Molecular evolution of a widely-adopted taxonomic marker (COI) across the animal tree of life

Peer reviewe

Higher Education in Times of COVID-19 : University Students' Basic Need Satisfaction, Self-Regulated Learning, and Well-Being

In the wake of COVID-19, university students have experienced fundamental changes of their learning and their lives as a whole. The present research identifies psychological characteristics associated with students' well-being in this situation. We investigated relations of basic psychological need satisfaction (experienced competence, autonomy, and relatedness) with positive emotion and intrinsic learning motivation, considering self-regulated learning as a moderator. Self-reports were collected from 6,071 students in Austria (Study 1) and 1,653 students in Finland (Study 2). Structural equation modeling revealed competence as the strongest predictor for positive emotion. Intrinsic learning motivation was predicted by competence and autonomy in both countries and by relatedness in Finland. Moderation effects of self-regulated learning were inconsistent, but main effects on intrinsic learning motivation were identified. Surprisingly, relatedness exerted only a minor effect on positive emotion. The results inform strategies to promote students' well-being through distance learning, mitigating the negative effects of the situation.Peer reviewe

The longitudinal associations between mental health indicators and digital media use and physical activity during adolescence : A latent class approach

Introduction: Evidence for the relationship between movement behaviors and mental health among adolescents is inconclusive. We aimed to identify profiles of digital media use (including related bedtime delay) and leisuretime physical activity (LTPA) in adolescence, and to examine whether preadolescent mental health predicted later behavior profiles.Methods: This study included 1285 participants assessed at 11 years of age, and followed-up four years later. Participants completed the Self-Perception Profile for Children (SPPC), Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale for Children (CES-DC) and Screen for Child Anxiety-Related Emotional Disorders (SCARED) at baseline, and reported digital media use (active and passive use, gaming, and related bedtime delays) and LTPA at follow-up. A latent class approach was employed to identify behavior profiles, membership of which was then predicted with mental health and covariates, including baseline digital media use and LTPA. Results: We identified four behavior profiles: 1) high digital media use/moderate LTPA (20% of adolescents; 78% boys), 2) moderate digital media use/high LTPA (31%; 28%), 3) high digital media use/high LTPA (26%; 15%), 4) high passive digital media use and gaming/low LTPA (23%; 89%). After adjusting for covariates, higher LTPA and better perception of athletic competence at baseline associated with higher odds of belonging to any other profile than to the unhealthiest profile (4) at follow-up. Symptoms of depression or anxiety did not associate with later behavior profiles.Conclusions: LTPA and related self-esteem seem to be stronger predictors of future digital media use and LTPA behavior during adolescence than mental health symptoms alone.Peer reviewe

Adolescent well-being and learning in times of COVID-19-A multi-country study of basic psychological need satisfaction, learning behavior, and the mediating roles of positive emotion and intrinsic motivation

The sudden switch to distance education to contain the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has fundamentally altered adolescents' lives around the globe. The present research aims to identify psychological characteristics that relate to adolescents' well-being in terms of positive emotion and intrinsic learning motivation, and key characteristics of their learning behavior in a situation of unplanned, involuntary distance education. Following Self-Determination Theory, experienced competence, autonomy, and relatedness were assumed to relate to active learning behavior (i.e., engagement and persistence), and negatively relate to passive learning behavior (i.e., procrastination), mediated via positive emotion and intrinsic learning motivation. Data were collected via online questionnaires in altogether eight countries from Europe, Asia, and North America (N = 25,305) and comparable results across countries were expected. Experienced competence was consistently found to relate to positive emotion and intrinsic learning motivation, and, in turn, active learning behavior in terms of engagement and persistence. The study results further highlight the role of perceived relatedness for positive emotion. The high proportions of explained variance speak in favor of taking these central results into account when designing distance education in times of COVID-19.Peer reviewe

Distance learning in higher education during COVID-19 : The role of basic psychological needs and intrinsic motivation for persistence and procrastination–a multi-country study

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, higher educational institutions worldwide switched to emergency distance learning in early 2020. The less structured environment of distance learning forced students to regulate their learning and motivation more independently. According to self-determination theory (SDT), satisfaction of the three basic psychological needs for autonomy, competence and social relatedness affects intrinsic motivation, which in turn relates to more active or passive learning behavior. As the social context plays a major role for basic need satisfaction, distance learning may impair basic need satisfaction and thus intrinsic motivation and learning behavior. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between basic need satisfaction and procrastination and persistence in the context of emergency distance learning during the COVID-19 pandemic in a cross-sectional study. We also investigated the mediating role of intrinsic motivation in this relationship. Furthermore, to test the universal importance of SDT for intrinsic motivation and learning behavior under these circumstances in different countries, we collected data in Europe, Asia and North America. A total of N = 15,462 participants from Albania, Austria, China, Croatia, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Iceland, Japan, Kosovo, Lithuania, Poland, Malta, North Macedonia, Romania, Sweden, and the US answered questions regarding perceived competence, autonomy, social relatedness, intrinsic motivation, procrastination, persistence, and sociodemographic background. Our results support SDT’s claim of universality regarding the relation between basic psychological need fulfilment, intrinsic motivation, procrastination, and persistence. However, whereas perceived competence had the highest direct effect on procrastination and persistence, social relatedness was mainly influential via intrinsic motivation.Peer reviewe

A molecular-based identification resource for the arthropods of Finland

Publisher Copyright: © 2021 The Authors. Molecular Ecology Resources published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.To associate specimens identified by molecular characters to other biological knowledge, we need reference sequences annotated by Linnaean taxonomy. In this study, we (1) report the creation of a comprehensive reference library of DNA barcodes for the arthropods of an entire country (Finland), (2) publish this library, and (3) deliver a new identification tool for insects and spiders, as based on this resource. The reference library contains mtDNA COI barcodes for 11,275 (43%) of 26,437 arthropod species known from Finland, including 10,811 (45%) of 23,956 insect species. To quantify the improvement in identification accuracy enabled by the current reference library, we ran 1000 Finnish insect and spider species through the Barcode of Life Data system (BOLD) identification engine. Of these, 91% were correctly assigned to a unique species when compared to the new reference library alone, 85% were correctly identified when compared to BOLD with the new material included, and 75% with the new material excluded. To capitalize on this resource, we used the new reference material to train a probabilistic taxonomic assignment tool, FinPROTAX, scoring high success. For the full-length barcode region, the accuracy of taxonomic assignments at the level of classes, orders, families, subfamilies, tribes, genera, and species reached 99.9%, 99.9%, 99.8%, 99.7%, 99.4%, 96.8%, and 88.5%, respectively. The FinBOL arthropod reference library and FinPROTAX are available through the Finnish Biodiversity Information Facility (www.laji.fi) at https://laji.fi/en/theme/protax. Overall, the FinBOL investment represents a massive capacity-transfer from the taxonomic community of Finland to all sectors of society.Peer reviewe

Distance learning in higher education during COVID-19: The role of basic psychological needs and intrinsic motivation for persistence and procrastination–a multi-country study

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, higher educational institutions worldwide switched to emergency distance learning in early 2020. The less structured environment of distance learning forced students to regulate their learning and motivation more independently. According to self-determination theory (SDT), satisfaction of the three basic psychological needs for autonomy, competence and social relatedness affects intrinsic motivation, which in turn relates to more active or passive learning behavior. As the social context plays a major role for basic need satisfaction, distance learning may impair basic need satisfaction and thus intrinsic motivation and learning behavior. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between basic need satisfaction and procrastination and persistence in the context of emergency distance learning during the COVID-19 pandemic in a cross-sectional study. We also investigated the mediating role of intrinsic motivation in this relationship. Furthermore, to test the universal importance of SDT for intrinsic motivation and learning behavior under these circumstances in different countries, we collected data in Europe, Asia and North America. A total of N = 15,462 participants from Albania, Austria, China, Croatia, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Iceland, Japan, Kosovo, Lithuania, Poland, Malta, North Macedonia, Romania, Sweden, and the US answered questions regarding perceived competence, autonomy, social relatedness, intrinsic motivation, procrastination, persistence, and sociodemographic background. Our results support SDT’s claim of universality regarding the relation between basic psychological need fulfilment, intrinsic motivation, procrastination, and persistence. However, whereas perceived competence had the highest direct effect on procrastination and persistence, social relatedness was mainly influential via intrinsic motivation.</p

Raportti tanssinopettajaopiskelijoiden musiikkikoulutuksen kehittämisestä

Opinnäytetyön tarkoituksena oli tutkia rytmipyramidin käyttökelpoisuutta opetettaessa musiikkia tanssinopettajaopiskelijoille. Rytmipyramidia käytetään rytmimusiikin opetuksessa. Pyramidin avulla opetetaan muun muassa lyömäsoittajille ja pianisteille niin sanottua time keeping –soittoa, joka tarkoittaa tarkasti tempossa soittoa. Opinnäytetyötä tehdessäni ja tanssijoiden rytmistä ajattelua tutkiessani tulin siihen tulokseen, että tanssijoiden rytmitajun voisi jakaa kahteen kategoriaan. Opiskelun aloittaessaan hänellä on osittain tietoinen rytmitaju ja motivoinnin ja opetuksen avulla hänelle kehittyy tietoinen rytmitaju. Yhtenä päämääränä oli myös kehittää tanssijoiden musiikinopetussuunnitelmaa. Tarkastelun kohteena oli rytmiikan opetus, rytmipyramidin käyttö ja musiikinopetussuunnitelma. Tutkimukseni ajoittui ensimmäiseen musiikinopetusperiodiin sekä siitä saatuun palautteeseen. Palaute ensimmäisen musiikinopetusperiodin sisällöistä oli erittäin rohkaiseva. Tarkoitukseni on kehittää tanssinopettajaopiskelijoiden musiikinopetuksesta käytännönläheistä ja työelämän tarpeita vastaavaa.This research project was made to find out if the rhythm pyramid is a useful tool when teaching music and time keeping for dance students. The rhythm pyramid is used in pop and jazz tuition for rehearsing better time keeping. When playing music one should play in tempo while playing with other musicians. While working on my thesis, I came up with two concepts about the sense of rhythm of dance students. When dance students begin their studies, they have a partially conscious sense of rhythm. Through musical motivation and studies, the dance students will acquire a conscious sense of rhythm. Another idea was to develop the curriculum in music for dancers. I decided to focus on teaching of rhythms, use of rhythm pyramid and music curriculum for dance teachers. My research was based on the first music period for dance students and after that I got some feedback. The feedback I got was very encouraging. One idea is to develop the music curriculum for dance teacher students to be practical and to meet the needs of labour market.Liitteenä myös dvd-materiaalia. Liite käytettävissä Metropolian Arabianrannan kampuskirjastossa