On the idea of Learning Trajectories: Promises and Pitfalls

Learning mathematics is a complex and multidimensional if not an inherently indeterminate process. A necessary goal of research on learning is to simplify this complexity without sacrificing the ability of research to inform teaching. This goal has been addressed in part by researchers focusing on how to represent research on learning for teachers and on how to support teachers to use and generate models of students’ learning (e.g., Franke, Carpenter, Levi, & Fennema, et al., 2001; Hammer & Schifter, 2001; Simon & Tzur, 2004; Steffe, 2004). Recently, the idea of learning trajectories has gained attention as a way to focus research on learning in service of instruction and assessment. It is influencing curriculum standards, assessment design, and funding priorities. In this paper – which grew out of my response to Michael Battista’s keynote address on learning trajectories at the last annual meeting of the North American chapter of Psychology in Mathematics Education (Battista, 2010) – I examine the idea of learning trajectories and speculate on its usefulness in mathematics education

Transgenic Mice for Intersectional Targeting of Neural Sensors and Effectors with High Specificity and Performance

SummaryAn increasingly powerful approach for studying brain circuits relies on targeting genetically encoded sensors and effectors to specific cell types. However, current approaches for this are still limited in functionality and specificity. Here we utilize several intersectional strategies to generate multiple transgenic mouse lines expressing high levels of novel genetic tools with high specificity. We developed driver and double reporter mouse lines and viral vectors using the Cre/Flp and Cre/Dre double recombinase systems and established a new, retargetable genomic locus, TIGRE, which allowed the generation of a large set of Cre/tTA-dependent reporter lines expressing fluorescent proteins, genetically encoded calcium, voltage, or glutamate indicators, and optogenetic effectors, all at substantially higher levels than before. High functionality was shown in example mouse lines for GCaMP6, YCX2.60, VSFP Butterfly 1.2, and Jaws. These novel transgenic lines greatly expand the ability to monitor and manipulate neuronal activities with increased specificity.Video Abstrac

Postmenopausal hormones and sleep quality in the elderly: a population based study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Sleep disturbance and insomnia are commonly reported by postmenopausal women. However, the relationship between hormone therapy (HT) and sleep disturbances in postmenopausal community-dwelling adults is understudied. Using data from the multicenter Study of Osteoporotic Fractures (SOF), we tested the relationship between HT and sleep-wake estimated from actigraphy.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Sleep-wake was ascertained by wrist actigraphy in 3,123 women aged 84 ± 4 years (range 77-99) from the Study of Osteoporotic Fractures (SOF). This sample represents 30% of the original SOF study and 64% of participants seen at this visit. Data were collected for a mean of 4 consecutive 24-hour periods. Sleep parameters measured objectively included total sleep time, sleep efficiency (SE), sleep latency, wake after sleep onset (WASO), and nap time. All analyses were adjusted for potential confounders (age, clinic site, race, BMI, cognitive function, physical activity, depression, anxiety, education, marital status, age at menopause, alcohol use, prior hysterectomy, and medical conditions).</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Actigraphy measurements were available for 424 current, 1,289 past, and 1,410 never users of HT. Women currently using HT had a shorter WASO time (76 vs. 82 minutes, P = 0.03) and fewer long-wake (≥ 5 minutes) episodes (6.5 vs. 7.1, P = 0.004) than never users. Past HT users had longer total sleep time than never users (413 vs. 403 minutes, P = 0.002). Women who never used HT had elevated odds of SE <70% (OR,1.37;95%CI,0.98-1.92) and significantly higher odds of WASO ≥ 90 minutes (OR,1.37;95%CI,1.02-1.83) and ≥ 8 long-wake episodes (OR,1.58;95%CI,1.18-2.12) when compared to current HT users.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Postmenopausal women currently using HT had improved sleep quality for two out of five objective measures: shorter WASO and fewer long-wake episodes. The mechanism behind these associations is not clear. For postmenopausal women, starting HT use should be considered carefully in balance with other risks since the vascular side-effects of hormone replacement may exceed its beneficial effects on sleep.</p

Stereotype Threat Affect Achievement

Males consistently outperform females on the SAT-I quantitative section by about one third of a standard deviation. Previous research suggests this is due to a complex mix of biological, sociological, and psychological factors. This study examines 12th-grade male and female performance on NAEP items and uses this data to predict performance gaps on the SAT-I quantitative section. Study results suggest that sex differences in performance are due not only to the construction of the test, but also the environment in which the exam is administered. This research has far-reaching implications for the design and administration of standardized mathematics tests, which have historically exhibited large gaps in performance between the sexes. This research has implications in particular for the SAT, which is used for determining admission to many colleges and the awarding of scholarships

Publishing Electronic Dissertations: Final Report

This is a PDF Web Archive for http://www.library.cornell.edu/staffweb/ETDReport.htmlThis report contains a set of recommended procedures, the rationale for the recommendations, a discussion of issues and suggested solutions, suggestions for evaluation, considerations for the future, and a budget. The task force emphasizes that it sees the ETD project as a work-in-progress and that the recommendations it makes at this point should not foreclose changes at any point in the development process. Indeed, it recommends in the rationale that certain suggestions be reconsidered during the pilot period