Attentional control and engagement with digital technology

Multiple demands comprise the efficiency of attentional control. There is abundant evidence that when an individual attempts two or more attentionally demanding activities at the same time, the allocation of attention to the tasks is limited and performance suffers as a result. Yet, recent technological innovations require many individuals to manage multiple digital technologies simultaneously or to switch attentional control between tasks. The ability to multitask with various digital technologies involves dividing attention, switching between tasks, and keeping track of multiple strands of information in working memory

The efficacy of working memory training in improving crystallized intelligence

Crystallized intelligence (Gc) is thought to reflect skills acquired through knowledge and experience and is related to verbal ability, language development^1^ and academic success^2^. Gc, together with fluid intelligence (Gf), are constructs of general intelligence^3^. While Gc involves learning, knowledge and skills, Gf refers to our ability in tests of problem-solving, pattern matching, and reasoning. Although there is evidence that Gf can be improved through memory training in adults^4^, the efficacy of memory training in improving acquired skills, such as Gc and academic attainment, has yet to be established. Furthermore, evidence of transfer effects from gains made in the trained tasks is sparse^5^. Here we demonstrate improvements in Gc and academic attainment using working memory training. Participants in the Training group displayed superior performance in all measures of cognitive assessments post-training compared to the Control group, who received knowledge-based training. While previous studies have indicated that gains in intelligence are due to improvements in test-taking skills^6^, this study demonstrates that it is possible to improve crystallized skills through working memory training. Considering the fundamental importance of Gc in acquiring and using knowledge and its predictive power for a large variety of intellectual tasks, these findings may be highly relevant to improving educational outcomes in those who are struggling

It is better than you think: fluid intelligence across the lifespan

The growth and decline of fluid intelligence is associated with brain structural changes. For example, development of fluid IQ is associated with cortex thickness during the critical period between 6 to 12 years old. On the other end of the lifespan, poor performance in cognitive functioning is attributed to a decrease of frontal gray matter density in elderly populations. In particular, there is a sharp decline in fluid IQ scores after 65 years of age. There is substantial evidence that working memory and fluid intelligence (Gf) share neural substrates, such as the prefrontal and parietal cortices. However, very little research has examined whether the pattern of growth and decline in working memory mirrors that of fluid intelligence. For example, does the decline of working memory skills in elderly populations mirror fluid intelligence? Is the rate of working memory decline similar to the rate of growth

Working memory: Is it the new IQ?

Working memory, our ability to process and remember information, is linked to a range of cognitive activities from reasoning tasks to verbal comprehension. There is also extensive evidence of the relationship between working memory and learning outcomes. However, some researchers suggest that working memory is simply a proxy for IQ and does not make a unique contribution to learning outcomes. Here we show that children's working memory skills at 5 years of age was the best predictor of reading, spelling, and math outcomes six years later. IQ, in contrast, accounted for a smaller portion of unique variance to reading and math skills, and was not a significant predictor of spelling performance. Our results demonstrate that working memory is not a proxy for IQ, but rather represents a dissociable cognitive skill with unique links to learning outcomes. Critically, we find that working memory at the start of formal education is a more powerful predictor of subsequent academic success than IQ. This result has important implications for education, particularly with respect to developing intervention and training. It appears that we should target our efforts in developing working memory skills in order to see gains in learning

Working memory in children with developmental disorders

The aim of the present study was to directly compare working memory skills across students with different developmental disorders to investigate whether the uniqueness of their diagnosis would impact memory skills. The authors report findings confirming differential memory profiles on the basis of the following developmental disorders: Specific Language Impairment, Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD), Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, and Asperger syndrome(AS). Specifically, language impairments were associated with selective deficits in verbal short-term and working memory, whereas motor impairments (DCD) were associated with selective deficits in visuospatial short-term and working memory. Children with attention problems were impaired in working memory in both verbal and visuospatial domains, whereas the children with AS had deficits in verbal short-term memory but not in any other memory component. The implications of these findings are discussed in light of support for learning

SWIMMING AGAINST THE TIDE: BOYS, LITERACIES, AND SCHOOLING – AN AUSTRALIAN STORY

This article focuses on issues related to boys, literacies, and schooling as played out in the Australian context. It reflects on the swathe of populist discourse centring on boys, and on literacy, that drives a potentially divisive education agenda. In providing more nuanced analyses of the debates surrounding the disputed territory of boys, literacies, and schooling, the article offers examples of disaggregated literacy test data to demonstrate the importance of adopting a “which boys” and “which girls” approach to the issues. The article also provides brief coverage of the Success for Boys program, introduced in Australia in 2006, that encourages teachers to swim against the tide of populism by embracing the agenda in all of its complexity. Key words: gender, literacy achievement, schooling Cet article porte sur des questions reliées aux garçons, aux littératies et à l’école dans un contexte australien. L’auteure étudie les multiples discours populistes sur les garçons et la littératie susceptibles d’entraîner une approche fractionnelle en éducation. Tout en fournissant une analyse nuancée des débats entourant le territoire contesté des garçons, les littératies et l’école, l’article fournit des exemples de données de tests de littératie non regroupées qui démontrent l’importance de distinguer de « quels garçons » et de « quelles filles » il s’agit. En outre, l’article présente brièvement un programme lancé en 2006, Success for Boys, qui incite les enseignants à nager à contre‐courant du populisme en adoptant un point de vue qui tient compte de toute la complexité de l’éducation. Mots clés : genre, rendement en littératie, éducation

Goals of Aid Organizations and Perspectives of Employees: Urban Integration of Syrian Refugees in Jordan

This research aims to explore the perspectives of aid workers in Amman among various aid organizations, both local and international, and how aid workers feel the country should move forward from both a policy and social standpoint regarding urban integration of Syrian refugees. This research includes a review of literature in urban studies and sociology of economics, drawing on absorption theory and the concept of parallel structures of services to contextualize the argument that the role of urban refugees in urbanization and urban economic development should be considered within the systems of relief in place in Jordan, and it is the role of aid organizations to link overall development to relief work with the help of governing bodies. The researcher hypothesizes that the lack of absorption theory practiced in aid organization programming reinforces the detrimental parallel structure of service provision in Jordan. This study’s significance is related to the precarious position Jordan is in economically and socially following the Syrian crisis, and the importance of finding a sustainable solution for the future. Interviews and questionnaires were completed with employees of aid organizations in Amman in order to inform this research. In conclusion, while tenets of absorption theory was practiced in many organizations in this sample, the obstacles to further programming are significant, and parallel structures of services remain an issue to social cohesion of Syrians and Jordanians. This study contributes qualitative perspectives of aid workers with experience in this matter to the broader academic discussion of how emergency relief affects host countries and seeks to contribute perspectives on how the international aid community can restructure responses to fit the needs of Jordan

VOLUME YIELDS OF SMALLHOLDER Eucalyptus grandis W. HILL EX MAIDEN STANDS IN EASTERN PARAGUAY

Smallholders in eastern Paraguay plant small stands of Eucalyptus grandis W. Hill ex Maiden intended for sale on the local market. Smallholders have been encouraged to plant E. grandis by local forestry extension agents who offer both forestry education and incentive programs. Smallholders who practice recommended forestry techniques geared towards growing large diameter trees of good form are financially rewarded by the local markets which desire saw log quality trees. The question was posed, are smallholders engaging in recommended silvicultural practices and producing reasonable volume yields? It was hypothesized that smallholders, having received forestry education and having financial incentives from the local market, would engage in silvicultural practices resulting in trees of good form and volume yields that were reasonable for the local climate and soil characteristics. Yield volume results from this study support this hypothesis. Mean volume yield was estimated at 70 cubic meters per hectare at age four and 225 cubic meters per hectare at age eight. These volume yields compare favorably to volume yields from other studies of E. grandis grown in similar climates, with similar stocking levels and site qualities