Student Perspectives in Advanced Placement for First-Year and Traditionally Underrepresented Students: Successes, Challenges, and Shifts in Their Academic Identity

This study examined the perceptions of first-year Advanced Placement (AP) students; specifically traditionally underrepresented AP students from a high school that attempted to align its AP enrollment to the demographics of its school. This research contributed to the body of knowledge around first-year and traditionally underrepresented students participating in AP courses by identifying their perceived supports and challenges in their AP courses through a pre- and post-survey (n = 81) as well as selected student interviews (n = 5). The importance of this study is the student perspectives about the supports, the challenges, and their perceived changes that occurred in their academic identity while enrolled in the AP class. The first phase of this research analyzed the marks students earned in their AP classes, scores from their AP exams, and survey data to identify student perceptions of supports and challenges in their AP classes. At the end of the first phase, changes in their perceived academic identity were analyzed from responses on pre- and post-surveys. The second phase of the research design included interviews of purposefully selected students to gain a deeper understanding of the findings from the first phase of the study. The factor that most helped first-year students succeed was that their AP teacher believed they could be successful in the class. The quantitative survey data and student interviews revealed that students were challenged by the difficulty of content in AP classes, the amount of work, and managing their time. First-year AP students exhibited statistically significant decreases (p \u3c .05) from the pre- to post-AP survey in their perceptions of their academic self and academic strategies. The results and implications from this study are discussed and may provide insight for suburban high schools that are experiencing a shift in student demographics to better meet the academic needs of all students in AP

A Bayesian approach to the aperture problem of 3D motion perception

We suggest a geometric-statistical approach that can be ap- plied to the 3D aperture problem of motion perception. In simulations and psychophysical experiments we study per- ceived 3D motion direction in a binocular viewing geometry by systematically varying 3D orientation of a line stimulus moving behind a circular aperture. Although motion direc- tion is inherently ambiguous perceived directions show sys- tematic trends and a Bayesian model with a prior for small depth followed by slow motion in 3D gives reasonable fits to individual data. We conclude that the visual system tries to minimize velocity in 3D but that earlier disparity processing strongly influences perceived 3D motion direction. We discuss implications for the integration of disparity and motion cues in the human visual system

Reduced Worries of Hypoglycaemia, High Satisfaction, and Increased Perceived Ease of Use after Experiencing Four Nights of MD-Logic Artificial Pancreas at Home (DREAM4)

Aims. This study assesses the impact of using an AP-system at home on fear of hypoglycaemia. In addition, satisfaction and acceptance of the new technology are evaluated. Methods. In a multicentre, multinational study of 75 patients using the MD-Logic AP during four consecutive nights in home setting 59 of them (aged 10–54 years, 54% male, HbA1c 7.89 ± 0.69% [62.72 ± 7.51 mmol/mol], diabetes duration 11.6 ± 8.4 yrs) answered standardized questionnaires (HFS, adapted TAM, and AP satisfaction) before and after using the AP. Results. After experiencing the AP in home setting worries of hypoglycaemia were significantly reduced (before 1.04 ± 0.53 versus after 0.90 ± 0.63; P=0.017). Perceived ease of use as a measure of acceptance with the AP significantly increased after personal experience (before 4.64 ± 0.94 versus after 5.06 ± 1.09; P=0.002). The overall satisfaction mean score after using the AP was 3.02 ± 0.54 (range 0–4), demonstrating a high level of satisfaction with this technology. Conclusions. The four-night home-based experience of using MD Logic AP was associated with reduced worries of hypoglycaemia, high level of satisfaction, and increased perceived ease of use of the new technology in children, adolescents, and adults

Enhancing Optical Gradient Forces with Metamaterials

We demonstrate how the optical gradient force between two waveguides can be enhanced using transformation optics. A thin layer of double-negative or single-negative metamaterial can shrink the interwaveguide distance perceived by light, resulting in a more than tenfold enhancement of the optical force. This process is remarkably robust to the dissipative loss normally observed in metamaterials. Our results provide an alternative way to boost optical gradient forces in nanophotonic actuation systems and may be combined with existing resonator-based enhancement methods to produce optical forces with an unprecedented amplitude.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figures; supplemental information available from AP

Vowel Identity between Note Labels Confuses Pitch Identification in Non-Absolute Pitch Possessors

The simplest and likeliest assumption concerning the cognitive bases of absolute pitch (AP) is that at its origin there is a particularly skilled function which matches the height of the perceived pitch to the verbal label of the musical tone. Since there is no difference in sound frequency resolution between AP and non-AP (NAP) musicians, the hypothesis of the present study is that the failure of NAP musicians in pitch identification relies mainly in an inability to retrieve the correct verbal label to be assigned to the perceived musical note. The primary hypothesis is that, when asked to identify tones, NAP musicians confuse the verbal labels to be attached to the stimulus on the basis of their phonetic content. Data from two AP tests are reported, in which subjects had to respond in the presence or in the absence of visually presented verbal note labels (fixed Do solmization). Results show that NAP musicians confuse more frequently notes having a similar vowel in the note label. They tend to confuse e.g. a 261 Hz tone (Do) more often with Sol than, e.g., with La. As a second goal, we wondered whether this effect is lateralized, i.e. whether one hemisphere is more responsible than the other in the confusion of notes with similar labels. This question was addressed by observing pitch identification during dichotic listening. Results showed that there is a right hemispheric disadvantage, in NAP but not AP musicians, in the retrieval of the verbal label to be assigned to the perceived pitch. The present results indicate that absolute pitch has strong verbal bases, at least from a cognitive point of view

Assessing family social support for functional autonomy and dependence in pain: A psychometric study

Assessing family supportive responses to pain behaviors is paramount, as these may help or hinder chronic pain (CP) adjustment. Current self-report measures of pain-specific family supportive dynamics are scarce, covering a limited range of responses. To address this gap, this paper aimed at the psychometric validation of a (revised) novel measure - the Informal Social Support for Autonomy and Dependence in Pain Inventory (ISSADI-PAIN). Three-hundred and three adults participated in this study (53.3% women; Mage = 49.31), 53.5% with current CP, 20.1% with acute pain (AP) in the previous week and 26.4% with no current pain. All participants completed the revised ISSADI-PAIN. Participants reporting AP/CP in the previous week also filled out measures of pain coping/outcomes. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyzes supported a 3-factor structure: Perceived Promotion of Dependence (PPD; 5 items; α =.82), Perceived Promotion of Autonomy-Emotional (PPA-Emot; 3 items; α =.78), PPA-instrumental (PPA-Inst; 3 items; α =.82). Higher PPD was associated with higher AP disability and less wellness-focused coping; higher PPA-Emot was associated with more wellness-focused CP coping; PPA-Inst was associated with better/worse AP/CP outcomes and more frequent use of wellness-focused CP coping. Men with AP reported more PPD than women. The revised ISSADI-PAIN is an innovative, valid, and reliable measure of relevant functions of pain-related social support, which may influence pain persistence and adaptation. Perspective: This article presents a novel self-report measure (ISSADI-PAIN) that assesses family support for functional autonomy and dependence in pain contexts. This measure may contribute to further research on the complexities of family supportive dynamics surrounding individuals with AP/CP, clarifying their role on pain persistence and adaptation processes.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Undergraduate Student Perceptions of AP and Dual Enrollment in Relation to College Readiness Skills

The purpose of this quantitative study was to determine if undergraduate students perceived that their college readiness was impacted by participation in Advanced Placement courses, dual-enrollment courses, or both. Perceptual data were gathered from freshmen and sophomores enrolled at East Tennessee State University using an online survey. The number of participants in this study was 265. Perceptions of the individual program components of both Advanced Placement and dual-enrollment courses were also assessed in relation to college readiness. The results of the study indicated that undergraduate students perceive instructor quality and course rigor of both AP and dual-enrollment as beneficial to their success in college. Participants also indicated that the college readiness skills acquired through program participation were beneficial to their college success to a significant extent in the areas of writing, time management, note-taking, study skills, independent learning, and reading complex text. When comparing results related to AP and dual-enrollment, participants assigned similar ratings to the college readiness skills assessed in all areas except independent learning. Participant responses indicated that they perceived dual-enrollment as more beneficial than AP in the area of independent learning. In response to an open-ended survey item, participants also reported that dual-enrollment courses were more beneficial than AP courses especially in regard to the transfer of course credit and instructor quality

A comparative study of the course taking and performance patterns of high achieving secondary students

Part one of this study relied on archival data of an urban public high school to explain and compare the Advanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate (IB) course taking patterns and program exam performance of high school students who had participated in the district\u27s program for gifted learners, the Extended Learning Program (ELP), when in grades 4-8, with those that did not.;Adapting Gagne\u27s (2003, 2004) Differentiated Model of Giftedness and Talent (DMTG) as a conceptual framework, part two of this study examined the intrapersonal and environmental catalysts affecting the talent development process as perceived by seniors, enrolled in an AP or IB course. Seniors taking AP or IB and who had participated in the Extended Learning Program, were asked for their perceptions of the program\u27s role in enhancing high-level performance and creative interest.;From archival data, former ELP students enrolled in more AP and IB courses, had higher mean scores on AP and IB exams, earned over 85% of the AP and IB awards, and were more likely to graduate when compared to non-ELP students. From survey data students indicated that they perceived their internal characteristics as most responsible for their talent development process, noting hard work and persistence as critical traits. Those who had participated in the ELP found it offered opportunities to be with like peers, to work on challenging and advanced curricula, and to better prepare for the academic challenges ahead.;Based on these findings, recommendations for policy that focus on the need for longitudinal tracking of gifted learners across elementary and secondary levels are made. Recommendations for practice include work with counselors to provide appropriate assistance in academic planning, especially for underserved populations. Suggestions for future research include studies that examine teacher receptivity to promoting talent development processes in gifted and high ability learners

Factors Influencing Learning Intention of Advanced Placement MOOCs: Insights from an Investigation into Information Technology Adoption

Massive open online courses (MOOCs) have attracted recent scholarly attention, mainly because MOOCs have effectively made higher education accessible. However, MOOCs tend to have low completion rates, and many scholars have attempted to remedy this by investigating the psychological, cognitive, physiological, and demographic factors affecting completion rates. Nevertheless, most studies have rarely investigated the student’s information technology (IT) background, focusing instead on self-awareness, self-recognition, intrinsic motivation, or external factors. Thus, this study adopted the technology acceptance model (TAM) to explore factors affecting MOOC learning intention, specifically in advanced placement (AP) MOOCs. This study also recruited 435 student participants from a university in Taiwan who took MOOCs for AP. Questionnaires were used to analyze the factors affecting completion rates. The results revealed that personal and IT backgrounds significantly affected perceived ease of use (PEU); perceived usefulness (PU) significantly affected attitude toward use (ATU); PEU significantly affected ATU; PEU significantly affected PU; ATU significantly affected behavioral intention to use (BITU); PU significantly affected BITU; and BITU significantly affected course completion rates. The results suggest that universities first understand students’ personal and IT backgrounds before promoting their AP MOOCs， as this can assist students in their learning and provide the necessary support. . Furthermore, universities must also establish a complete course-provision process and formulate learning strategies to attract, guide, and inspire students to adapt to the learning modes that AP MOOCs entail. In doing so, students are more likely to perceive MOOC learning modes as being innovative and thus learn more effectively