Achievement Bests Framework, Cognitive Load Theory, and Equation Solving

The Framework of Achievement Bests provides an explanatory account into the process of optimization, which details how a person reaches from one level of best practice to that of a more optimal level. This framework, we contend, is significant in its explanatory account of personal growth, an internal state of flourishing, and the achievement of exceptionality. This chapter conceptualizes the applicability of the Framework of Achievement Bests to the context of instructional designs. We highlight the tenet of element interactivity, which is integral to the design of a particular mathematics instruction and its potential effectiveness. Element interactivity entails the interaction between elements within a learning material. Owing to the limited working memory capacity, an instruction that incurs high level of element interactivity would impose high cognitive load leading to reduced learning. Our conceptualization postulates the possible alignment between suboptimal and optimal instructional designs with realistic and optimal levels of best practice, respectively. This postulation (e.g., suboptimal instructional design → realistic level of best practice), which recognizes the importance of cognitive load imposition, is significant from a practical point of view. By focusing on instructional designs, it is possible to assist individuals to achieve optimal best practice in learning

Positive Psychology: The Use of the Framework of Achievement Bests to Facilitate Personal Flourishing

The Framework of Achievement Bests, which was recently published in Educational Psychology Review, makes a theoretical contribution to the study of positive psychology. The Framework of Achievement Bests provides an explanatory account of a person’s optimal best practice from his/her actual best. Another aspect emphasizes on the saliency of the psychological process of optimization, which is central to our understanding of person’s optimal functioning in a subject matter. Achieving an exceptional level of best practice (e.g. achieving excellent grades in mathematics) does not exist in isolation, but rather depends on the potent impact of optimization. This chapter, theoretical in nature, focuses on an in‐depth examination of the expansion of the Framework of Achievement Bests. Our discussion of the Framework of Achievement Bests, reflecting a methodical conceptualization, is benchmarked against another notable theory for understanding, namely: Martin Seligman’s PERMA theory. For example, for consideration, one aspect that we examine entails the extent to which the Framework of Achievement Bests could explain the optimization of each of the five components of PERMA (e.g. how does the Framework of Achievement Bests explain the optimization of engagement?)

A Perceived Zone of Certainty and Uncertainty: Propositions for Research Development

Possessing expert schemas is a positive feat that may yield different types of adaptive outcomes (e.g., informing procedural understanding that may result in a student skipping a few of the solution steps involved). Limited schemas, in contrast, may deter progress of a novice learner, limiting his/her capability to flourish. Taken as a whole, it may be concluded that expert schemas are more advantageous than novice schemas, differentiating learners in terms of expert and novice. Having said this, however, more recently, researchers have argued that possessing expert schemas could serve as deterrence. Recently, researchers have acknowledged a theoretical concept known as cognitive entrenchment, which is defined as a high level of stability in domain schemas. This description interestingly suggests that “entrenchment” or “situated fixation” of a course of action (e.g., a subject matter) could hinder the progress and learning experience of a person, namely—his/her inability and/or unwillingness to adapt to a new context, and/or his/her inflexibility and insistence to stay on course without any intent to change. One example of cognitive entrenchment is observed in professional football, wherein it has been argued that some football coaches are cognitively entrenched within their expert schemas, resulting in their demised game plans and strategic acumen. We advance the study of cognitive entrenchment by proposing an alternative viewpoint, which we term as the “perceived zone of certainty and uncertainty.” This proposition counters the perspective of cognitive entrenchment by arguing that it is cognitive appraisal, judgment, mental resolute, and determination of a person in cognitive certainty of his/her success or failure, or the cognitive uncertainty of success or failure, that would explain the notion of inflexibility and/or unwillingness to adapt, and/or insistence to stay on course without any attempt to deviate. Moreover, we rationalize that certainty of success or failure would closely associate with a feeling of comfort, whereas uncertainty would associate with his/her feeling discomfort. In this analysis, we strongly believe that willingness to change and adapt, reluctance and insistence to remain on course, and/or inclination to embrace flexibility may not necessarily relate to the concept of cognitive entrenchment; rather, inflexibility and/or reluctance to change for the purpose of adaptation has more to do with the desire of a person to seek a state of comfort. Finally, our conceptual analysis of cognitive entrenchment also considers an interesting theoretical concept, which we termed as “perceived optimal efficiency.” Perceived optimal efficiency, similar to cognitive relevance theory, is concerned with the relationship between minimum investment of time, effort, cognitive resources, etc., and an optimal best outcome. The issue for discussion, from our point of view, is related to the extent to which the certainty of success or failure would associate with perceived optimal efficiency

Future Time Perspective and the Achievement of Optimal Best: Reflections, Conceptualizations, and Future Directions for Development

Time is an interesting concept. For some cultural groups, time is an entity that exists only in the here and now, whereas for others it can be linear, emphasizing a person's past, present, and future. Many of us, while living in the "present moment," may also anticipate and project future goals, dreams, hopes, and ambitions. Indeed, from a positive point of view, future orientations are healthy and may direct one’s focus, instill motivation and persistence, and mobilize the expenditure of effort. Existing research has provided empirical evidence to support the promotion and encouragement of a positive future time orientation. From an educational point of view, the study of time may be useful for calculating achievement, given that a student may use future time orientation to guide and direct his/her academic and/or non-academic future. One notable question for consideration, in this case, relates to the importance of timespan - that is, how far into the future should one project? There may be a significant difference between, say, a timespan that scopes a 6-month period as opposed to a timespan that scopes a 2-year period. By the same token, over the past few years we have delved into an interesting line of inquiry, namely, the nature of optimal best -- for example, what facilitates and/or causes a person to achieve an optimal level of best practice in particular subject matter? Our theory of human optimization, consolidated and recently published in Frontiers in Psychology, provides an in-depth theoretical account of an underlying process, which we postulate could help explain the achievement of optimal best. Optimization, in this case, is intimately linked to a person's achievement of optimal best. We rationalize that within the context of academic learning, cognitive complexity of particular subject matter could serve as an important source of motivation in the anticipation and projection a student's extended future timespan. In this analysis, the extremely complex nature of a learning task or a suite of tasks may compel a student to consider a longer future timespan for successful completion. We also argue, in contrast, that the specific duration of a future timespan (for e.g., 6 months vs. 2 years) could play a significant role in the successful optimization of a student's state of cognitive functioning

The Importance of Mindfulness in the Achievement of Optimal Functioning: Conceptualization for Research Development

The concept of ‘optimal functioning’ has emerged as a major line of research development in educational psychology. Optimal functioning, which reflects the paradigm of positive psychology, is concerned with a person’s achievement of maximization in his/her functioning, whether it is mental, cognitive, emotional, or social. This inquiry places strong emphasis on importance of flourishing, happiness, and the proactivity of human endeavors. An important question then for consideration, from this testament, is how researchers optimize the achievement of optimal functioning. We have recently made progress by focusing on empirical research development and methodological conceptualizations into the study of optimization. Our conceptualizations, collectively, contend that there are psychological, educational, and psychosocial variables that operate as sources of ‘energization’, which then stimulate the buoyancy of motivation, personal resolve, effective functioning, strength, and effort expenditure. Energization, in its totality, from our postulation, may then arouse, intensify, and sustain a person’s internal state of functioning. Our cross-institutional, cross-cultural research collaboration (e.g., Australia, Malaysia, and Taiwan), to date, has considered one notably construct that could serve as a source of internal energization for the achievement of functioning: mindfulness. We strongly believe that the totality of mindfulness, positive in nature, could play a central role in the psychological processes of human agency

Contribution Of Autopsy To Medical Practice In Cameroon: A 10 year review.

Of 12.000 bodies received at the mortuary of the Yaounde General Hospital, 126 were autopsied in this 10-year retrospective study from 1997 to 2007, giving a rate of 1 autopsy in 100 deaths. 72.2% of cases were males against 27.8% females. The predominant age group was 20-69 years (57.1%). The main causes of death include natural disease (32.5%), physical aggression (20.6%), road traffic accident (19.8%), poisoning (9.5%), asphyxia (7.1%) and firearm injury (6.4%). The indication for autopsy was mainly medico-legal (91.7%). The circumstances of death showed a predominance of natural causes (34.1%), murder (32.6%), and homicide (28.6%). Though the benefits of an autopsy to the family, medical practice and entire community are enormous, the rate of this procedure in our community is low. We recommend public education and advocate for a legislative framework thatregulates autopsy practice, at least, in teaching hospitals in our country

Factors associated with severity of hepatic fibrosis in people with chronic hepatitis C infection

The document attached has been archived with permission from the editor of the Medical Journal of Australia. An external link to the publisher’s copy is included.OBJECTIVE: To determine factors associated with hepatic fibrosis development in people with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. METHODS: As a requirement for access to interferon therapy through the S100 scheme in Australia, individual pretreatment demographic and clinical information was collected on 2986 patients from 61 hospital-based liver clinics from 1 October 1994 through 31 December 1996. Patients with both a hepatic fibrosis score and an estimated duration of HCV infection (910) were divided into 540 with no or minimal hepatic fibrosis (stage 0–1) and 370 with moderate to severe hepatic fibrosis (stage 2–3). Seven factors were examined: age at HCV infection, sex, ethnicity, source of infection, duration of infection, alcohol intake, and mean ALT level. A further analysis was performed for all 1135 patients with a hepatic fibrosis score disregarding age at and duration of HCV infection. RESULTS: In multivariate analysis, four factors were significantly associated with moderate to severe hepatic fibrosis: age at infection (OR, 2.33 for age 31–40 years, 5.27 for age > 40 years, and 0.20 for age 30 years, compared with 3 times, compared with 1.5–2 times the upper limit of normal). In the analysis disregarding age at HCV infection and duration of HCV infection, older age was strongly associated with moderate to severe hepatic fibrosis (OR, 2.32 for age 36–40 years, 2.46 for age 41–50 years, 7.87 for age 51–60 years, and 7.15 for age > 60 years, compared with 16–30 years). There was no association in either analysis with sex or source of HCV infection. CONCLUSION: These factors may assist in targeting patients for both liver biopsy-based investigation and therapeutic intervention.Mark Danta, Gregory J Dore, Lisa Hennessy, Yueming Li, Chris R Vickers, Hugh Harley, Meng Ngu, William Reed, Paul V Desmond, William Sievert, Geoff C Farrell, John M Kaldor and Robert G Bate

Advancing the study of life and death education: theoretical framework and research inquiries for further development

Life and death education, also known as life education and death education, is an interesting subject that may coincide with the subject of lifespan development. In brief, from our theoretical perspective, which guides our teaching and curriculum development, life education considers personal understanding of life functioning on a daily basis, whereas death education explores matters that are related to death and dying. For example, how can a social worker utilize his life knowledge, or life wisdom, to assist a relative to understand the intricate nature of death? In a similar vein, how can a senior citizen use her personal experience of Buddhist meditation practice to overcome a minor Covid setback? Central to our teaching practice is the premise of ‘active transformation’ (i.e., transforming life knowledge into positive practice) and the premise of ‘theoretical infusion’ (e.g., the infusion of a distinctive epistemological belief in the teaching of life) that would, in turn, help to enhance and facilitate deep, meaningful understanding of life and death. The purpose of the present article is for us to discuss a proposition of a theoretical-conceptual model, which depicts the ‘unification’ or integration of three major viewpoints of life and death: the social viewpoint, the philosophical viewpoint, and the psychological viewpoint. We theorize that unification of the three theoretical viewpoints may help provide grounding for effective teaching and holistic understanding of the subject contents of life and death. Such discourse, importantly, may also assist to advance the scope and complexity of the lifespan development subject. Finally, in addition to our theoretical-conceptual model of life and death, we propose three major research inquiries for development: the meaning of situated mindset, the underlying nature of spiritual transcendence, and proposition of appropriate methodological accounts for usage. Overall, then, we purport that our conceptual analysis and discussion overview, based on philosophical reflection, may serve to stimulate interest, intellectual curiosity, scholarly dialog, etc