Reflection for learning in doctoral training: writing groups,academic writing proficiency and reflective practice

This literature review highlights the benefits of participating in a doctoral writing group, with specific emphasis on how these learning communities foster reflective practice skills development. In particular, this review proposes that the process of continuous peer feedback and discussion benefits students by helping them verbalise their internal reflective thinking, fostering reflective practice skills development through various authentic learning experiences. Consequently, this review highlights the importance of establishing and supporting doctoral writing groups to further develop doctoral students’ personal epistemology, growth and professional practice.     

Negotiating multiple perspectives: a discussion of instructors’ practice within an English-language service course

At the University of the West Indies, large courses often require the involvement of multiple persons in their delivery. Within the English Language Foundation Unit, several of the courses offered cater to over 500 students in any given semester. The large number of students necessitates multiple practitioners providing instructions as part of the same course offering. While stylistics may vary, there is the need for course instruction and content to depict uniformity. Practitioners’ conceptualization of a specific topic will inform the instruction received by students. In instances where practitioners do not conceptualize content in a like manner, students within the same course may receive varied instruction, thus affecting student output and overall evaluation. The paper looks specifically at a service course offered at the University of the West Indies and the practices of the multiple persons involved in the teaching of the course. It provides an overview of practitioners’ discussion of their conceptualization of content areas within the courses and assesses the extent to which there are variations and/or similarities. It also discusses how these impact teaching and learning. The research seeks to derive an actionable direction for collaboration and further discussions within large service courses with the aim of improving teaching and learning.     

Reflection in university and the employability agenda: a discourse analysis case study

In UK universities, reflection is promoted not only for its intrinsic value but also for instrumental purposes, for students to gain and demonstrate skills and attributes which are valued by employers. In this paper, I examine reflective writing produced by students seeking an award offered by the careers department of one university. By looking at the evaluative language choices made by the student writers, I shed light on some of their practices regarding self-representation and their articulations of experience. I provide a critical account of what reflective writing looks like in this particular setting, and interpret this in the broader context of the goal to foster reflection among higher education students. I argue that the reflective writing engendered by this particular context and task is different in key respects from the reflection which is commonly advocated as an element of personal, professional or academic development.     

Five women talk about work‐related brief therapy and therapeutic writing

Therapeutic writing can play a valuable role in brief, workplace counselling. The present study explores the experiences of five women who used therapeutic writing in this context. Ethical and methodological dilemmas in carrying out this research are highlighted. The study also demonstrates the use of ‘fictionalist’ accounts as a way of overcoming some of the difficulties associated with the dual role of practitioner/researcher, especially confidentiality.     

发展性协调障碍与书写困难个案研究

该研究对一个14岁书写困难儿童zl的动作和认知技能进行了系统的考察。zl的书写困难主要表现在以下几方面：书写速度慢,字与字之间的空间距离非常近,字迹难以辨认,笔画顺序混乱。该研究首先测查了zl的基本智能和一系列精细动作技能、视觉、视空以及序列加工能力。结果发现他的基本智能、视觉加工能力正常,动作技能和视空加工能力皆显著落后于控制组儿童。语言能力测试发现,他的识字量、阅读理解和听力理解均正常。他在汉字单字、双字词、数字和图片命名上的正确率与控制组没有显著差异,但命名速度明显慢于控制组。神经生理检查发现,他的脑电波轻度异常,核磁共振扫描(MRI)显示双侧脑室体后部和枕角周围白质和小脑发育异常。这些结果表明该儿童的书写困难是更广泛的动作协调障碍的一种体现,并可能以他的脑神经发育状况为基础。文章讨论了zl书写障碍的认知神经机制及对书写障碍早期鉴别和训练的意义。     

Creative Writing as Resistance and Discovery in an Analysis

This paper was originally written as a graduation paper for the completion of adult analytic training. In this paper I trace and explore multiple uses of creative writing in my personal analysis, illuminating the development of analytic phases and process. The creative writing used in this paper is primarily from the first three and a half years of my analysis, well before entering analytic training. It is an eventual interpretation on the part of my analyst, as well as the rest of my analysis and analytic training, that allow me to realize that while my writing felt like self-discovery, it also served as resistance, defense against the entirety of my affective world and internal conflicts. A poem written much later in the analysis is included, as it reveals the integration of struggled with concepts, as well as the pain of the inevitable separation of termination.     

中文读写能力及其相关因素研究

使用5点量表,本研究在北京地区调查了2187名小学一、三、五年级儿童的中文读写能力及其相关因素。因素分析抽取了8个因素：书面语意义理解、基本知觉能力、书写技能、家庭阅读背景、动作技能、口语能力、朗读和听写、书面表达。对上述因素进行多元逐步回归分析发现,各种读写能力内部相关显著。基本知觉能力、口语能力、家庭阅读背景和动作技能分别对中文读写能力的不同成分有显著解释作用。这个结果对于理解阅读能力发展及其与家庭阅读背景、口语、基本知觉一动作能力之间的关系,以及阅读障碍的内在机制具有重要的理论意义。     

Passive smoking is associated with cognitive and emotional impairment in adolescent girls

It is well established that smoking is associated with impaired mental health and sleep problems. However, the possible effects of passive smoking on cognitive and emotional characteristics have not previously been evaluated in adolescents. We investigated the association between passive smoking and cognitive and emotional function, and sleep patterns in 940 adolescent girls. The girls were divided into two groups [305 exposed subjects and 635 non-exposed subjects (the controls)]. The passive smokers had a significantly lower cognitive function and higher depression, aggression, and insomnia scores compared to the control group (P?<?0.05). No significant difference was detected with respect to day-time sleepiness and sleep apnea. Logistic regression analyses showed that the passive smokers were more likely than the controls to have cognitive impairments, depressive mood, aggressive behavior, and insomnia. Adolescent passive smokers had significant differences in their cognitive abilities and emotional function.     

3～6岁儿童对言语行为的元认知发展

以123名3~6岁儿童为被试,采用图片判断和个别访谈任务,从本体区分和归因的角度,对3~6岁儿童对言语行为的元认知发展进行了探查。结果表明:3~6岁儿童对言语行为和物理发音区分较早,但对于言语行为和生物发音的区分水平普遍较低;34、岁儿童对语言习得的遗传因素认知水平较低,5岁开始发展,6岁有显著提高;3~6岁儿童对语言习得的环境因素认知水平都较低。     

Seemingly Anomalous WISC-IV Full Scale IQ Scores in the American and Canadian Standardization Samples

The American and Canadian standardization samples for the fourth edition of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children were used to ascertain the prevalence of “seemingly anomalous” Full Scale IQ (FSIQ) scores for all possible sums of scaled scores combinations of the Verbal Comprehension Index, Perceptual Reasoning Index, Working Memory Index, and Processing Speed Index. About 1% of FSIQ scores in both samples were anomalous (that is, fell outside the range of the four indices). Interestingly, the prevalence of anomalous scores was higher at the extremes of the FSIQ distribution. Moreover, anomalous FSIQ scores occurring above or below the mean of the FSIQ distribution (that is, 100) were larger or smaller, respectively, than any of the four indices. Furthermore, if the range of the four indices did contain the FSIQ (the non-anomalous case), when the FSIQ was below or above 100 it tended to be located distally in the half-segment of the range furthest below or above 100, respectively. A non-technical intuitive analogy from Olympic sports and a statistical explanation for the findings are provided. Important implications for practitioners are also presented. Portions of this paper were presented March 17, 2006 at the 20th annual Joseph R. Royce Research Conference, Department of Psychology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta.