A two-year experience teaching computer literacy to first-year medical students using skill-based cohorts

Because it is widely accepted that providing information online will play a major role in both the teaching and practice of medicine in the near future, a short formal course of instruction in computer skills was proposed for the incoming class of students entering medical school at the State University of New York at Stony Brook. The syllabus was developed on the basis of a set of expected outcomes, which was accepted by the dean of medicine and the curriculum committee for classes beginning in the fall of 1997. Prior to their arrival, students were asked to complete a self-assessment survey designed to elucidate their initial skill base; the returned surveys showed students to have computer skills ranging from complete novice to that of a systems engineer. The classes were taught during the first three weeks of the semester to groups of students separated on the basis of their knowledge of and comfort with computers. Areas covered included computer basics, e-mail management, MEDLINE, and Internet search tools. Each student received seven hours of hands-on training followed by a test. The syllabus and emphasis of the classes were tailored to the initial skill base but the final test was given at the same level to all students. Student participation, test scores, and course evaluations indicated that this noncredit program was successful in achieving an acceptable level of comfort in using a computer for almost all of the student body.

Difficulties with unification.

The difficulties perceived in the orientation-based unified scheme models, when confronted with the observational data, are pointed out. It is shown that in meter-wavelength selected samples, which presumably are largely free of an orientation bias, the observed numbers of quasars versus radio galaxies are not in accordance with the expectations of the unified scheme models. The observed number ratios seem to depend heavily on the redshift, fluxdensity, or radio luminosity levels of the selected sample. This cannot be explained within the simple orientation-based unified scheme with a fixed average value of the half-opening angle (c approximately 45 degrees ) for the obscuring torus that supposedly surrounds the nuclear optical continuum and the broad-line regions. Further, the large differences seen between radio galaxies and quasars in their size distributions in the luminosity-redshift plane could not be accommodated even if I were to postulate some suitable cosmological evolution of the opening angle of the torus. Some further implications of these observational results for the recently proposed modified versions of the unified scheme model are pointed out.

Mental health literacy of Latina women in the United States for their school-aged children

Despite known mental health (MH) disparities faced by Latino children relative to children from other minority groups of similar socioeconomic status (SES), little is known about how Latina mothers make MH decisions for their children. The present study examined links between Latina mothers' mental health literacy (MHL), including the recognition of and response to child psychiatric symptoms, and maternal acculturation factors as well as interpersonal violence (IPV) related symptomatology. Participants were 80 Latina mothers from Denver, Colorado and Modesto, California with at least one child between the ages of 8-12 years. Mothers were presented vignettes depicting child internalizing and externalizing disorders as well as interviewed about their help seeking behaviors. Maternal acculturation was not related to identification of disorders, but was related to more symptoms recognized for child internalizing and externalizing symptoms. Acculturation predicted use of formal source of care for child internalizing and externalizing disorder. Women demonstrated a preference for informal source of care, with the exception of IPV-related child symptoms, where women demonstrated a preference for formal source of care. IPV-related symptoms did not moderate the relationship between acculturation and MHL. The relationship between maternal acculturation, IPV related symptomatology and their combined effect on MHL for child psychiatric disorders are discussed.

Formação inicial de professores de química: o processo de reflexão orientada visando o desenvolvimento de práticas educativas no ensino médio

O Processo de Reflexão Orientada apresenta-se como uma nova proposta formativa, a qual pode contribuir para a formação inicial professores. Nesse processo, o futuro professor, mediado por um professor mais experiente, tem a oportunidade de elaborar e avaliar suas ideias sobre o ensino e a aprendizagem, suas metodologias e suas práticas de ensino, podendo clarificar e confrontar suas teorias pessoais. Neste sentido, este trabalho investigou as contribuições do PRO na atuação pedagógica de licenciandos em Química, visando um ensino por investigação e para a promoção da alfabetização científica no Ensino Médio. Para isso, mediados pela pesquisadora, os três licenciandos participantes da pesquisa elaboraram uma sequência de aulas e a desenvolveram em sala de aula, refletindo sobre suas concepções e práticas durante todo o processo envolvido. Diversas propostas de uma mesma sequência de aulas, sobre um mesmo conteúdo químico, foram elaborados pelos licenciandos, de forma a contemplar uma sequência investigativa e para promoção da AC. A última proposta foi aplicada em sala de aula. Os licenciandos avaliaram e refletiram sobre a sua prática em sala de aula e sobre os planos desenvolvidos, utilizando referenciais teóricos sobre ensino por investigação, AC e exigência cognitiva das questões. Para compreender a evolução dos licenciandos durante o PRO, a pesquisadora analisou os níveis investigativos dos elementos pedagógicos presentes nos planos elaborados e nas aulas ministradas por eles; o nível de AC dos planos e das aulas ministradas, bem como, o nível cognitivo das questões propostas nos planos e nas aulas. O processo reflexivo sobre a prática dos licenciandos é evidenciado por meio de categorias de análise e exemplificadas por trechos das transcrições dos encontros reflexivos realizados entre eles e a pesquisadora. As contribuições do grupo durante o processo também foram avaliadas. Os resultados mostram que os planos desenvolvidos pelos três licenciandos apresentaram evoluções na maioria dos tópicos avaliados, o que pode ser justificado pelas reflexões proporcionadas pelos encontros individuais e em grupo. No entanto, algumas dificuldades foram evidenciadas quanto a proposição da questão problema e de materiais para o levantamento das ideias prévias dos estudantes. A análise das aulas evidencia algumas dificuldades vivenciadas pelos licenciandos durante suas regências, como a sustentação da questão problema, bem como, das interações dialógicas. As reflexões realizadas entre a pesquisadora e os licenciandos, durante os encontros individuais, evidenciam momentos relevantes para a formação inicial, visto que os futuros professores expunham suas concepções, anseios e dilemas. Os encontros reflexivos em grupo também evidenciam contribuições, o que possibilitou ao grupo socializar, confrontar e compartilhar suas ideias e experiências. Esta pesquisa também mostra a importância do papel do mediador, já que a confiança dos licenciandos pela pesquisadora parece ter contribuído para o comprometimento deles durante o processo. Assim, o PRO vivenciado pelos licenciandos parece ter contribuído para eles desenvolverem uma postura crítica com relação à prática docente. Ao elaborar os planejamentos e avaliar suas ações, baseados em referenciais teóricos, puderam construir novas ideias sobre o processo de ensino e de aprendizagem em Química.

Stop, Collaborate & Listen: How the Librarian/Publisher Relationship Can Facilitate the Development of the Information Literacy Curriculum

A librarian from the Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU) and the Library Communications Manager at Taylor & Francis Group partnered to launch a collaborative information literacy pilot program focusing on assisting FGCU students and faculty navigate and understand the scholarly publishing process. This article describes how the idea was created, as well as steps involved in developing the publishing toolkit to help FGCU patrons. An overview of the pilot program was presented during the 2015 Charleston Conference as a poster session.

Psychometric behaviour of the strengths and difficulties questionnaire (SDQ) in the Spanish national health survey 2006

Background: The Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) is a tool to measure the risk for mental disorders in children. The aim of this study is to describe the diagnostic efficiency and internal structure of the SDQ in the sample of children studied in the Spanish National Health Survey 2006. Methods: A representative sample of 6,773 children aged 4 to 15 years was studied. The data were obtained using the Minors Questionnaire in the Spanish National Health Survey 2006. The ROC curve was constructed and calculations made of the area under the curve, sensitivity, specificity and the Youden J indices. The factorial structure was studied using models of exploratory factorial analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factorial analysis (CFA). Results: The prevalence of behavioural disorders varied between 0.47% and 1.18% according to the requisites of the diagnostic definition. The area under the ROC curve varied from 0.84 to 0.91 according to the diagnosis. Factor models were cross-validated by means of two different random subsamples for EFA and CFA. An EFA suggested a three correlated factor model. CFA confirmed this model. A five-factor model according to EFA and the theoretical five-factor model described in the bibliography were also confirmed. The reliabilities of the factors of the different models were acceptable (>0.70, except for one factor with reliability 0.62). Conclusions: The diagnostic behaviour of the SDQ in the Spanish population is within the working limits described in other countries. According to the results obtained in this study, the diagnostic efficiency of the questionnaire is adequate to identify probable cases of psychiatric disorders in low prevalence populations. Regarding the factorial structure we found that both the five and the three factor models fit the data with acceptable goodness of fit indexes, the latter including an externalization and internalization dimension and perhaps a meaningful positive social dimension. Accordingly, we recommend studying whether these differences depend on sociocultural factors or are, in fact, due to methodological questions.

What do older people understand by mobility-related difficulties?

Despite the centrality of the difficulty concept in the study of disability, there has been little research on its significance from the point of view of people with functional limitations. The main objective of this study was to describe what older people understand when asked about difficulty in undertaking mobility activities. As a secondary objective, we considered whether there are any differences depending on the type of activities, according to the International Classification of Functioning (ICF) mobility domains. Methods: Seventeen community-dwelling men and women aged 70 years old or over were interviewed by means of a questionnaire containing 55 items covering the ICF mobility domains. The participants responded to the items while thinking aloud, saying what led them to give a specific answer about their level of difficulty. Inductive content analysis was conducted and categories, subthemes and themes were identified. Results: Causes of difficulty (pathologies, impairments, symptoms) and accommodations (task modifications and use of aids) were the two themes identified; and their importance (and that of the subthemes included) varied across the types of activity. All the participants said that they had no difficulty in at least one task, despite mentioning changes in the way they performed them. Conclusions: Older people's opinions were consistent with theoretical models of disability and with the standard practice of measuring functional limitations by asking about the degree of difficulty; however, the design of these measures needs to be improved in order to detect perceptions of no difficulty in the presence of task modification.

New Literacy for Reading Using ICT

This article will analyse the key strategies in the relationship between reading and writing in the area of ICT and the resulting importance in supporting literacy in this area so that the education system as a whole (primary and secondary schools and universities) can be guided to make full use of the opportunities ICT can provide. ICTs are able to help improve overall comprehension, evaluate general perspectives and raise awareness of the value of cooperation and, as a result, the essential quality of individuals and their contributions. These contributions are far-reaching and strategic. The benefits of applying ICT in reading and writing are also felt in oral expression and can result in education based more on dialogue which, in turn, leads to social change.

The Questionnaire about Interpersonal Difficulties for Adolescents: Reliability and Validity Evidence in Colombian Adolescents

The aim of this study was to analyze reliability and validity evidence of scores on the Colombian version of the Questionnaire about Interpersonal Difficulties for Adolescents (QIDA) in a sample of 1,628 adolescents (65.7% boys), ranging in age from 12 to 18 years. Confirmatory factor analyses replicated the correlated five-factor structure of the QIDA: Assertiveness, Heterosexual Relationships, Public Speaking, Family Relationships, and Close Friendships. Internal consistency for the QIDA and subscales scores was excellent. Girls reported higher level of perceived anxiety in heterosexual relationships, whereas boys showed more anxiety in close friendships and decreased interpersonal anxiety during adolescence. Results support the reliability and validity of the scores on the Colombian version of the QIDA.

Reliability and Validity Evidence of Scores on the French Version of the Questionnaire about Interpersonal Difficulties for Adolescents

This study examined the reliability and validity evidence drawn from the scores of the French version of the Questionnaire about Interpersonal Difficulties for Adolescents (QIDA) in a sample of 957 adolescents (48.5% boys) ranging in age from 11 to 18 years (M = 14.48, SD = 1.85). A principal axis factoring (PAF) and confirmatory factor analyses (CFA) were performed to determine the fit of the factor structure of scores on the QIDA. PAF and CFA replicated the previously identified correlated five-factor structure of the QIDA: Assertiveness, Heterosexual Relationships, Public Speaking, Family Relationships, and Close Friendships. The QIDA yielded acceptable reliability scores for French adolescents. Validity evidence of QIDA was also established through correlations with scores on the School Anxiety Inventory and the Social Anxiety Scale for Adolescents. Most of the correlations were positive and exceeded the established criteria of statistical significance, but the magnitude of these varied according to the scales of the QIDA. Results supported the reliability and validity evidence drawn from the scores of the French version of the QIDA.

Identifying student and teacher difficulties in interpreting atomic spectra using a quantum model of emission and absorption of radiation

Our study sets out to identify the difficulties that high school students, teachers, and university students encounter when trying to explain atomic spectra. To do so, we identify the key concepts that any quantum model for the emission and absorption of electromagnetic radiation must include to account for the gas spectra and we then design two questionnaires, one for teachers and the other for students. By analyzing the responses, we conclude that (i) teachers lack a quantum model for the emission and absorption of electromagnetic radiation capable of explaining the spectra, (ii) teachers and students share the same difficulties, and (iii) these difficulties concern the model of the atom, the model of radiation, and the model of the interaction between them.