Combining Instructional Activities for Sense-Making Processes and Perceptual-Induction Processes Involved in Connection-Making Among Multiple Visual Representations

Abstract

Connection-making among multiple representations is a crucial but difficult competence in STEM learning. Prior research has focused on one type of learning process involved in connection-making: sense-making processes leading to conceptual understanding of connections. Yet, other research suggests that a second type of learning process is important: inductive learning processes leading to perceptual intuitions about connections. We investigate whether combining instructional activities designed to support sense-making processes for understanding of connections (understanding activities) and instructional activities that support inductive processes for perceptual intuitions about connections (perception activities) enhances students’ learning of chemistry knowledge. A laboratory-based experiment with 117 undergraduate students compared students in (a) a control condition that received only conventional activities that did not require connection-making; (b) a condition that received conventional and understanding-activities; (c) a condition that received conventional and perception-activities; and (d) a combined condition that received conventional, understanding-activities, and perception-activities. Results show that only the combined condition outperformed the control condition on a test of chemistry knowledge. Eye-gaze data and verbal reports show that understanding-activities and perception-activities have complementary effects on how students integrate information from multiple representations during the learning phase. Finally, we found that students’ spatial skills moderate their benefit from understanding-activities and perception-activities.     

Social support,social integration,and health-related quality of life over time: Results from the Fitness and Arthritis in Seniors Trial (FAST)

The present study tested whether baseline perceived social support and social integration predicted baseline and follow-up measures of health-related quality of life for 364 older adults with osteoarthritis. The findings are secondary analyses of a randomized controlled trial of an exercise intervention. Multiple regression analyses indicate that perceived social support was related to baseline measures of functioning in psychological (depressive symptoms, social functioning, and life satisfaction) and physical domains (self-rated disability, observed physical function, and perceived health), after accounting for demographic and clinical status factors. At 18-month follow-up (additionally controlling for exercise intervention and baseline outcomes), social support significantly predicted changes in psychosocial functioning, but was unrelated to changes in self-reported and observed physical health. The findings indicate that social support is an important predictor of long-term psychosocial outcomes, but is less important than baseline clinical status for physical health endpoints in this cohort of older adults. In contrast, social integration was not a consistent predictor of outcomes.     

Can You Feel It? Negative Emotion,Risk, and Narrative in Health Communication

Eliciting emotional responses to mass media messages can be an effective means of changing public health attitudes, intentions and behaviors. This conceptual paper proposes that emotional responses to such media messages can be message-referent, plot-referent, and/or self-referent. Self-referent emotional responses are expected to have a direct effect in motivating behavior change, particularly as they are likely to be associated with an increase in perceived personal risk. Message-referent and plot-referent emotional responses are proposed to have indirect effects on the individual, primarily by stimulating self-referent emotions, and prompting interpersonal discussion about the message. In this paper, it is argued that narrative is a particularly effective message format with which to elicit self-referent emotional responses.     

“Getting to Know”: Exploring How Urban African American Women Conceptualize Safer and Risky Sexual Behaviors

The surge in the rate of the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) cases continues to be most prevalent for African American women between the ages of 18 and 29, with heterosexual transmission remaining the primary cause of HIV spread for this population. The high rates of HIV/AIDS among African American women continue to emphasize the need for understanding how members of this population conceptualize sexual safety and risk. A qualitative research study using grounded theory methods was conducted to explore how African American women define safer and risky sexual behaviors. Interviews were conducted with 14 African American women between the ages of 18 and 29. The study findings suggest that African American women’s definitions of safer and risky sexual behaviors, while in a consensual sexual relationship, are consistently influenced by sex partner type. The information garnered from this study can help inform the development of HIV prevention strategies, health education, counseling and reproductive health services that support African American women’s wellness.     

The spiritual care of sick children: reflections from a pilot participation project

The authors are a multi-disciplinary team of chaplains, one with a counselling qualification, and an academic with a research background in spirituality and youth work. A pilot participation project undertaken at Birmingham Children’s Hospital (UK) focused on increasing the understanding of the spiritual needs of sick children and young people and involving children and young people in improving the service and provision of spiritual and religious care to them. Views from children, young people and parents were sought with the intention of developing resources and training that help facilitate the meeting of spiritual and religious needs of children and young people in hospital. Within the wider chaplaincy team are chaplains from the six major world faiths and this project considers spiritual needs of children and young people who perceive themselves as belonging to a faith group or not. Reflections from the pilot include identifying ten principles and practices to inform the spiritual care of sick children and proposing the concept of interpretive spiritual encounters as a tool for spiritual care. The pilot study indicated that being more proactive in offering spiritual care enhanced the quality of service offered by Chaplaincy.     

Is ‘culture’ a justifiable variable for market segmentation? A cross‐cultural example

This paper investigates whether culture can be used to segment a market. Using Indians, resident in Britain (British Indians) as an example, previous research suggests that culture's manifestation within buyer behaviour provides sufficient evidence to justify its use as a market segment variable. Using brown goods (television sets, video equipment, music systems etc) a comparative quantitative study examined the impact of a range of cultural values upon the buying behaviour of British Indians and British Caucasians, to identify significant differences between the two. Although a significant difference was found, the amount of similarity between the two sample groups suggests culture should not be used as a segmentation variable. This research has implications for organisations seeking to develop ethnic minority orientated marketing strategies. Copyright © 2003 Henry Stewart Publications.