapy for ALL before the age of 6 years (mean age at diagnosis 3 years 10 months) and a matched control group of children, using the Test of Language Competence-Expanded Edition (TLC-E) Figurative Language sub-test. It was hypothesised that the children treated with CNS-directed chemotherapy would demonstrate a decreased performance in and an alternative method of interpreting figurative language. The results suggest no negative effects of CNS-directed chemotherapy on figurative language. There were no statistically significant differences between groups for TLC-E Figurative Language sub-test composite scores and picture component errors, nor were there clinically significant differences observed from descriptive comparisons of individual case data and error analysis. As these skills continue to emerge beyond childhood, the need to monitor skill development in ALL survivors beyond childhood is highlighted. PMID:23607904
Dowling, Emma K; Lewis, Fiona M; Murdoch, Bruce E
Teaching Development Geography: Observations from the Periphery.
Approaches to teaching the dynamics of development at South Africa's National University of Lesotho are criticized. Teaching development geography, which focuses on articulation and class formation and which rejects the spatial approach, is detrimental to the geography department. The objective should be to provide technical skills unavailable�
Wellings, Paul
Development of a wireless sensor glove for surgical skills assessment.
Laparoscopic surgery is a challenging task in minimally invasive surgery, which involves complex instrument control, extensive manual dexterity, and hand-eye coordination. This requires a greater attention to training and skills evaluation. In order to provide a more objective skills assessment method, this paper presents a wireless sensor platform for the capture of laparoscopic hand gesture data and a hidden-Markov-model-based analysis framework for optimal sensor selection and placement. Detailed experimental validation is provided to illustrate how the proposed method can be used to assess surgical performance improvement over repeated training. PMID:19726263
King, Rachel C; Atallah, Louis; Lo, Benny P L; Yang, Guang-Zhong
"The Wisconsin Design for Reading Skill Development": Study Skills; A Report on the Type I Field Test, 1971-1973. Part 1 and 2.
A field test of the precommercial version of the Study Skills element of the Wisconsin Design for Reading Skill Development, developed at the Wisconsin Research and Development Center for Cognitive Learning, was conducted in 22 schools from 1971 to 1973. The purposes of the field test were to determine the effectiveness of the program in terms of�
Sals, Diane K.; Hubbard, W. Donald
The Sound of Silence?: A Comparative Study of the Barriers to Communication Skills Development in Accounting and Engineering Students
Employers often consider graduates to be unprepared for employment and lacking in vocational skills. A common demand from them is that the curriculum should include "communication skills," as specific skills in their own right and also because of the central role that such skills can play in developing other desirable attributes. Current thinking�
Hassall, T.; Joyce, J.; Bramhall, M. D.; Robinson, I. M.; Arquero, J. L.
Early Literacy and Early Numeracy: The Value of Including Early Literacy Skills in the Prediction of Numeracy Development
The purpose of this study was to examine whether early literacy skills uniquely predict early numeracy skills development. During the first year of the study, 69 3- to 5-year-old preschoolers were assessed on the Preschool Early Numeracy Skills (PENS) test and the Test of Preschool Early Literacy Skills (TOPEL). Participants were assessed again a�
Purpura, David J.; Hume, Laura E.; Sims, Darcey M.; Lonigan, Cristopher J.
Developing Basic Reading Skills through Effective Class Organization.
One of the major objectives of all schools is to help each student become an independent reader. By necessity then, the teacher, the materials utilized in the teaching process, and the classroom organization used must help students learn and gain proficiency in applying basic reading skills to the reading of all types of materials. To achieve the�
Tyre, Betty B.
Using Clickers to Facilitate Development of Problem-Solving Skills
Classroom response systems, or clickers, have become pedagogical staples of the undergraduate science curriculum at many universities. In this study, the effectiveness of clickers in promoting problem-solving skills in a genetics class was investigated. Students were presented with problems requiring application of concepts covered in lecture and�
Levesque, Aime A.
Towards an Integrated Model for Developing Sustainable Assessment Skills
One of the goals of current education is to ensure that graduates can act as independent lifelong learners. Graduates need to be able to assess their own learning and interpret assessment results. The central question in this article is how to acquire sustainable assessment skills, enabling students to assess their performance and learning�
Fastre, Greet M. J.; van der Klink, Marcel R.; Sluijsmans, Dominique; van Merrienboer, Jeroen J. G.
The Development of Message Evaluation Skills in Young Children.
Two studies investigated the origins of message evaluation skills in preschool children. In the first study, 14 preschoolers and 14 second graders were asked to evaluate the informativeness of pictorial messages in a referential communication task in two sessions. Results showed that the younger children overestimated the informativeness of�
Beal, Carole R.; Belgrad, Susan L.
Developing Learning Skills Through Library Services, K-12.
Compiled from a 1980 survey requesting library science guides for elementary and secondary schools, this booklet contains numerous learning activity examples from 36 states which are presented in three main sections. The introduction contains the preface and strategies for teaching learning skills. The major part of the document focuses on using�
Lewis, Zella, Comp.
Developing Science Process Skills in Special Schools in South Africa.
Teachers were taught "Translation Activities" (TA) to teach science process skills in three special education schools in South Africa. In TA, information and data are provided as text, diagrams, tables, or graphs, and cooperative learning takes place. Teachers indicated the use of TA enabled them to deliver Outcomes Based Education. (Contains�
Johnson, Sally; Sadeck, Melanie; Hodges, Merle
Developing Research Skills for Civil Engineers: A Library Contribution.
A library instruction program has been instituted in civil engineering at the Queensland University of Technology (Australia) in an effort to improve the research skills of fourth year students working on research projects. Students with extended library instruction were found to have better information-seeking behavior than others. (Author/MSE)
Bruce, C. S.; Brameld, G. H.
Developing teamwork skills in capstone design courses [Senior Design
The majority of our biomedical engineering graduates will eventually work in an industry where they will be part of multidisciplinary teams that use the collective skills, expertise, experience, and training of each team member. Diversity within these teams provides different perspectives, opinions, and ways of viewing problems, leading to a larger set of potential solutions. Successful careers require engineers to
Jay Goldberg
Developing Skill-Analysis Competency in Physical Education Teachers
Given the known relationship between physical inactivity and chronic disease (US Dept. of Health and Human Services [USDHHS], 2000, 2001), learning more about antecedents for physical activity engagement is an important research priority. In this vein, a number of studies have found a relationship between perceived and actual motor skill�
Lounsbery, Monica; Coker, Cheryl
Developing Metacognitive and Problem-Solving Skills through Problem Manipulation
In a collaborative effort between the our university's department of chemistry and the academic resource center, we designed a model for general chemistry recitation based on a problem manipulation method in which students actively assess the skills and knowledge used to answer a chemical problem and then manipulate the problem to create a new�
Parker Siburt, Claire J.; Bissell, Ahrash N.; Macphail, Richard A.
Feedback Based on Observation of Work Rounds Improves Residents' Self-Reported Teaching Skills
Introduction Residents provide a significant amount of bedside teaching to medical students and more junior colleagues, but often do not receive feedback that is tailored to this aspect of their professional performance. Objective To assess residents' self-reported improvement in teaching skills after feedback based on direct observation of work rounds. Method The authors initiated a program of direct observation of residents' teaching during work rounds during the academic year 2007�2008. Eleven interested faculty volunteers, including chief residents, observed teaching on work rounds by 18�second-year residents in internal medicine during 35 total encounters. Within 24�hours, the faculty observers provided individualized feedback to the resident teachers regarding the quantity and quality of their teaching based on the data collected with the Teaching on Work Rounds observation form. At the end of the year, a survey was conducted to assess the residents' receptivity to this program. Results Each observation averaged 92�minutes per observer, for 81.5 recorded hours of observations. Eighty percent of the residents felt that they were better teachers because of the feedback they received, and 87% subsequently reported having made conscious changes in their teaching during work rounds. Discussion A direct observation program of residents' teaching on work rounds improved residents' interest in teaching while motivating them to make conscious changes in their teaching based on the individualized feedback they received.
Chandler, Daniel; Snydman, Laura K.; Rencic, Joseph
Development of a Workshop on Construction and Validation of Skill Qualification Tests.
Skill Qualification Tests (SQT) are the quality control instruments for the Army's new Enlisted Personnel Management System. The tests, which are used to evaluate the solider's job mastery, are developed by personnel in the Army's Test Development Agencie...
C. H. Campbell P. Ford R. C. Campbell
Teaching Strategies for Developing Literacy Skills in Non-Native Speakers of English.
This paper deals with strategies for developing literacy skills in nonnative speakers of English. Discussed in the initial section of the paper are four different categories of English-as-a-second-language (ESL) adults and the basic philosophy that underlies the teaching of literacy skills to adults at all levels of literacy. The special needs of�
Savage, K. Lynn
Increasing On-Task Behavior through the Development of Classroom Social Skills
In recent years teachers within the classroom have experienced an increase in the off-task behaviors of students. The purpose of this action research project was to increase on-task behavior through development of classroom social skills. The causes may be a lack of social skills, outside influences, presentation of materials, students not�
Arritola, Kathleen; Breen, Jennifer; Paz, Elizabeth
Development of Student Inquiry Skills: A Constructivist Approach in a Computerized Classroom Environment.
A study investigated the extent to which students' inquiry skills can be facilitated through the use of a computerized science database (Birds of the Antarctica) and specially designed curriculum materials. Much attention was given in the program to developing both students' inquiry skills and their subject-matter knowledge. Grade 11 and 12�
Maor, Dorit
The Effect of Blogging and Electronic Journaling on Writing Skills Development in High School Freshmen
Blogging and computerized journaling are effective tools for writing skill development; however, research has not revealed which specific populations of students are aided by blogging or journaling, nor has research revealed the specific writing skills that are most likely to be improved by these practices. The purpose of the study was to discover�
Anderson, Dianne Bruce
Teacher's Guide to Transferable Skills. Research and Development Series No. 216.
Developed to inform teachers and students of the importance of transferable skills in their daily lives, this teacher's guide contains activities for practice in applying transferable skills in the areas of problem solving, communication, computation, and relationships with others. The activities in the guide are intended for use on either the�
Abram, Robert E.; And Others
The Gentle Art of Listening: Skills for Developing Family-Administrator Relationships in Early Childhood.
Notes that relationships between parents, administrators, and teachers are essential to quality early childhood education. Examines the role of good communication skills in building positive home-school relationships. Discusses the importance of developing effective listening skills in order to understand parents' needs and concerns, and how the�
Lam, Mei Seung
The Systematic Design, Development, and Evaluation of Competency-Based Instructional Materials for Employability Skills.
Described in this paper is the development and evaluation of the Employability Skills Series by the Florida Department of Education, 1975-1977. Focusing on skills involved in getting and keeping any job, the series is intended for use with secondary students and adults and is on approximately a fifth grade reading level. It consists of six student�
Kromhout, Ora M.; And Others
The Role of Individual and Contextual Factors in the Development of Maths Skills
In this study, we examined the development of maths skills in 269 Estonian primary school children (119 boys and 150 girls; 20 classes). Testing was carried out over a three-year period (Grade 1-Grade 3). Before the last testing session, children's verbal skills and motivational orientations were also tested. In addition, teachers evaluated�
Kikas, Eve; Peets, Katlin; Palu, Anu; Afanasjev, Juri
Development and Validation of the Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy Skills Questionnaire
Although several theories exist to describe why patients improve in cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), in only a limited number of studies has CBT skill acquisition been examined, particularly among patients with complex clinical profiles. Thus, the overarching aim of this research was to develop a tool to measure patients' use of CBT skills,�
Jacob, Karen L.; Christopher, Michael S.; Neuhaus, Edmund C.
Letter Knowledge, Phonological Processing, and Print Knowledge: Skill Development in Nonreading Preschool Children
Development of reading skills was examined in 4-year-old children from low-income homes attending a prekindergarten program. Fall to spring gains in letter identification were examined and compared with skills in phonological processing, rhyme detection, and environmental print, and with performance on a screening tool ("Get Ready to Read"). It�
Molfese, Victoria J.; Modglin, Arlene A.; Beswick, Jennifer L.; Neamon, Jessica D.; Berg, Shelby A.; Berg, C. Jeffrey; Molnar, Andrew
College Instructors' Implicit Theories about Teaching Skills and Their Relationship to Professional Development Choices
Implicit theories about the malleability of skills/abilities have been shown to predict learners' willingness to participate in learning opportunities. The authors examined whether college professors' implicit theories about the malleability of teaching skills predicted their willingness to engage in professional development (PD) related to�
Thadani, V.; Breland, W.; Dewar, J.
Responding to the Global Economy. Student Skills Development across an Expanding Europe.
Comparison of small and medium-sized enterprises' skill requirements in the European Union and Eastern/Central Europe shows considerable similarities and identifies skill needs universities need to address. New courses and modules are being developed by the University of Surrey in conjunction with Eastern/Central European partners. (Contains 14�
Hobrough, John
Pedagogical Approaches to Teaching Motor Skill Stages of Development Using Video Presentation
This study examined the impact of two different pedagogical approaches to teaching stages of motor skill development to undergraduate students using digital video technology. It was hypothesized that using an electronic student response system during the learning phase would result in greater accuracy in identifying stages of fundamental motor skills in children when compared to a group of students not
Kelsey Reimink
Differential Pathways to Generic Skills Development of Male and Female College Students in Korea
This study analyzed a stratified random sample of 1,707 senior students at 60 four-year universities in South Korea to explore the gender-specific pathways to Korean students' development of generic skills--analytical thinking and problem-solving skills. Multiple regression analyses were performed to investigate the involvement factors�
Rhee, Byung Shik; Kim, Sooji
Developing Generic Skills through University Study: A Study of Arts, Science and Engineering in Australia
This study examined relationships between important aspects of a university education and the assessment and development of generic skills. A sample of 323 students enrolled in single or double arts, engineering and/or science degrees from a research-intensive university in Australia were administered the Graduate Skills Assessment to measure four�
Badcock, Paul B. T.; Pattison, Philippa E.; Harris, Kerri-Lee
Student Experiences and Perceptions of Digital Literacy Skills Development: Engaging Learners by Design?
In the current digital environment, it is vital for learners to develop digital literacy skills. The UK's Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (HE) requires graduates to demonstrate digital literacy. Employers consider these skills essential. With the high cost of HE in the UK, learners themselves also expect university courses to�
Hall, Marion; Nix, Ingrid; Baker, Kirsty
An Approach to the Integration of Communication Skills Development within an Undergraduate Civil Engineering Program.
Describes a civil engineering program at Aston University that integrates successfully the development of communication skills with technical training. Explains how the course on Public Sector Planning includes instruction and student work in written, oral, and decision-making skills. (KEH)
Hedges, Peter D.; Walley, W. J.
Developing Research Skills in African-American Students: A Case Note.
Describes the Research Assistance Program that was developed for African American undergraduates to improve their library research skills. Topics include cognitive style of African American students; and skill objectives, including formulating a research topic, effective search strategies, discernment and source equivalence, and information�
Hall, Patrick
An Experiential Model for Developing Analytic Conceptual Skills in Management Students.
Analytic conceptual skills result when students learn to decipher the detailed facts of a given situation and then synthesize those facts into a logically compelling and recognizable meaning. The Dialectical Experiential Analytic Conceptual Development model addresses five areas of skill through eight sets of activities. (Author)
Osigweh, Chimezie A. B.; O'Daniel, Richard M.
Tracking Preservice Kindergarten Teachers' Development of Singing Skills and Confidence: An Applied Study
The purpose of this study was to (a) examine the effects of a music methods course on the singing skills of preservice kindergarten teachers, (b) document the nature and development of their skills during the course, and (c) trace any changes in their confidence levels toward singing as a result of the course. As an applied study which was carried�
Neokleous, Rania
A Follow up: Developing Growing Need for Soft-Skills in IT Professionals
In this paper we follow up "Developing Growing Need for Soft-Skills in IT Professionals," a paper from the 2003 ASCUE Conference. In that paper we examined the need for "soft-skills" by information technology professionals. In the current economic climate, IT outsourcing is becoming increasingly popular. Our Columbus, Indiana Purdue campus has a�
Swanson, Dewey A.; Phillips, Julie
Relationships among process skills development, knowledge acquisition, and gender in microcomputer-based chemistry laboratories
This study investigated how instruction in MBL environments can be designed to facilitate process skills development and knowledge acquisition among high school chemistry students. Ninety-eight college preparatory chemistry students in six intact classes were randomly assigned to one of three treatment groups: MBL with enhanced instruction in Macroscopic knowledge, MBL with enhanced instruction in Microscopic knowledge, and MBL with enhanced instruction in Symbolic knowledge. Each treatment group completed a total of four MBL titrations involving acids and bases. After the first and third titrations, the Macroscopic, Microscopic and Symbolic groups received enhanced instruction in the Macroscopic, Microscopic and Symbolic modes, respectively. During each titration, participants used audiotapes to record their verbal interactions. The study also explored the effects of three potential covariates (age, mathematics background, and computer usage) on the relationships among the independent variables (type of enhanced instruction and gender) and the dependent variables (science process skills and knowledge acquisition). Process skills were measured via gain scores on a standardized test. Analysis of Covariance eliminated age, mathematics background, and computer usage as covariates in this study. Analysis of Variance identified no significant effects on process skills attributable to treatment or gender. Knowledge acquisition was assessed via protocol analysis of statements made by the participants during the four titrations. Statements were categorized as procedural, observational, conceptual/analytical, or miscellaneous. Statement category percentages were analyzed for trends across treatments, genders, and experiments. Instruction emphasizing the Macroscopic mode may have increased percentages of observational and miscellaneous statements and decreased percentages of procedural and conceptual/analytical statements. Instruction emphasizing the Symbolic mode may have increased percentages of procedural and conceptual/analytical statements and decreased percentages of observational and miscellaneous statements. Instruction emphasizing the Microscopic mode may have increased percentages of conceptual/analytical and miscellaneous statements. Males made higher percentages of procedural comments than did females, while females made higher percentages of conceptual/analytical comments than did males. The use of insoluble unknowns may have increased percentages of procedural and miscellaneous statements and decreased percentages of observational and conceptual/analytical statements. The exploratory nature of the fourth titration may have decreased percentages of observational statements across all treatments.
Krieger, Carla Repsher
Gender differences in fundamental motor skill development in disadvantaged preschoolers from two geographical regions.
This study examined the influence of gender and region on object control (OC) and locomotor skill development. Participants were 275 midwestern African American and 194 southwestern Hispanic preschool children who were disadvantaged. All were evaluated on the Test of Gross MotorDevelopment-2 (Ulrich, 2000). Two, 2 Gender (girls, boys) x 2 Region (midwest, southwest) analyses of variance were conducted on OC and locomotor percentile rank. Both midwestern and southwestern preschoolers were developmentally delayed in locomotor and OC skills (< 30th percentile). There was a significant difference for gender (p < .0001) and Gender x Region interaction (p = .02) for OC skills. Boys outperformed girls in the midwestern and southwestern regions. For locomotor skills, there was a significant difference for region (p < .001), with midwestern preschoolers having better locomotor skills. PMID:20387395
Goodway, Jacqueline D; Robinson, Leah E; Crowe, Heather
Parental involvement in the development of children's reading skill: a five-year longitudinal study.
This article presents the findings of the final phase of a 5-year longitudinal study with 168 middle- and upper middle-class children in which the complex relations among early home literacy experiences, subsequent receptive language and emergent literacy skills, and reading achievement were examined. Results showed that children's exposure to books was related to the development of vocabulary and listening comprehension skills, and that these language skills were directly related to children's reading in grade 3. In contrast, parent involvement in teaching children about reading and writing words was related to the development of early literacy skills. Early literacy skills directly predicted word reading at the end of grade 1 and indirectly predicted reading in grade 3. Word reading at the end of grade 1 predicted reading comprehension in grade 3. Thus, the various pathways that lead to fluent reading have their roots in different aspects of children's early experiences. PMID:11949902
S�n�chal, Monique; LeFevre, Jo-Anne
Developing Writing Skills Through Students Giving Instructional Explanations
\\u000a Writing skills are considered to be critical for academic and professional success (National Commission on Writing, 2004,\\u000a The neglected �r� the need for a writing revolution. The College Board). However, a large number of students are not writing\\u000a well. According to National Assessment of Educational Progress (2002, Writing report card for the nation and the states: National\\u000a Center for Education
Kwangsu Cho; Christian Schunn
Problem Solving and Reasoning Skills Cognitive Development Model for Severely Disadvantaged Puerto Rican College Students. Final Report.
Through the Problem Solving and Reasoning Skills Cognitive Development Model for Severely Disadvantaged Puerto Rican College Students, the Ana G. Mendez Educational Foundation developed a model for cognitive skills development for disadvantaged, low-achieving Hispanics. The program incorporates cognitive skills into existing remedial courses in�
Ana G. Mendez Educational Foundation, Rio Piedras, PR.
The Impact of the Skills Development Levy at a South African Higher Education Institution: The First Five Years
Within the broad context of its National Human Resource Development Strategy (2001) the South African government has implemented two pieces of legislation, namely the Skills Development Act (Act 97 of 1998), an attempt to boost the nation's productivity by increasing skills levels in the workplace, and the Skills Development Levies Act (Act 9 of�
Boughey, John; van Heerden, Eve
Student C&IT Skills Development and the Learning Environment: Evaluation and Module Evolution.
Students who used the Geohazards course were compared with those using the Malta Fieldcourse, both intended to develop skills in communications and information technology. The result was that both courses were altered, particularly in terms of the learning environment. (JOW)
Grattan, John; Brown, Giles H.; Horgan, Jennifer
Assessing Information Literacy Skills Development in First Year Students: A Multi-Year Study
Assessment data from 5 years of a pretest/posttest with first-year students was analyzed using McNemar's test. The results show that revisiting previous assessment data can identify significant changes in information literacy skill development.
Fain, Margaret
Analysis Problems--A Means To Developing Students' Critical-Thinking Skills.
Describes the immersion system using analyses problems which was developed to improve students' critical thinking skills in introductory biology courses. Presents examples for college level problem solving procedures. Analyses students' and faculty members' reactions to analysis problems. (YDS)
Kronberg, Joyce R.; Griffin, Marshall S.
Teacher Evaluation Project. The Beginning Teacher Program, Intellectual Skills Development, Validity Studies of the Evaluation System, Special Instrument Development. Report for 1984-1985.
Reports, summaries, and recommendations are presented on the following research studies: (1) Beginning Teacher Studies; (2) Instructional Skills for Teaching Higher Order Thinking; (3) Development of the Conferential Observation Instrument; (4) Predictive Validity Studies Conducted to Test the Relationship Between Teacher Performance as Measured�
Florida Coalition for the Development of a Performance Measurement System, Tallahassee.
Developing Research Skills: Independent Research Projects on Animals and Plants for Building the Research Skills of Report Writing, Mind Mapping, and Investigating through Inquiries. Revised Edition.
This book presents a collection of motivating, independent activities that involve animals and plants for use in developing the research skills of students in grades 2-6. Projects included in the book cover various levels of difficulty and are designed to promote higher-level thinking skills. Research components included in the activities in the�
Banks, Janet Caudill
McGill Ingestive Skills Assessment (MISA): Development and First Field Test of an Evaluation of Functional Ingestive Skills of Elderly Persons
There is a lack of reliable and valid clinical assessment tools for individuals with loss of ingestive skills. The McGill Ingestive Skills Assessment (MISA) was developed to facilitate the reliable and valid bedside assessment of elderly persons with feeding difficulties. Items were generated by a literature review and selected with the collaboration of a multidisciplinary team. The first version of
Heather C. Lambert; Erika G. Gisel; Michael E. Groher
Motor skills development in children with inattentive versus combined subtypes of ADHD.
The relations between attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and motor skills are well documented, with research indicating both early and lifelong motor deficits in children with this disorder. Despite neuroanatomical and neurodevelopmental differences, which may predict differential rates of motor impairment between ADHD subtypes, evaluation of motor skill deficits in children with different presentations are limited in scope and equivocal in findings. The present investigation evaluated early motor development history and objectively measured motor skills in children with ADHD-Inattentive subtype (ADHD-I) and ADHD-Combined subtype (ADHD-C). One hundred and one children with ADHD-I (n�=�53) and ADHD-C (n�=�48) were included. Variables included Full-Scale IQ (FSIQ), history of motor delays, and utilization of early intervention services, as well as objectively measured motor impairment as assessed via tasks of fine-motor coordination. No between-group differences were found for FSIQ, but differences in age emerged, with the ADHD-I group being older. No differences in early motor delays were observed, though a considerably higher percentage of children with ADHD-C demonstrated early difficulties. Surprisingly, although children and adolescents with ADHD-C reported more frequent utilization of early intervention services, those with ADHD-I exhibited greater levels of current motor impairment on objective tasks. Given the over-representation of older children in the ADHD-I group, data were reanalyzed after excluding participants older than 10 years of age. Although the between-group differences were no longer significant, more than twice the number of parents of children with ADHD-C reported early motor delays, as compared with the ADHD-I group. Overall, children with ADHD-I were more likely to exhibit current objectively measured motor impairment, possibly due to later identification, less intervention, and/or different neurodevelopmental substrates underlying this disorder subtype. PMID:24716873
Vasserman, Marsha; Bender, H Allison; Macallister, William S
Testing and teaching functional versus generic skills in early childhood education in developing countries
This paper critiques a number of pre-academic and readiness tasks commonly found in tests and curricula used in early childhood education in North America and Europe and frequently adopted in developing countries. Some of the tasks discussed are: putting pegs in a pegboard, reproducing bead patterns, and completing picture puzzles. Evidence is presented to challenge a number of commonly held assumptions associated with these tasks: a) that the `generic skills' acquired when children learn these tasks are prerequisite to learning higher level skills, b) that the skills acquired will generalize to the performance of more functional activities, c) that handicapped children should be taught skills corresponding to their mental age level, and d) that handicapped children in developing countries should be tested and taught skills that are frequently found in the tests and curricula of normal functioning children in North America and Europe. Although much of the evidence cited has been available for some time, it has not generally influenced testing and teaching practices in developing countries. The tragic result is that very limited economic and manpower resources are often wasted on the use of ineffective methods. The final section of the paper describes recently developed methods of conducting ecological inventories for designing ecologically valid tests and curricula of functional skills in developing countries.
Baine, David
Motor skill abilities in toddlers with autistic disorder, pervasive developmental disorder-not otherwise specified, and atypical development
Motor skills were assessed in 397 toddlers, and it was demonstrated that atypically developing toddlers exhibited significantly greater motor skill abilities than toddlers with autistic disorder. No significant difference on gross or fine motor skill abilities were found between atypically developing toddlers and toddlers with pervasive developmental disorder-not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS), or between toddlers with autistic disorder and toddlers with
Johnny L. Matson; Sara Mahan; Jill C. Fodstad; Julie A. Hess; Daniene Neal
Motor Skill Abilities in Toddlers with Autistic Disorder, Pervasive Developmental Disorder-Not Otherwise Specified, and Atypical Development
Motor skills were assessed in 397 toddlers, and it was demonstrated that atypically developing toddlers exhibited significantly greater motor skill abilities than toddlers with autistic disorder. No significant difference on gross or fine motor skill abilities were found between atypically developing toddlers and toddlers with pervasive�
Matson, Johnny L.; Mahan, Sara; Fodstad, Jill C.; Hess, Julie A.; Neal, Daniene
Skills Development Using Role-Play in a First-Year Pharmacy Practice Course
Objectives. To evaluate the usefulness of a role-play model in developing students� patient-care skills in a first-year undergraduate pharmacy practice course. Design. A role-play model was developed and implemented in workshops across 2 semesters of a year-long course. Students performed different roles, including that of a pharmacist and a patient, and documented case notes in a single interaction. Assessment. Student perceptions of the usefulness of the approach in acquiring skills were measured by surveying students during both semesters. All student assessments (N=130 in semester1; N=129 in semester 2) also were analyzed for skills in verbal communication, information gathering, counselling and making recommendations, and accurately documenting information. A majority of students found the approach useful in developing skills. An analysis of student assessments revealed that role-playing was not as effective in building skills related to accurate documentation as it was in other areas of patient care. Conclusions. Role play is useful for developing patient-care skills in communication and information gathering but not for documentation of case notes.
The Comparison of Play Skills of Autistic Mentally Retarded and Typically Developing Children
While the typical developing children show signs of symbolic play in the first two years of life, children with autism may never develop this skill. This deficit in play has implication for other areas of development. What is more? Play is correlated with language ability in both typically developing children and children with ASD. Play in�
Fazlioglu, Yesim
Development of an objective structured assessment of technical skills for obstetric and gynecology residents
Objective: To develop an objective structured assessment for evaluating surgical skills of obstetrics and gynecology residents and to evaluate the reliability and validity of the assessment.Methods: A seven-station, objective, structured assessment of technical skills was administered to 24 residents. The test included laparoscopic procedures (port placement, salpingostomy, suturing, vessel ligation) and open abdominal procedures (hypogastric ligation, repair of enterotomy, salpingo-oophorectomy.)
Barbara A Goff; Gretchen M Lentz; David Lee; Brenda Houmard; Lynn S Mandel
Mechanisms of attentional cueing during observational learning to facilitate motor skill acquisition.
We examined the effectiveness of different cueing conditions during observational learning of a soccer accuracy pass. Sixty participants (30 males, 30 females) were randomly assigned and stratified by sex into one of six groups: discovery learning, verbal instruction, video model with visual cues, video model with verbal cues, video model with visual and verbal cues, and video model only. Each participant completed eight blocks of 10 trials each, with trial blocks 1 and 2 representing the practice phase (no manipulation), trial blocks 3, 4, 5 and 6 the acquisition phase (manipulation administered) and trial blocks 7 and 8 the retention phase (24 h after acquisition, with no manipulation). Absolute error, variable error and kicking form were recorded. The results indicated that those who used video modelling with visual and verbal cues collectively displayed less error and more appropriate form across acquisition and retention trial blocks compared with other groups. Our findings suggest that verbal information in addition to visual cues enhances perceptual representation and retention of modelled activities to improve task reproduction capabilities. Future research directions are proposed with implications for both direct and indirect perception accounts of skill acquisition through observed behaviours. PMID:14620026
Janelle, Christopher M; Champenoy, Jamy D; Coombes, Stephen A; Mousseau, Melanie B
Supporting international development through the integration of relevant 'soft-skills' into geoscience education
Geologists have an important role to play in international development, improving disaster risk reduction and access to clean water, sanitation, infrastructure, and natural resources. That geologists can contribute to international development is well established. Less so, however, is an understanding of the 'soft' skills required to do this effectively. The fight against global poverty requires an integrated and interdisciplinary approach, demanding a host of skills other than technical geology. Factors such as cultural understanding, cross disciplinary communication, diplomacy, community mobilisation and participation are all aspects that, if lacking, may result in a project failing to have maximum impact. Whilst project success may be highly dependent on these skills and aspects of knowledge, opportunities to develop them throughout a geologist's education are not common. Through a discussion of two case studies (based on water and hazards work), this study seeks to demonstrate the value of an integrated approach and the skills that geologists should invest in at an early stage of their career. It proceeds to examine a range of practical ways by which geology students can develop these skills during and after their education. A number of these opportunities are currently being utilised by Geology for Global Development (GfGD), a not-for-profit organisation working in the UK to support young geoscientists to make a long-term and effective contribution to international development.
Gill, Joel C.
Developing Children's Oral Language Skills through Dialogic Reading: Guidelines for Implementation
Early childhood and special educators are under growing demands to develop children's language and literacy skills through evidence-based practices. One promising research-based strategy for vocabulary and language development is dialogic reading (DR), which is an interactive picture book reading technique developed in the late 1980's by�
Flynn, Kylie S.
The Impact of Skills Development on Competitiveness: Empirical Evidence from a Cross-Country Analysis
In the past half-century, most countries have emphasized the development of human capital as an instrument for economic growth, sustainable development, and improved global competitiveness. However, limited evidence exists on the link between skills development and a country's competitiveness. This paper examines the contribution and association�
Onsomu, Eldah N.; Ngware, Moses W.; Manda, Damiano K.
A Life Skills Development Program for High School Student-Athletes
Sport and after school activities have been identified as fertile ground for adolescents to develop initiative and feelings of self-efficacy. The purpose of this article is to describe the development and implementation of a national intervention program that uses sport participation as a vehicle to enhance life skill development in urban youth. Evaluation data are provided and some potential advantages
Albert J. Petitpas; Judy L. Van Raalte; Allen E. Cornelius; Jim Presbrey
Library Technician Skill Standards.
This document presents skill standards for library technicians. Introductory sections describe the industry and the job, what skill standards are, how the library technician skill standards were developed, employability skills and critical competencies, and the SCANS (Secretary's Commission on Achieving Necessary Skills) foundation skills profile.�
Highline Community Coll., Des Moines, WA.
Development of a problem solving evaluation instrument; Untangling of specific problem solving skills
The purpose of this research was to produce a problem solving evaluation tool for physics. To do this it was necessary to gain a thorough understanding of how students solve problems. Although physics educators highly value problem solving and have put extensive effort into understanding successful problem solving, there is currently no efficient way to evaluate problem solving skill. The work presented here is unique because the evaluation tool removes the requirement that the student already have a grasp of physics concepts. The work is also unique due to its diversity of individuals examined and the range of tasks it evaluates. Chapter 1 includes an extensive literature review of problem solving in physics, math, education and cognitive science. Chapter 2 contains information about studies involving the PhET Interactive Simulations and presents design guidelines for interface design. Chapter 3 contains information on the development and validation of the Colorado Learning Attitudes about Science Survey (CLASS) for physics. Chapter 4 describes the work done by the author to develop and validate the Colorado Assessment of Problem Solving (CAPS). This problem solving evaluation tool identifies 44 separate skills (skills) necessary for solving problems. Rigorous validation studies, including work with an independent interviewer, show the skills identified by this content-free evaluation tool are the same skills that students use to solve problems in mechanics and quantum mechanics. A discussion is included about how this work extends what is currently understood about the skills that students use to solve problems and which of these skills are applicable in other disciplines. Understanding this set of component skills will help teachers and researchers address problem solving within the classroom.
Adams, Wendy K.
An innovative approach to developing the reflective skills of medical students
Background Development of the reflective skills of medical students is an acknowledged objective of medical education. Description Description of an educational exercise which uses an email-based process for developing the reflective skills of undergraduate medical students. Student quotations illustrate learning outcomes qualitatively. Discussion The process described is immediate, direct, linked to learning objectives, enables rapid responses to be given to the students individually, and is followed by group sharing of learning. It provides a rigorous and robust feedback loop for students. It is relatively economic for teachers and incidentally benefits curriculum design and evolution. The approach supports development of a reflective approach to learning.
Henderson, Penny; Johnson, Martin H
The use of electronic media to develop transferable skills in science students studying anatomy.
Transferable skills such as team working, communication, information gathering, critical thinking, and peer assessment are essential for graduates seeking employment in the competitive jobs market. Use of online discussion boards have grown to allow students to communicate with each other at a time and location of their choosing. This study aimed to develop transferable skills using specially developed online components supported by discussion boards and chat rooms. Students enrolled in the Human Anatomy and Histology module at the University of Manchester were put into groups of six or seven students (26 groups in total). Two e-learning components were constructed to develop transferable skills. Each group had a discussion board and chat room available to assist communication in completion of the components. Peer marking was also done on this media. Data collected showed the discussion boards were heavily utilized (average number of posts per group was 48). Eighty-three percent of students found the discussion boards useful to complete the tasks. Students felt their team building and critical analysis skills had improved. Peer assessment was well received by students. Using online discussion boards proved an excellent way to develop transferable skills in a large group of science students. PMID:22232127
Choudhury, Bipasha; Gouldsborough, Ingrid
Transitions between food insecurity and food security predict children's social skill development during elementary school.
Recent findings indicate that household food insecurity affects children's social skill development in the early years of elementary school. It is important to assess the persistency of developmental consequences and investigate whether all categories of social skills are equally affected by food insecurity experiences. The present paper estimates population-averaged and subject-specific models for children's social skill scores reported by school teachers using longitudinal data on 2310 boys and 2400 girls in the USA enrolled in the 1st (aged 6-9 years), 3rd (aged 8-11 years) and 5th (aged 10-13 years) grades (1999-2003) from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study-Kindergarten. The main findings are, first, significantly (P�<�0�05) negative, contemporaneous and transitional relationships between food insecurity experiences and children's social skill scores are evident. Estimates based on sex-stratified samples indicate that the contemporaneous association is strongest among girls, while the association of an early transition from food insecurity in the 1st grade to food security in the 3rd grade is strongest among boys. Second, food insecurity experiences predict children's social skill scores emphasising self-control, attentiveness and task persistence, rather than interpersonal relationships or externalising behaviour. Overall, the findings underscore the multifaceted effect that household food insecurity has on children's social skills and provide the strongest empirical evidence to date that the experiences are linked with non-nutritional developmental consequences for children over a time horizon spanning several years. PMID:21269533
Howard, Larry L
Rising to the Challenge: Developing a Survey of Workplace Skills, Civic Engagement, and Global Awareness
This chapter describes the ongoing development of a survey of students' workplace skills, civic engagement, and global awareness that colleges and universities can use to document their contributions to the public good. The student growth survey currently under development offers colleges and universities an opportunity to refocus the attention of�
Ouimet, Judith A.; Pike, Gary R.
Gender Differences in Fundamental Motor Skill Development in Disadvantaged Preschoolers from Two Geographical Regions
This study examined the influence of gender and region on object control (OC) and locomotor skill development. Participants were 275 midwestern African American and 194 southwestern Hispanic preschool children who were disadvantaged. All were evaluated on the Test of Gross Motor Development-2 (Ulrich, 2000). Two, 2 Gender (girls, boys) x 2 Region�
Goodway, Jacqueline D.; Robinson, Leah E.; Crowe, Heather
High Skills, High Wages: Washington's Strategic Plan for Workforce Development. Our Agenda for Action.
The state of Washington's workforce development system agenda focused in 2002 on these four goals: (1) closing a perceived job skills gap; (2) training incumbent and dislocated workers in order to prepare them for changes in the economy; (3) achieving wage progression for low income individuals; and (4) integrating workforce development programs�
Washington State Workforce Training and Education Coordinating Board, Olympia.
FAIJU: An Assessment Center for Developing the Skills of Volunteers Working in International Youth Exchange
The three non-profit student exchange organizations AFS, Experiment and YFU, have been running a special assessment center for the development of skills necessary for volunteers working in international student exchange. This paper presents the goals and intentions behind this tool and also discusses the use of human resource development tools in�
Kurz, Tom
A Basis for Skills Developing the "College for Business" in Sussex: Part of an LSDA Collection.
As part of its ongoing efforts to improve further education (FE) in the United Kingdom, the Learning and Skills Development Agency (LSDA) developed a model for FE colleges that see their core purpose as meeting the needs of business and industry as distinct form colleges with a mission to serve the needs of the community or prepare young people�
Hughes, Maria; Stanton, Geoff
Metacognition Needed: Teaching Middle and High School Students to Develop Strategic Learning Skills
Students' ineffective learning strategies are linked to poor metacognition, revealing that struggling learners have not developed the practical figure it out skills to succeed in academic challenges. Well-documented research has noted the positive effect of self-reflective learning on students' academic and personal development. Also, researchers have described that metacognitive awareness can be taught. The author explores these issues and presents
Nancy Joseph
Student Teachers' Development of a Positive Attitude towards Research and Research Knowledge and Skills
The aim of this study is to investigate the experiences of student teachers participating in an introductory course, designed to stimulate the development of a positive attitude towards research and to stimulate the development of research knowledge and skills by second-year student teachers of an institute of primary teacher education. A�
van der Linden, Wietse; Bakx, Anouke; Ros, Anje; Beijaard, Douwe; Vermeulen, Marc
Web-Based Assessment Tool for Communication and Active Listening Skill Development
The website "Active Listening" was developed within a larger project--"Interactive Web-based training in the subtleties of communication and active listening skill development." The Active Listening site aims to provide beginning counseling psychology students with didactic and experimental learning activities and interactive tests so that�
Cheon, Jongpil; Grant, Michael
The Stories of Katherine Paterson: Interdisciplinary Teaching Units and the Development of Social Skills.
This paper describes the use of children's literature to develop interdisciplinary units, including components to help students (many with learning, behavioral, or emotional disabilities) develop appropriate social skills. The program focused on three books by Newbery award winner, Katherine Paterson: "Jacob Have I Loved,""The Great Gilly�
Leonardi, Roy; Leonardi, Bonnie
Generic Reflective Feedback: An Effective Approach to Developing Clinical Reasoning Skills
Problem-based learning can be an effective tool to develop clinical reasoning skills. However, it traditionally takes place in tutorial groups, giving students little flexibility in how and when they learn. This pilot study compared the effectiveness of generic reflective feedback (GRF) with tutorial-based reflective feedback on the development of�
Wojcikowski, K.; Brownie, S.
From the "Springfield Development Program" to the "21st Century School Administrator Skills (SAS) Program."
This paper discusses the use of simulations in the professional development of school leaders. It compares two National Association of Secondary School Principal (NASSP) programs: the "Springfield Development Program" and the "21st Century School Administrator Skills Program" (SAS) and identifies the characteristics of SAS that are aligned with�
Bradshaw, Lynn; Buckner, Kermit
Developing Students' Skills in Reflective Practice: Design and Assessment
This article examines learning journals as a method for developing self-awareness within a business education context, exploring "how can effective design and assessment of reflective journals assist the development of students' self-knowledge?" The authors describe three different approaches to learning journals, with each case study outlining�
Pavlovich, Kathryn; Collins, Eva; Jones, Glyndwr
Developing Students' Skills in Reflective PracticeDesign and Assessment
This article examines learning journals as a method for developing self-awareness within a business education context, exploring �how can effective design and assessment of reflective journals assist the development of students' self-knowledge?� The authors describe three different approaches to learning journals, with each case study outlining the purpose of the course and the learning journal within it, the design and
Kathryn Pavlovich; Eva Collins; Glyndwr Jones
Developing Team Skills through a Collaborative Writing Assignment
Employers want students who are able to work effectively as members of a team, and expect universities to develop this ability in their graduates. This paper proposes a framework for a collaborative writing assignment that specifically develops students' ability to work in teams. The framework has been tested using two iterations of an action�
Thomas, Theda Ann
Irish psychiatric nurses' self-reported barriers, facilitators and skills for developing evidence-based practice.
Evidence-based practice places an emphasis on integration of clinical expertise with available best evidence, patient's clinical information and preferences, and with local health resources. This paper reports the findings of a study that investigated the barriers, facilitators and skills in developing evidence-based practice among psychiatric nurses in Ireland. A postal survey was conducted among a random sample of Irish psychiatric nurses and survey data were collected using the Development of Evidence-Based Practice Questionnaire. Respondents reported that insufficient time to find and read research reports and insufficient resources to change practice were the greatest barriers to the development of evidence-based practice. Practice development coordinators were perceived as the most supportive resource for changing practice. Using the Internet to search for information was the highest-rated skill and using research evidence to change practice was the lowest-rated skill for developing evidence-based practice. Nurses' precursor skills for developing evidence-based practice, such as database searching and information retrieval, may be insufficient in themselves for promoting evidence-based practice if they cannot find evidence relating to their particular field of practice or if they do not have the time, resources and supports to develop their practice in response to evidence. PMID:22070519
Yadav, B L; Fealy, G M
Developing creative writing skills in early childhood: A case study from Pakistan
The study explores how a teacher of Early Childhood teaches young children creative writing skills in a community-based school in Karachi, Pakistan. A qualitative case study method was used to examine the practices of the teacher and four early years� learners (seven to eight years). Data was generated through semi-structured interviews; classroom observations and document analysis. Findings reveal that current
Nilofar Vazir; Shairoz Ismail
Developing a Test of Scientific Literacy Skills (TOSLS): measuring undergraduates' evaluation of scientific information and arguments.
Life sciences faculty agree that developing scientific literacy is an integral part of undergraduate education and report that they teach these skills. However, few measures of scientific literacy are available to assess students' proficiency in using scientific literacy skills to solve scenarios in and beyond the undergraduate biology classroom. In this paper, we describe the development, validation, and testing of the Test of Scientific Literacy Skills (TOSLS) in five general education biology classes at three undergraduate institutions. The test measures skills related to major aspects of scientific literacy: recognizing and analyzing the use of methods of inquiry that lead to scientific knowledge and the ability to organize, analyze, and interpret quantitative data and scientific information. Measures of validity included correspondence between items and scientific literacy goals of the National Research Council and Project 2061, findings from a survey of biology faculty, expert biology educator reviews, student interviews, and statistical analyses. Classroom testing contexts varied both in terms of student demographics and pedagogical approaches. We propose that biology instructors can use the TOSLS to evaluate their students' proficiencies in using scientific literacy skills and to document the impacts of curricular reform on students' scientific literacy. PMID:23222832
Gormally, Cara; Brickman, Peggy; Lutz, Mary
Developing a Test of Scientific Literacy Skills (TOSLS): Measuring Undergraduates' Evaluation of Scientific Information and Arguments
Life sciences faculty agree that developing scientific literacy is an integral part of undergraduate education and report that they teach these skills. However, few measures of scientific literacy are available to assess students� proficiency in using scientific literacy skills to solve scenarios in and beyond the undergraduate biology classroom. In this paper, we describe the development, validation, and testing of the Test of Scientific Literacy Skills (TOSLS) in five general education biology classes at three undergraduate institutions. The test measures skills related to major aspects of scientific literacy: recognizing and analyzing the use of methods of inquiry that lead to scientific knowledge and the ability to organize, analyze, and interpret quantitative data and scientific information. Measures of validity included correspondence between items and scientific literacy goals of the National Research Council and Project 2061, findings from a survey of biology faculty, expert biology educator reviews, student interviews, and statistical analyses. Classroom testing contexts varied both in terms of student demographics and pedagogical approaches. We propose that biology instructors can use the TOSLS to evaluate their students� proficiencies in using scientific literacy skills and to document the impacts of curricular reform on students� scientific literacy.
Developing Writing and Thinking Skills in the Student.
An English teacher at Hokkaido International School, Japan, guided his students through the writing process of thinking up ideas for writing topics and developing and revising those ideas into competent works. The class was composed of seven non-native speakers (in grades nine through twelve) who tried to achieve fluency in English within the�
Hill, Jeff
Developing Positive Attitudes and Strategic Reading Skills in Primary Students.
A project developed a program for improving the attitudes of primary students toward reading and encouraging them to become strategic readers. The targeted population consisted of first-grade students in rural-suburban communities west of a large midwestern city. The problem of poor attitudes toward reading and lack of knowledge of reading�
Foss, Jeanette; Soper, Candice
Journal Writing and the Development of Spatial Thinking Skills
Informal journal writing in freshman level World Regional Geography classes is discussed as an active learning method that helps students to develop their spatial perspective and gain a better understanding of the interconnected nature of geographic phenomena. In particular, students read about events in the world and write their ideas about the�
Hooey, Catherine A.; Bailey, Timothy J.
Skill Development for Maneuvering on the Information Highway.
To help students learn to navigate the information superhighway, a 2-hour pilot program with 10 hours of guided access time was developed to test a method for teaching the basics of maneuvering the superhighway and extracting information once located. This pilot was designed as a two-part instructional session. The first instructional session�
Mosley, Barbra; Edwards, Gloria
Connectedness and Life Skills Development for All Children
A. Ziegler and S. N. Phillipson draw upon the Actiotope Model of Giftedness (AMG) to give an overview of a systemic approach to gifted education. They argue the value of such a systemic approach for understanding the development of exceptionality. The reviewers certainly agree that the achievement of excellent performance is not only the result of�
Yuen, Mantak; Fong, Ricci W.
An Educational Environment for Training Skills for Global Software Development
Global Software Development (GSD) is a recent trend that allows team members to be located on different remote sites, thus forming a network of virtual teams working on the same projects which confront the typical problems caused by distance. The stakeholders involved in the project must be trained to deal with communication difficulties such as those related to cultural and
Miguel J. Monasor; Aurora Vizca�no; Mario Piattini
Developing Word-Identification Skills within a Total Communication Program.
The word identification directives developed by the Exemplary Center for Reading Instruction (ECRI) were modified for use in a Total Communication integrated classroom with seven hearing impaired third graders. Pilot tests showed that the hearing impaired students substantially increased their reading and spelling vocabularies. (Author)
Geoffrion, Leo D.
Developing Sight-Reading Skills on Mallet Percussion Instruments
Sight-reading while playing a mallet instrument can present serious obstacles for the developing percussionist. Many young players who have solid snare drum technique usually cite fear of playing the wrong note as the number-one hurdle to overcome in order to begin making real progress. Greg Byrne, associate director of bands at the University of�
Fidyk, Steve
Developing Decision-Making Skills for Socio-Scientific Issues
The ability to make informed decisions on science-related social issues is considered an important attribute of scientific literacy. Literature to inform science educators how to bridge the gap between rhetoric and practice--and to assist them in developing this attribute in their students--burgeons. In view of the great diversity of�
Lee, Yeung Chung
Using Children's Books to Teach Inquiry Skills
Early childhood teachers realize the importance of inquiry-based instruction for children's science learning and their development of inquiry skills. The term "inquiry skills" refers to the science process skills scientists use to investigate the natural world--observing, inferring, posing questions, recording data, looking for patterns, and�
Sackes, Mesut; Trundle, Kathy Cabe; Flevares, Lucia M.
Linking Teachers' Memory-Relevant Language and the Development of Children's Memory Skills
This longitudinal study was designed to (i) examine changes in children�s deliberate memory across the first grade; (ii) characterize the memory-relevant aspects of their classrooms; and (iii) explore linkages between the children�s performance and the language their teachers use in instruction. In order to explore contextual factors that may facilitate the development of skills for remembering, 107 first graders were assessed three times with a broad set of tasks, while extensive observations were made in the 14 classrooms from which these children were sampled. When the participating teachers were classified as high or low in terms of their �mnemonic orientation,� in part on the basis of their use of metacognitive information and requests for deliberate remembering during instruction in language arts and mathematics, differences were observed in the use of mnemonic techniques by the children in their classes. By the end of the year, the children drawn from these two groups of classrooms differed in their spontaneous use of simple behavioral strategies for remembering and in their response to training in more complex verbally-based mnemonic techniques.
Coffman, Jennifer L.; Ornstein, Peter A.; McCall, Laura E.; Curran, Patrick J.
Linking teachers' memory-relevant language and the development of children's memory skills.
This longitudinal study was designed to (a) examine changes in children's deliberate memory across the 1st grade; (b) characterize the memory-relevant aspects of their classrooms; and (c) explore linkages between the children's performance and the language their teachers use in instruction. To explore contextual factors that may facilitate the development of skills for remembering, 107 first graders were assessed 3 times with a broad set of tasks, while extensive observations were made in the 14 classrooms from which these children were sampled. When the participating teachers were classified as high or low in terms of their "mnemonic orientation," in part on the basis of their use of metacognitive information and requests for deliberate remembering during instruction in language arts and mathematics, differences were observed in the use of mnemonic techniques by the children in their classes. By the end of the year, the children drawn from these 2 groups of classrooms differed in their spontaneous use of simple behavioral strategies for remembering and in their response to training in more complex verbally based mnemonic techniques. PMID:18999327
Coffman, Jennifer L; Ornstein, Peter A; McCall, Laura E; Curran, Patrick J
Developing Health Literacy Knowledge and Skills Through Case-Based Learning
Objective. To evaluate the efficacy of case-based learning to teach pharmacy students health literacy concepts and skills in managing patients with limited health literacy. Design. A health literacy patient case was developed and incorporated into a case-based learning laboratory. The case involved a patient with limited health literacy and required students to evaluate and formulate a care plan. Assessment. A comparison of pretest and posttest scores demonstrated that students gained health literacy knowledge and skills through completion of the patient case. Students believed that the case-based exercise was successful in meeting specific learning objectives for the course. Conclusions. Addition of a case-based learning was effective in teaching pharmacy students health literacy concepts and skills.
Lopez, Tina
Developing Problems to Promote Real-World Transferrable Problem-Solving Skills
Student problem-solving in physics has been the subject of study for approximately 50 years, and yet only a handful of studies have yielded even a faint signal that students transfer problem-solving skills from physics to other disciplines (or even from one physics domain to another). Perhaps part of the reason is that most typical problems in introductory physics textbooks do not require or foster general (i.e., non content-specific) skills. We have been developing problems that we believe require students to apply these more general skills. Currently we are implementing these problems in an introductory physics course for science majors. Examples of the problems and some initial reports of student reaction will be shared.
Harper, Kathleen A.; Goldman, Zachary S.; Zeng, Chengeng; Freuler, Richard J.; Demel, John T.; Kecskemety, Krista M.
Basic Extension Skills Training (BEST): A Responsive Approach to Integrated Extension for Rural Development in Botswana
In a rapidly changing society like Botswana, the competition for employment, training and progression on the job has become very high. The development of skills is therefore a crucial and integral part of nation building, which needs a direct link to a training programme to continuously help staff to cope with the different needs they meet in the�
Gboku, Matthew L. S.; Modise, Oitshepile M.
The Role of Live Video Capture Production in the Development of Student Communication Skills
Civil and natural resources engineering students at the University of Canterbury, New Zealand, take specific courses requiring small group research projects and the presentation of findings to staff and peers. Although one of the aims of these presentations is to assist in the development of the students' communication skills, staff have raised�
O'Donoghue, Michael; Cochrane, Tom A.
A Case Study of Online Peer Coaching of Consultant Communication Skill Development
The purpose of the this study was to explore how peer coaches support the development of collaborative communication skills in an online format for consultants in training (CITs). The program examined was Instructional Consultation which pairs a consultant with a teacher to work collaboratively to resolve the teacher's concern regarding a student.�
Wizda, Lorraine L.
Beyond a Rule--Following Model of Skillful Practice in Teacher Development
Both contemporary popular and scholarly discourse on teacher development and evaluation assumes the truth of a certain view of normative human behavior, one that holds that skill in a given domain is predicated upon the application of maxims, rules, or principles in a given situation. Such a view would allow one to isolate behaviors associated�
Gottlieb, Derek
Effectiveness of Teacher Education Programmes in Developing Teaching Skills for Secondary Level
The purpose of the study was to evaluate the effectiveness of secondary school teacher education programme in terms of development of selected teaching skills and suggesting ways and means to improve the programme. The population of the study comprised of the pre-service teachers of all the government colleges of education for men and women in�
Ullah, S. Zia; Farooq, M. S.; Memon, R. A.
The Learner-Directed Classroom: Developing Creative Thinking Skills through Art
Educators at all levels want their students to develop habits of self-directed learning and critical problem-solving skills that encourage ownership and growth. In "The Learner-Directed Classroom," practicing art educators (PreK-16) offer both a comprehensive framework for understanding student-directed learning and concrete pedagogical strategies�
Jaquith, Diane B., Ed.; Hathaway, Nan E., Ed.
Practice Makes Perfect: Prospective Teachers Develop Skills in Decision-Making.
Preservice teachers must develop decision making skills and feel comfortable with decision making processes. Prospective teachers at MidAmerican Nazarene College (MNU), Kansas, are involved in a research based output system called the Decision-Making Packet (DMP). DMP's are units of study that allow students choice and require their pupils to take�
John, Martha Tyler; Norton, Robert
Reading Skills of Students with Speech Sound Disorders at Three Stages of Literacy Development
Purpose: The relationship between phonological awareness, overall language, vocabulary, and nonlinguistic cognitive skills to decoding and reading comprehension was examined for students at 3 stages of literacy development (i.e., early elementary school, middle school, and high school). Students with histories of speech sound disorders (SSD) with�
Skebo, Crysten M.; Lewis, Barbara A.; Freebairn, Lisa A.; Tag, Jessica; Ciesla, Allison Avrich; Stein, Catherine M.
Skill Development PLATO Use at Reuther Alternative High School Kenosha, Wisconsin. PLATO Evaluation Series.
Reuther High School has been an alternative school in the Kenosha, Wisconsin, school district for many years. In 1998, PLATO Learning, Inc. made it possible for Reuther to offer consistent skill development on a flexible schedule through computer assisted instruction. PLATO systems have been made part of five credit completion programs. An�
Quinn, Nancy W.; Quinn, David W.
Engagement and Skill Development in Biology Students through Analysis of Art
An activity involving analysis of art in biology courses was designed with the goals of piquing undergraduates' curiosity, broadening the ways in which college students meaningfully engage with course content and concepts, and developing aspects of students' higher-level thinking skills, such as analysis, synthesis, and evaluation. To�
Milkova, Liliana; Crossman, Colette; Wiles, Stephanie; Allen, Taylor
Crap Detecting: An Approach to Developing Critical Reading and Thinking Skills in the Foreign Language Curriculum.
Presents a three-part approach for developing critical reading and critical thinking skills in the foreign language curriculum. This approach seeks to (1) establish a conducive environment for critical thought; (2) sharpen students' critical eye through extensive analytical reading; and (3) sensitize students to language and language use.�
Sacco, Steven J.
Development and Standardization of the Cornell Learning and Study Skills Inventory (CLASSIC).
Research conducted at Cornell University over the past decade suggests seven different learning competency factors are more pertinent to ineffective learning at the secondary school and college levels than reading competency. The Cornell Learning and Study Skills Inventory (CLASSIC) was developed to assess these factors, to serve as a means for�
Cassel, Russell N.; Pauk, Walter J.
The Development of Working Memory from Kindergarten to First Grade in Children with Different Decoding Skills
This study investigated the development of working memory ability (measured by tasks assessing all four working memory components) from the end of kindergarten to the end of first grade--the first year reading is taught in school--and the relationship between working memory abilities in kindergarten and first grade and reading skills in first�
Nevo, Einat; Breznitz, Zvia
Assessing Investigative Skill Development in Inquiry-Based and Traditional College Science Laboratory Courses
A laboratory practical examination was used to compare the investigative skills developed in two different types of general-chemistry laboratory courses. Science and engineering majors (SEM) in the control group used a traditional verification approach (SEM-Ctrl), whereas those in the treatment group learned from an innovative, inquiry-based�
Suits, Jerry P.
Relationship of Direct Instruction and Practice to Development of Motor Skills.
Results of a practicum study comparing two kindergarten classes scoring similarly on a pretest of motor development indicated that children receiving direct instruction in motor skills for 10 weeks scored significantly higher on a posttest than did controls. The practicum was implemented because of classroom teachers' expressed concern about their�
Matronia, Cheryl A.
Fostering an inquiry approach to teachers' professional development on teaching thinking skills
This article reports on small-scale curriculum research in the context of teachers' continuing professional development, with a particular focus on the formation of a community of teachers in which learning through scholarship and inquiry is pursued. The Thinking Skills Study Group at the University of Strathclyde is intended to provide an effective locus for learning about and inquiring into the
Margaret Kirkwood
Assert Yourself: Helping Students of All Ages Develop Self-Advocacy Skills.
This article presents a research-based strategy for helping students with disabilities develop self-advocacy skills. Steps in the ASSERT process include: awareness of disability, state disability, state strengths and limitations, evaluate problem and solutions, role play solution, and try it in the real setting. Activities for each step are�
Kling, Beverly
Relationships between Early Language Skills and Future Literacy Development in Hong Kong
Practitioners as well as language approach and language development scholars need to work together to create an environment in which research-based learning methods can be put into practice with developmentally appropriate content. Inadequate attention has been given to the crucial language skills that underpin children's language and�
Shing, Richard Wong Kwok
Technological Change and Skills Development. EEE700 Adults Learning: The Changing Workplace A.
This publication is part of the study materials for the distance education course, Adults Learning: The Changing Workplace A, in the Open Campus Program at Deakin University. The first part of the document examines the relationship between technological change and skills development. The following topics are discussed: the new technological�
Bernard, Elaine
Helping students develop self-awareness skills to improve learning and exam performance
In this paper, we will describe an experiment in helping students begin to self-assess their learning processes through a simple homework activity tied to examinations. This exercise was developed to provide students with an opportunity to work on their meta-learning skills, where they reflect upon learning instead of simply focusing on contents and carrying out assignments. Since awareness is considered
C. F. Yokomoto; R. Ware
A Critical Review of the National Skills Development Strategy in South Africa
This article provides an update on the Special Edition of the "Journal of Vocational Education and Training" 57, no. 3, 2005, which focused on the launch of the National Skills Development Strategy (NSDS) in South Africa. The analysis here evaluates the impact of the first phase of the NSDS, which ran between 1 April 2001 and 31 March 2005. The�
Kraak, Andre
The Effects of an Early History of Otitis Media on Children's Language and Literacy Skill Development
Background: Otitis media (OM) or middle ear infection is a common childhood illness and is most frequent during the crucial first 3 years of life when speech and language categories are being established, which could potentially have a long-term effect on language and literacy skill development. Aims: The purpose of the current study was to�
Winskel, Heather
Developments Which Are Needed for Improved Teaching of Comprehension and Study Skills.
The author believes that instruction for the development of comprehension and study skills in elementary and secondary schools is frequently accidental and inadequate. To some extent the blame may be placed on teachers and classroom conditions, but it also must be shared by authors of textbooks on reading instruction, by instructors who offer�
Schindler, Alvin W.
Using a Collaborative Critiquing Technique to Develop Chemistry Students' Technical Writing Skills
The technique, termed "collaborative critiquing", was developed to teach fundamental technical writing skills to analytical chemistry students for the preparation of laboratory reports. This exercise, which can be completed prior to peer-review activities, is novel, highly interactive, and allows students to take responsibility for their�
Carr, Jeremy M.
Effects of Two Instructional Approaches on Skill Development, Knowledge, and Game Performance
Two instructional approaches that have been of interest in promoting sport have been the Sport Education Model (SEM) and the Traditional Style (TS) of teaching physical education. The purpose of this study was to investigate how SEM and TS would affect skill development, knowledge, and game performance for volleyball at the secondary level. A 2 x�
Pritchard, Tony; Hawkins, Andrew; Wiegand, Robert; Metzler, Jonathan N.
A Review of the Effects of Interspersing Procedures on the Stages of Academic Skill Development
Basic and applied research related to the effects of interspersing trials of maintenance (i.e., review) tasks among trials of acquisition tasks on academic skill development is reviewed. In general, empirical research suggests that interspersing procedures are effective in facilitating acquisition, learning rate, and maintenance. However, some�
Cates, Gary L.
Parental Involvement in the Development of Children's Reading Skill: A Five-Year Longitudinal Study
This article presents the findings of the final phase of a 5-year longitudinal study with 168 middle- and upper middle-class children in which the complex relations among early home literacy experiences, subsequent re- ceptive language and emergent literacy skills, and reading achievement were examined. Results showed that children's exposure to books was related to the development of vocabulary and listening
Monique Senechal; Jo-Anne LeFevre
Motivational Climate, Motor-Skill Development, and Perceived Competence: Two Studies of Developmentally Delayed Kindergarten Children
Two studies were conducted to examine the effects of motivational climate on motor-skill development and perceived physical competence in kindergarten children with developmental delays. In Experiment 1, two intervention groups were exposed to environments with either high (mastery climate) or low autonomy for 12 weeks. Results showed that the�
Valentini, Nadia; Rudisill, Mary E.
Revisiting the Effects of Balance and Motor Skill Development in Deaf Children.
Reviews the literature on the relationship between balance and motor skill development as it relates to physical activity levels, physical fitness levels, and overall quality of life. Findings are related to educational programming needs of young deaf children. (Author/DB)
Ellis, M. Kathleen; Stewart, David A.
Systems in Development: Motor Skill Acquisition Facilitates Three-Dimensional Object Completion
How do infants learn to perceive the backs of objects that they see only from a limited viewpoint? Infants' 3-dimensional object completion abilities emerge in conjunction with developing motor skills--independent sitting and visual-manual exploration. Infants at 4.5 to 7.5 months of age (n = 28) were habituated to a limited-view object and tested�
The Development of a Multirater Instrument for Assessing Employee Problem-Solving Skill
This study was an exploratory investigation of the development of a multirater instrument to measure employee problem-solving skill. The instrument consisted of two parallel forms: an employee self-assessment and a supervisory assessment. For the self-assessment, twenty employees rated the degree to which they engage in activities commonly�
Lohman, Margaret C.
Skills Development Training in the Consultancy Mode: An Experience in Ecuador.
A group of instructional planners from the United States was invited to help establish a vocational skills development project to help meet the need for adequately trained workers in Ecuador's small- and medium-sized enterprises in the industrial, service, commercial and agricultural sectors of the economy. A logicodialetical model called the CLER�
Bhola, H. S.
Accelerating the Early Numeracy Development of Kindergartners with Limited Working Memory Skills through Remedial Education
Background: Young children with limited working memory skills are a special interest group among all children that score below average on early numeracy tests. This study examines the effect of accelerating the early numeracy development of these children through remedial education, by comparing them with children with typically working memory�
Toll, Sylke W. M.; Van Luit, Johannes E. H.
Developing Student Critical Thinking Skills through Teaching Psychology: An Interview with Claudio S. Hutz.
Presents an interview with Claudio S. Hutz, who is dean of Instituto de Psicologia at Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul in Porto Alegre, Brazil, where he has been teaching psychology since 1977. Discusses topics such as teaching psychology in Brazil and developing critical thinking skills. (CMK)
McCarthy-Tucker, Sherri
Development and Testing of a Scale to Assess Interprofessional Education (IPE) Facilitation Skills
Introduction: Interprofessional education (IPE) is interactive and constructivist in nature and requires specific facilitation skills to engage participants in a unique body of content, interpersonal interaction, and learning from each other. This article describes the development and testing of a scale, the Interprofessional Facilitation Scale�
Sargeant, Joan; Hill, Tanya; Breau, Lynn
Developing a Program To Improve Toileting Skills of Prekindergarten Handicapped Students in a Suburban Elementary School.
A program was developed to improve the toileting skills of four prekindergarten students (ages 3-5) with developmental delays. A daily toileting chart was employed over a 12-week period. During toileting attempts, each child was encouraged to pull down and pull up pants by using verbal prompts. Success at this activity resulted in placement of a�
Kingston, Ellen
The Development of Language Skills in Bonobo and Chimpanzee--I. Comprehension.
This case study examined the development of language skills in a bonobo and a chimpanzee raised by human caregivers since infancy, focusing on the primates' ability to comprehend simple speech, understand referential symbol use, and engage in intentionally communicative routines. It is argued that comparative results from these primates can�
Brakke, Karen E.; Savage-Rumbaugh, E. Sue
Using a Progressive Paper to Develop Students' Writing Skills
This article describes the use of a progressive paper in a capstone course to develop students' writing skills. A progressive paper is one that students write one section at a time: as they add each new section, they go back and revise the previous parts based on actionable feedback from the instructor. In this course, the progressive paper�
Van Bramer, Scott E.; Bastin, Loyd D.
Towards a Shared Understanding of Skill Shortages: Differing Perceptions of Training and Development Needs
The question of how to develop human capabilities to meet current and future needs of organisations has become an important issue at national, organisational and individual levels. An essential ingredient is shared understanding of the skills and competences deemed necessary and/or desirable for current and future performance. Current indications�
Skinner, Denise; Saunders, Mark N. K.; Beresford, Richard
Kendall School Integrates Literacy Skill Development with Auditory and Speech Services: What's Happening.
Describes an innovative program at the Kendall Demonstration Elementary School which integrates literacy skill development with auditory and speech services for students who are deaf. The program uses visual phonics; connects sign language, spoken English, and printed English; has listening/literacy centers and an assistive devices center; and�
Marshall, Stephanie; Nussbaum, Debra; Waddy-Smith, Bettie
Spaces for Dynamic Bilingualism in Read-Aloud Discussions: Developing and Strengthening Bilingual and Academic Skills
A substantial body of research has collectively concluded that encouraging students to draw flexibly on multiple aspects of their linguistic repertoires is positively associated with developing bilingualism, metalinguistic awareness, and academic skills. However, most bilingual education programs--including transitional and dual-language--limit,�
Worthy, Jo; Dur�n, Leah; Hikida, Michiko; Pruitt, Alina; Peterson, Katie
Patterns of Early Family Socialization and the Development of Verbal Skills: A Longitudinal Approach.
Early socialization within the family and its differential effects on the development of verbal intelligence skills were the subjects of this longitudinal study. Fifteen families with one child between one and three years old and a second child born at the beginning of the investigation took part in a longitudinal study covering a seven-year�
Kreppner, Kurt
Design and Evaluation of Simulations for the Development of Complex Decision-Making Skills.
Command and Control Training Using Simulation (CACTUS) is a computer digital mapping system used by police to manage large-scale public events. Audio and video records of adaptive training scenarios using CACTUS show how the simulation develops decision-making skills for strategic and tactical event management. (SK)
Hartley, Roger; Varley, Glen
Developing generic skills at university, during work placement and in employment: graduates' perceptions
This paper presents findings from Stage 4 of the Griffith Graduate Project. Graduates from three Schools within Griffith University were surveyed to determine their perceptions of the contributions that the learning contexts of university, work placement and post?graduation employment made to the development of their generic skills. All graduates involved in the project had experienced work placement as a formal
Gay Crebert; Merrelyn Bates; Barry Bell; Vanda Cragnolini
A European Programme for Skills to Deliver Sustainable Communities: Recent Steps Towards Developing a Discourse
Arguments about the need to improve �skills for sustainable communities� have emerged recently in the context of debates around spatial and territorial polices for the EU. This debate has been driven by the UK government as part of its contribution to framing debates around what should follow on from the European Spatial Development Perspective. A programme to shape spatial policy
Kevin Thomas; Steve Littlewood
The Impact of the Development of Verbal Recoding on Children's Early Writing Skills
Background: The spontaneous recoding of visual stimuli into a phonological code to aid short-term retention has been associated with progress in learning to read (Palmer, 2000b). Aim: This study examined whether there was a comparable association with the development of writing skills. Sample: One hundred eight children (64 males) in the second�
Adams, Anne-Marie; Simmons, Fiona R.; Willis, Catherine S.; Porter, Sarah
Hard Work on Soft Skills: Creating a "Culture of Work" in Workforce Development.
This publication describes four highly regarded workforce development programs, concentrating on how they cultivate emotional intelligence--how they prepare trainees for the cultural demands of the workplace. Section 1 describes how ACHIEVE, Cabrillo Community College, Watsonville, California (CA) teaches business dress, skills and culture in two�
Houghton, Ted; Proscio, Tony
Development of System Thinking Skills in the Context of Earth System Education
The current study deals with the development of system thinking skills at the junior high school level. The sample population included about 50 eighth-grade students from two different classes of an urban Israeli junior high school who studied an earth systems-based curriculum that focused on the hydro cycle. The study addressed the following�
Assaraf, Orit Ben-Zvi; Orion, Nir
Improving Geometric and Trigonometric Knowledge and Skill for High School Mathematics Teachers: A Professional Development Partnership
In the summer of 2009, a professional development partnership was established between the Peoria Public School District (PPSD), a local education agency (LEA), and Illinois State University (ISU) to improve geometric and trigonometric knowledge and skill for high school mathematics teachers as part of the Illinois Mathematics and Science�
Merrill, Chris; Devine, Kevin L.; Brown, Joshua W.; Brown, Ryan A.
Development of a Curriculum To Enhance Adult Learners' Higher Order Skills. Final Report.
This document consists of the final report and teacher handbook from a project conducted to develop a curriculum of information, strategies, and activities for adult basic education teachers, tutors, and counselors to use in helping adult students improve their higher order thinking skills. Findings of a review of the available literature on�
Pennsylvania State Univ., University Park. Inst. for the Study of Adult Literacy.
Views of sport science graduates regarding work skills developed at university
There has been recent interest in how higher education might improve the employability of students, although there is little feedback from graduates about the value of university experiences to their working life. The aim of the study therefore was to investigate the views of graduates regarding the extent to which work skills had been developed while at university. A survey
Mike Sleap; Helen Reed
Development of Decision-Making Skills and Environmental Concern through Computer-Based, Scaffolded Learning Activities
This article focuses on the development of decision-making skills and environmental concern by 11- and 12-year-old students through computer-based, scaffolded learning activities. The enacted activities provided necessary scientific information and allowed for the consideration of multiple aspects of the problem, the study of the effects of every�
Nicolaou, Christiana Th.; Korfiatis, Konstantinos; Evagorou, Maria; Constantinou, Constantinos
Developing Youth's Cultural and Social Skills through a Social-Virtual Curriculum
Purpose: This study seeks to evaluate the application of a social-virtual curriculum delivered through in-classroom and web-based activities, aiming to develop youth's social-cultural skills, cultural competency and multicultural awareness. Specifically, the study evaluates the overall impact of the curriculum to the participating youth's�
Eteokleous, Nikleia
Development of the Performance of Process Skills (POPS) Test for Middle Grades Students.
The purpose of this project was to construct a valid and reliable noncurriculum specific measure of integrated science process skills intended for use with middle school students. The major efforts in test development were focused on the refinements and modifications of the set of objectives and test items assessed by the existing Middle Grades�
Mattheis, Floyd E.; Nakayama, Genzo
The Effects of Individual Differences on Observational Learning in the Acquisition of a Teaching Skill.
A study examined the effects of verbal and perceptual aptitudes in relation to the efficacy of two different kinds of modeling procedures (written and filmed presentations) in the acquisition of a teaching skill (analytic questioning). It was anticipated that for Ss receiving the film-mediated model, criterion scores would show stronger relation�
Koran, Mary Lou; And Others
Development of an Instructional Information System Prototype for Use in the Teaching and Development of Nursing Diagnostic Skills
An interdisciplinary project was instituted in 1986 for the development and testing of an instructional system to be used in a nursing curriculum for teaching and developing the diagnostic skills of undergraduate nursing students. The system serves two major functions: to assist students in learning and becoming proficient in the diagnostic process and to assist educators in evaluating the students' learning.
Bloom, K. C.; Leitner, J. E.; Solano, J. L.
Development, test-retest reliability, and construct validity of the resistance training skills battery.
The aim of this study was to describe the development and assess test-retest reliability and construct validity of the Resistance Training Skills Battery (RTSB) for adolescents. The RTSB provides an assessment of resistance training skill competency and includes 6 exercises (i.e., body weight squat, push-up, lunge, suspended row, standing overhead press, and front support with chest touches). Scoring for each skill is based on the number of performance criteria successfully demonstrated. An overall resistance training skill quotient (RTSQ) is created by adding participants' scores for the 6 skills. Participants (44 boys and 19 girls, mean age = 14.5 � 1.2 years) completed the RTSB on 2 occasions separated by 7 days. Participants also completed the following fitness tests, which were used to create a muscular fitness score (MFS): handgrip strength, timed push-up, and standing long jump tests. Intraclass correlation (ICC), paired samples t-tests, and typical error were used to assess test-retest reliability. To assess construct validity, gender and RTSQ were entered into a regression model predicting MFS. The rank order repeatability of the RTSQ was high (ICC = 0.88). The model explained 39% of the variance in MFS (p ? 0.001) and RTSQ (r = 0.40, p ? 0.001) was a significant predictor. This study has demonstrated the construct validity and test-retest reliability of the RTSB in a sample of adolescents. The RTSB can reliably rank participants in regards to their resistance training competency and has the necessary sensitivity to detect small changes in resistance training skill proficiency. PMID:24755868
Lubans, David R; Smith, Jordan J; Harries, Simon K; Barnett, Lisa M; Faigenbaum, Avery D
Behavioral coaching in the development of skills in football, gymnastics, and tennis.
A review of the literature indicates that methods of skill acquisition based on the operant paradigm have been scientifically validated with many motor behaviors. However, these procedures have been limited to the use of positive reinforcement for correct performance when applied to the acquisition of complex sports skills in natural settings. To find complementary procedures to enhance skill acquisition, a coaching method involving several behavioral techniques was developed that focused on remediation of errors. This coaching method combined the following components: (1) systematic use of verbal instructions and feedback, (2) positive and negative reinforcement, (3) positive practice, and (4) time out. Three sports, football, gymnastics, and tennis, were selected to determine the effectiveness and generality of this behavioral coaching method. A total of 23 male and female subjects, ranging in age from 11 to 35, was included in this study. Baseline data were first collected for each sport under standard coaching conditions. Next, the behavioral coaching method was evaluated depending on the sport in either a multiple baseline or a reversal design. The behavioral dimensions selected were blocking in football; backward walkovers, front hand springs, and reverse kips in gymnastics; and the forehand, backhand, and serve in tennis. Behavioral coaching was immediately effective in increasing the correct execution of complex skills in all three sports. Gains of up to 10 times the baseline performance were achieved in each sport. In football, behavioral coaching resulted in an increase in correct blocking performance from a baseline average of 5% to 51.3%. Gymnasts' performances increased from baseline averages of 2.7% to 52.6% across the three skills. In tennis, standard coaching produced an average of 6% correct performance which increased dramatically under behavioral coaching to 57% across the three strokes. The success of the behavioral coaching package used here suggests that a technology of behavior may offer additional and complementary strategies to the acquisition of motor skills in the natural environment. PMID:16795626
Allison, M G; Ayllon, T
Role of observation of live cases done by Japanese experts in the acquisition of ESD skills by a western endoscopist
AIM: To evaluate the role of observation of experts performing endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) in the acquisition of ESD skills. METHODS: This prospective study is documenting the learning curve of one Western endoscopist. The study consisted of three periods. In the first period (pre-observation), the trainee performed ESDs in animal models in his home institution in the United States. The second period (observation) consisted of visit to Japan and observation of live ESD cases done by experts. The observation of cases occurred over a 5-wk period. During the third period (post-observation), the trainee performed ESD in animal models in a similar fashion as in the first period. Three animal models were used: live 40-50 kg Yorkshire pig, explanted pig stomach model, and explanted pig rectum model. The outcomes from the ESDs done in the animal models before and after observation of live human cases (main study intervention) were compared. Statistical analysis of the data included: Fisher�s exact test to compare distributions of a categorical variable, Wilcoxon rank sum test to compare distributions of a continuous variable between the two groups (pre-observation and post-observation), and Kruskal-Wallis test to evaluate the impact of lesion location and type of model (ex-vivo vs live pig) on lesion removal time. RESULTS: The trainee performed 38 ESDs in animal model (29 pre-observation/9 post-observation). The removal times post-observation were significantly shorter than those pre-observation (32.7 � 15.0 min vs 63.5 � 9.8 min, P < 0.001). To minimize the impact of improving physician skill, the 9 lesions post-observation were compared to the last 9 lesions pre-observation and the removal times remained significantly shorter (32.7 � 15.0 min vs 61.0 � 7.4 min, P = 0.0011). Regression analysis showed that ESD observation significantly reduced removal time when controlling for the sequence of lesion removal (P = 0.025). Furthermore, it was also noted a trend towards decrease in failure to remove lesions and decrease in complications after the period of observation. This study did not find a significant difference in the time needed to remove lesions in different animal models. This finding could have important implications in designing training programs due to the substantial difference in cost between live animal and explanted organ models. The main limitation of this study is that it reflects the experience of a single endoscopist. CONCLUSION: Observation of experts performing ESD over short period of time can significantly contribute to the acquisition of ESD skills.
Draganov, Peter V; Chang, Myron; Coman, Roxana M; Wagh, Mihir S; An, Qi; Gotoda, Takuji
Developing Practical Skills for Quality Assurance and Metrology Applications in Manufacturing
Quality control on the plant floor is practiced much differently than it is presented in the classroom with numerous opportunities for inaccurate data collection and unclear conclusions. Experienced quality professionals often find that newly hired graduates have difficulty with issues such as gaging, data interpretation, and conforming to a production and cost oriented environment. While many of these issues are a matter of experience, both industry professionals and the related literature indicate that applied quality concepts should be added to basic quality control curricula at the college level. Every effort should be made to strengthen students skills by combining theoretical knowledge with practical situations. Developing Practical Skills for Quality Assurance and Metrology Applications in Manufacturing investigates the practical skills needed by entry level personnel in the quality control environment. The procedure used to gain this information includes:1) In-depth conversations with industry professionals to identify needed skills and specific gaps in entry-level abilities; 2) Development and validation of a survey tool to determine practical industryrequirements of entry-level quality control personnel; 3) Administering the survey and drawing conclusions from the results. The paper ends with suggested classroom activities to give students experience in capability analysis, statistical process control, gage R&R, and process analysis.
Amos, Scott; Callahan, Richards; Strong, Shawn
Teachers' Support in Using Computers for Developing Students' Listening and Speaking Skills in Pre-Sessional English Courses
Many computer-assisted language learning (CALL) studies have found that teacher direction can help learners develop language skills at their own pace on computers. However, many teachers still do not know how to provide support for students to use computers to reinforce the development of their language skills. Hence, more examples of CALL�
Zou, Bin
Constructivist Instructional Design and Development of a Networked Learning Skills (NICLS) Module for Continuing Professional Education Distance Learning.
This paper proposes an instructional systems design (ISD) approach for the design and development of a basic Networked Information and Communication Literacy Skills (NICLS) module. It concentrates on the design and development of a NICLS core skills pre-module for the Master of Arts in Information Technology Management (MA ITM) program at the�
Nunes, J. M. Baptista; McPherson, M.; Rico, M.
How does skilled emigration a�ect developing countries? Facts theory and policy
Abstract This paper reviews what,is known,to date about the magnitude,of the brain drain from developing to developed,countries and the way such skilled migration a�ects the source countries. In a �rst, descriptive section, we characterize the evolution and spatial distribution of the brain drain. We then provide a non- formal theoretical discussion of the various channels through,which,the brain drain impacts on
Fr�d�ric Docquier; Hillel Rapoport
Development of Grammatical-Sensitivity, Phonological, and Short-Term Memory Skills in Normally Achieving and Learning Disabled Children
The development of a variety of grammatical-sensitivity and phonological skills was studied in 138 normally achieving, 65 reading-disabled, 63 arithmetic-disabled, and 15 attention deficit disordered (hyperactive) children 7 to 14 years old. Word recognition and phonics skills were highly related, and reading comprehension and phonics skills were less so. Grammatical sensitivity and short-term memory were significantly correlated with a variety
Linda S. Siegel; Ellen B. Ryan
Using Intentional Development of Research Skills as a Framework for Curriculum Reform
We advocate that geoscience departmental or community discussions related to curriculur revision or accreditation should be considered within a framework that clearly and intentionally develops research and professional skills throughout the curricular structure. Among the primary qualities sought by geoscience employers and graduate schools are graduates with strong research, critical thinking, field, communication, and people/team skills. While these should be the hallmark of a liberally educated graduate, we think it is imperative to explicitly develop and assess these skills as part of the same curricular framework used for organizing essential content. Though many organizations and authors have argued about the importance and effectiveness of undergraduate research as a means to develop higher level skill sets, discussions of geoscience accreditation or curricular revision commonly emphasize the choice of a core set of courses or content. Drummond and Markin (2008) highlight the commonalities among core geoscience courses. However, their summary, and our own experiences and program comparisons also point out diversity among successful geoscience program cores that may relate to expansion of the boundaries of our discipline, geographic factors, and/or size and character of department faculty. At Western Carolina University (WCU) and more recently at Grand Valley State University, attempts at curricular revision were initially stymied by difficulties in defining core courses. At WCU, focus on a critical skills framework helped to work through these challenges to establish a revised geology curriculum in 2000 with explicit goals to build critical thinking, reasoning, synthesis, and communication skills. To achieve these goals, investigative experiences were included in all geology courses, a senior research capstone was required, and more opportunities were created for all students to engage in out-of-class research. Numerous measures indicate programmatic and student successes, but reveal challenges that the program now seeks to improve by adding skills and assessment benchmarks to key courses at each class level. These changes are supported by a faculty with a common vision, a recent program review, and a University initiative to improve student engagement and synthesis.
Peterson, V. L.; Lord, M. L.
Linguistic and Spatial Skills Predict Early Arithmetic Development via Counting Sequence Knowledge.
Utilizing a longitudinal sample of Finnish children (ages 6-10), two studies examined how early linguistic (spoken vs. written) and spatial skills predict later development of arithmetic, and whether counting sequence knowledge mediates these associations. In Study 1 (N�=�1,880), letter knowledge and spatial visualization, measured in kindergarten, predicted the level of arithmetic in first grade, and later growth through third grade. Study 2 (n�=�378) further showed that these associations were mediated by counting sequence knowledge measured in first grade. These studies add to the literature by demonstrating the importance of written language for arithmetic development. The findings are consistent with the hypothesis that linguistic and spatial skills can improve arithmetic development by enhancing children's number-related knowledge. PMID:24148144
Zhang, Xiao; Koponen, Tuire; R�s�nen, Pekka; Aunola, Kaisa; Lerkkanen, Marja-Kristiina; Nurmi, Jari-Erik
Locally Developed Oral Skills Evaluation in ESL/EFL Classrooms: A Checklist for Developing Meaningful Assessment Procedures
This article explores how teachers, students, and other stakeholders collaboratively develop classroom-based assessment procedures for the evaluation of oral skills. By considering crucial issues in assessment such as validity, teacher-learner collaboration, and contextual factors, the authors provide a checklist that will help ESL/EFL teachers�
Ishii, David N.; Baba, Kyoko
Development of virtual environments for training skills and reducing errors in laparoscopic surgery
In every surgical procedure there are key steps and skills that, if performed incorrectly, can lead to complications. In conjunction with efforts, based on task and error analysis, in the Videoscopic Training Center at UCSF to identify these key elements in laparoscopic surgical procedures, the authors are developing virtual environments and modeling methods to train the elements. Laparoscopic surgery is particularly demanding of the surgeon's spatial skills, requiring the ability to create 3D mental models and plans while viewing a 2D image. For example, operating a laparoscope with the objective lens angled from the scope axis is a skill that some surgeons have difficulty mastering, even after using the instrument in many procedures. Virtual environments are a promising medium for teaching spatial skills. A kinematically accurate model of an angled laparoscope in an environment of simple targets is being tested in courses for novice and experienced surgeons. Errors in surgery are often due to a misinterpretation of local anatomy compounded with inadequate procedural knowledge. Methods to avoid bile duct injuries in cholecystectomy are being integrated into a deformable environment consisting of the liver, gallbladder, and biliary tree. Novel deformable tissue modeling algorithms based on finite element methods will be used to improve the response of the anatomical models.
Tendick, Frank; Downes, Michael S.; Cavusoglu, Murat C.; Gantert, Walter A.; Way, Lawrence W.
Student Levels of Cognitive Development: Establishing Links between Logical Thinking Skills and Success in Earth Science
Students in inquiry-based, general education Earth Science courses were found to display a wide range of logical thinking skills that are known indicators of success in science courses. The Group Assessment of Logical Thinking instrument that tests six logical operations was administered on the first day of class and near the end of the course. Such tests can be used to assess a student's overall level of cognitive development (concrete, transitional or formal) and specific logical thinking strengths or weaknesses. Results from paired pre- and post-course logical thinking tests of 393 students indicated that 25% of the incoming students were concrete, 30% were transitional and 45% were formal thinkers. Concrete and transitional thinkers were far more likely to withdraw from or fail the course when compared to their formal thinking peers (35%, 25% and 10% respectively). Differences in scores between genders were significant with 210 females testing at 30% concrete, 35% transitional and 35% formal on the pretest compared to 183 males who tested 15% concrete, 25% transitional and 60% formal. Overall logical thinking scores of students increased significantly in every inquiry-based class with lecture-based classes showing overall lower increases. Post-test data indicated that there were fewer concrete thinkers (16% female, 7% male), little change in the number of transitional thinkers (30% female, 23% male) and more formal thinkers (54% female, 70% male) toward the end of the inquiry-based course. Scores on two of the logical operations, conservation and probability, were sufficient to separate those who received a high grade (A or B in course) from those were unsuccessful (D, F or withdrew). Students who score low in conservation operations (n=46) tend to rely on intuition rather than logic when trying to understand typical Earth System concepts such as plate tectonics, atmospheric processes and climate change. Students who score low in probability skills (n=46) have difficulty distinguishing the difference between unrelated, but possible, data and those data that confirm a supposition. Such skills are necessary to properly apply the scientific method. By the end of the course, unsuccessful concrete students improved conservation reasoning skills to the same levels of their higher performing concrete peers on the post-test but remained behind them in probability skills. Successful transitional thinkers (n=50) displayed better correlation-reasoning skills than their lower performing contemporaries (n=51). Correlation reasoning skills are necessary to understand some of the many causal relationships routinely developed in the Earth Sciences (e.g. those associated with plate tectonics and earthquakes or volcanoes; CO2 and global climate change).
Steer, D. N.; McConnell, D. A.; Owens, K.
Assist Students in Developing Technical Reading Skills. Module M-2 of Category M--Assisting Students in Improving Their Basic Skills. Professional Teacher Education Module Series.
This learning module, one of a series of 127 performance-based teacher education learning packages focusing on specific professional competencies of vocational teachers, deals with the task of assisting students in developing technical reading skills. Addressed in the individual learning experiences included in the module are the following topics:�
Fardig, Glen E.; West, Gail B.
Motor development and motor resonance difficulties in autism: relevance to early intervention for language and communication skills
Research suggests that a sub-set of children with autism experience notable difficulties and delays in motor skills development, and that a large percentage of children with autism experience deficits in motor resonance. These motor-related deficiencies, which evidence suggests are present from a very early age, are likely to negatively affect social-communicative and language development in this population. Here, we review evidence for delayed, impaired, and atypical motor development in infants and children with autism. We then carefully review and examine the current language and communication-based intervention research that is relevant to motor and motor resonance (i.e., neural �mirroring� mechanisms activated when we observe the actions of others) deficits in children with autism. Finally, we describe research needs and future directions and developments for early interventions aimed at addressing the speech/language and social-communication development difficulties in autism from a motor-related perspective.
McCleery, Joseph P.; Elliott, Natasha A.; Sampanis, Dimitrios S.; Stefanidou, Chrysi A.
Clinical Research Careers: Reports from a NHLBI Pediatric Heart Network Clinical Research Skills Development Conference
Background Wyman W. Lai, MD, MPH, and Victoria L. Vetter, MD, MPH. The Pediatric Heart Network (PHN), funded under the U.S. National Institutes of Health-National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NIH�NHLBI), includes two Clinical Research Skills Development (CRSD) Cores, which were awarded to The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and to the Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital of New York�Presbyterian. To provide information on how to develop a clinical research career to a larger number of potential young investigators in pediatric cardiology, the directors of these two CRSD Cores jointly organized a one-day seminar for fellows and junior faculty from all of the PHN Core sites. The participants included faculty members from the PHN and the NHLBI. The day-long seminar was held on April 29, 2009, at the NHLBI site, immediately preceding the PHN Steering Committee meeting in Bethesda, MD. Methods The goals of the seminar were 1) to provide fellows and early investigators with basic skills in clinical research 2) to provide a forum for discussion of important research career choices 3) to introduce attendees to each other and to established clinical researchers in pediatric cardiology, and 4) to publish a commentary on the future of clinical research in pediatric cardiology. Results The following chapters are compilations of the talks given at the 2009 PHN Clinical Research Skills Development Seminar, published to share the information provided with a broader audience of those interested in learning how to develop a clinical research career in pediatric cardiology. The discussions of types of clinical research, research skills, career development strategies, funding, and career management are applicable to research careers in other areas of clinical medicine as well. Conclusions The aim of this compilation is to stimulate those who might be interested in the research career options available to investigators.
Lai, Wyman W.; Richmond, Marc; Li, Jennifer S.; Saul, J. Philip; Mital, Seema; Colan, Steven D.; Newburger, Jane W.; Sleeper, Lynn A.; McCrindle, Brain W.; Minich, L. LuAnn; Goldmuntz, Elizabeth; Marino, Bradley S.; Williams, Ismee A.; Pearson, Gail D.; Evans, Frank; Scott, Jane D.; Cohen, Meryl S.
Guideline development from an observational study
Purpose � It is unknown whether data from observational studies can assist guideline developers in areas where scientific evidence is lacking. The purpose of this study is to develop a local clinical guideline for prophylaxis against venous thromboembolism based on observational study results. Design\\/methodology\\/approach � The authors performed a classification tree analysis on original data from a cross-sectional study of
J. Labarere; J. L. Bosson
Improving Preschoolers' Language and Literacy Skills through Web-Mediated Professional Development
MyTeachingPartner (MTP) is a web-mediated approach that provides ongoing support for teachers to improve the quality of their interactions with children. This study examined the effects of MTP on the preschool language and literacy development of children who are at risk for later academic difficulties. Results of this randomized controlled trial indicated that for English-only classrooms, teachers receiving a high level of support had students who made greater gains in language and literacy skills than teachers who only received access to a curricular supplement. Three implications are drawn from these findings: (1) on-going, video-based consultation holds promise not only for altering teacher-child interactions, but also improving children's learning, (2) technology allows teachers to receive intensive, effective support from a distance, and (3) there is still much to be learned about how professional development can support effective teaching of language and literacy skills to children whose home language is not English.
Cabell, Sonia Q.; Downer, Jason T.
Identifying Differences in Diagnostic Skills between Physics Students: Developing a Rubric
Expert problem solvers are characterized by continuous evaluation of their progress towards a solution. One characteristic of expertise is self-diagnosis directed towards elaboration of the solvers� conceptual understanding, knowledge organization or strategic approach. �Self-diagnosis tasks� aim at fostering diagnostic behavior by explicitly requiring students to present diagnosis as part of the activity of reviewing their problem solutions. We have been investigating how introductory physics students perform in such tasks. Developing a robust rubric is essential for objective evaluation of students' self-diagnosis skills. We discuss the development of a grading rubric that takes into account introductory physics students' content knowledge as well as analysis, planning and presentation skills. Using this rubric, we have found the inter-rater reliability to be better than 80%. The rubric can easily be adapted to other problems, as will be discussed in a companion paper.
Mason, Andrew J.; Cohen, Elisheva; Yerushalmi, Edit; Singh, Chandralekha
The Co-Occurring Development of Executive Function Skills and Receptive Vocabulary in Preschool-Aged Children: A Look at the Direction of the Developmental Pathways
Despite consensus in the developmental literature regarding the role of executive function (EF) skills in supporting the development of language skills during the preschool years, we know relatively little about the associations between EF skills, including all EF components, and vocabulary skills among preschool-aged children. In this paper, we�
Weiland, Christina; Barata, M. Clara; Yoshikawa, Hirokazu
Design and evaluation of a development portfolio: how to improve students� self-directed learning skills
In on-demand education, students often experience problems with directing their own learning processes. A Structured Task\\u000a Evaluation and Planning Portfolio (STEPP) was designed to help students develop 3 basic self-directed learning skills: Assessing\\u000a the quality of own performance, formulating learning needs, and selecting future learning tasks. A case study with 10 first-year\\u000a students in the domain of hairdressing was conducted
Wendy Kicken; Saskia Brand-Gruwel; Jeroen van Merri�nboer; Wim Slot
How do infants learn to perceive the backs of objects that they see only fro ma limited viewpoint? Infants' three-dimensional object completion abilities emerge in conjunction with developing motor skills� independent sitting and visual-manual exploration. Infants at 4.5 to 7.5 months (n = 28) were habituated t oa limited-view object and tested with volumetrically complete and incomplete (hollow) versions of
Kasey C. Soska; Karen E. Adolph; Scott P. Johnson
The Effects of Native Language Books on the Pre-Literacy Skill Development of Language Minority Kindergartners.
Used a quasi-experimental approach to examine whether exposure to age-appropriate books in their native language would affect pre-literacy skills development of language minority kindergartners. Found that native Spanish-speaking children exposed to Spanish-language books scored significantly higher on a pre-literacy skills tests than did their�
Hancock, Dawson R.
Putting It into Practice Developing Student Critical Thinking Skills in Teacher Education: The Models, Methods, Experiences and Results
Most teachers would agree that they teach reasoning skills in their classes. However, are they explicitly incorporating strategies that teach students to think critically? If so, how do they know these methods are effective? The purpose of this book is to summarize and share a variety of methods for developing students� critical thinking skills. Each chapter focuses on a select
Paula Jones; Debbie Haydon
Social-Emotional Learning Skill, Self-Regulation, and Social Competence in Typically Developing and Clinic-Referred Children
Social-emotional learning (SEL) skill includes the ability to encode, interpret, and reason about social and emotional information. In two related studies, we examined the relationship between children's SEL skill, their ability to regulate their own behavior, and the competence of their social interactions. Study 1 included 158 typically developing children ages 4 to 14 years. Study 2 included 126 clinic-referred
Clark McKown; Laura M. Gumbiner; Nicole M. Russo; Meryl Lipton
Perceptions of Career and Technology and Training and Development Students regarding Basic Personal Computer Knowledge and Skills
A sample of 58 students in career and technology teacher education and training and development was surveyed to determine self-perception as to their competency in five constructs containing 43 elements related to personal computer knowledge and skills. In an analysis of all computer knowledge and skill elements combined, there was no�
Davis, Jason L.; Davis, Harley
Developing and sustaining provision for children with motor skills difficulties in schools: the role of educational psychologists
The current paper outlines a three-year action research project with 39 schools in one inner city local authority. A local need to improve provision for children with motor skills difficulties resulted in a team of educational psychologists (EPs) and specialist teachers developing the Manchester Motor Skills Intervention (MMSI), which is a flexible package of support for primary schools. Support provided
Caroline Bond; Marilyn Cole; Judy Fletcher; Jennifer Noble; Maria O�Connell
Guiding Students to Develop an Understanding of Scientific Inquiry: A Science Skills Approach to Instruction and Assessment
New approaches for teaching and assessing scientific inquiry and practices are essential for guiding students to make the informed decisions required of an increasingly complex and global society. The Science Skills approach described here guides students to develop an understanding of the experimental skills required to perform a scientific�
Stone, Elisa M.
Vocabulary Acquisition in Children with Typically Developing Language and Low Language Skills: Comparing Embedded and Explicit Vocabulary Instructional Methods
Children who enter kindergarten with low oral language skills are at great risk for reading problems, especially in the areas of vocabulary and comprehension. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of two instructional vocabulary methods of storybook reading with children who exhibit typically developing language skills and�
Capellini, Cara S.
Developing Dialogue Skill�A Qualitative Investigation of an On-Line Collaboration Exercise in a Team Management Course
Business managers, crossfunctional team members, and boundary spanners in organizations often face situations that require the application of dialogue skill, a process of inquiry to create shared meaning or shared understanding among parties. Previous research has suggested that dialogue skill can be developed through use of specifically designed on-line, collaborative activities. In this article, we describe the qualitative investigation of
Daniel M. Eveleth; Lori J. Baker-Eveleth
The Development of Students' Probllem-Solving Skill from Instruction Emphasizing Qualitative Problem-Solving
Success in introductory college physics requires students to acquire not only the content knowledge of physics, but also the skills to solve problems using this knowledge. At the University of Minnesota, attempts are being made to teach problem solving successfully. One such attempt has an instructor explicitly teaching a strategy that emphasizes the qualitative analysis of a problem before the manipulation of equations. This class provides a unique case for examining the development of problem-solving skills. This interpretive case study will examine the development of the problem solving ability of students in two college introductory physics courses where cooperative-group problem solving was used. In one class there was an explicit problem-solving strategy used. In the other class, no additional attempt was made to teach problem solving. In general, the students in the course who were taught an explicit problem-solving strategy tended to develop their skills faster, but did not score any higher than the students in the more traditionally taught course by the end of the year. However, the students in the explicit problem-solving course consistently performed better on the multiple choice concept tests given during the year.
Foster, Thomas
The Development of Students' Problem-Solving Skill from Instruction Emphasizing Qualitative Problem-Solving
Foster, Thomas M.
Youth development program participation and intentional self-regulation skills: contextual and individual bases of pathways to positive youth development.
The present research used data from Grades 8, 9, and 10 of the 4-H Study of Positive Youth Development, a longitudinal study involving U.S. adolescents, in order to better elucidate the process through which the strengths of youth and the ecological resources promoting healthy development (such as out-of-school-time programs) may contribute to thriving. We examined the relationship between adolescents' self-regulation skills (selection, optimization, and compensation) and their participation in youth development (YD) programs across Grades 8 and 9 in predicting Grade 10 PYD and Contribution. Results indicated that while self-regulation skills alone predicted PYD, self regulation and YD program participation both predicted Contribution. In addition, Grade 8 YD participation positively predicted Grade 9 self regulation, which, in turn, predicted Grade 10 PYD and Contribution. We discuss how the alignment of youth strengths and resources within the environment may promote positive youth development. PMID:22118505
Mueller, Megan Kiely; Phelps, Erin; Bowers, Edmond P; Agans, Jennifer P; Urban, Jennifer Brown; Lerner, Richard M
Biotechnology Skills Standards
Here users will find an assortment of Bioscience/Agricultural Biotechnology Skills Standards. These should be useful for development of new programs as well as for comparisons with existing programs. The sections discussed are: Biopharmaceutical Manufacturing Skill Standards, Combined Bioscience/Agricultural Biotechnology Skill Standards, Agricultural Biotechnology Skill Standards, Bioscience Industry Skill Standards, National Association of Scientific Materials Managers, ACAP Austin Competency Analysis Profile - Biotechnology, Making Skill Standards Work, and Window on the Workplace.
Workshop on Developing Effective Teaming & Presentation Skills to Facilitate Collaborative Software Development
In today's global work environment, inclusive and clear communication has become increasingly important. Educators have the responsibility to equip computer science and software engineering undergraduates with communication skills that can help them, as budding professionals, to manage these global challenges. Participants of this workshop will learn about a spectrum of work approaches and communication styles; they will learn to use
Margaret R. Heil; Robert J. Fornaro
Does development affect the error-related negativity of impaired and skilled readers? An ERP study.
Previous findings of reduced error-related and correct-related negativities (ERN/CRN) and semantic N400 responses associated with reading errors among impaired adult readers led to the current study on age effects on these components. Event-related potentials (ERPs) were recorded from 43 adolescents and 46 adults, including skilled readers and persons with a history of reading disability, on a lexical decision task. Adolescents exhibited smaller ERN amplitudes and larger N400 amplitudes during reading errors, presumably due to the late maturation of the prefrontal cortex. The ERN amplitude difference between impaired and skilled readers was smaller in adolescents than adults, and adolescents exhibited a smaller N400 difference between correct and erroneous responses than adults. ERN amplitude increased with age in impaired readers. It is postulated that the still developing mental lexicon among adolescents results in greater semantic effort and reduced ERN differences. PMID:21978012
Horowitz-Kraus, Tzipi
Manned Observations Technology Development, FY 1992 Report.
This project evaluated the suitability of the NASA/JSC developed electronic still camera (ESC) digital image data for Earth observations from the Space Shuttle, as a first step to aid planning for Space Station Freedom. Specifically, image resolution achi...
S. Israel
Basic skills for hospital pharmacy technicians: development of a programmed training manual.
The development of a programmed training manual to teach basic skills to hospital pharmacy technicians is described. Steps in the development of the manual included reviewing pertinent literature, writing a job description for a pharmacy technician position, performing a task analysis, writing learning objectives and sequencing course content into a programmed format. Five units of the manual cover dosage forms and routes of administration, drug nomenclature, abbreviations, calculations and medication orders. The programmed format should help to provide quality, economic and efficient training for technicians. PMID:677137
Idsvoog, P B
Developing Early Literacy Skills: A Meta-Analysis of Alphabet Learning and Instruction
Alphabet knowledge is a hallmark of early literacy and facilitating its development has become a primary objective of pre-school instruction and intervention. However, little agreement exists about how to promote the development of alphabet knowledge effectively. A meta-analysis of the effects of instruction on alphabet outcomes demonstrated that instructional impacts differed by type of alphabet outcome examined and content of instruction provided. School-based instruction yielded larger effects than home-based instruction; small-group instruction yielded larger effects than individual tutoring programs. We found minimal evidence of transfer of alphabet instruction to early phonological, reading, or spelling skills. Implications for research and practice are discussed.
Piasta, Shayne B.; Wagner, Richard K.
Understanding Skill in EVA Mass Handling. Volume 3; Empirical Developments and Conclusions
Key attributes of skilled mass handling were identified through an examination of lessons learned by the extravehicular activity operational community. These qualities were translated into measurable quantities. The operational validity of the ground-based investigation was improved by building a device that increased the degrees of freedom of extravehicular mobility unit motion on the Precision Air-Bearing Floor. The results revealed subtle patterns of interaction between motions of an orbital replacement unit mockup and mass handler that should be important for effective performance on orbit. The investigation also demonstrated that such patterns can be measured with a variety of common instruments and under imperfect conditions of observation.
Riccio, Gary E.; McDonald, P. Vernon
How are scientific thinking skills best developed? Direct instruction vs. inquiry practice
Despite its support and adoption by most major scientific and educational organizations, some researchers have questioned whether inquiry learning is indeed the best method for acquiring the skills of inquiry. Klahr and colleagues have investigated the development of the control of variables strategy, or controlled comparison (CC), and claim that a brief session of direct instruction, characterized by explicit training of CC, as opposed to allowing children to discover CC through inquiry learning, is sufficient for acquisition, maintenance, and transfer of this core aspect of inquiry. Kuhn and colleagues, however, argue that direct instruction may be insufficient for development of the metastrategic level of understanding necessary to adequately maintain and transfer inquiry skills. In the present study, I attempt to identify the intervention most effective in supporting acquisition, maintenance, and transfer of these skills. Three groups of students received either a direct instruction session followed by standard classroom instruction (DI-only), an introductory session (without direct instruction) followed by practice sessions only (PR-only), or a direct instruction session followed by practice sessions (DI+PR). Practice sessions involved the use of a computer-based inquiry task requiring students to investigate the effects of five potential causal variables on an outcome. The two practice groups worked with this program during 12 sessions over nine weeks. They worked with structurally identical software programs during five weekly maintenance sessions. During this time, the DI-only group received standard classroom instruction. All groups were assessed on familiar and unfamiliar computer-based inquiry tasks at the conclusion of intervention (immediate assessment) and maintenance sessions (delayed assessment). Students in the two practice groups demonstrated improvement in an integrative measure of inquiry skill (valid intent, valid strategy, valid inference, and valid explanation, in combination) as well as most component measures of this skill. Performance of the two practice groups was superior to that of the DI-only group. Direct instruction conferred no additional benefit to the group receiving both direct instruction and practice compared to the practice-only group. Examined over an extended time interval, the merits of brief direct instruction are thus brought into question.
Dean, David Worth, Jr.
Development of an Orthopaedic Surgical Skills Curriculum for Post-Graduate Year one Resident Learners - The University of Iowa Experience
Orthopaedic surgery requires a high degree of technical skill. Current orthopaedic surgical education is based largely on an apprenticeship model. In addition to mounting evidence of the value of simulation, recent mandated requirements will undoubtedly lead to increased emphasis on surgical skills and simulation training. The University of Iowa�s Department of Orthopaedic Surgery has created and implemented a month long surgical skills training program for PGY-1 residents. The goal of the program was to improve the basic surgical skills of six PGY-1 orthopaedic surgery residents and prepare them for future operative experiences. A modular curriculum was created by members of the orthopaedic faculty which encompassed basic skills felt to be important to the general orthopaedic surgeon. For each module multiple assessment techniques were utilized to provide constructive critique, identify errors and enhance the performance intensity of trainees. Based on feedback and debriefing surveys, the resident trainees were unanimously satisfied with the content of the surgical skills month, and felt it should remain a permanent part of our educational program. This manuscript will describe the development of the curriculum, the execution of the actual skills sessions and analysis of feedback from the residents and share valuable lessons learned and insights for future skills programs.
Karam, Matthew D; Westerlind, Brian; Anderson, Donald D; Marsh, J. Lawrence
Reduced corticomotor excitability and motor skills development in children born preterm
The mechanisms underlying the altered neurodevelopment commonly experienced by children born preterm, but without brain lesions, remain unknown. While individuals born the earliest are at most risk, late preterm children also experience significant motor, cognitive and behavioural dysfunction from school age, and reduced income and educational attainment in adulthood. We used transcranial magnetic stimulation and functional assessments to examine corticomotor development in 151 children without cerebral palsy, aged 10�13 years and born after gestations of 25�41 completed weeks. We hypothesized that motor cortex and corticospinal development are altered in preterm children, which underpins at least some of their motor dysfunction. We report for the first time that every week of reduced gestation is associated with a reduction in corticomotor excitability that remains evident in late childhood. This reduced excitability was associated with poorer motor skill development, particularly manual dexterity. However, child adiposity, sex and socio-economic factors regarding the child's home environment soon after birth were also powerful influences on development of motor skills. Preterm birth was also associated with reduced left hemisphere lateralization, but without increasing the likelihood of being left handed per se. These corticomotor findings have implications for normal motor development, but also raise questions regarding possible longer term consequences of preterm birth on motor function.
Pitcher, Julia B; Schneider, Luke A; Burns, Nicholas R; Drysdale, John L; Higgins, Ryan D; Ridding, Michael C; Nettelbeck, Theodore J; Haslam, Ross R; Robinson, Jeffrey S
Development and validation of prognostic models designed to predict wheelchair skills at discharge from spinal cord injury rehabilitation
Objective: To develop and validate a statistical model to predict wheelchair skills at discharge (t 2) from personal and lesion characteristics and wheelchair skills at the start of spinal cord injury inpatient rehabilitation (t1).Design: Prospective cohort studySetting: Eight Dutch rehabilitation centres.Subjects: One hundred and forty-two patients with a spinal cord injury.Main measures: Models were developed with the performance time and
S. de Groot; GE Bevers; AJ Dallmeijer; MWM Post; HJM van Kuppevelt; LHV van der Woude
Skill set development of doctoral and post-doctoral graduates in life sciences.
Doctoral and post-doctoral training programs at leading research universities in the USA are highly important in generating the much needed knowledge in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics for keeping rural and urban economies strong and societies healthy and prosperous. In addition, innovative graduate and post doctoral research programs are the driving engines of the success of U.S. economy and have made the U.S. the most successful model of generating new knowledge in the broader areas of life sciences (and agricultural education, research, and extension). We need to do everything in our power to make these training programs innovative, collaborative, independent, and resourceful so that students are trained in different disciplines making them more flexible within a range of challenges and opportunities. The training programs must empower students to solve complex and interdisciplinary problems of the society in 21st century and make our students competitive within a global economic system, to improve the health of the nation's economy. If our land grant schools and institutions of higher learning are not preparing doctoral students to be globally competitive scientists to create new knowledge and technologies to solve complex and interdisciplinary problems of the 21st century, then either we need to redefine the mission of our land grant system or we risk losing our role to serve the public and industry effectively. Doctoral and post doctoral students should be given the needed skills and experiences to prepare them for tenure track faculty jobs at leading US Universities in the 21st century as well as prepare them for the world outside of academia. I would say minimum competency skills are needed as "bare survival skills" for all doctoral students to become successful after obtaining PhD degrees. Today's PhD students will be working in a global but highly competitive, rapidly changing, and complex world. It is no longer enough to be a good researcher and a good teacher; researchers and teachers must be good team players and leaders to lead interdisciplinary research programs, and exceptional managers to effectively manage their research staff, MS and PhD students, and post doctoral researchers. Doctoral students have exceptional opportunities during their PhD degree programs to acquire these skills from their world class supervisors and participate in available workshops on how to develop successful and winning grant proposals, improving communication skills, and participate in "future faculty programs" on their campuses. PMID:20491395
Kanwar, R S
Thunderstorm and Lightning Development: Modeling and Observations
We use results of a numerical model of convective clouds with a lightning parameterization to examine thunderstorm development and the location of lightning initiation in a Florida storm. These results are compared with radar observations and interferometric measurements of VHF emissions from both intra-cloud (IC) and cloud-to-ground (CG) lightning flashes. Observed rate and mean duration of flashes are analyzed through model results, and we comment altitudes of VHF sources given by the ONERA 3D interferometric system.
Solomon, Robert; Thery, Claire; Defer, Eric; Bondiou-Clergerie, Anne
Systematic development of a communication skills training course for physicians performing work disability assessments: from evidence to practice
Background Physicians require specific communication skills, because the face-to-face contact with their patients is an important source of information. Although physicians who perform work disability assessments attend some communication-related training courses during their professional education, no specialised and evidence-based communication skills training course is available for them. Therefore, the objectives of this study were: 1) to systematically develop a training course aimed at improving the communication skills of physicians during work disability assessment interviews with disability claimants, and 2) to plan an evaluation of the training course. Methods A physician-tailored communication skills training course was developed, according to the six steps of the Intervention Mapping protocol. Data were collected from questionnaire studies among physicians and claimants, a focus group study among physicians, a systematic review of the literature, and meetings with various experts. Determinants and performance objectives were formulated. A concept version of the training course was discussed with several experts before the final training course programme was established. The evaluation plan was developed by consulting experts, social insurance physicians, researchers, and policy-makers, and discussing with them the options for evaluation. Results A two-day post-graduate communication skills training course was developed, aimed at improving professional communication during work disability assessment interviews. Special focus was on active teaching strategies, such as practising the skills in role-play. An adoption and implementation plan was formulated, in which the infrastructure of the educational department of the institute that employs the physicians was utilised. Improvement in the skills and knowledge of the physicians who will participate in the training course will be evaluated in a randomised controlled trial. Conclusions The feasibility and practical relevance of the communication skills training course that was developed seem promising. Such a course may be relevant for physicians in many countries who perform work disability assessments. The development of the first training course of this type represents an important advancement in this field.
An activity involving analysis of art in biology courses was designed with the goals of piquing undergraduates� curiosity, broadening the ways in which college students meaningfully engage with course content and concepts, and developing aspects of students� higher-level thinking skills, such as analysis, synthesis, and evaluation. To meet these learning outcomes, the activity had three key components: preparatory readings, firsthand visual analysis of art during a visit to an art museum, and communication of the analysis. Following a presentation on the methodology of visual analysis, students worked in small groups to examine through the disciplinary lens of biology a selection of approximately 12 original artworks related in some manner to love. The groups then developed and presented for class members a mini-exhibition of several pieces addressing one of two questions: 1) whether portrayals of love in art align with the growing understanding of the biology of love or 2) whether the bodily experience of love is universal or, alternatively, is culturally influenced, as is the experience of depression. Evaluation of quantitative and qualitative assessment data revealed that the assignment engaged students, supported development of higher-level thinking skills, and prompted meaningful engagement with course material.
Engagement and skill development in biology students through analysis of art.
An activity involving analysis of art in biology courses was designed with the goals of piquing undergraduates' curiosity, broadening the ways in which college students meaningfully engage with course content and concepts, and developing aspects of students' higher-level thinking skills, such as analysis, synthesis, and evaluation. To meet these learning outcomes, the activity had three key components: preparatory readings, first-hand visual analysis of art during a visit to an art museum, and communication of the analysis. Following a presentation on the methodology of visual analysis, students worked in small groups to examine through the disciplinary lens of biology a selection of approximately 12 original artworks related in some manner to love. The groups then developed and presented for class members a mini-exhibition of several pieces addressing one of two questions: 1) whether portrayals of love in art align with the growing understanding of the biology of love or 2) whether the bodily experience of love is universal or, alternatively, is culturally influenced, as is the experience of depression. Evaluation of quantitative and qualitative assessment data revealed that the assignment engaged students, supported development of higher-level thinking skills, and prompted meaningful engagement with course material. PMID:24297295
The Effects of Age and Expertise upon Perceptual Skill Development in a Racquet Sport.
Data from this study of skilled and unskilled badminton players aged 10 to adult indicated the presence of systematic differences which transcend developmental age between the perceptual skills of expert and novice players. (JD)
Abernethy, Bruce
The development and evaluation of a multisystem social skills group training program for aggressive children
This research program assessed the effectiveness of a broad-based skills training program that targeted children's aggressive behaviors within the family, school, and peer systems. Children in Grades 1 to 6, referred by teachers, participated in 12 to 15 weeks of social skills training. Nine basic skills were targeted: listening, knowing your feelings, dealing with anger, using self control, joining in
Debra J. Pepler; Gillian King; Wendy Craig; Bill Byrd; Linda Bream
Health Promotion Using Life Skills Education Approach for Adolescents in Schools--Development of a Model
Life Skills Education (LSE) is a novel promotional program that teaches generic life skills through participatory learning methods of games, debates, role-plays, and group discussion. Conceptual understanding and practicing of the skills occurs through experiential learning in a non-threatening setting. Such initiatives provide the adolescent with�
Bharath, Srikala; Kumar, K. V. Kishore
Developing Thinking Skills in Malaysian Science Students via an Analogical Task
Teaching thinking skills to students is often associated with a thinking strategy or a specific thinking technique. The strategy or technique may refer to a series of steps that is systematically drawn up to ensure that the teaching of thinking skills takes place effectively. In the case of Malaysia, a conceptual framework of Thinking Skill�
Salih, Maria
Developing Children's Conversational Skills in Mainstream Schools: An Evaluation of Group Therapy
Children from two mainstream schools who had poor communication skills were selected to take part in this study. Following formal and informal assessments of their language and pragmatic skills, they were randomly assigned to treatment and no treatment groups. Treatment consisted of attending eight weekly sessions of a social skills training�
Godfrey, J.; Pring, T.; Gascoigne, M.
Mosaicism for the FMR1 gene influences adaptive skills development in fragile X-affected males
Fragile X syndrome is one of the most common forms of inherited mental retardation, and the first of a new class of genetic disorders associated with expanded trinucleotide repeats. Previously, we found that about 41% of affected males are mosaic for this mutation in that some of their blood cells have an active fragile X gene and others do not. It has been hypothesized that these mosaic cases should show higher levels of functioning than those who have only the inactive full mutation gene, but previous studies have provided negative or equivocal results. In the present study, the cross-sectional development of communication, self-care, socialization, and motor skills was studied in 46 males with fragile X syndrome under age 20 years as a function of two variables: age and the presence or absence of mosaicism. The rate of adaptive skills development was 2-4 times as great in mosaic cases as in full mutation cases. There was also a trend for cases with autism to be more prevalent in the full-mutation group. These results have implications for prognosis, for the utility of gene or protein replacement therapies for this disorder, and for understanding the association between mental retardation, developmental disorders, and fragile X syndrome. 21 refs., 3 figs.
Cohen, I.L.; Sudhalter, V.; Nolin, S.L. [New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, Staten Island, NY (United States)] [New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, Staten Island, NY (United States)
Review of the Sandia National Laboratories -- Albuquerque, New Mexico DOE\\/DP Critical Skills Development Programs FY '02
Sandia National Laboratories has developed a portfolio of programs to address the critical skills needs of the DP labs, as identified by the 1999 Chiles Commission Report. The goals are to attract and retain the best and the brightest students and transition them into Sandia--and DP Complex--employees. The US Department of Energy\\/Defense Programs University Partnerships funded seven laboratory critical skills
The effects of skilled health attendants on reducing maternal deaths in developing countries: testing the medical model
More than 500?000 women die each year from pregnancy related causes. Ninety-nine percent of these deaths occur in developing countries. This study examines the statistical relationship between maternal deaths and skilled health attendants. A skilled health attendant is a medical doctor, nurse, trained midwife, primary healthcare worker, or trained traditional birth attendant. A cross-national study was conducted using World Bank
Cynthia T. Cook
The Training and Use of Nonmedical Observers to Evaluate the Clinical Skills of Medical Students.
The effectiveness of using nonmedical personnel to evaluate medical students' performance on medical history-taking and physical examination was studied at Mercer University School of Medicine. Advantages in using nonphysician observers were that they were more available, economical, and attentive. (MLW)
Templeton, Beverly B.; And Others
Nowcast Skill of the New York Harbor Observation and Prediction System
The New York Harbor Observing and Prediction System (NYHOPS) provides nowcasts and forecasts of surface\\/bottom currents, salinities and temperatures, waves, and water level, for the New York \\/New Jersey Harbor Estuary including the waters eastward to the continental shelf break of the New York Bight and Long Island Sound in one contiguous fashion. The system has been in operation since
A. F. Blumberg; M. S. Bruno; B. Fullerton; S. Fan
A protocol for evaluating progressive levels of simulation fidelity in the development of technical skills, integrated performance and woman centred clinical assessment skills in undergraduate midwifery students
Background Simulation as a pedagogical approach has been used in health professional education to address the need to safely develop effective clinical skills prior to undertaking clinical practice. However, evidence for the use of simulation in midwifery is largely anecdotal, and research evaluating the effectiveness of different levels of simulation fidelity are lacking. Woman centred care is a core premise of the midwifery profession and describes the behaviours of an individual midwife who demonstrates safe and effective care of the individual woman. Woman centred care occurs when the midwife modifies the care to ensure the needs of each individual woman are respected and addressed. However, a review of the literature demonstrates an absence of a valid and reliable tool to measure the development of woman centred care behaviours. This study aims to determine which level of fidelity in simulated learning experiences provides the most effective learning outcomes in the development of woman centred clinical assessment behaviors and skills in student midwives. Methods/Design Three-arm, randomised, intervention trial. In this research we plan to: a) trial three levels of simulation fidelity - low, medium and progressive, on student midwives performing the procedure of vaginal examination; b) measure clinical assessment skills using the Global Rating Scale (GRS) and Integrated Procedural Performance Instrument (IPPI); and c) pilot the newly developed Woman Centred Care Scale (WCCS) to measure clinical behaviors related to Woman-Centredness. Discussion This project aims to enhance knowledge in relation to the appropriate levels of fidelity in simulation that yield the best educational outcomes for the development of woman centred clinical assessment in student midwives. The outcomes of this project may contribute to improved woman centred clinical assessment for student midwives, and more broadly influence decision making regarding education resource allocation for maternity simulation.
Geosciences in an Immersive Fulldome Environment: Developing Science and Communication Skills by Creating Digital Media
The Ho Tung Visualization Laboratory and Planetarium at Colgate University provides an opportunity for students of diverse backgrounds to learn scientific concepts and communication techniques through the creation of fulldome digital animations. Students give presentations to classes, school groups, and the public in the planetarium setting, and enhance learning by creating digital content appropriate to these audiences. The immersive environment is well-suited for showing large-scale geologic processes that may not be easily seen in the field. Geoscience projects include fly-bys of the Hudson River Valley, Cascade Mountain Range, Grand Canyon, and Basin and Range province, animation of the advance of the Laurentide Ice Sheet, evolution of continental positions since the late Precambrian, and comparisons of volcanic eruption styles. In order to create a digital animation, students must have a detailed understanding of the subject matter as well as all aspects of presentation, ranging from intended audience to relevant production technologies. This encourages students to explore material at a depth beyond conventional learning methods while integrating the skills necessary to effectively communicate scientific concepts to varied audiences. Based on these explorations, it appears beneficial to promote scientific visualization creation as a tool in itself to help students develop both scientific knowledge and communication skills.
Alley, K. E.; Crawford, A.; Eakin, J.
Health promotion, the Ottawa Charter and 'developing personal skills': a compact history of 25 years.
The challenge of understanding what has happened in the 25 years since the Ottawa Charter would be difficult enough if there had been no Charter. However, our task is to interpret to what extent the Charter has influenced the world of health promotion as it is today. The task here is to consider what has happened regarding one action component of the Charter, notably developing personal skills. In taking only one of the five components, we are deconstructing the holistic approach that was implied in the Ottawa Charter and it is somewhat strange to isolate this action area from the others, and perhaps outside the 'spirit' of the Charter. Nonetheless, the approach will be to interpret this area broadly while still being restrictive and not venturing into discussions of the other action areas except where the connection is so strong that to isolate personal skills from the other area would be unproductive. The Ottawa Charter brought to the table, for health promotion and education, a growing recognition that health was a broad concept in its own right. It made explicit that ties to disease approaches were highly related to health education and promotion, but that health promotion had to go well beyond a narrow interpretation of the field. It recognized that active participation by people, to directly affect their health and the broader determinants of it, was paramount. PMID:22080074
Mcqueen, David V; De Salazar, Ligia
Basic Elements of General Gymnastics Routines that Contribute to the Multiple Development of Motor and Social Skills in Children of 4-8 Years Old
The purpose of the present study was to refer basic elements of general gymnastics routines and analyze the multiple effect of systematic involvement with them in the development of gross and fine motor skills and social skills also, in boys and girls from four to eight years old. More specifically, there referred skills that contribute to the cultivation of kinesthesis,
Elizana Pollatou
Cutoffs for the Matson Evaluation of Social Skills with Youngsters-II (MESSY-II) for Typically Developing Children and for Children Diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorders
The acquisition of social skills is an essential part of childhood and adolescent development. Due to its critical nature, assessment of appropriate and inappropriate social skills is necessary in order to determine whether or not deficits or excesses exist, thereby guiding treatment. The "Matson Evaluation of Social Skills with Youngsters"�
Matson, Johnny L.; Kozlowski, Alison M.; Neal, Daniene; Worley, Julie A.; Fodstad, Jill
The Nature and Impact of Changes in Home Learning Environment on Development of Language and Academic Skills in Preschool Children
In this study, we examined changes in the early home learning environment as children approached school entry and whether these changes predicted the development of children's language and academic skills. Findings from a national sample of the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development�
Son, Seung-Hee; Morrison, Frederick J.
Advancing the IS Curricula: The Identification of Important Communication Skills Needed by IS Staff during Systems Development
Although research indicates communication is important among information systems (IS) staff, users, and managers to ensure successful development projects, the ineffective communication skills of IS staff are often cited as a possible cause of failed IS projects. To develop effective systems, communication between IS users and systems developers�
Miller, Ruth A.; Luse, Donna W.
The Changing Role of International Cooperation in Developing Countries (as They Develop): A Case Study of Skills Development Policies in Peru
A focus on the changes in the relationship between international cooperation and local actors in the skills development field in Peru as the country strengthened its financial position in the last two decades allows us to examine the role of the economic factor in these changes. The paper argues that indeed there is an association between the two.�
Jaramillo, Miguel
Developing essential professional skills: a framework for teaching and learning about feedback
Background The ability to give and receive feedback effectively is a key skill for doctors, aids learning between all levels of the medical hierarchy, and provides a basis for reflective practice and life-long learning. How best to teach this skill? Discussion We suggest that a single "teaching the skill of feedback" session provides superficial and ineffective learning in a medical culture that often uses feedback skills poorly or discourages feedback. Our experience suggests that both the skill and the underlying attitude informing its application must be addressed, and is best done so longitudinally and reiteratively using different forms of feedback delivery. These feedback learning opportunities include written and oral, peer to peer and cross-hierarchy, public and private, thereby addressing different cognitive processes and attitudinal difficulties. Summary We conclude by asking whether it is possible to build a consensus approach to a framework for teaching and learning feedback skills?
Henderson, Penny; Ferguson-Smith, Anne C; Johnson, Martin H
Developing a Coherent Observation and Analysis Network
Unlike other large-scale emission reduction efforts, reducing greenhouse gas emissions will involve many economic sectors of society and will vary by nation, region, and approach. Approaches could also include offsets and tradeoffs, which further complicate the issue. The complexity and variability of the carbon cycle, the involvement of other greenhouse gases, the global nature of the problem, and the number and variety of emitters and offset options make independent verification of greenhouse gas management strategies a challenging, yet surmountable task. Validating the success of greenhouse gas management strategies on regional scales (i.e., size of Kansas or France) requires increasing the number of observation sites and types of observations, improving transport models, and bringing this diverse array of measurements and capabilities together in a way that can reliably inform society at several levels. This presentation looks at how we might go about developing a system of diverse observations, what time scales would be involved, what players would be needed, and how we can ensure that the system is coherent on all scales. A plan is suggested that would allow an observation and analysis component of an analysis and information system to be in place by the time society�s efforts begin to have an effect on greenhouse gas emissions and would support a target of 80% reduction by 2050 and continuing from there.
Butler, J. H.; Duren, R. M.; Rotman, D.; Tans, P. P.; Miller, J. B.
Development of a Japanese version of the emotional skills and competence questionnaire.
The present study described development of a Japanese version of the Emotional Skills and Competence Questionnaire and examined the relations of scores with those on Big Five scales of personality and self-esteem scales. The participants were 615 undergraduates. Factor analysis led to the shortened version of 24 items in three subscales. Although Cronbach alphas were low for the subscale, Manage and Regulate Emotion, values were satisfactory for the other two subscales, Express and Label Emotion and Perceive and Understand Emotion. Total scores of this version were positively correlated with score for self-esteem, Extraversion, and Openness but negatively correlated with scores on Neuroticism. This shorter Japanese versions shows suitable internal consistency and content validity, but other reliabilities and validities must be examined precisely. PMID:18065068
Toyota, Hiroshi; Morita, Taisuke; Taksic, Vladimir
Do informal musical activities shape auditory skill development in preschool-age children?
The influence of formal musical training on auditory cognition has been well established. For the majority of children, however, musical experience does not primarily consist of adult-guided training on a musical instrument. Instead, young children mostly engage in everyday musical activities such as singing and musical play. Here, we review recent electrophysiological and behavioral studies carried out in our laboratory and elsewhere which have begun to map how developing auditory skills are shaped by such informal musical activities both at home and in playschool-type settings. Although more research is still needed, the evidence emerging from these studies suggests that, in addition to formal musical training, informal musical activities can also influence the maturation of auditory discrimination and attention in preschool-aged children.
Putkinen, Vesa; Saarikivi, Katri; Tervaniemi, Mari
Science and Engineering of the Environment of Los Angeles: A GK-12 Experiment at Developing Science Communications Skills in UCLA's Graduate Program
Many science and research skills are taught by osmosis in graduate programs with the expectation that students will develop good communication skills (speaking, writing, and networking) by observing others, attending meetings, and self reflection. A new National Science Foundation Graduate Teaching Fellows in K- 12 Education (GK-12; http://ehrweb.aaas.org/gk12new/) program at UCLA (SEE-LA; http://measure.igpp.ucla.edu/GK12-SEE-LA/overview.html ) attempts to make the development of good communication skills an explicit part of the graduate program of science and engineering students. SEE-LA places the graduate fellows in two pairs of middle and high schools within Los Angeles to act as scientists-in- residence. They are partnered with two master science teachers and spend two-days per week in the classroom. They are not student teachers, or teacher aides, but scientists who contribute their content expertise, excitement and experience with research, and new ideas for classroom activities and lessons that incorporate inquiry science. During the one-year fellowship, the graduate students also attend a year-long Preparing Future Faculty seminar that discusses many skills needed as they begin their academic or research careers. Students are also required to include a brief (two-page) summary of their research that their middle or high school students would be able to understand as part of their published thesis. Having students actively thinking about and communicating their science to a pre-college audience provides important science communication training and helps contribute to science education. University and local pre- college school partnerships provide an excellent opportunity to support the development of graduate student communication skills while also contributing significantly to the dissemination of sound science to K-12 teachers and students.
Moldwin, M. B.; Hogue, T. S.; Nonacs, P.; Shope, R. E.; Daniel, J.
Staging the use of teaching aids in the development of manipulation skill.
Skill development in manual therapies is influenced by a number of factors. The effects of the training program organization, mentor coaching, feedback in various forms, and electromechanical training aids are factors that have been studied. A significant gap exists in understanding when teaching aids might be most effective within a defined curriculum structure. This project used the ratio of instructional theory and laboratory practice to define the learning context. An electromechanical training aid (Dynadjust�) was introduced at different stages (year 2 and year 4) of training for high-velocity, low-amplitude (HVLA) manipulation. Learners were assigned to either the Aid group or the NoAid group. Independent assessment of skill was evaluated before and after 6 weeks by means of recording force-time profiles of HVLA performance. Repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) evaluated change scores in the force amplitude and rate of rise in force. Program features were dominated by a low ratio of laboratory practice to didactic foundational education components. Use of the aid was not associated with any measurable gains for participants when used in year 2. Later participation in year 4 suggested enhanced development in rate of rise for force (p<0.0597) and for peak force (p<0.0303). Careful attention should be given to the sequencing of content and laboratory work in designing curricula for training programs. For programs using lower ratios of laboratory contact hours, teaching aids to augment practice may result in better performance gains when introduced later than if added early in the curriculum. PMID:24503216
Triano, John J; McGregor, Marion; Dinulos, Maricelle; Tran, Steven
Manned observations technology development, FY 1992 report
This project evaluated the suitability of the NASA/JSC developed electronic still camera (ESC) digital image data for Earth observations from the Space Shuttle, as a first step to aid planning for Space Station Freedom. Specifically, image resolution achieved from the Space Shuttle using the current ESC system, which is configured with a Loral 15 mm x 15 mm (1024 x 1024 pixel array) CCD chip on the focal plane of a Nikon F4 camera, was compared to that of current handheld 70 mm Hasselblad 500 EL/M film cameras.
Israel, Steven
Early Reading Skills
MedlinePLUS Videos and Cool Tools
... Skills HealthDay March 5, 2014 Related MedlinePlus Page Infant and Newborn Development Transcript Armed with an arsenal ... Educational Psychology tracked reading skills among 117 healthy infants between 10 and 18 months old. For 7 ...
Development of numerical processing in children with typical and dyscalculic arithmetic skills-a longitudinal study.
Numerical processing has been demonstrated to be closely associated with arithmetic skills, however, our knowledge on the development of the relevant cognitive mechanisms is limited. The present longitudinal study investigated the developmental trajectories of numerical processing in 42 children with age-adequate arithmetic development and 41 children with dyscalculia over a 2-year period from beginning of Grade 2, when children were 7; 6 years old, to beginning of Grade 4. A battery of numerical processing tasks (dot enumeration, non-symbolic and symbolic comparison of one- and two-digit numbers, physical comparison, number line estimation) was given five times during the study (beginning and middle of each school year). Efficiency of numerical processing was a very good indicator of development in numerical processing while within-task effects remained largely constant and showed low long-term stability before middle of Grade 3. Children with dyscalculia showed less efficient numerical processing reflected in specifically prolonged response times. Importantly, they showed consistently larger slopes for dot enumeration in the subitizing range, an untypically large compatibility effect when processing two-digit numbers, and they were consistently less accurate in placing numbers on a number line. Thus, we were able to identify parameters that can be used in future research to characterize numerical processing in typical and dyscalculic development. These parameters can also be helpful for identification of children who struggle in their numerical development. PMID:23898310
Landerl, Karin
Development of numerical processing in children with typical and dyscalculic arithmetic skills--a longitudinal study
Numerical processing has been demonstrated to be closely associated with arithmetic skills, however, our knowledge on the development of the relevant cognitive mechanisms is limited. The present longitudinal study investigated the developmental trajectories of numerical processing in 42 children with age-adequate arithmetic development and 41 children with dyscalculia over a 2-year period from beginning of Grade 2, when children were 7; 6 years old, to beginning of Grade 4. A battery of numerical processing tasks (dot enumeration, non-symbolic and symbolic comparison of one- and two-digit numbers, physical comparison, number line estimation) was given five times during the study (beginning and middle of each school year). Efficiency of numerical processing was a very good indicator of development in numerical processing while within-task effects remained largely constant and showed low long-term stability before middle of Grade 3. Children with dyscalculia showed less efficient numerical processing reflected in specifically prolonged response times. Importantly, they showed consistently larger slopes for dot enumeration in the subitizing range, an untypically large compatibility effect when processing two-digit numbers, and they were consistently less accurate in placing numbers on a number line. Thus, we were able to identify parameters that can be used in future research to characterize numerical processing in typical and dyscalculic development. These parameters can also be helpful for identification of children who struggle in their numerical development.
Transferable Skills within Research Degrees: A Collaborative Genre-Based Approach to Developing Publication Skills and Its Implications for Research Education
Recognition is increasing that Ph.D. graduates require transferable skills for employment within or outside academia, and professional written communication skills form an important subset which contributes to many other skill categories. Writing journal articles for publication is a key task within candidatures and research workplaces, so�
Cargill, Margaret
Vocational Skills and Outcomes among Native American Adolescents: A Test of the Integrative Contextual Model of Career Development
This study tested hypotheses of the Integrative Contextual Model of Career Development (R. T. Lapan, 2004a) by investigating the multivariate effects of 6 interrelated career development skills (career exploration, person-environment fit, goal setting, social/prosocial/work readiness, self-regulated learning, and the utilization of social�
Turner, Sherri L.; Trotter, Michelle J.; Lapan, Richard T.; Czajka, Katherine A.; Yang, Pahoua; Brisset, Annette E. A.
Developing Literacy and Workplace Skills: Teaching for 21st Century Employment. Program Coursebook and Curriculum Guide. Second Edition.
Developed for at-risk youth and designed to help all students experience success in school and in the real world, this curriculum guide is presented in a large-size, loose-leaf format for easy access and use. The guide features a flexible, six-semester curriculum that builds literacy skills in students while developing their core worker�
Gould, Marge Christensen
Determining Training Requirements for Electronic System Maintenance: Development and Test of a New Method of Skill and Knowledge Analysis.
This is the report of a study designed to develop and test methods of deriving, directly from an analysis of the system or its surrogate, an effective and economical set of skills and knowledge for operating and maintaining a weapon system. Two methods for analyzing electronic weapon systems were developed, one method for the operator task and one�
Shriver, Edgar L.
Instruction to Help Young Children Develop Language and Literacy Skills: The Roles of Program Design and Instructional Guidance
This article discusses the kinds of instructional activities that young children need to develop basic language and literacy skills based on recent research and program evaluations. This includes approaches to develop alphabetic understanding, phonological awareness, vocabulary, and oral language. Activities and materials from the Pre-kindergarten�
Gunn, Barbara; Vadasy, Patricia; Smolkowski, Keith
Assessment of Heterosocial Skills in Male College StudentsEmpirical Development of a Behavioral Role-Playing Test
Deficiencies in heterosocial skills constitute significant psychological concerns for many young adults; yet, no adequate assessment procedure has been available for the behavioral measurement of heterosocial difficulties. In the present investigation, an empirical research strategy was employed to develop such an instrument. Construction and evaluation of the instrument was carried out following the five-stage test development strategy suggested by Goldfried
Michael G. Perri; C. Steven Richards
The Effects of Professional Development on Early Reading Skills: A Comparison of Two Approaches to Word Solving
This study examined the differential effects of two components of the Interactive Strategies Approach (ISA) professional development program on outcomes related to teacher knowledge, teacher practice, and student reading achievement. The professional development for teachers focused on word solving skill among struggling first grade readers. The�
Anderson, Kimberly L.
The Influence of Cognitive and Non-Cognitive Factors on the Development of Rifle Marksmanship Skills. CRESST Report 753
In this report, researchers examined rifle marksmanship development within a skill development framework outlined by Chung, Delacruz, de Vries, Bewley, and Baker (2006). Thirty-three novice shooters used an M4 rifle training simulator system to learn to shoot an 8-inch target at a simulated distance of 200 yards. Cognitive, psychomotor, and�
Chung, Gregory K. W. K.; Nagashima, Sam O.; Espinosa, Paul D.; Berka, Chris; Baker, Eva L.
The Effects of Televised Skill Instruction, Instructional System Support, and Parental Intervention on the Development of Cognitive Skills.
Research during the first two years of this project indicated that television alone can be an effective medium for teaching complex conceptual behaviors, some more than others. The major task during the third year was to develop and test the efficacy of p...
R. W. Henderson R. Swanson
Review of Sandia National Laboratories - Albuquerque New Mexico DOE/DP Critical Skills Development Progrmas FY04.
Sandia National Laboratories has developed a portfolio of programs to address the critical skills needs of the DP labs, as identified by the 1999 Chiles Commission Report. The goals are to attract and retain the best and the brightest students and transition them into Sandia - and DP Complex - employees. The US Department of Energy/Defense Programs University Partnerships funded ten laboratory critical skills development programs in FY04. This report provides a qualitative and quantitative evaluation of these programs and their status. 3
Gorman, Anna K; Wilson, Dominique; CLARK, KATHERINE
Science Art: Projects and Activities That Teach Science Concepts and Develop Process Skills. Grades 2-4.
The activities in this collection are designed to help teachers bring the worlds of science and art into the classroom. Each activity is both a hands-on science investigation and an art experience. As students create satisfying art projects, they utilize science skills such as observing, predicting, investigating, and communicating. The projects�
Schecter, Deborah
Motor development in individuals with congenital adrenal hyperplasia: Strength, targeting, and fine motor skill
Summary This study investigated early androgen influence on the development of human motor and visuomotor characteristics. Participants, ages 12 to 45 years, were individuals with congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH), a disorder causing increased adrenal androgen production before birth (40 females, 29 males) and their unaffected relatives (29 females, 30 males). We investigated grip strength and visuomotor targeting tasks on which males generally outperform females, and fine motor pegboard tasks on which females generally outperform males. Physical characteristics (height and weight) were measured to explore whether body parameters could explain differences in motor skills. Females with CAH were stronger and showed better targeting than unaffected females and showed reduced fine visuomotor skill on one pegboard measure, with no difference on the other. Males with CAH were weaker than unaffected males in grip strength but did not differ on the targeting or pegboard measures. Correction for body size could not explain the findings for females, but suggests that the reduced strength of males with CAH may relate to their smaller stature. Further, the targeting advantage in females with CAH persisted following adjustment for their greater strength. Results in females support the hypothesis that androgen may masculinize, or promote, certain motor characteristics at which males excel, and contribute to defeminization of certain fine motor characteristics at which females excel. Thus, these data suggest that organizational effects of androgens on behavior during prenatal life may extend to motor characteristics and may contribute to general sex differences in motor-related behaviors; however, alternative explanations based on activational influences of androgen or altered experiential factors cannot be excluded without further study. KEYWORDS: congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH), androgen, sex, motor, strength, targeting
Collaer, Marcia L.; Brook, Charles; Conway, Gerard S.; Hindmarsh, Peter C.; Hines, Melissa
Developing Higher-Order Thinking Skills through the Use of Technology.
This report describes a program, utilizing both critical and creative thinking skills, to enhance the educational process through the use of technology. The targeted population consisted of fourth grade students in a growing middle class community located in northern Illinois. The lack of higher-order thinking skills was documented through�
Coleman, Connie; King, Jeff; Ruth, Mary Helen; Stary, Erin
Development and Summative Evaluation of a Directed Inquiry Approach to Learning Science Process Skills in Biology.
Many educators assert that the acquisition of thinking skills by students is of primary importance to science education today. This study was designed to examine the effect of an instructional approach on achievement in science process skills when compared to a more conventional method of science instruction. The DIAL(SPS)2, a directed approach to�
Germann, Paul J.
The Development of Early Numeracy Ability in Kindergartners with Limited Working Memory Skills
Research has proven limited working memory skills to be a high risk factor for educational underachievement in mathematics across the primary school years. Less is known, however, about the performance of children with limited working memory skills in early numeracy tasks. The main purpose of the two studies reported in this article is to explore�
Metacognitive Skills Development: A Web-Based Approach in Higher Education
Although there were studies that presented the applications of metacognitive skill training, the research on web-based metacognitive skills training are few. The purpose of this study is to design a web-based learning environment and further examine the effect of the web-based training. A pretest-posttest quasi-experimental design was used in this�
Shen, Chun-Yi; Liu, Hsiu-Chuan
Female and Male Interns and Their Mentors? Perception of Workforce Skill Development
Participants in this study were student interns and mentors taking part in the 2012, 10- week Langley Aerospace Research Student Scholars (LARSS) summer internship program in Hampton, Virginia. The study examined mentors and student interns' ratings of their preparedness in basic knowledge and skills. The study focused on three primary areas: 1) overall evaluation of knowledge and skills by mentors and interns; 2) male and female interns' perceptions of their own skills in these key areas; and 3) mentors' perceptions of their student interns' knowledge and skills in the same areas by gender. Overall mentors were more positive about their interns' improvement in 12 of 17 areas assessed than were the student interns. There were no significant gender differences in how mentors rated their male and female interns' abilities in these workforce skills, but there were four key areas where female interns rated their own abilities lower than did their male peers: analytical thinking, computational skills, computer skills and technical skills. Implications of these findings are discussed.
Hall, Cathy W.; Pinelli, Thomas E.; Brush, Kimberly M.
Development of Lexical Mediation in the Relation between Reading Comprehension and Word Reading Skills in Greek
This study focuses on the shared variance between reading comprehension and word-level reading skills in a population of 534 Greek children in Grades 2 through 4. The correlations between measures of word and pseudoword accuracy and fluency, on the one hand, and vocabulary and comprehension skills, on the other, were sizeable and stable or�
Protopapas, Athanassios; Sideridis, Georgios D.; Mouzaki, Angeliki; Simos, Panagiotis G.
Poor social skills are a vulnerability factor in the development of psychosocial problems
This 2-wave panel study sought to test a social skills deficit vulnerability model of psychoso- cial problems. According to this model, poor social skills are thought to make people vulner- able to psychosocial problems pursuant to the experience of stressful life events. This model was tested in a sample of 118 students who were moving at least 200 miles away
Chris Segrin; J Flora
A Framework to Develop Lifelong Learning and Transferable Skills in an Engineering Programme
Engineering programmes have a strong reputation in the delivery of technical knowledge and skills. Graduates need equally high levels of competence in personal and professional skills to not only meet the existing requirements of employers and professional bodies but to also help them manage the inevitable changes that society is facing in an increasingly populated world. The need to move
Gavin Duffy; Brian Bowe
Tutorials for Enhancing Skills Development in First Year Students Taking Biological Sciences
In order to increase engagement and to consolidate skills, a tutorial-based skills course (module) was introduced as a compulsory component of first-year in the School of Biological Sciences, University of Aberdeen. We evaluated whether students had attained certain "graduate attributes" during the course, comprising: transferable and generic�
Cousins, Nicola J.; Barker, Martin; Dennis, Catherine; Dalrymple, Sarah; McPherson, Lindsay R.
Divergent Development of Manual Skills in Children Who Are Blind or Sighted
This empirical study compared the average ages at which four children with congenital blindness acquired 32 fine motor skills with age norms for sighted children. The results indicated that the children experienced extreme developmental delays in the acquisition of manual skills and a high degree of variability in developmental delays within and�
Brambring, Michael
Development of the Metacognitive Skills of Prediction and Evaluation in Children with or without Math Disability
Metacognition refers to knowledge about one's own cognition. The present study was designed to assess metacognitive skills that either precede or follow task engagement, rather than the processes that occur during a task. Specifically, we examined prediction and evaluation skills among children with (n= 17) or without (n= 179) mathematics learning�
Garrett, Adia J.; Mazzocco, Michele M. M.; Baker, Linda
Clarifying Pre-Service Teacher Perceptions of Mentor Teachers' Developing Use of Mentoring Skills
The aim of this study is to clarify how pre-service teachers perceive mentor teachers' use of mentoring skills. Sixty stimulated-recall interviews were conducted, each in connection with a previously recorded mentoring dialogue. A quantitative analysis showed that six types of mentoring skills appeared to be perceived by pre-service teachers as�
Hennissen, Paul; Crasborn, Frank; Brouwer, Niels; Korthagen, Fred; Bergen, Theo
The Development of the Manchester Motor Skills Assessment (MMSA): An initial evaluation
This article is an initial evaluation of a motor skills assessment for primary aged children. The Manchester Motor Skills Assessment (MMSA) is designed to be quick and easy for teaching assistants to complete, with the dual purposes of informing group programme planning and demonstrating an individual child�s progress following a period of intervention. Inter?rater reliability checks were conducted during initial
C. Bond; M. Cole; H. Crook; J. Fletcher; J. Lucanz; J. Noble
A Study of Skills Development in English Elective Programs in Selected Public Secondary Schools in Massachusetts.
The purpose of this study was to investigate the processes and procedures utilized in designing and maintaining the teaching of communication skills in English elective programs. A systematic case-study description was made of skills components in the elective English programs in four public secondary schools in Massachusetts. The informational�
Devoe, Thelma Edmunds
Combining Formal, Non-Formal and Informal Learning for Workforce Skill Development
This literature review, undertaken for Australian Industry Group, shows how multiple variations and combinations of formal, informal and non-formal learning, accompanied by various government incentives and organisational initiatives (including job redesign, cross-skilling, multi-skilling, diversified career pathways, action learning projects,�
Misko, Josie
Comparing Technology Skill Development in Computer Lab versus Classroom Settings of Two Sixth Grade Classes
Preparing elementary students for online learning begins with basic computer competency. Computer competency skills were taught using integration of learned skills in the regular academic curriculum to sixth grade students under two conditions: (a) in a classroom with four computers, and (b) in a computer lab. Students of mixed ability (N = 53) were given pretest and posttest measures of
Audrey C. Rule; Manuel T. Barrera; C. Jolene Dockstader; John A. Derr
The Development of Adaptive Skills in Young People with Down Syndrome
Background: To help children with Down syndrome reach optimum levels of adaptive behaviour, caretakers need to know how and to what extent children with Down syndrome acquire adaptive skills. Method: The adaptive levels of motor, daily living, communicative and social behavioural skills were determined in a group of 984 Dutch children with Down�
Van Duijn, G.; Dijkxhoorn, Y.; Scholte, E. M.; Van Berckelaer-Onnes, I. A.
Social Skills Development in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders: A Review of the Intervention Research
Social reciprocity deficits are a core feature of the autism spectrum disorders (ASD). This review summarizes the state of research in group-based social skills training programs for school-age children and adolescents with ASD. All published studies of group social skills interventions between 1985 and 2006 were reviewed, as well as dissertations�
Williams White, Susan; Keonig, Kathleen; Scahill, Lawrence
Teacher Candidate Responses to Digital Games: 21st-Century Skills Development
Researchers conducted a mixed-methods study with 21 undergraduate university students majoring in education to determine their ability to recognize the motivational factors and 21st-century learning skills associated with digital games. Results suggest that students in the study were able to detect the learning skills embedded in games. The�
Sardone, Nancy B.; Devlin-Scherer, Roberta
Educational Research in Developing 3-D Spatial Skills for Engineering Students
The ability to visualize in three dimensions is a cognitive skill that has been shown to be important for success in engineering and other technological fields. For engineering, the ability to mentally rotate 3-D objects is especially important. Unfortunately, of all the cognitive skills, 3-D rotation abilities exhibit robust gender differences,�
Development of a Teaching Module on Written and Verbal Communication Skills.
Writing strategies were incorporated into a pharmacy program communication skills course, and their effectiveness measured in comparison with a previous student group (n=20). Experimental subjects (n=28) showed significant improvement in writing, verbal skills, ability to formulate ideas, and identifying appropriate target audience, and had�
Holiday-Goodman, Monica; And Others
Working in Partnership: Skills Transfer in Developing a Cross-Cultural Research Team
As part of a broader study on Indigenous illegal drug use, the authors undertook skills training to increase cross-cultural mutual understanding of the often different approaches and methodologies between research and practice, as well as Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal understandings of these approaches. The study and the skills transfer training�
Guthrie, Jill; Dance, Phyll; Cubillo, Carmen; McDonald, David; Tongs, Julie; Brideson, Tom; Bammer, Gabriele
Helping Young Children Develop Motor Skills in a Bilingual-Multicultural Environment. Bilingual/Bicultural Child Development Associate Pilot Project: Module VI.
This Child Development Associate (CDA) training module, the sixth in a series of 16, provides an introductory course in the development of motor skills in children. In the first two sections, the importance and characteristics of motor development are briefly discussed. Maturation factors and predictable patterns and stages in motor development�
Coleman, Joyce H.
Psychometric evaluation of a direct observation of procedural skills assessment tool for ultrasound-guided regional anaesthesia.
Assessment tools must be investigated for reliability, validity and feasibility before being implemented. In 2013, the Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists introduced workplace-based assessments, including a direct observation of a procedural skills assessment tool. The objective of this study was to evaluate the psychometric properties of this assessment tool for ultrasound-guided regional anaesthesia. Six experts assessed 30 video-recorded trainee performances of ultrasound-guided regional anaesthesia. Inter-rater reliability, assessed using absolute agreement intraclass correlation coefficients, varied from 0.10 to 0.49 for the nine individual nine-point scale items, and was 0.25 for a 'total score' of all items. Internal consistency was measured by correlation between 'total score' and 'overall performance' scale item (r�=�0.68, p�<�0.001). Construct validity was demonstrated by the 'total score' correlating with trainee experience (r�=�0.51, p�=�0.004). The mean time taken to complete assessments was 6�min 35�s. PMID:24749931
Watson, M J; Wong, D M; Kluger, R; Chuan, A; Herrick, M D; Ng, I; Castanelli, D J; Lin, L; Lansdown, A K; Barrington, M J
Health services management development: what formal knowledge should support the skills and experience required?
This study reports on an analysis of 17 postgraduate programs in health services management. Public information was collected from websites in February 2010. Data analysed included core subject abstracts, admission requirements and length and aims of each course. Findings indicate that only three out of 16 subjects identified as core are common to more than 50% of the programs, with the eight most common individual subjects appearing in only a third of programs. This suggests diversity in what is deemed core foundational knowledge in managing health services and the approach taken to management development. We believe there should be greater consensus on core subjects in a specialist health services management qualification. WHAT IS KNOWN ABOUT THE TOPIC? With changes in the organisational structure of health organisations in Australia over the past two decades, managerial positions and roles have also changed. The educational preparation for those managerial roles would also be expected to have changed but core foundational knowledge should remain similar between the various academic institutions.WHAT DOES THIS PAPER ADD? This paper indicates greater diversity in core knowledge areas in health services management education than expected despite a similar target audience.WHAT ARE THE IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTITIONERS? There are differences in what are deemed to be core foundational areas of knowledge required in specialist management development between academic programs. Management development requires a balance between knowledge, skills and experience and intending st PMID:23498856
Ritchie, David J; Yen, Margaret L
We present the first Hubble Space Telescope Wide Field Planetary Camera-2 imaging survey of the entire Crab Nebula, in the filters F502N ([O III] emission), F673N ([S II]), F631N ([O I]), and F547M (continuum). We use our mosaics to characterize the pulsar wind nebula (PWN) and its three-dimensional structure, the ionizational structure in the filaments forming at its periphery, the speed of the shock driven by the PWN into surrounding ejecta (by inferring the cooling rates behind the shock), and the morphology and ionizational structure of the Rayleigh-Taylor (R-T) fingers. We quantify a number of asymmetries between the northwest (NW) and southeast (SE) quadrants of the Crab Nebula. The lack of observed filaments in the NW, and our observations of the spatial extent of [O III] emission lead us to conclude that cooling rates are slower, and therefore the shock speeds are greater, in the NW quadrant of the nebula, compared with the SE. We conclude that R-T fingers are longer, more ionizationally stratified, and apparently more massive in the NW than in the SE, and the R-T instability appears more fully developed in the NW.
Loll, A. M.; Desch, S. J.; Scowen, P. A. [School of Earth and Space Exploration, Arizona State University, P.O. Box 871404, Tempe, AZ 85287 (United States); Foy, J. P., E-mail: email@example.com [Barrett, The Honors College, Arizona State University, P.O. Box 871612, Tempe, AZ 85287 (United States)
The role of simulation in developing communication and gestural skills in medical students
Background International studies have shown that laboratory training, particularly through the application of the principles of simulation learning, is an effective means of developing the communication and gestural skills of healthcare professionals. At the Advanced Simulation Center of the University of Genoa we have therefore established the first clinical skill laboratory with medical school students and an interprofessional team of trainers, as the first step towards developing simulation training of both medical and nursing students at our University. The aim of this study was to assess student satisfaction with laboratory training in an Advanced Simulation Center. Methods All of the third-year students of the Medical School (n?=?261) were invited to participate in the laboratory sessions at the Advanced Simulation Center. They were divided into groups and attended the Center for one week. The team of trainers included medical doctors and nurses involved in teaching at the University Medicine and Nursing programs. At the end of the week, the students were administered an anonymous questionnaire made up of two sections: the first one was on the content of individual laboratory sessions; the second on the training methods, materials used and the trainers. A five-point Likert scale was used to measure satisfaction. Results According to the students all of the topics covered by the laboratory sessions were irreplaceable. Questionnaire results showed a high level of satisfaction with the methods used, the instruments developed, and with the expertise and approachability of the educators. Almost all of the students wanted to participate in similar laboratory activities in the future. Conclusions The study highlighted the need to permanently integrate laboratory training sessions into the curriculum of medical students, who found them very useful and stimulating. The limit of this study was that only the teaching staff was interprofessional, and the students were only 3rd Year students of medicine. In the future, we hope to include also nursing students because they will need to learn how to deal with aspects of their clinical practice that require an interprofessional approach.
Development of body composition, hormone profile, physical fitness, general perceptual motor skills, soccer skills and on-the-ball performance in soccer-specific laboratory test among adolescent soccer players.
The aim of the present study was to examine the development of on-the-ball skills in soccer-specific laboratory test and to examine how traditional measures of body composition, hormone profile, physical fitness, general perceptual motor skills and soccer skills were related to performance measured in open skill environment among 10, 12, and 14-year-old regional male soccer players (n = 12/group). The measured variables were height, weight, fat, muscle mass, testosterone, 10m sprint, agility, counter movement jump, peripheral awareness, Eye- Hand-Foot coordination, passing skill, dribbling skill and on-the-ball skills (performance time and passing accuracy) in soccer-specific laboratory test. A significant main effect by age was found in all measured variables except in fat, in peripheral awareness and in passing accuracy. In discriminant analysis 63.9% (? = 0.603, F = 4.600, p < 0.01) of the players were classified correctly based on physical fitness and general perceptual motor skills into three ability groups originally classified with performance time in soccer-specific laboratory test. Correlation co- efficient analysis with-in age groups revealed that variables associated with performance time in soccer-specific laboratory test were peripheral awareness (r = 0.72, p < 0.01) in 10-year-olds; testosterone (r = -0.70, p < 0.05), dribbling skill (r = 0.73, p < 0.01) and passing skill (r = 0.73, p < 0.01) in 12-year-olds; agility (r = 0.79, p < 0.01), counter movement jump (r = - 0.62, p < 0.01), dribbling skill (r = 0.80, p < 0.01) and passing skill (r = 0.58, p < 0. 05) in 14-year olds. Corresponding relationships with passing accuracy were weight (r = 0.59, p < 0.05), fat (r = 0.66, p < 0.05), 10m sprint (r = 0.71, p < 0.01) and countermovement jump (r = -0.64, p < 0.05) in 10-year-olds; Eye-Hand-Foot coordination (r = 0.63, p < 0.05) in 14-year- olds. The relationship between soccer-specific anticipation time and performance time in soccer- specific laboratory test was significant only in the 14-year-old age group (r = 0.76, p < 0.01). To conclude, on-the-ball skill performance in soccer-specific laboratory test improved with age and it seemed that soccer-specific perceptual skills became more and general perceptual motor skills less important with age in soccer-specific laboratory test. Key pointsPhysical fitness characteristics and general perceptual motor skills predicted performance time of the open skill soccer-specific laboratory test in the group of 10-14 year-old regional soccer players.Before puberty the players were able to compensate weaker soccer-specific skills with better general physical performance abilities.Soccer-specific skills became more important with age and at the age of 14 the players were not able to compensate soccer-specific skills with general physical performance abilities.Beside basic ball-handling skills it also important to recognize the importance of soccer-specific perceptual skills (anticipation and reaction) as a part of successful soccer performance. PMID:24149780
V�nttinen, Tomi; Blomqvist, Minna; H�kkinen, Keijo
No Observable Relationship Between the 12 Genes of Nervous System and Reasoning Skill in a Young Chinese Han Population
Reasoning skill is an advanced cognitive ability which is needed for drawing inferences from given information. It is well\\u000a known that the ability depends on the neural network of the frontal and parietal brain regions. In this study, we hypothesized\\u000a that some genes involved in neurotransmitter systems were related to reasoning skill. To confirm this hypothesis, we examined\\u000a the effects
Pingyuan GongFuchang; Fuchang Zhang; Xu Lei; Xiaodong Wu; Dongmei Chen; Wenjiang Zhang; Kejin Zhang; Anyun Zheng; Xiaocai Gao
Global Skill Shortages.
This book discusses the causes and impact of global skill shortages, focusing on data from skill shortages measured in the period 1995-1998 in 19 developed and emerging economies. Chapter one contains a brief introduction. Chapter two is a review of theoretical literature on skill shortages, including static and dynamic shortages, efficiency wage�
Cohen, Malcolm S.; Zaidi, Mahmood A.
Pursuit tracking and higher levels of skill development in the human pilot
A model of the human pilot is offered for pursuit tracking tasks; the model encompasses an existing model for compensatory tracking. The central hypothesis in the development of this model states that those primary structural elements in the compensatory model responsible for the pilot's equalization capabilities remain intact in the pursuit model. In this latter case, effective low-frequency inversion of the controlled-element dynamics occurs by feeding-forward derived input rate through the equalization dynamics, with low-frequency phase droop minimized. The sharp reduction in low-frequency phase lag beyond that associated with the disappearance of phase droop is seen to accompany relatively low-gain feedback of vehicle output. The results of some recent motion cue research are discussed and interpreted in terms of the compensatory-pursuit display dichotomy. Tracking with input preview is discussed in a qualitative way. In terms of the model, preview is shown to demand no fundamental changes in structure or equalization and to allow the pilot to eliminate the effective time delays that accrue in the inversion of the controlled-element dynamics. Precognitive behavior is discussed, and a model that encompasses all the levels of skill development outlined in the successive organizations of perception theory is finally proposed.
Hess, R. A.
Differential development of visual attention skills in school-age children.
Children aged 7-17 years and adults aged 18-22 years were tested on three aspects of visual attention: the ability to distribute visual attention across the field to search for a target, the time required for attention to recover from being directed towards a target, and the number of objects to which attention can be simultaneously allocated. The data suggested different developmental trajectories for these components of visual attention within the same set of participants. This suggests that, to some extent, spatial, temporal and object-based attentional processes are subserved by different neural resources which develop at different rate. In addition, participants who played action games showed enhanced performance on all aspects of attention tested as compared to non-gamers. These findings reveal a potential facilitation of development of attentional skills in children who are avid players of action video games. As these games are predominantly drawing a male audience, young girls are at risk of under-performing on such tests, calling for a careful control of video game usage when assessing gender differences in attentional tasks. PMID:19836409
Dye, Matthew W G; Bavelier, Daphne
Differential development of visual attention skills in school-ag