The effect of metacognitive training on confidence and strategic reminder setting

Individuals often choose between remembering information using their own memory ability versus using external resources to reduce cognitive demand (i.e. ‘cognitive offloading’). For example, to remember a future appointment an individual could choose to set a smartphone reminder or depend on their unaided memory ability. Previous studies investigating strategic reminder setting found that participants set more reminders than would be optimal, and this bias towards reminder-setting was predicted by metacognitive underconfidence in unaided memory ability. Due to the link between underconfidence in memory ability and excessive reminder setting, the aim of the current study was to investigate whether metacognitive training is an effective intervention to a) improve metacognitive judgment accuracy, and b) reduce bias in strategic offloading behaviour. Participants either received metacognitive training which involved making performance predictions and receiving feedback on judgment accuracy, or were part of a control group. As predicted, metacognitive training increased judgment accuracy: participants in the control group were significantly underconfident in their memory ability, whereas the experimental group showed no significant metacognitive bias. However, contrary to predictions, both experimental and control groups were significantly biased toward reminder-setting, and did not differ significantly. Therefore, reducing metacognitive bias was not sufficient to eliminate the bias towards reminders. We suggest that the reminder bias likely results in part from erroneous metacognitive evaluations, but that other factors such as a preference to avoid cognitive effort may also be relevant. Finding interventions to mitigate these factors could improve the adaptive use of external resources

Participatory Action Research With Teacher Activists: Walking The Spiral And “Making The Invisible Visible”

This dissertation explores a participatory action research (PAR) project, grounded in popular education, that involved the author and five K-12 teacher activists. This project is explored through three article manuscripts. The first manuscript, aimed at a practitioner audience and intended for publication in a practitioner-oriented journal, frames this PAR project as a form of professional development for teacher activists and provides a narrative of the experience from start to finish. The second manuscript, aimed at an academic audience and intended for publication in a peer-reviewed journal, provides an account and analysis of this PAR project and explores the various forms of growth teacher activists experienced from their involvement in this research endeavor. The final manuscript, aimed at an academic audience and intended for publication in another peer-reviewed journal, features an analysis of the challenges and tensions involved in this PAR project. Central implications explored at the close of this dissertation include the notion that teacher activists possess valuable experiential knowledge that should be shared amongst the teaching corps; teacher activism can involve forms of cultural activism and public pedagogy; the teacher activist identity is more expansive than commonlyperceived; and PAR may offer an empowering experience for teacher activists

Next Generation Sequencing Assay for Detection of Circulating HPV DNA (cHPV-DNA) in Patients Undergoing Radical (Chemo)Radiotherapy in Anal Squamous Cell Carcinoma (ASCC).

Background: Following chemo-radiotherapy (CRT) for human papilloma virus positive (HPV+) anal squamous cell carcinoma (ASCC), detection of residual/recurrent disease is challenging. Patients frequently undergo unnecessary repeated biopsies for abnormal MRI/clinical findings. In a pilot study we assessed the role of circulating HPV-DNA in identifying "true" residual disease. Methods: We prospectively collected plasma samples at baseline (n = 21) and 12 weeks post-CRT (n = 17). Circulating HPV-DNA (cHPV DNA) was measured using a novel next generation sequencing (NGS) assay, panHPV-detect, comprising of two primer pools covering distinct regions of eight high-risk HPV genomes (16, 18, 31, 33, 35, 45, 52, and 58) to detect circulating HPV-DNA (cHPV DNA). cHPV-DNA levels post-CRT were correlated to disease response. Results: In pre-CRT samples, panHPV-detect demonstrated 100% sensitivity and specificity for HPV associated ASCC. PanHPV-detect was able to demonstrate cHPV-DNA in 100% (9/9) patients with T1/T2N0 cancers. cHPV-DNA was detectable 12 weeks post CRT in just 2/17 patients, both of whom relapsed. 1/16 patients who had a clinical complete response (CR) at 3 months post-CRT but relapsed at 9 months and 1/1 patient with a partial response (PR). PanHPV-detect demonstrated 100% sensitivity and specificity in predicting response to CRT. Conclusion: We demonstrate that panHPV-detect, an NSG assay is a highly sensitive and specific test for the identification of cHPV-DNA in plasma at diagnosis. cHPV-DNA post-treatment may predict clinical response to CRT

Prolonged encounters

This thesis chronicles my journey as an observational landscape painter exploring how to contend with the constant change that fascinates me as an observer, but previously frustrated me as a painter. Investigating my subjects through series and repetition, my work becomes a record of my experience of sustained engagement with consistently fluctuating environments

Comparison of two methods of improving speed in the 100 yard dash

The purpose of this study was to determine if a weight training program, used as a supplementary program to a conventional sprint training program, would improve the speed of the sprinters. Seventy-one ninth grade boys participated in the study. There were two groups, the experimental group (A) and the control group (B). Group A had thirty-eight boys while group B had only thirty-three boys. The study was carried out Monday through Friday of each week for a period of six weeks. The control group (B) performed only a designed program of sprint training, while the experimental group (A) used a supplementary program of weight training with the sprint training program. The raw data of the means were treated statistically through a "t" test to determine if there were a significant difference at the .05 level of confidence. From the results of this study it is concluded that weight training, when used as a supplement to sprint training does increase the running speed of the sprinter

Teacher certification in home schools : emerging constitutional issues

This study is designed to examine the legal aspects of teacher certification in home schools in the United States. The following conclusions can be drawn based on a review of literature on the subject and an analysis of state statutes and court decisions

Influences on the identification of wives with the Air Force organization : an examination of the two-person career pattern within the military

The present study investigated the processes leading wives of Air Force husbands to identify with their husband's work organization--the United States Air Force. Utilizing the two-person career family pattern, the impact of the husband's work on the wife's identification with his job and his work organization were studied. Theoretical models of family interaction suggesting that increased personal identity by the wife diminishes her identification with the husband's work role were also examined. A path model was constructed to test the explanatory power of these two processes, and to compare the strengths of their influence on the wife's identification with the Air Force. The subjects were selected through a stratified random sampling procedure. The sample consisted of 4,737 married couples located at 24 Air Force bases in the United States and Europe. Husbands were service members and wives were not

Betty Glover (b. 1923): trombone pioneer

Betty Glover (b. 1923) was a truly unique pioneer who significantly impacted women playing in the orchestra especially in the brass section. She was a highly skilled and versatile musician on trombone, euphonium, and piano while also being a successful pedagogue and conductor. Glover was the Principal Trombonist in the Kansas City Philharmonic Orchestra, 1944-1948, and Bass Trombonist in the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, 1952-1985. In addition to her extensive orchestra career, she was also a successful brass pedagogue and conductor. Glover taught at Otterbein College, 1950-1952, and at the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music (CCM), 1952-1992. She taught trombone and euphonium lessons, conducted the CCM Brass Choir, and established a brass orchestral repertoire class during her teaching tenure. Glover is remembered as a pioneer who paved the way for future generations of female brass musicians. Being one of the most inspiring orchestral musicians and teachers to ever have lived is Glover’s legacy

Capturing the diversity of English language learners' cultural and linguistic backgrounds and the influence on math and reading achievement

English language learners (ELLs) are diverse individuals with various cultural and linguistic backgrounds. Unlike native English speakers, they do not all share a common language. Additionally, ELL students were not all born in the same country and most have not spent the same number of years attending U.S. schools. ELL students are a heterogeneous group, but the current research does not sufficiently appreciate and recognize those differences. Examining the diversity of ELL students, by incorporating contextual variables with limited sample sizes, was accomplished by using a hierarchical linear modeling approach. The results showed that students classified as LEP in fourth grade demonstrated lower initial mean scores in both math and reading than did exited LEP students. Students in both the Asian and Austro-Asiatic native language groups demonstrated higher math and reading scores at initial status compared to students in the Spanish native language group. The number of years attending U.S. schools impacted math and reading. Students born in the U.S. or Canada demonstrated higher math scores in 4th grade than did students in the Mexico/Central America/South America/Caribbean country of birth group. These findings have implications for both future research and practice in terms of methodological choices and database management to emphasize and address the academic needs of ELL students

Optimal characteristics of anchor tests in vertical scaling: a special case of non equivalent groups with anchor test (NEAT) design in vertical scaling

There are multiple empirical issues and complications associated with vertical scaling methods that have not been sufficiently explicated even though there has been scanty research conducted within the general framework of the nonequivalent group with anchor test (NEAT) design. Germane to any vertical scale study is the issue of optimal characteristics of anchor tests whenever the preferred data collection design is NEAT. The main focal point of this research study is to explore some of practical problems as well as complexities that frequently emerge in the context of vertical scaling methods under NEAT design. Specifically, the study investigated various study conditions and comparison of their performance with different equating methods. This study used both real and simulated data. The real data were from a large-scale testing program for professionals. The simulated study was carried out using 162 conditions, where the major factors included: (1) total test length; (2) item a-discrimination parameter; (3) between-grade mean ability difference; (4) distribution of ability difference; and (5) anchor test mean difficulty difference. The results of the simulation indicate that small between-grade mean ability difficult when considered together with a short test length, a moderate item a-discrimination parameter, below average distribution of ability difference, and below average anchor test mean ability difference produce most reasonable results. In addition, the results revealed that equating error somewhat depended on satisfaction of the underlying equating assumptions that are related to a specific equating method under each study condition. For instance, Braun/Holland, Frequency Estimation Equating, keNEATPSE linear, and keNEATPSE equipercentile methods performed almost similarly under all study conditions; however, a closer examination of the above equating methods corroborate that when the equating relationship was linear, keNEATPSE linear outperformed all linear-related equating methods considered in this study. Similarly, when the equating relationship was non-linear, keNEATPSE equipercentile was more accurate in terms of total error, because it produced the smallest RMSE values than all non-linear equating methods. Other results are summarized in greater depth in Chapter V