The measurement of bilingual abilities: central challenges

In this handbook chapter I analyse the concept of bilingual abilities. Bilinguals vary widely in what they can do with their languages or in the ways in which they use their languages on a daily basis. This means that there is a great deal of variability in what the term covers. While many researchers subscribe to the holistic view of bilingualism, in the academic literature bilinguals are still often described in negative terms as having a "deficit" in one or another subsystem of their languages. The key aim of this chapter is to identify what makes individuals with bilingual abilities unique speaker-hearers in their own right, avoiding the fractional view of bilingualism, and how these abilities can be measured

Greater usage and positive mood change for users of a dynamic VR app before and after the COVID-19 pandemic onset

Americans reported an increase in stress during the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Virtual reality (VR) apps have been shown to distract users from stressors in the environment, but little is known about the efficacy of specific content features to reduce stress or improve mood for consumer users during a pandemic. The present study investigated secondary archival data to explore how mood and usage behavior changed before and after the onset of COVID-19 for consumer users of a VR app with dynamic, interactive content. Study findings indicate that the COVID-19 pandemic had significant effects on user behavior and mood. Users created more accounts and used app content more often during the pandemic, while reporting increased negative mood states. This suggests that users were motivated to use the content to cope with pandemic stressors. Users also experienced a greater positive mood change after using the content during the pandemic than before, which implies that elements related to the VR app content met users’ psychological needs. Passive content with less interactivity resulted in a greater positive mood state after the COVID-19 onset, likely related to its capacity to reduce stress, facilitate restoration, and improve persistent affective states in stressful environments. This study offers a vital window into how consumer users respond to psychosocial pandemic stressors outside of a controlled environment as well as the prospective for VR app content to serve as a valuable mental health intervention during similar stressful events

The effects of using Renzulli Learning on student achievement and student motivation

Renzulli Learning is an online educational learning system designed to create a profile of students\u27 interests, learning styles, and expression styles and match them with a vast array of enrichment resources, outlets for creative productivity, and high-end learning activities and projects designed to enhance students\u27 engagement and learning. Only one previous research study has been conducted to investigate the effects of the use of Renzulli Learning on student achievement. ^ This study further investigated the effectiveness of enrichment teaching delivered through this online program. This mixed methods study quantitatively examined the effect of using Renzulli Learning on student achievement in the areas of reading comprehension, science, and social studies, as measured by the subtests of the Iowa Tests of Basic Skills. Additionally, differences in teachers\u27 perceptions of students\u27 motivation as measured by the Scales for Rating the Behavioral Characteristics of Superior Students-Revised Motivation scale were quantitatively examined. Classes of students in grades 3–6 from 4 schools were randomly assigned to use Renzulli Learning for a period of 16 weeks. A total of 23 classes (11 treatment and 12 control) with 168 students in the treatment and 186 students in the control were included in the study. Students in the treatment group were compared to students in control classrooms who had not yet had access to Renzulli Learning. Qualitative observations were also conducted as a fidelity measure and to determine how teachers implemented Renzulli Learning. ^ A repeated measures analysis of variance was used to explore differences between treatment and control conditions. A qualitative examination of the integration of technology from the perspective of teachers, students, and purpose and use of Renzulli Learning indicated that despite students\u27 enthusiasm, access to computers and the pressure to prepare for state assessments prevented teachers from fully integrating technology into their current practices. After 16 weeks, students who had access to Renzulli Learning exhibited significantly higher growth in social studies achievement (p = .023) than students in the control group. No differences between groups were found in reading comprehension, science, or teachers\u27 perception of students\u27 motivation. Also, a lack of training in enrichment teaching precluded many teachers from extending students\u27 learning. Greater use of Renzulli Learning resulted from those teachers who utilized it as a tool to support their instruction, particularly in the areas of social studies. Observations of the treatment classes revealed that students had great diversity in the activities that they chose, and it was not uncommon for nearly every student to be working on a different activity.

Fighting fake news!: teaching critical thinking and media literacy in a digital age

Educators have long struggled to teach students to be critical consumers of the information that they encounter. This struggle is exacerbated by the amount of information available thanks to the Internet and mobile devices. Students must learn how to determine whether or not the information they are accessing is reputable. Fighting Fake News! focuses on applying critical thinking skills in digital environments while also helping students and teachers to avoid information overload. According to a 2017 Pew Research report, we are now living in a world where 67% of people report that they get their ?news? from social media. With the lessons and activities in this book, students will be challenged to look at the media they encounter daily to learn to deepen and extend their media literacy and critical thinking skills. Now more than ever, teachers need the instruction in Fighting Fake News! to teach students how to locate, evaluate, synthesize, and communicate information

Data_Sheet_1_Greater usage and positive mood change for users of a dynamic VR app before and after the COVID-19 pandemic onset.docx

Americans reported an increase in stress during the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Virtual reality (VR) apps have been shown to distract users from stressors in the environment, but little is known about the efficacy of specific content features to reduce stress or improve mood for consumer users during a pandemic. The present study investigated secondary archival data to explore how mood and usage behavior changed before and after the onset of COVID-19 for consumer users of a VR app with dynamic, interactive content. Study findings indicate that the COVID-19 pandemic had significant effects on user behavior and mood. Users created more accounts and used app content more often during the pandemic, while reporting increased negative mood states. This suggests that users were motivated to use the content to cope with pandemic stressors. Users also experienced a greater positive mood change after using the content during the pandemic than before, which implies that elements related to the VR app content met users’ psychological needs. Passive content with less interactivity resulted in a greater positive mood state after the COVID-19 onset, likely related to its capacity to reduce stress, facilitate restoration, and improve persistent affective states in stressful environments. This study offers a vital window into how consumer users respond to psychosocial pandemic stressors outside of a controlled environment as well as the prospective for VR app content to serve as a valuable mental health intervention during similar stressful events.</p

How Many Urine Samples Are Needed to Accurately Assess Exposure to Non-Persistent Chemicals? The Biomarker Reliability Assessment Tool (BRAT) for Scientists, Research Sponsors, and Risk Managers

In epidemiologic and exposure research, biomonitoring is often used as the basis for assessing human exposure to environmental chemicals. Studies frequently rely on a single urinary measurement per participant to assess exposure to non-persistent chemicals. However, there is a growing consensus that single urine samples may be insufficient for adequately estimating exposure. The question then arises: how many samples would be needed for optimal characterization of exposure? To help researchers answer this question, we developed a tool called the Biomarker Reliability Assessment Tool (BRAT). The BRAT is based on pharmacokinetic modeling simulations, is freely available, and is designed to help researchers determine the approximate number of urine samples needed to optimize exposure assessment. The BRAT performs Monte Carlo simulations of exposure to estimate internal levels and resulting urinary concentrations in individuals from a population based on user-specified inputs (e.g., biological half-life, within- and between-person variability in exposure). The BRAT evaluates&mdash;through linear regression and quantile classification&mdash;the precision/accuracy of the estimation of internal levels depending on the number of urine samples. This tool should guide researchers towards more robust biomonitoring and improved exposure classification in epidemiologic and exposure research, which should in turn improve the translation of that research into decision-making