Using Student-Generated Questions to Promote Curiosity and Student Learning

Research has shown the power of curiosity in learning. Research has also shown how rare it is for students to ask their own questions. The gap between theory and practice prompted the research question addressed in this project: how might student-generated questions through the Question Formulation Technique (QFT) be used to boost student learning by promoting curiosity? The result of the question is a curriculum unit for an Advanced Placement Human Geography course that uses QFT to support students in creating essential questions, tracking their responses and creating a visual response to their own questions as a summative assessment. Additionally, the project illustrates how QFT can be used to support students in writing driving questions to sustain their inquiry for a major research project. The capstone project includes slides that introduce QFT, as well as documents that students use as they write, revise and improve their own questions. In addition the project includes daily lessons, slideshows and assignments used for instruction in a remote learning situation. The goal of this project is to show that teachers can shift to more student-centered practices and rich learning experiences through the integration of student questions

The Effects of the Physical Attractiveness Stereotype on Therapists\u27 Perceptions of Clients

The purpose of the present study was two-fold: (1) to determine whether the ratings a client receives on measures of likeableness, psychological effectiveness, and prognostic outcome differ as a result of the client\u27s perceived level of physical attractiveness (high or low) and, (2) to determine whether the level of professional training in clinical/counseling psychology possessed by the raters mediates these effects. To achieve these purposes, four groups of subjects (varying in level of training in clinical/counseling psychology) listened to the same 12-minute audio-tape excerpt of an actual initial interview with a client. Half the subjects in each group viewed a photograph of a woman previously determined to be of a high physical attractiveness level and half the subjects in each group viewed a photograph of a woman previously determined to be low in physical attractiveness level. The subjects were told that the photograph was of the client to whom they were listening. Following the presentation of these stimulus materials, the subjects responded to questionnaires designed to determine the subjects\u27 perceptions of the client\u27s likeableness, psychological effectiveness, and prognosis. Analysis of variance techniques were used for statistical comparisons of the data. The results showed: (1) the physical attractiveness level of the client (high or low) resulted in no systematic biasing of the subjects\u27 judgements of the client\u27s likeableness, psychological effectiveness, or prognosis, and (2) the four groups (representing different levels of training in counseling/ clinical psychology) did not differ significantly from one another in the ratings they gave the client. Therefore, the results of the present study did not support previous research on this topic. Possible implications of the findings of the present study, with consideration of the apparent contradiction with earlier research and suggestions for further investigation of this topic are discussed

The Development of a Values Assessment Device Based Upon the Assumptions Underlying the Direct Approach to Moral Education

The purposes of the present research were two-fold. The first purpose was the development of a test construction strategy by which an objective assessment device, based upon the unique goals of moral education within a specific school district, may be developed. The second purpose was the actual development of a psychometrically sound instrument based upon such goals. To accomplish these aims, seven interrelated studies were conducted involving a total of 775 subjects. The rationale for the nature of the test was based upon the assumptions of the direct approach to moral education. These assumptions are that children should learn and exemplify in their behavior certain values that are viewed by the community as essential to adequate socialization. Such values have been indentified by educators of the Salt Lake City School District. Therefore, the goal of measurement was the development of a test that would discriminate students who exemplify these values in their behavior from. those students who do not. The instrument was developed for the assessment of groups to aid curriculum evaluation in moral education. Disclaimers are made regarding the assessment of individuals using the instrument. The reported studies concerning the development of the test include: (1) the intial writing and field testing of the hypothetical dilemmas and alternative solutions used in the test, (2) the revision of the test based upon the field testing, (3) the item analysis and validation procedures, (4) the cross-validation of selected items, (5) an analysis of the content validity of the dilemmas that compose the test, (6) the establishment of the reliability of the test, and (7) an assessment of the effects of socially desirable response sets on test scores. In addition, normative data regarding test scores for each grade tested and a parent group were presented. The instrument developed through these procedures is an objective group test, applicable to grades 5 through 12. A content validity study provided reasonable evidence that the dilemmas that compose the test are logically related to the value goals proposed by district personnel. Studies of the reliability of the test revealed reliability coefficients from .82 (stability) to .92 (internal consistency). The concurrent validity of the test was established by selecting items that discriminated between groups of students who were identified as either exemplary of the district values or non-exemplary of the district values. These items were then successfully cross - validated on an independent sample of similar criterion groups. In addition, two studies related to the effects of socially desirable response sets on test scores were conducted. The limitations of the present research are discussed and suggestions for further research regarding the instrument are made

Cost effectiveness of a mail-delivered individually tailored physical activity intervention for Latinas vs. a mailed contact control

Background Physical inactivity is high in Latinas, as are chronic health conditions. There is a need for physical activity (PA) interventions that are not only effective but have potential for cost-effective widespread dissemination. The purpose of this paper was to assess the costs and cost effectiveness of a Spanish-language print-based mail-delivered PA intervention that was linguistically and culturally adapted for Latinas. Methods Adult Latinas (N = 266) were randomly assigned to receive mail-delivered individually tailored intervention materials or wellness information mailed on the same schedule (control). PA was assessed at baseline, six months (post-intervention) and 12 months (maintenance phase) using the 7-Day Physical Activity Recall Interview. Costs were calculated from a payer perspective, and included personnel time (wage, fringe, and overhead), materials, equipment, software, and postage costs. Results At six months, the PA intervention cost $29/person/month, compared to$15/person/month for wellness control. These costs fell to $17 and$9 at 12 months, respectively. Intervention participants increased their PA by an average of 72 min/week at six months and 94 min/week at 12 months, while wellness control participants increased their PA by an average of 30 min/week and 40 min/week, respectively. At six months, each minute increase in PA cost $0.18 in the intervention group compared to$0.23 in wellness control, which fell to $0.07 and$0.08 at 12 months, respectively. The incremental cost per increase in physical activity associated with the intervention was $0.15 at 6 months and$0.05 at 12 months. Conclusions While the intervention was more costly than the wellness control, costs per minute of increase in PA were lower in the intervention. The print-based mail-delivered format has potential for broad, cost-effective dissemination, which could help address disparities in this at-risk population. Trial registration NCT01583140; Date of Registration: 03/06/2012; Funding Source of Trial: National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR); Name of Institutional Review Board: Brown University IRB; Date of Approval: 05/19/2009

Radionuclide Contaminant Burdens in Arctic Marine Mammals Harvested During Subsistence Hunting

We conducted gamma spectrometric analyses on more than 200 arctic marine mammal tissue samples. These samples were primarily provided by subsistence hunters from northern Alaska, with a smaller number of samples from the Resolute region in Canada. The majority of samples (>90%) had detectable levels of the anthropogenic radionuclide 137Cs, with a mean level observed in all samples of 0.67 Bq/kg dry weight ± 0.81 (SD). Converted to wet weight, the mean was 0.21 Bq/kg ± 0.19 SD. The median activity observed was 0.45 Bq/kg dry weight (0.18 Bq/kg wet weight) with a range from detection limits to 6.7 Bq/kg dry weight (1.1 Bq/kg wet weight). These findings confirm expectations that current anthropogenic gamma emitter burdens in marine mammals used in the North American Arctic as subsistence food resources are well below activities that would normally merit public health concern (~1000 Bq/kg wet weight). Some differences among species and tissues were observed. Beluga tissues had slightly higher mean burdens of 137Cs overall, and epidermis and muscle tissues in bowhead and beluga whales typically had higher burdens than other tissues analyzed. Low levels of the neutron activation product 108mAg (half-life 418 yr.), probably bioaccumulated from bomb fallout sources, were observed in 16 of 17 beluga livers analyzed, but were not found in any other tissues of beluga or in any other species sampled. A subset of 39 samples of various tissues was analyzed for the alpha and beta emitters 239,240Pu and 90Sr. Plutonium levels were near the threshold of detectability (~0.1 Bq/kg dry weight) in 6 of the 39 samples; all other samples had no detectable plutonium. A detectable level of 90Sr (10.3 ± 1.0 Bq/kg dry weight) was observed in only one of the 39 samples analyzed, a bowhead epidermis sample. Although the accumulation of 108mAg has not been previously reported in any marine mammal livers, all of our analytical measurements indicate that only very low levels of anthropogenic radioactivity are associated with marine mammals harvested and consumed in the North American Arctic.On a effectué des analyses gamma-spectrométriques sur plus de 200 échantillons de tissus prélevés sur des mammifères marins. La plupart de ces échantillons étaient fournis par des chasseurs de subsistance de l'Alaska septentrional, et un petit nombre venaient de la région de Resolute au Canada. La majorité des échantillons (> 90 p. cent) contenaient des niveaux détectables du radionucléide anthropique 137Cs, avec un niveau moyen observé dans tous les échantillons de 0,67 Bq/kg de poids sec ± 0,81 (écart-type). Convertie en poids frais, la moyenne était de 0,21 Bq/kg ± 0,19 d'écart-type. L'activité médiane observée était de 0,45 Bq/kg de poids sec (0,18 Bq/kg de poids frais) avec une fourchette allant des seuils de détection jusqu'à 6,7 Bq/kg de poids sec (1,1 Bq/kg de poids frais). Ces résultats confirment les réponses prévues, à savoir que les charges actuelles des émetteurs gamma anthropiques présentes chez les mammifères marins utilisés en Amérique du Nord comme ressource de subsistance sont bien inférieures aux niveaux qui voudraient normalement qu'on s'inquiète pour la santé publique (~1000 Bq/kg de poids frais). On a observé certaines différences dans les espèces et les tissus. Dans l'ensemble, les tissus prélevés sur le bélouga contenaient des charges moyennes de 137Cs légèrement plus élevées, et l'épiderme et les tissus musculaires de la baleine boréale et du bélouga avaient généralement des charges supérieures à celles trouvées dans les autres tissus analysés. Dans 16 des 17 foies de bélouga analysés, on a observé de faibles niveaux du produit d'activation neutronique 108mAg (demi-vie 418 années), dont la bioaccumulation est probablement due à des retombées de bombes atomiques, mais on n'en a observé aucune trace dans les autres tissus du bélouga ou de toute autre espèce échantillonnée. On a analysé un sous-ensemble de 39 échantillons provenant de tissus divers pour savoir s'ils contenaient des émetteurs alpha et bêta 239,240Pu et 90Sr. Dans 6 des 39 échantillons, les niveaux de plutonium étaient proches du seuil de détectabilité (~ 0,1 Bq/kg de poids sec), et on n'a pas trouvé de plutonium détectable dans aucun des autres échantillons. On a observé un niveau détectable de 90Sr (10,3 ± 1,0 Bq/kg de poids sec) dans un seul des 39 échantillons analysés, soit un échantillon d'épiderme de baleine boréale. Bien qu'on n'ait jamais rapporté auparavant une accumulation de 108mAg dans le foie d'un mammifère marin, toutes nos mesures analytiques révèlent que les mammifères marins faisant l'objet d'une activité d'exploitation et consommés dans l'Arctique nord-américain ne présentent que de très faibles niveaux de radioactivité anthropique

Like-charge attraction through hydrodynamic interaction

We demonstrate that the attractive interaction measured between like-charged colloidal spheres near a wall can be accounted for by a nonequilibrium hydrodynamic effect. We present both analytical results and Brownian dynamics simulations which quantitatively capture the one-wall experiments of Larsen and Grier (Nature 385, p. 230, 1997).Comment: 10 pages, 4 figure

Simrank: Rapid and sensitive general-purpose k-mer search tool

Terabyte-scale collections of string-encoded data are expected from consortia efforts such as the Human Microbiome Project (http://nihroadmap.nih.gov/hmp). Intra- and inter-project data similarity searches are enabled by rapid k-mer matching strategies. Software applications for sequence database partitioning, guide tree estimation, molecular classification and alignment acceleration have benefited from embedded k-mer searches as sub-routines. However, a rapid, general-purpose, open-source, flexible, stand-alone k-mer tool has not been available. Here we present a stand-alone utility, Simrank, which allows users to rapidly identify database strings the most similar to query strings. Performance testing of Simrank and related tools against DNA, RNA, protein and human-languages found Simrank 10X to 928X faster depending on the dataset. Simrank provides molecular ecologists with a high-throughput, open source choice for comparing large sequence sets to find similarity