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The current study evaluated the effects of two different styles of discussion board assignments on weekly and cumulative final exam scores in an online asynchronous undergraduate psychology of learning class. In particular, this study used an alternating treatments design to compare three different discussion conditions: (1) interteaching-style discussion, in which students discussed all prep guide questions; (2) essay-style discussion, in which students posted a short essay and discussed essays written by other students; and (3) no discussion. No significant differences were found on weekly or cumulative final exam scores between these three discussion conditions. However, students reported that they preferred and learned more from interteaching-style discussions. It is unclear if the lack of effect on exam scores resulted from the alternating treatments design, which only exposed students to each discussion condition twice during the term. Future researchers could utilize alternate research designs to explore the effects of exposing students to a greater number of asynchronous interteaching discussions throughout the semester. An alternative explanation is that it may be that when prep guides are assigned and graded with detailed feedback, this mitigates the effect of the discussion component. Follow-up studies could investigate the impact of alternative methods for structuring the asynchronous interteaching discussion, and also the effects of adding quality points contingent on the discussion. Keywords Interteaching * Online * Higher education * Discussion, Amid the SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) pandemic and its variants, the need for empirically supported online instruction methods has become more apparent than ever. For instance, in 2021, 60% of postsecondary students [...]

Interteaching is a strategy that shifts the emphasis from passive student learning to active engagement through the use of preparation guides, small group discussions, clarifying lectures, and frequent testing. Several classroom studies have demonstrated that interteaching leads to better student comprehension and higher test scores. However, the specific strategies used in these studies vary slightly. The goal of the present study was to compare two different ways of implementing the preparation guide and group discussions to determine which method led to higher academic success. A group design was used in two sections of a psychology course over two semesters. One section experienced the standard interteaching method, where students completed the entire preparation guide prior to class and engaged in small group discussions during class. The second section was divided into two groups and each group was given half of the preparation guide to complete. Students, then, went through two rounds of group discussions: first, in a dyad with a member that completed the same portion of the preparation guide and then in a larger group with another dyad who completed the other portion of the preparation guide. Students in the second section scored more points on exam questions that came from their half of the preparation guide and they demonstrated less of a preference for interteaching than those who experienced the standard interteaching method. Results from this study indicate that instructors should have students read and complete the entire preparation guide to allow for more effective implementation of interteaching.

Although interteaching has been shown to improve students' understanding of course material in a multitude of classroom studies, only one laboratory study investigating it has been published. In that study, interteaching led to significantly higher scores on a quiz compared to other teaching methods. The goal of the present study was to add to the laboratory literature in this area by determining which components of interteaching are important for students' academic success. A pretest/posttest design was used in which participants were randomly assigned to experience 1 of 4 conditions: 1) reading; 2) reading plus prep guide; 3) reading, prep guide, plus group discussion; or 4) reading, prep guide, group discussion, plus clarifying lecture. The results demonstrated that condition 3 produced the highest improvement in test scores, implying that the group discussion was integral to producing positive academic outcomes.

Prior to 2020, schools across the nation undertook school discipline reform. Then, the COVID-19 pandemic struck. Unknown is whether schools remained steadfast in their commitment to restorative practice (RP). The current case study examined student (n = 53–86) and staff surveys (n = 49–62) before and during the pandemic. It also examined the nature of the RP consultancy and leadership values and strategies, based on principal and staff interviews (n = 15). Survey results showed that despite disruption in the trainings and consultation, the school remained steadfast in offering activities to foster community, social emotional learning, and repairing harm. Training data showed that the RP consultancy had an upfront focus on developing leadership capacity. The qualitative analyses found that the principal drew on restorative values focused on relationships, equity, and restoration. Implications are that RP committed leaders combined with a capacity-building RP consultancy may support steadfast implementation of RP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study experimentally investigated human cooperation (sharing) in a laboratory foraging task that simulated environmental variability and resource scarcity (shortfall risk). Specifically, it investigated whether a risk-reduction model of food sharing derived from the energy budget rule could predict human cooperative behavior. Participants responded on a computer task for money and were given the choice between working alone or working with others and pooling earnings. Earnings could be kept only if the sum exceeded an earnings requirement (i.e., a need level). The effects of social variables on sharing were investigated to determine whether they constrained optimal decision making. The experiments investigated choice when participants were told the partner was a computer or a (fictitious) partner (Experiment 1) and when the earnings between the participant and partner were inequitable (Experiment 2). The results showed that social variables had no effect on decision making. Instead, sharing patterns were in accord with predictions of the risk-reduction model. These results provide additional evidence that a risk-reduction model of food sharing derived from risk-sensitive foraging models may be useful for predicting human cooperation for monetary outcomes. Keywords Sharing * Risk-sensitive foraging * Energy-budget * Cooperation * Risk reduction, Food sharing has been widely observed in human societies (see Winterhalder, Lu, & Tucker, 1999). Sharing may take the form of reciprocal exchange, such as when individuals give to others [...]

Although substantial empirical evidence supports interteaching, few studies have investigated the clarifying lecture component, and none have evaluated it in an online course format.This study evaluated the necessity of a clarifying lecture in an asynchronous online course and compared a clarifying lecture (based on student feedback) to brief standard lecture (covering material the instructor thought was difficult).Participants were undergraduates (N = 116) across three sections of an online Psychology of Learning course. An alternating treatments design was used to vary the order of three brief lecture conditions across weeks in the courses: (a) clarifying lecture; (b) standard lecture; and (c) no lecture.There were no significant differences in exam scores across the three conditions. However, students scored significantly higher on weekly exams when the lecture conditions were collapsed and compared to no lecture. Most students reported a preference for the clarifying lecture.Our findings suggest that both styles of asynchronous lectures positively impacted weekly (but not cumulative final) exam scores.The efficacy of interteaching was not decreased by altering lecture style. This flexibility eases the course preparation burden on instructors given they could prepare lectures prior to gathering student feedback. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Undergraduates seem to experience the same level of general stress when race is the independent variable. Although universities allocate resources to “support” marginalized students, most universities have not been successful with creating an inclusive climate, especially for Black students. The purpose of this research was to investigate three different levels of stress faced by marginalized college students attending a public predominantly White institution (PWI). The findings indicated no significant differences in general and academic stresses based on race, but a significant difference in multicultural distress experienced by Black students. PWIs need to consider improving their campus climate and thoroughly looking at possible systems of oppression that could be deeply rooted within their institution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A method for solving the problem of planning the motion of a complex land vehicle moving in a natural environment is presented. A motion generator is proposed that will predict the dynamic behaviour of the vehicle following a nominal motion plan that includes a channel to be followed and subgoals to be reached. The behaviour of such robots can be modelled using the concept of a 'physical model' as has been developed to solve problems in computer graphics and man-machine communications. Good results have been achieved when testing the model using the Cordis-Anima modeler/simulator.

AbstractPurposeMaterials and methodsResultsConclusions\nIMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATIONChildren with Special Health Care Needs (CSHCN) may experience disruptions in education due to extended hospitalizations. The purpose of this study was to describe how CSHCN experience educational supports during inpatient rehabilitation and identify the ongoing challenges when planning to return to school.Semi-structured focus groups were conducted with parents (n = 12), former patients (n = 20), and rehabilitation professionals (n = 8).Through qualitative thematic analysis based on descriptive phenomenology, we developed three themes: 1) Inpatient educational support such as instruction and schoolwork helped reduce the learning loss during hospitalization. However, these supports were sometimes complicated by lags in school approvals and challenges in coordination between systems. 2) Transition planning involved establishing necessary services to support CSHCN’s educational and healthcare needs at school re-entry. However, families reported limited information and guidance as key barriers. 3) Dynamic courses of school re-entry required continued support after discharge. The participants recommended that reassessment and adjustment of transition plans were often necessary to account for evolving developmental and educational needs but were not always received.There is an ongoing need to improve communication between clinicians and educators, information for families, and long-term follow-up on the changing educational needs for CSHCN after rehabilitation.School re-entry after extended hospitalization is challenging for children with special health care needs (CSHCN) due to school disruption, social disconnection, and change in functional abilities.The hospital-to-school transition processes include inpatient educational programs during hospitalization, pre-discharge transition planning, and the subsequent implementation and adjustment of transition plans to facilitate individualized school re-entry.Key areas in need of improving school re-entry include coordination between the hospital and school about rehabilitation and educational goals and information provided to families about transition processes, particularly for newly acquired health conditions.A common need expressed by parents and CSHCN is to simplify and accelerate the process to establish services that support children’s educational and healthcare needs.School re-entry after extended hospitalization is challenging for children with special health care needs (CSHCN) due to school disruption, social disconnection, and change in functional abilities.The hospital-to-school transition processes include inpatient educational programs during hospitalization, pre-discharge transition planning, and the subsequent implementation and adjustment of transition plans to facilitate individualized school re-entry.Key areas in need of improving school re-entry include coordination between the hospital and school about rehabilitation and educational goals and information provided to families about transition processes, particularly for newly acquired health conditions.A common need expressed by parents and CSHCN is to simplify and accelerate the process to establish services that support children’s educational and healthcare needs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The prevalence of exposure to the bacteria Helicobacter pylori in Central Texas is unknown. It has been shown that elderly individuals have a higher rate of infection than younger individuals. Exposure is even higher in the elderly living in long term care facilities. Evidence of exposure can be demonstrated by the presence of antibody to H. pylori. Plasma samples collected from several age groups are tested for the antibody to determine the exposure rate for different age groups., Design: An exemption was granted by the Texas State University Institutional Review Board (IRB) as the plasma samples had been previously collected for other types of laboratory assessments. Samples were tested with the Status H. pylori Immunoassay that identifies anti-H. pylori IgG antibody in plasma samples., Setting: The research study took place in the Texas State University Clinical Laboratory Science Department., Patients or Other Participants: Blinded in-patient plasma samples were used that had been previously collected for other assays. MAIN SOURCE MEASURE(S): The percentage of positive antibody tests is determined by age group., Results: The chi-squared (chi2) results for each age group expressed a p-value of 0.000. The age group, 41-60, had the highest rate of positive antibody tests at 24%. The second highest age group was the 61 and over age group at 17%. Third highest age group was the 21-40 age group at 16% positive tests. The lowest percentage testing positive was the 0-20 age group at 6%., Conclusion: There was a higher prevalence of antibody in patients older than 40 years old than in younger patients. Curiously, the oldest age group (61 years or older) did not have the highest rates of exposure. Exposure rates were much lower than rates seen in other areas.