The CEDA vocabulary editor: a new tool for managing controlled vocabularies

A poster to informing how to manage controlled metadata vocabularie

The Impact of Stress on Learning: Exploring How Stress Changes Learning about Positive and Negative Outcomes and the Role of Anxiety

This item is only available electronically.Stress has a strong influence on learning, particularly about positive and negative outcomes. However, it is unclear whether stress enhances or disrupts learning about positive and negative outcomes due to inconsistent findings in the literature. There is a possibility that stress affects learning from appetitive and aversive prediction errors. Prediction error refers to the discrepancy between observed and expected outcomes. This discrepancy is considered to be crucial to generate new learning. To test this, a blocking design was used to assess learning from prediction errors in stressful versus non-stressful conditions. A blocking design consists of learning about a stimulus (e.g. X) that is reduced if it is paired with another stimulus (e.g. A) that is a better predictor of the outcome (e.g. A outcome; AX outcome). The outcome is not surprising on AX trials because A has already been associated with the outcome; therefore the prediction error is small and this reduces learning about X. X is a redundant predictor of the outcome, so learning about it should be blocked. Results show that learning about the blocked stimulus was reduced under threat but only for positive outcomes. This seems to indicate that learning is streamlined under threat where only relevant stimuli with positive outcomes are focused on. In safe conditions and for negative outcomes, more general learning is used.Thesis (B.PsychSc(Hons)) -- University of Adelaide, School of Psychology, 201

Climate and forecast metadata conventions: a community driven metadata standard

A poster to show the climate and forecast metadata convention

Aspects of the Assessment and Intervention with Memory and Executive Functions in People with Neurological Conditions

This thesis examined two contemporary conundrums relevant to the practice of neuropsychology. Through systematic review and meta-analysis, the first project examined the treatment effects of errorless learning (EL) a compensatory technique designed to facilitate learning for people with memory impairment resulting from neurological conditions. This review of EL in the field of memory rehabilitation is timely. To date, there is only one meta-analysis of the treatment effects of EL, completed nearly twenty years ago which did not control for potential biases. Subsequently there has been a natural progression in the use of EL from well-controlled laboratory-based tasks to its integration into memory rehabilitation programmes. In addition to examining the overall effect of EL in people with amnesic disorders, this review was also the first to report the treatments effects from studies of patients with progressive conditions separately from studies of non-progressive neurological conditions. Results indicate that EL is an effective technique to help people with memory disorders learn new information. This informs clinicians of the appropriateness of its use in practice. However, potential publication bias was identified, along with variation in methodology and quality of the studies reviewed and analysed. Until steps are taken to produce studies which are suffice in size, well controlled and the publication of non-significant results are encouraged, caution must be applied to avoid over-estimating the clinical benefits of EL to patients. The second element of this project aimed to investigate issues around long-reported concerns of a lack of correspondence between test performance on neuropsychological measures and everyday decision-making ability in patients with acquired brain injury (ABI). Reduced decision-making capacity is a common consequence of ABI. The results can have devastating consequences for an individual and the support systems around them. Accurate assessment of a person’s decision-making ability is crucial to inform support needs. This project examined this issue with a service evaluation in a specialist cognitive rehabilitation service. The evaluation explored the relationships between standardised tests of cognitive function and a custom clinician-rated measure of everyday decision-making. Results provide evidence towards the accuracy of the tests used in the service to assess the cognitive components of decision-making. The results also evidence how elements of the assessment battery employed by the service meet existing clinical standards. This evaluation suggests that at a group level, despite concerns in the literature around a lack of ecological validity, tests of executive function are more useful in the assessment of decision-making than those from broader cognitive domains. In addition, the results identify a specific measure of planning to be important in the assessment of decision-making. This work informs clinicians in the service on how to approach the cognitive assessment of decision-making and evidence some potential for modifications in their battery. These results could lead to increased accuracy of assessment, with increased potential for patient challenges in this domain to be identified. This review may also provide a framework for other services on how to approach evidencing their standard of cognitive assessment of decision-making, despite the lack of specific national guidelines

Sensemaking in chemistry at upper secondary school

In chemistry education, student learning difficulties involve connecting theory and phenomena to make sense of chemistry, as well as utilising and understanding the language of chemistry. In this thesis, I examine the relationships among student language use, previous achievement level, and sensemaking in chemistry, as well as how experienced teachers help students make sense of chemistry as part of dialogic interaction during practical work. The aim of the thesis is to gain insights into how sensemaking in chemistry can be achieved at upper secondary school.For this thesis, data in the form of student-produced concept maps, student surveys, grade data, video recordings of practical work and teacher interviews were collected from students and teachers conducting practical work in a wide range of school contexts and two school systems (Swedish and International Baccalaureate). Student and teacher–student sensemaking were examined qualitatively using content analysis of concept maps and conversation analysis of teacher–student dialogues. In order to examine the relationship between language use, sensemaking and dialogic interaction in chemistry, sensemaking in chemistry was framed from a Vygotskian perspective.I found a relationship between previous assessed achievement level in chemistry and scientific language use, as well as student language use and sensemaking defined as connecting scientific theory and experience. However, no connection was found between previously assessed achievement level and sensemaking according to the cultural practice of chemistry, which is defined as the structuring of and connection between chemistry knowledge domains in student-produced concept maps. When examined further, the less structured concept maps were noted to contain signs of surface approaches to learning, indicating a possible connection between approaches to learning and chemistry sensemaking as a cultural practice. Finally, it was revealed that all of the experienced teachers involved in the study managed a balancing act in the classroom between (a) cueing sensemaking through exposing students’ knowledge gaps, connecting theory and experience, and introducing alternative concepts for thinking; and (b) presenting the students as competent contributors in the interaction. Through this thesis, I propose that students struggle to learn chemistry because they struggle to use psychological tools (such as scientific words and symbols) on their own to form concepts and mediate concept development in chemistry. I also propose, based on the data, that sensemaking in chemistry can be connected to both language use and approaches to learning, and that sensemaking according to the cultural practice of chemistry is not always assessed as part of grading in Sweden. Finally, I offer some suggestions for how chemistry teachers can work toward promoting sensemaking and concept development in their classrooms. The work of this thesis provides a novel framework from which to view language use and chemistry sensemaking as cornerstones of chemistry learning. The framework can be used by researchers who wish to study the role of language in chemistry learning. The results of the thesis can also be used by teachers as a basis for their planning to promote optimal sensemaking classroom environments

The Role of Scientific Language Use and Achievement Level in Student Sensemaking

Many science students struggle with using scientific language and making sense of scientific phenomena. Thus, there is an increased interest in science education research and public policy with regard to understanding and promoting scientific language use and sensemaking in science classrooms. However, there is a lack of comparative studies on how upper-secondary school students of different achievement and language levels use scientific language to make sense of phenomena. The aim of this study was to explore the relationship between achievement level, scientific language use, and sensemaking in chemistry for students being set a sensemaking task while constructing concept maps on the topic of chemical equilibrium. The concept maps were collected from five different upper-secondary schools in Sweden from two school systems (Swedish and International Baccalaureate). Using content analysis, these concept maps were examined for scientific language use as well as structuring of sensemaking. A majority of the students had difficulty structuring sensemaking in their concept maps, independently of achievement level. These difficulties included unstructured reasoning, symbolic representations being used as explanations, surface-level learning, and linear reasoning connected to rote learning. There appeared to be a connection between learning context and student individual structuring of sensemaking as expressed in the concept maps. The results also showed a clear relationship between scientific language use and achievement level in the student sample. The results indicate that the structuring of sensemaking and scientific language use are not always connected processes. In conclusion, teachers may need to adopt a teaching practice that includes directed and differentiated support for scientific sensemaking

The Ethics of Outsourcing Information Conflict: Outlining the Responsibilities of Government Funders to their Civil Society Partners

This report investigates the roles and responsibilities governments assume when they collaborate in areas of information conflict. In particular, it assesses the risks to civil society and the private sector when they engage in countering hostile foreign influence operations with funding from governments. What are governments’ options and limitations when supporting civilian populations to counter information attacks? To what extent can and should governments outsource these activities? And what are governments’ responsibilities to civil society and the private sector if and when they come under attack by hostile actors

Whats in a name? Managing a controlled vocabulary for climate and forecast data

A poster to describe how to manage a controlled vocabulary for climate and forecast dat