The Use of Graduated Scenarios to Facilitate the Learning of Complex and Difficult-to-describe Concepts

There are many complex concepts in higher education learning that are difficult to convey to learners in words. Some examples are reflective learning, critical thinking, clinical reasoning; processes of evaluation (e.g. in art and design subjects) and professional practice (eg teaching itself). These are important concepts that evade straight forward uses of language that might explain how to ‘do’ them and how then to ‘do them better’ or at a ‘deeper level’ and so on. This paper explores a method that has been developed to facilitate the learning of such concepts - the graduated scenario technique. The paper describes the initial development of the method with respect to the concept of reflective learning. Graduated scenarios are based on two practices – firstly, the use of examples and demonstrations that show learners – in this case - how to write reflectively. Secondly they demonstrate the characteristics of deep reflection as opposed to superficial and descriptive reflection. This demonstration is made explicit at the end of the exercise, in a framework for,– in this case, reflective learning. The assumption is made that better quality learning emanates from deeper reflection (eg Hatton and Smith, 1995). The paper goes on to discuss the application of the graduated scenario technique to critical thinking. It then moves to a more generic approach, considering why such the technique appears to be helpful - and it provides examples of other areas of learning in which the it could be used

Validity as a function of meaning in Somló’s Juristische Grundlehre

Abstract Hans Kelsen, along with most other legal theorists, presupposes the existence of the sovereign in developing his theory of law. As a result, the Kelsenian theory can only account for legal norms issued in the abstract. For legal norms in the abstract though, there is no bearing on which to develop a theory of norms that reaches beyond the skeletal. This is an issue which has plagued legal theory for the past century and which this paper proposes to address upon a re-reading of the Juristische Grundlehre. Specifically, we are able to open our concept of sovereignty with Somló in ways that the Kelsenian theory does not permit. In this paper, I will argue that Felix Somló’s flexible conception of sovereignty leads to a much fuller contextualization of legal norms as expressions of meaning

Effects of Three Road Ice Fighters on Caddisfly Survival

Since salt and other toxins have affected larvae in other studies, we hypothesized that the samples with table salt, MgCl brine, or beet juice brine will have a lower LT50 than the control group. We also hypothesized the larvae would have the highest mortality in salt and the lowest mortality in beet juice brine. The null hypothesis will be that table salt, beet juice brine, and MgCl samples won’t differ on the control’s group LT50

Mast Cells and Lipid Cross-Talk in Skin Inflammation

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is an inflammatory skin disease whose pathogenic mechanisms remain unclear. Using a validated human AD-like mouse model, we observed that skin remodeling started at a pre-symptomatic stage of AD that included cellular infiltration of the hypodermis, accompanied with activated/degranulated mast cells (MC). Local MC activation was quantified using a novel method of computer-assisted image analysis we developed and reported. Using a variation of this method, we defined morphometric parameters allowing for quantitation rather than scoring of cellular infiltration. Cell recruitment correlated with MC activation, chemokine production and increased levels of sphingolipid sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P), produced by sphingosine kinase-1 (SphK1). MC or SphK1 deficiency significantly hindered early AD inflammation. Chronic AD features skin barrier dysfunction leading to skin lesions due to decreased lipid ceramide (CER) content. Interestingly, local CER species C16 and C24 were significantly increased in pre-symptomatic AD. Accordingly, skin CER synthase (CerS, CER synthesis) CerS4, 5 and 6 mRNA mRNA levels were statistically augmented. Because of the overall proapoptotic functions of CER, we next measured local cleaved/activated caspase 3 levels, the executioner caspase in apoptosis. Skin cleaved caspase 3/apoptosis was significantly augmented in early AD and correlated with increased endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress-related molecular players. To substantiate the importance of MC in ER stress-induced apoptosis, CER profiling was similarly conducted in treated skin samples collected from MC-deficient mice. MC deficiency prevented CER increase and local apoptosis that were restored following MC reconstitution. Epigenetic regulation of the molecular pathways that drive AD is unknown. We identified and validated a microRNA triad 34a-485-486 whose downregulation promoted the AD-related pathogenic pathways we have unraveled. We conclude that MC may initiate AD by driving early skin remodeling and cell recruitment through local chemokine and S1P production and CER-elicited apoptosis. Moreover, the down-regulation of a miRNA triad de-represses these key players of AD pathogenesis. Targeting these pre-symptomatic effector mechanisms may offer new prophylactic strategies for AD whose treatment remains a clinical challenge

The relationships among task complexity, content sequence, and instructional effectiveness in procedural learning.

Two questions were investigated: (1) Is the timing of the opportunity for the learner to integrate procedural content on the application level related to performance on tasks of high complexity? (2) Is the timing of the opportunity for the learner to integrate procedural content on the application level related to performance on tasks of low complexity?The content used in both treatment conditions was procedures involved in checking accounts. Following a task analysis, the content was sequenced according to the two treatment conditions. Two teachers delivered both sets of instruction once. Following completion of five one-hour training sessions, test instruments were administered to assess performance on tasks of low complexity and high complexity.A two (Teacher 1, Teacher 2) by two (OCI Sequence, TCI Sequence) factorial analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to analyze performance measures. For both simple and complex tasks, the ANOVA showed no significant difference that could be attributed to content sequence.The rationale for this study was based on the concept of assimilation-to-schema. This theory predicts that learning effectiveness will be increased by providing a complete but general version of the content prior to providing the specific of the content. Application of this learning theory can result in a general-to-detailed content sequence. This sequence can be contrasted to a parts-to-whole sequence which provides a complete version of the content following presentation of all parts of the content. A general-to-detailed sequence can be said to provide ongoing content integration while a parts-to-whole sequence can be said to provide terminal content integration.This study was designed to investigate relationships between content sequence as it contributes to content integration and procedural learning. Given that content sequence is fundamental to any intentioned learning situation, the relationship between organization and eventual integration of the content is of primary concern. Nowhere is the concern more evident than in consideration of procedural learning where the failure to integrate a single step into an overall procedure can result in an inability to correctly or completely apply a procedure or set of procedures.The subjects for this study (N = 103) were from a population of middle school students. One treatment condition was instruction on content sequenced to provide ongoing content integration on the application level (OCI Sequence). The other treatment condition was instruction on content sequenced to provide content integration upon completion or termination of instruction (TCI Sequence)

Methods for examining the psychometric quality of subscores: A review and application

When subscores on a test are reported to the test taker, the appropriateness of reporting them depends on whether they provide useful information above what is provided by the total score. Subscores that fail to do so lack adequate psychometric quality and should not be reported. There are several methods for examining the quality of subscores, and in this study seven such methods, four of which are based on classical test theory and three of which are based on item response theory, were reviewed and applied to empirical data. The data consisted of test takers’ scores on four test forms – two administrations of a first version of a college admission test and two administrations of a second version – and the analyses were carried out on the subtest and section levels. The two section scores were found to have adequate psychometric quality with all methods used, whereas the results for subtest scores ranged from almost all scores having adequate psychometric quality to none having adequate psychometric quality. The authors recommend using Haberman’s method and the related utility index because of their solid theoretical foundation and because of various issues with the other subscore quality methods. Accessed 4,596 times on https://pareonline.net from November 26, 2015 to December 31, 2019. For downloads from January 1, 2020 forward, please click on the PlumX Metrics link to the right

Instruction in Elementary Reading Methods Courses: Faculty Orientations and Strategy Use

During the past decade reading beliefs have changed from a product orientation that included the decoding of or thographic symbols to a process orientation that involves keeping all forms of communication whole. Additionally, current research clearly demonstrates that reading strategies must go beyond the printed page (Tierney and Pearson, 1983; Rumelhart, 1985; Goodman, 1986). The pedagogy of reading has also changed from teacher directed, skill building strategies to student entered process oriented strategies (Tierney and Pearson, 1983; Rumelhart, 1985)

A Survey of Diagnostic/Corrective Reading Instruction and Practices in Relation to the Interactive Reading Process

Based on the work of Rumelhart (1977), reading is currently characterized as an interactive process. The resulting interactive model is conceptualized as the interaction of many factors during the reader\u27s print processing, all of which influence comprehension. Research related to the model has indicated a variability among readers\u27 comprehension that is due to the interaction of factors such as: reader\u27s background knowledge, motivation, interest, text structure, task expectations, and flexibility (Anderson & Pearson, 1984; Meyer & Rice, 1984; Wigfield & Asher, 1984; Anderson & Pichert, 1978; Spiro, 1980; Campione & Brown, 1985). As a result, the reader is viewed as an active participant who constructs text meaning. To gather this information, a survey was conducted which examined current diagnostic/corrective practices and explored areas of needed change. Also included were perceived areas of weakness in current practices

Dynamics of spatial beam structures using quaternion parametrization of rotations

When subscores on a test are reported to the test taker, the appropriateness of reporting them depends on whether they provide useful information above what is provided by the total score. Subscores that fail to do so lack adequate psychometric quality and should not be reported. There are several methods for examining the quality of subscores, and in this study seven such methods, four of which are based on classical test theory and three of which are based on item response theory, were reviewed and applied to empirical data. The data consisted of test takers' scores on four test forms -' two administrations of a first version of a college admission test and two administrations of a second version -' and the analyses were carried out on the subtest and section levels. The two section scores were found to have adequate psychometric quality with all methods used, whereas the results for subtest scores ranged from almost all scores having adequate psychometric quality to none having adequate psychometric quality. The authors recommend using Haberman's method and the related utility index because of their solid theoretical foundation and because of various issues with the other subscore quality methods