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Tasks in Czech lower-secondary chemistry textbooks were analysed to describe their position in textbook chapters, required response type, overall task nature, as well as cognitive requirements. The results showed older textbooks contain task banks at the end of chapters suggest a transmissive teaching paradigm, whereas newer textbooks containing tasks within the chapters. As far as the nature of the tasks is concerned, a strong stereotypical genre was found in the chemistry textbooks. Most of the textbook tasks require open-ended answers and target: factual and conceptual knowledge remembering or procedure application. The authors therefore suggest several changes to the tasks, including their position in chapters, cognitive difficulty as well as the required response type in order to meet chemistry education goals.

Learning vocabulary is a central and time-consuming endeavour for a language learner and it has thus been suggested that the foreign language classroom has to supply explicit support for students' vocabulary development. A major source of explicit word focus is vocabulary exercises in teaching materials and students' learning can be facilitated if they are designed in a way that is conducive to learning. Few studies have so far sought to establish what learning opportunities tasks in materials provide. The present study reports an analysis of the vocabulary exercises in three series of Swedish intermediate EFL materials, focusing on target vocabulary and learning conditions. The target vocabulary was analysed in terms of frequency distribution in general English and the learning conditions provided were studied using a modified version of the Involvement Load Hypothesis. The results indicate that learning is facilitated through extensive retrieval opportunities in the material. However, it was also found that the exercises seldom require students to use the target vocabulary and that it comprises primarily high-frequency words, that is, words that the learners are likely to already know. It is therefore concluded that a more systematic approach to vocabulary has to be adopted by materials developers to ensure that word-focused tasks contribute significantly to students' learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research analyses the tools and materials essential for facilitating operationalpractical learning through elementary environmental studies textbooks. The school curriculum for environmental studies is based on constructivist learning and teaching theory, the main idea of which is that it is necessary and important for students to be active in the classroom. Teachers are encouraged to use practical teaching methods. Our study highlights the importance of selecting textbooks and supplementary materials that encourage active student participation and provide opportunities for hands-on learning experiences. The aim of the study is to identify the tools and materials that students often need to complete tasks that emphasise practical learning methods when working with textbooks. Using a descriptive, non-experimental pedagogical research approach, textbooks from four publishers approved by the Slovenian Council of Experts since 2011 were examined. The results show that the most frequently required resources for operational-practical tasks in textbooks include pens, workbooks, and various everyday objects such as packaging waste and kitchen utensils. Digital devices such as computers, tablets and phones are rarely mentioned, indicating a possible gap in the integration of modern technologies into environmental studies.

This study aims to introduce the task-based approach to language learning and teaching. It comes in two parts: the first is theoretical and it provides a comprehensive theoretical framework for this approach; starting with its various definitions and their diversity according to the the point of view which each researcher looks at the concept of the task, and then distinguishing between the important terms task in this field, and explaining the subtle differences between them, they are: the task, the exercise the activity, and then explaining the characteristics of the task, and presenting the three stages that each task goes through, while explaining the role of both the teacher and the learner in each of these stages. The study addressed the criteria for task construction, outlined the fundamental principles for selection, and subsequently highlighted the primary obstacles associated with this form of education. In the second part of the study, three models of educational tasks were presented at different levels: beginner, intermediate, and advanced. These models Target speaking, writing, and reading comprehension skills. Then, it explains how to plan, prepare, and apply them among non-Arabic speakers. The significance of this study lies in its provision of an allencompassing theoretical framework for language learning and task-based teaching, especially considering the absence of both theoretical and applied Arabic studies. on this approach. From a practical perspective, it offers tangible models for linguistic tasks that can be utilized by Arabic teachers and curriculum designers. These models serve as valuable resources for teaching and curriculum development. The researcher suggests the necessity for additional experimental studies on this approach and emphasizes the importance of developing task-based educational curricula. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In today's world, English is becoming not just a means of communication, but also a necessary tool for learning and working. More and more often people are faced with the need to use English in everyday life, in particular, reading is used in: communication in social networks, working with documents, information search, cooperation with foreign partners, and travel. In addition, the English language expands the opportunities of the student, broadens the horizons, and forms the worldview and personal experience. Therefore, studying the process of reading formation is a relevant issue at this time. The purpose of this review article is to study the methodology, requirements, process, and factors of reading literacy formation in English classes. The object of the article is the success of literate reading formation. The results and conclusions of the article can be further used in other research on the tasks of students' reading literacy formation. The following research methods are used in the article: analysis and generalization of the scientific literature, researches of foreign scientists, observation, direct interpretation of the word, questionnaire survey. The practical significance of the research consists in the possibility of using the materials of the article, at the English language classes when introducing new tools, technologies, and methodologies, as well as at the seminars on the theory and methodology of teaching a foreign language in the secondary and higher pedagogical institutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Currently, in the researches of library and information sciences, the relationship between the process of searching and learning is discussed a lot. It seems that the search to learning has led to exploratory search and exploratory search has helped users discover concepts in order to overcome their uncertainty and finally, achieve learning. What has been neglected is the extent to which searching process affects learning and the degree of knowledge change until one reaches the level of expertise. Hence, the present study was compiled on research findings with the aim of determining the impact of the information search process based on work tasks on learning. For this purpose, a semi-experimental one-group design with pre-test and post-test was used in 2021. The statistical population was the nursing students of Bushehr University of Medical Sciences in their sixth semester, and 38 of these students randomly participated in this study. First of all, an educational workshop with the aim of getting familiar with drawing conceptual map and a search training workshop were held. Afterwards, the students were assigned two tasks and they were asked to draw their conceptual maps before and after searching. In order to describe and analyze the information in this research, conceptual map scoring (a type of quantitative content analysis) was used to determine the degree of learning, the Euclidean algorithm was used to assess the degree of knowledge change until reaching the level of expertise, and the pairwise comparison method was used to evaluate the difference in the degree of learning before and after the search. The outcomes indicated that the mean difference before and after the search was significant in both scenarios (P

Communication plays a key role in teaching and learning processes. Questions are a communicational act greatly used by teachers to structure their discourse, establish dynamics, and foster interaction between the different participants in the classroom. In view of these potentialities of questions in the classroom context, we have developed a teaching experiment with the aim of understand the role of the teacher's question in the learning of topics on functions. Considering the nature of this aim, a methodology of qualitative and interpretative nature was used. The data collection was based on the students’ written productions and on the audio and video recordings of a mathematics class of a Grade 10 educational group (in northern Portugal). Data analysis is based on content analysis techniques, crossing collected data and categories emerging from the literature. The study revealed that the teacher’s questions alternated between confirmation, focalization, and inquiry, with inquiry prevailing. Questions aimed at testing the student’s knowledge gave both the teacher and actual student important information. Questions that focused the student’s attention on a particular detail enabled the students to organize their reasoning and structure their answer. Questions that required the students to explain or justify their thoughts were those that proved to most contribute to the development of the student’s reasoning process.

This article presents a dataset containing messages from the Digital Teaching Assistant (DTA) system, which records the results from the automatic verification of students' solutions to unique programming exercises of 11 various types. These results are automatically generated by the system, which automates a massive Python programming course at MIREA—Russian Technological University (RTU MIREA). The DTA system is trained to distinguish between approaches to solve programming exercises, as well as to identify correct and incorrect solutions, using intelligent algorithms responsible for analyzing the source code in the DTA system using vector representations of programs based on Markov chains, calculating pairwise Jensen–Shannon distances for programs and using a hierarchical clustering algorithm to detect high-level approaches used by students in solving unique programming exercises. In the process of learning, each student must correctly solve 11 unique exercises in order to receive admission to the intermediate certification in the form of a test. In addition, a motivated student may try to find additional approaches to solve exercises they have already solved. At the same time, not all students are able or willing to solve the 11 unique exercises proposed to them; some will resort to outside help in solving all or part of the exercises. Since all information about the interactions of the students with the DTA system is recorded, it is possible to identify different types of students. First of all, the students can be classified into 2 classes: those who failed to solve 11 exercises and those who received admission to the intermediate certification in the form of a test, having solved the 11 unique exercises correctly. However, it is possible to identify classes of typical, motivated and suspicious students among the latter group based on the proposed dataset. The proposed dataset can be used to develop regression models that will predict outbursts of student activity when interacting with the DTA system, to solve clustering problems, to identify groups of students with a similar behavior model in the learning process and to develop intelligent data classifiers that predict the students' behavior model and draw appropriate conclusions, not only at the end of the learning process but also during the course of it in order to motivate all students, even those who are classified as suspicious, to visualize the results of the learning process using various tools. Dataset: doi: 10.5281/zenodo.8092417. Dataset License: CC-BY-4.0 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Currently, in the researches of library and information sciences, the relationship between the process of searching and learning is discussed a lot. It seems that the search to learning has led to exploratory search and exploratory search has helped users discover concepts in order to overcome their uncertainty and finally, achieve learning. What has been neglected is the extent to which searching process affects learning and the degree of knowledge change until one reaches the level of expertise. Hence, the present study was compiled on research findings with the aim of determining the impact of the information search process based on work tasks on learning. For this purpose, a semi-experimental one-group design with pre-test and post-test was used in 2021. The statistical population was the nursing students of Bushehr University of Medical Sciences in their sixth semester, and 38 of these students randomly participated in this study. First of all, an educational workshop with the aim of getting familiar with drawing conceptual map and a search training workshop were held. Afterwards, the students were assigned two tasks and they were asked to draw their conceptual maps before and after searching. In order to describe and analyze the information in this research, conceptual map scoring (a type of quantitative content analysis) was used to determine the degree of learning, the Euclidean algorithm was used to assess the degree of knowledge change until reaching the level of expertise, and the pairwise comparison method was used to evaluate the difference in the degree of learning before and after the search. The outcomes indicated that the mean difference before and after the search was significant in both scenarios (P<0.001). Also, there was a significant difference between the mean scores before and after the search and the score of the conceptual map, with high confidence. However, it was low, compared to the rate of learning growth according to the expert score. Besides, the difference between the mean of the conceptual map in the complex and simple scenarios was not significant. The results demonstrated the effectiveness of search as a learning method, so it is suggested that librarians and information professors introduce searching as a learning method along with other methods to increase awareness and develop creative thinking skills in the academic community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: A lower developmental stage of the postural control system in childhood compared to adolescence and adulthood was reported in numerous studies and suggests differences (i.e., less improvements in children than in adolescents and young adults due to the immature postural control system) during learning a balance task. Therefore, the present study examined the effect practice on learning (i.e., retention and transfer) a balance task in healthy children, adolescents, and young adults. Methods: Healthy children (n = 32, 8.5 ± 0.5 years), adolescents (n = 30, 14.6 ± 0.6 years), and young adults (n = 28, 24.3 ± 3.3 years) practiced balancing on a stabilometer (i.e., to keep the platform as close to horizontal as possible) for 2 days. On the third day, learning was assessed using a retention (i.e., balance task only) and a transfer (i.e., balance task plus concurrent motor interference task) test. The root-mean-square-error (RMSE) was calculated and used as outcome measures. Results: Over the course of practice, significant improvements (p < 0.001) were detected in favor of children and young adults. However, neither the retention nor the transfer test showed significant group differences. Conclusion: Our findings indicate that learning a balance task did not seem to be influenced by the developmental stage of the postural control system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Theories of instruction following assume that language contributes to our ability to understand and implement instructions. The two experiments reported here investigated that assumption. Participants (total N = 96) were required to learn a series of novel tasks, with each task consisting of six arbitrary stimulus-response rules. All tasks were preceded by an instruction phase (a visual depiction of the correct stimulus-response rules for each task), during which participants performed a verbal distractor task (articulatory suppression), a non-verbal distractor task (foot tapping) or no distractor task. Additionally, the duration of the instruction phase was varied so that it was either long (60 s) or short (30 s in Experiment 1, or 10 s in Experiment 2). In both experiments participants made more errors when they had performed articulatory suppression during the instruction interval, compared to the foot tapping and no distractor task conditions. Furthermore, Experiment 2 found that this detrimental effect of articulatory suppression was especially pronounced with a very short instruction duration. These findings demonstrate that language plays a crucial role in the encoding of novel task instructions, especially when instructions are encoded under time pressure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Our world is full of uncertainty. Animals, including humans, need to behave flexibly to adjust to ever-changing environments. Reversal learning tasks have been used to assess behavioral flexibility in many species. However, there are some limitations in the traditional free-moving methodology, including (1) sessions to train the animals, (2) within-session number of trials associated with reversals, (3) factors of physical movement unrelated to the task in the maze or operant box, and (4) incompatibility with techniques, such as two-photon imaging. Therefore, to address these limitations, we established a novel spatiotemporal Pavlovian head-fixed reversal learning task for mice. Six experimentally naive adult C57BL/6J mice were used in this study. First, we trained head-fixed mice on a fixed-time schedule task. Sucrose solution was delivered every 10 s with a single drinking spout placed within the licking distance of the mice. After the mice showed anticipatory licking toward the timing of sucrose solution delivery, we began training the mice on the fixed-time schedule reversal learning task with two licking spouts. In this task, sucrose solution was delivered through one of the two drinking spouts. The rewarding spout was switched every 10 trials. Mice quickly learned to switch anticipatory licking to the rewarding side of the spouts, suggesting that they learned this head-fixed reversal learning task. Using the head-fixed experimental design, behavioral measures can be simplified by eliminating the complex behavioral sequences observed in free-moving animals. This novel head-fixed reversal learning task is a useful assay for studying the neurobiological mechanism of behavioral flexibility that is impaired in various psychopathological conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In a repetitive human–robot collaboration (HRC) task, robots typically are required to learn the intended motion of the human user to improve the collaboration efficiency. However, the human user’s trajectory is of uncertainty when repeating the same task (e.g., human hand tremor and uncertain movement speed), which may directly deteriorate the learning performance. To address this issue, a path characterized by spatial correlation parameters, is of necessity to be learned by robots so that the aforementioned time-related uncertainty will be avoided. In this article, based on the path parameterization, a gradient-based iterative path learning (IPL) strategy is designed for the robot to learn the desired path of human. The proposed IPL strategy draws on the iterative learning methods with a properly designed performance index. Since the gradient of the performance index is hard to directly obtain in HRC, two learning methods with gradient search (GS) and gradient estimation (GE) are developed. The GS estimates the gradient online and has an advantage of easy implementation. By contrast, the advantage of GS is more obvious when the number of learned parameters is considerable due to its high learning efficiency. With these two methods, the unknown path parameters can be iteratively updated toward the desired values. To verify the effectiveness of the proposed IPL algorithm, experiments are carried out. In the experiment, a comparison between GS and GE methods is made to display their respective advantages. Besides, the proposed IPL is compared with an existing trajectory learning method subject to two different kinds of uncertainties and its better learning performance verifies its stability and capability in dealing with uncertainty. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Grasp estimation is a fundamental technique crucial for robot manipulation tasks. In this work, we present a scene-oriented grasp estimation scheme taking constraints of the grasp pose imposed by the environment into consideration and training on samples satisfying the constraints. We formulate valid grasps for a parallel-jaw gripper as vectors in a two-dimensional (2D) image and detect them with a fully convolutional network that simultaneously estimates the vectors' origins and directions. The detected vectors are then converted to 6 degree-of-freedom (6-DOF) grasps with a tailored strategy. As such, the network is able to detect multiple grasp candidates from a cluttered scene in one shot using only an RGB image as input. We evaluate our approach on the GraspNet-1Billion dataset and archived comparable performance as state-of-the-art while being efficient in runtime. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This systematic review and meta‐analysis considered evidence of guided play compared to direct instruction or free play to support children's learning and development. Interventions from 39 studies were reviewed (published 1977–2020); 17 were included in meta‐analysis (Ntotal = 3893; Mchildage = 1–8 years; Mgirls 49.8%; Methnicity White 41%, African American/Black 28%, Hispanic 19%). Guided play had a greater positive effect than direct instruction on early maths skills (g = 0.24), shape knowledge (g = 0.63), and task switching (g = 0.40); and than free play on spatial vocabulary (g = 0.93). Differences were not identified for other key outcomes. Narrative synthesis highlighted heterogeneity in the conceptualization and implementation of guided play across studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Mendive - Revista de Educacion is the property of Universidad de Pinar del Rio and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Roca: Revista Científico-Educacional de la Provincia de Granma is the property of Universidad de Granma, Departamento Editorial and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

We focused on the effect of various types of feedback in a game-based fluid reasoning test called Triton and the Hungry Ocean on elementary school students (ages 8-12; total N = 321). The feedback types were four: no feedback (A), simple (correct/wrong feedback; B), elaborated (correct solution shown; C), and learner-controlled feedback (student chooses between feedback types; D). We did not observe an effect of any feedback type on performance (i.e., there were no between-group differences). However, within group D, students overall tended to choose elaborated feedback more often as task difficulty increased (r = .92), and those in group D who generally tended to choose elaborated feedback also tended to perform better even after controlling for intellect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Perfectionism is a personality disposition usually defined considering the demands toward performance outcomes. Maladaptive perfectionists have more concerns over getting adverse performance outcomes than adaptive perfectionists. As an indicator of impulsivity, individuals' reaction time is significantly shorter after getting negative performance feedback than positive feedback. We conducted the present study to investigate the differences among perfectionists concerning the task-based impulsivity measures after getting negative and positive performance outcomes in a gambling task. A sample of 60 adults (22 adaptive, 20 maladaptive, and 18 non-perfectionists) performed a monetary gambling task while receiving positive or negative feedback. The findings revealed that maladaptive perfectionists had more impulsive responses than the other groups regardless of the feedback. The adaptive perfectionists spent more time choosing answers after each kind of feedbacks to make accurate decisions. The reinforcement sensitivity probably addresses the between-group differences of perfectionists in impulsivity. The findings of this study will help clarify the complex process of learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we investigated how different environmental cue and the proficiency of body motion influenced detour learning behaviour and cue preference in cue conflict situations. Domestic chicks were trained to detour around an obstacle and follow a fixed route to rejoin with their partners. When the environmental cue was red versus blue vertical stripes, the chicks learned the detour task quicker, and as the number of training trials after route acquisition increased, they switched their preference from the environmental cue to a body-motion cue in the cue conflict test. On the other hand, when the environmental cue was vertical versus horizontal blue stripes, the chicks learned the detour task slower and showed a dependence on the body-motion cue regardless of the number of training trials performed after route acquisition. When the environmental cue was removed, most chicks could still successfully detour according to the specific route on which they had been trained. Furthermore, a significant difference in detour latency was found between chicks using the environmental cue and chicks using the body-motion cue, suggesting separate neuronal circuits responsible for processing the two types of information. Our results demonstrated that young domestic chicks could use both environmental cue and body-motion cues to memorize the route during the detour learning task; however, the detour route preference could be dynamically modulated by difference of the environmental cue and the number of training trials they received. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Frequent repetition of vocabulary is essential for effective language learning. To increase exposure to learning content, this work explores the integration of vocabulary tasks into the smartphone authentication process. We present the design and initial user experience evaluation of twelve prototypes, which explored three learning tasks and four common authentication types. In a three-week within-subject field study, we compared the most promising concept as mobile language learning (MLL) applications to two baselines: We designed a novel (1) UnlockApp that presents a vocabulary task with each authentication event, nudging users towards short frequent learning session. We compare it with a (2) NotificationApp that displays vocabulary tasks in a push notification in the status bar, which is always visible but learning needs to be user-initiated, and a (3) StandardApp that requires users to start in-app learning actively. Our study is the first to directly compare these embedding concepts for MLL, showing that integrating vocabulary learning into everyday smartphone interactions via UnlockApp and NotificationApp increases the number of answers. However, users show individual subjective preferences. Based on our results, we discuss the trade-off between higher content exposure and disturbance, and the related challenges and opportunities of embedding learning seamlessly into everyday mobile interactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study was to identify and characterize the reading and writing tasks that university students perform to learn, taking into account the discipline (sciences vs humanities) and the support used (printed vs digital). Four hundred and four students completed an online questionnaire that included 13 tasks which involved reading-writing to learn the contents of the subject. The tasks varied according to their level of complexity, the number and type of sources needed, the level of composition required and the degree to which the information from the sources was processed. Students indicated performing, with higher frequency, tasks that promoted more superficial learning. Humanities students mentioned carrying out tasks that promoted deeper processing. Regarding the format of the materials used, science students reported using the digital format more frequently. However, printed support seemed to be more commonly used when students performed tasks to learn in a relatively superficial way the contents of the subjects. By contrast, students used the digital format to perform complex reading and writing tasks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Pixo: Revista de Arquitetura Cidade e Contemporaneidade is the property of Pixo Revista de Arquitetura Cidade e Contemporaneidade and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Many language teachers employ collaborative learning within their classrooms. However, expectations surrounding the efficacy of working collaboratively need to be empirically verified. This study employed dynamic assessment to investigate whether learners who are situated within an undergraduate Qatari EFL context learn second language grammatical structures more effectively by working either collaboratively with their peers or individually. Interventionist dynamic assessment was used to quantify the extent of the learning gains made by male Arabic undergraduate EFL learners (N = 52) three times (pretest, posttest, and delayed posttest) over a 12-week period. In between the pretest and the posttest, six form-focused treatment tasks were administered. The experimental group (n = 20) completed the tasks collaboratively with their peers; a comparison group (n = 16) completed the tasks individually; and a control group (n = 16) did not complete the tasks. The target structures were the simple past passive and the present continuous passive. A Mood's median test (Mood, 1954) found no statistically significant differences between the collaborative condition and the individual condition. Although measuring emergent abilities which are still in the process of developing provided a more complete picture of the efficacy of working collaboratively, the lack of a statistically significant difference between the performances of the experimental and comparison groups for both target structures suggests that working collaboratively is not statistically more effective in facilitating learners' linguistic development than working individually. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose. Vertical and slanted mouse models have been developed to reduce forearm pronation. Discomfort, performance and stresses have been analyzed with these mice in previous studies but not learning during the familiarization phase. Methods. Eighteen females performed repeated pointing–clicking tasks with a standard mouse used as a reference followed by a slanted mouse and a vertical mouse in a randomized order. The duration of each task was measured. For each participant–mouse combination, changes in duration upon repeating the task were analyzed using a statistical model including a log-linear slope followed by a plateau. We consider that when the plateau is reached, the participant is familiar with the task. Results. For both the slanted mouse and the vertical mouse, the plateau is reached after about 30 repetitions of the task. The duration of the plateau was similar for these two mouse models. For the vertical mouse only, the slope increased significantly when used second versus when used first. Conclusion. Learning speed appeared slower with the vertical mouse than with the slanted mouse. In light of these findings and those of previous studies, decision-makers and employees should consider the slanted mouse rather than the vertical mouse. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study reported here investigated the effects of recasts on L2 development in terms of promoting EFL learners' accuracy in using English articles during mobile-mediated audio and video interactions. Fifty-two Iranian EFL learners were randomly assigned into two audio and video recasts conditions as well as two audio and video control groups. During five treatment sessions, the participants in the audio recasts group performed several online communicative tasks via their smartphones with their interlocutor and received recasts in response to their errors during audio interactions. The participants in the video recasts group performed the same tasks and received recasts during video interactions. The analyses of the learners' post-test scores indicated the benefits of recasts provided during both audio and video interactions for L2 development although recasts provided during audio interactions proved to be more effective than recasts delivered during video interactions. The analyses of learners' perceptions of recasts and also their responses to recasts revealed that the learners had more accurate perceptions of audio recasts and that the participants produced more target-like modified output in response to audio recasts compared to the video recasts. The implications for language teaching, especially technology-based and distance education, will be discussed in the study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study is to analyse the effects of the Interactive Learning Materials Triangle (iLMT) on the learning and knowledge retention of 12-year-old students. The iLMT is a digital version of the standard school learning materials in Serbia, and is characterized by a high degree of interactivity and immediate feedback during the learning process. We conducted an experiment to explore whether iLMT influences student success in solving mathematical tasks that require different types of mathematical reasoning. Based on previous extensive research by Lithner, 4 types of tasks are discussed: high relatedness answer, high relatedness algorithm, local low relatedness, and global low relatedness. The study involved 633 students and 13 teachers of mathematics, equally distributed in control and test groups. The main findings indicate that student success on a knowledge test for high relatedness answer and local low relatedness tasks for the test group was significantly higher than for the control group. On the knowledge retention test, students in the test group outperformed students in the control group at high relatedness algorithm and local low relatedness tasks. Our results also suggest that, even when learning materials are carefully digitalized with the use of available technological advantages, student success in global low relatedness tasks may still be lacking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Self-regulated learning (SRL) promotes both current and future academic achievement and must be adapted based on task demands. To develop SRL, gifted students must have opportunities to experience optimally challenging tasks. Gifted students' past experiences (or lack thereof) with challenging tasks affects how they approach current tasks, which affects how they will approach challenges in the future. The current study used a two-stage approach to examine the extent to which Honors College students are able to adjust their SRL approaches based on task demands. Stage 1 provided baseline data on which types of Graduate Record Examination data analysis problems each student found to be difficult or easy. Then, in Stage 2, students were provided individually designed, easy and difficult problems. The students reported their SRL processes while engaging with the problems. When students were solving difficult problems, they demonstrated lower self-efficacy, lower performance evaluations, and lower effort. Furthermore, students reported using more surface level strategies when solving a difficult task, compared with their deeper strategic approach employed when engaging with the easy task. These findings suggest that, although gifted students may be aware of deeper, more effective strategies, they may not transfer these skills to difficult learning tasks. Thus, one recommendation would be to provide gifted students with more opportunities to practice building and transferring adaptive SRL processes when faced with a challenging task. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Currently, the cognitive load imposed by tasks with different complexity during collaborative learning or pair learning has not been well studied. This study examined the effect of three types of tasks with different complexity on students' cognitive load during pair learning. We randomly selected a total of 76 pupils to participate in a one-semester robotics course for the experiment. The results showed that the difference in students' cognitive load imposed by pair learning and robotics tasks with different complexity was not significant. However, it is complicated to explain the results. From one side of the coin, pair learning may be a key factor. The more complex the task is, the more possible that an individuals would collaborate with partners to promote the equal allocation of intrinsic cognitive load. In contrast, the simple tasks would cause free-riding and thus impede the equal allocation of cognitive load. From another side, the essence of germane cognitive load might play an important role too, since students' schemas were not sufficiently automated when they encountered the easy tasks at the early learning stage, but automated to some extent when they complete complex tasks during the later learning period. Implications for practitioners are also discussed in this study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Ilha do Desterro: A Journal of English Language, Literatures in English & Cultural Studies is the property of Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, CCE Departamento de Pos-Graduacao em Lingua Englesa and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Many frameworks have assessed the ultimate and ontogenetic underpinnings in the development of object permanence, but less is known about whether individual characteristics, such as sex or training level, as well as proximate factors, such as arousal or emotional state, affect performance in these tasks. The current study investigated horses' performance in visible and invisible displacement tasks and assessed whether specific ontogenetic, behavioral, and physiological factors were associated with performance. The study included 39 Icelandic horses aged 2–25 years, of varying training levels. The horses were exposed to three tasks: (a) a choice test (n = 37), (b) a visible displacement task (n = 35), and (c) an invisible displacement task (n = 31). 27 horses in the choice test, and 8 horses in the visible displacement task, performed significantly better than expected by chance, while none did so in the invisible displacement task. This was also reflected in their group performance, where horses performed above chance level in the choice task and the visible displacement task only. In the invisible displacement task, the group performed significantly worse than expected by chance indicating that horses persistently chose the side where they had last seen the target. None of the individual characteristics included in the study had an effect on performance. Unsuccessful horses had higher heart rate levels, and expressed more behavior indicative of frustration, likely because of their inability to solve the task. The increased frustration/arousal could lead to a negative feedback loop, which might hamper performance in subsequent trials. Care should thus be taken in future experimental designs to closely monitor the arousal level of the tested individuals in order to safeguard comparability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, 17 adult participants were trained to solve alphabet–arithmetic problems using a production task (e.g., C + 3 = ?). The evolution of their performance across 12 practice sessions was compared with the results obtained in past studies using verification tasks (e.g., is C + 3 = F correct?). We show that, irrespective of the experimental paradigm used, there is no evidence for a shift from counting to retrieval during training. However, and again regardless of the paradigm, problems with the largest addend constitute an exception to the general pattern of results obtained. Contrary to other problems, their answers seem to be deliberately memorised by participants relatively early during training. All in all, we conclude that verification and production tasks lead to similar patterns of results, which can therefore both confidently be used to discuss current theories of learning. Still, deliberate memorization of problems with the largest addend appears earlier and more often in a production than a verification task. This last result is discussed in light of retrieval models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we review studies that have identified collective variables (order parameters) in movement coordination, control and skill with emphasis on whole-body multiple joint degree of freedom (DF) tasks. Collective variables of a dynamical system have been proposed formally and informally from a diverse set of perceptual-motor tasks, from which we emphasize: bimanual coordination, locomotion (pedalo, walking, running, bicycle riding), roller ball task, static (quiet standing) and dynamic (moving on a ski-simulator) balance, grasping, and juggling. Several types of candidate collective variables have been identified, including: relative phase, frequency ratio, number of hands active in grasping, synchrony, learning rate and relative timing. There is a strong influence of the task goal in determining the collective variable that can be body or environment relative. The emergence of the task relevant collective variable is typically in the early stage of skill learning where subjects through practice adapt movement organization to realize a never previously produced movement coordination pattern. Throughout, the paper elaborates on open theoretical, experimental and analysis issues for collective variables in the context of task constraints and Bernstein's (1967) view of skill acquisition as learning to master redundant DF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research spanning 100 years has revealed that learning a novel perception-action task is remarkably task-specific. With only a few exceptions, transfer is typically very small, even with seemingly small changes to the task. This fact has remained surprising given previous attempts to formalise the notion of what a task is, which have been dominated by common-sense divisions of tasks into parts. This article lays out an ecologically grounded alternative, ecological task dynamics , which provides us with tools to formally define tasks as experience from the first-person perspective of the learner. We explain this approach using data from a learning and transfer experiment using bimanual coordinated rhythmic movement as the task, and acquiring a novel coordination as the goal of learning. 10 participants were extensively trained to perform 60° mean relative phase; this learning transferred to 30° and 90°, against predictions derived from our previous work. We use recent developments in the formal model of the task to guide interpretation of the learning and transfer results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents one of the most important and updated problems of the English teaching-learning process: to improve written expression in English. To do so, some empirical methods were implemented and they revealed, as a result, the weaknesses that persist in most school institutions regarding the development of this practice. Thus, the research offers a proposal of some learning tasks to improve the students' writing abilities. Some methodological considerations and requirements are also included to structure the proposal, as well as certain didactic reflections for the English written expression development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Mendive - Revista de Educacion is the property of Universidad de Pinar del Rio and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Objective: Cross-sectional studies reported increased postural sway during balance tasks with a high (e.g., unipedal stance on foam ground) compared to a low (e.g., unipedal stance on firm ground) level of task difficulty. Therefore, practicing/training balance tasks using high compared to low stimuli seems to be beneficial as it addresses larger adaptive reserves. Thus, the present study was performed to investigate the role of task difficulty during practice on learning a dynamic balance task in healthy young adults. Results: During acquisition, both practice groups ("Easy" or "Difficult" task condition) significantly improved their performance (i.e., time in balance). Further, the statistical analysis of post-practice performance revealed a significant main effect of test (i.e., better performance under easy compared to difficult test conditions, irrespective of group) but not of group. Additionally, the Group × Test interaction did not reach the level of significance, indicating that learning a dynamic balance task did not depend on the practiced task condition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study was to explore the role played by phonological memory (PM) in the learning of new second language (L2) vocabulary presented in a narrated story. The proposal was that individuals with a strong PM would do better on this largely auditory task than those with poor PM capacity, since fewer visual/written cues could make remembering vocabulary a more challenging task. Participants were French native speakers, advanced learners of English (N = 55). The results revealed that PM, measured by a nonword repetition task and a serial recognition task, did not predict vocabulary retention scores in the group as a whole. However, when low and high PM subgroups were formed, a significant association between PM and vocabulary retention was found in the low PM group only, suggesting the contribution of PM to short-term vocabulary learning in advanced learners is outweighed by other factors, except when PM is quite weak. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multiple team membership (MTM) is a form of work organization extensively used nowadays to flexibly deploy human resources across multiple simultaneous projects. Individual members bring in their cognitive resources in these multiple teams and at the same time use the resources and competencies developed while working together. We test in an experimental study whether working in MTM as compared to a single team yields more individual performance benefits in estimation tasks. Our results fully support the group-to-individual (G-I) transfer of learning, yet the hypothesized benefits of knowledge variety and broader access to meta-knowledge relevant to the task in MTM as compared to single teams were not supported. In addition, we show that individual estimates improve only when members are part of groups with low or average collective estimation errors, while confidence in individual estimates significantly increases only when the collective confidence in the group estimates is average or high. The study opens valuable venues for using the dynamic model of G-I transfer of learning to explore individual learning in MTM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

According to the time on-task hypothesis, the amount of time an individual devotes to an instructional task determines the extent to which learning occurs. Therefore, time off-task hampers learning by limiting learning opportunities. Prior research has generally found a positive relationship between time on-task and achievement; however, the correlation strength is highly variable across studies. Differences in the ways in which time has been operationalised may be one factor contributing to the divergent results. We utilise an existing data set of twenty classrooms (K-4) to investigate whether operationalising time in a consistent manner will yield a stable association between on-task behaviour and learning. Overall, on-task behaviour was positively correlated with learning, controlling for gender, school type, and grade-level. However, this correlation was weak. Importantly, considerable variability in the correlation strength was observed, indicating variations in the prior literature cannot be attributed solely to issues of measurement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the present study was to demonstrate the multisensory nature of vocabulary knowledge by using learning designed to encourage the simulation of sensorimotor experiences. Forty participants were instructed to learn pseudowords together with arbitrary definitions, either by mentally experiencing (sensorimotor simulation) the definitions, or by mentally repeating them. A test phase consisting of three tasks was then administered: in a recognition task, participants had to recognize learned pseudowords among distractors. In a categorization task, they had to categorize pseudowords as representing either living or non-living items. Finally, in a sentence completion task, participants had to decide whether pseudowords were congruent with context sentences. As expected, the sensorimotor simulation condition induced better performances only in the categorization task and the sentence completion task. The results converge with data from the literature in demonstrating that knowledge emergence implies sensorimotor simulation and showing that vocabulary learning can benefit from encoding that encourages the simulation of sensorimotor experiences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of German International Journal of Modern Science / Deutsche Internationale Zeitschrift für Zeitgenössische Wissenschaft is the property of Artmedia24 and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Virtual reality (VR) simulation offers significant potential for human factors training as it provides a novel approach which enables training in environments that are otherwise dangerous, impractical or expensive to simulate. While VR training has been adopted in many environments, such as heavy industry, surgery and aviation, there remains an inadequate understanding of how virtual simulations impact cognitive factors. One such factor, which needs careful consideration during the design of VR simulations, is the degree of mental or cognitive load experienced during training. This study aimed to validate a newly developed measure of workload, based on existing instruments (e.g. the NASA-TLX), but tailored to the specific demands placed on users of simulated environments. While participants completed a VR puzzle game, a series of experimental manipulations of workload were used to assess the sensitivity of the new instrument. The manipulations affected the questionnaire subscales (mental demands; physical demands; temporal demands; frustration; task complexity; situational stress; distraction; perceptual strain; task control; presence) as predicted in all cases (ps <.05), except for presence, which displayed little relationship with other aspects of task load. The scale was also found to have good convergent validity with an alternate index of task load. The findings support the sensitivity of the new instrument for assessing task load in virtual reality. Overall, this study contributes to the understanding of mental workload in simulated environments and provides a practical tool for use in both future research and applications in the field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to answer the questions related to the effect of using self-regulated jigsaw task as a technique to improve the students' performance in the course of curriculum reading in English, and to find out the learners' perceptions of using jigsaw task in their learning. This study is important since jigsaw task could help learners to become autonomous learners as well as to promote cooperation between learners. The study sample consisted of 40 (two classes) female students studying the course of curriculum reading in English in the Master's Program of curriculum and instructions at Umm Al-Qura University. The classes were allocated to the experimental group (n=21 students), which was taught using self-regulated jigsaw task, and the control group (n=19 students), which was taught using traditional tasks. Pre-and post-tests have been conducted to find out the statistical differences. Further, an open-ended questionnaire was given to the participants in the experimental group (n=21 students) to find out more about their perception of using the jigsaw technique in the learning process. Wilcoxon Signed Rank test was used as a statistical procedure to analyze the participants' scores on the post-test, and the Greenhouse-Geisser test was applied to investigate the differences between groups. The results of the study showed that the difference in performance between students taught using self-regulated jigsaw task and those taught using traditional tasks was statistically significant. Further, the participants in the experimental group perceived that using the jigsaw task had a positive effect on the learning process, enhanced their relations with other learners, and increased their motivation in learning. It is hoped that this study could encourage university instructors to design and implement jigsaw tasks into different courses in higher education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A reflective journal is used as a technique of self-reflection in the learning process. By integrating the process of metacognition, a reflective journal guideline was developed to knowing students' metacognition growth in writing. The reflective journal guidelines are designed in the form of self-questioning to make it easier for students to express their metacognition processes during their writing assignments. The metacognition process consists of three, namely awareness, evaluation, and regulation. The reflective journal guidelines that were compiled was given to 50 students. Before writing a reflective journal, students are asked to work on the task of writing explanatory texts. Students monitor the metacognition growth of while writing the explanatory text using reflective journal guidelines. Research findings show that reflective journal guidelines can be used to monitor the growth of students' metacognition in writing. Both students who are used to writing and who are not accustomed to writing can express their writing experience by answering questions in the reflective journal guidelines. This finding also shows that teachers must always encourage students to always write reflective journals in order to monitor metacognition growth in writing, ranging from raising awareness about knowledge and task completion efforts, monitoring the quality of the results obtained, and fostering the habit of planning, setting goals, and apply certain strategies in completing tasks. Students who are used to writing reflective journals in the learning process will be able to develop their writing skills and will become independent learners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main features of the Shuttle Box Active Avoidance paradigm (e.g., the use of simple locomotor response as an operant and electrical current as a primary reinforcer) make this task easily automated. However, learning in this paradigm cannot be easily separated from the specificity of fear motivation. Punishment and negative reinforcement highly affect behavior in this task and complicate learning. In the present study, we describe a novel computer-controlled appetitive task in a shuttle box and compare it with active avoidance. The appetitive task was performed in the same shuttle box apparatus, additionally equipped with food dispensers in each compartment, and using a similar protocol. The reinforced reaction included the transition to the feeder in the opposite compartment in response to a stimulus. Animals mastered the appetitive task faster than the active avoidance task in the shuttle box. Other major differences between the models were the number and dynamics of intertrial responses (ITRs). Whereas in active avoidance the number of ITRs was low during learning, in the appetitive task rates were higher and they persisted throughout learning. Overall, the findings demonstrate some benefits of the appetitive task as a control condition to active avoidance: the use of a similar reaction and apparatus, no prior habituation, and fast acquisition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]