Memory awareness and schematization: Learning in the university context

Following the application of the remember/know paradigm to student learning by Conway et al. (1997), this study examined changes in learning and memory awareness of university students in a lecture course and a research methods course. The proposed shift from a dominance of 'remember' awareness in early learning to a dominance of 'know' awareness as learning progresses and schematization occurs was evident for the methods course but not for the lecture course. The patterns of remember and know awareness and proposed associated levels of schematization were supported by a separate measure of the quality of student learning using the SOLO (Structure of Observed Learning Outcomes) Taxonomy. As found by previous research, the remember-to-know shift and schematization of knowledge is dependent upon type of course and level of achievement. Findings are discussed in terms of the utility of the methodology used, the theoretical implications and the applications to educational practice. Copyright (C) 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Thoughts at the beginning of a career in Indigenous health

A person working for the Centre for Indigenous Health, Education and Research provides an insight into the personal journey of an Indigenous professional embarking on a career in health and research, specifying the difficulties and problems within the course of development. He suggests that to increase the number and level of involvement of Indigenous researchers in research field the need for providing the opportunity for Indigenous people should be considered.

Beyond sex and cooking: Health education for individuals with intellectual disability

Issues of health education programming for people with intellectual disability are discussed. As environments in which such individuals live become more inclusive, and they are encouraged to make their own choices, the issue of whether current health education is sufficient to enable them to make healthy life choices is considered. More attention should be focused on programs in schools and the community to fulfill this need. Three aspects of health education programming are considered: physical activity, general health knowledge, and social supports for health. Continuity of information is viewed as important in policy development as well as in interprofessional coordination and cooperation to assure that these individuals are not further handicapped by poor health.

Genetic influence on the variance in P3 amplitude and latency

The P3(00) event-related potential (ERP) component is widely used as a measure of cognitive functioning and provides a sensitive electrophysiological index of the attentional and working memory demands of a task. This study investigated what proportion of the variance in the amplitude and latency of the P3, elicited in a delayed response working memory task, could be attributed to genetic factors. In 335 adolescent twin pairs and 48 siblings, the amplitude and latency of the P3 were examined at frontal, central, and parietal sites. Additive genetic factors accounted for 48% to 61% of the variance in P3 amplitude. Approximately one-third of the genetic variation at frontal sites was mediated by a common genetic factor that also influenced the genetic variation at parietal and central sites. Familial resemblance in P3 latency was due to genetic influence that accounted for 44% to 50% of the variance. Genetic covariance in P3 latency across sites was substantial, with a large part of the variance found at parietal, central, and frontal sites attributed to a common genetic factor. The findings provide further evidence that the P3 is a promising phenotype of neural activity of the brain and has the potential to be used in linkage and association analysis in the search for quantitative trait loci (QTLs) influencing cognition.

Genetic influence on ERP slow wave measures of working memory

Individual differences in the variance of event-related potential (ERP) slow wave (SW) measures were examined. SW was recorded at prefrontal and parietal sites during memory and sensory trials of a delayed-response task in 391 adolescent twin pairs. Familial resemblance was identified and there was a strong suggestion of genetic influence. A common genetic factor influencing memory and sensory SW was identified at the prefrontal site (accounting for an estimated 35%-37% of the reliable variance) and at the parietal site (51%-52% of the reliable variance). Remaining reliable variance was influenced by unique environmental factors. Measurement error accounted for 24% to 30% of the total variance of each variable. The results show genetic independence for recording site, but not trial type, and suggest that the genetic factors identified relate more directly to brain structures, as defined by the cognitive functions they support, than to the cognitive networks that link them.

Being breastfed in infancy and breast cancer incidence in adult life: Results from the two Nurses' Health studies

Events during perinatal and early life may influence the incidence of breast cancer in adult life, and some case-control studies suggest that having been breastfed may reduce breast cancer risk. The authors studied this association among premenopausal and postmenopausal women by using data from the two Nurses' Health Studies, the Nurses' Health Study (using data from 1992 to 1996) and the Nurses' Health Study II (using data from 1991 to 1997). A history of being breastfed was self-reported by the study participants. During a total of 695,655 person-years, 1,073 cases of invasive breast cancer were diagnosed. The authors did not observe any important overall association between having been breastfed and the development of breast cancer later in life among premenopausal women (covariate-adjusted relative risk = 0.97, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.78, 1.20) or postmenopausal women (covariate-adjusted relative risk = 1.12, 95% CI: 0.92, 1.37). No significant trend was observed with increasing duration of breastfeeding. The authors also used data on breastfeeding retrospectively collected from 2,103 mothers of participants of the two Nurses' Health Studies. With the mothers' reports, the covariate-adjusted odds ratio of breast cancer was 1.11 (95% CI: 0.88, 1.39) for women who were breastfed compared with those who were not. Data from these two large cohorts do not support the hypothesis that being breastfed confers protection against subsequent breast cancer.

Forced emigration, favourable outcomes

The discipline of public health and preventive medicine in Australia and New Zealand had its genesis in the advocacy of 18th and 19th century military pioneers. Military (Royal Navy and British Army) surgeons were posted to Australia as part of their non-discretionary duty. Civilian doctors emigrated variously for adventure, escapism and gold fever. One group, a particularly influential group disproportionate to their numbers, came in one sense as forced emigrants because of chronic respiratory disease in general, and tuberculosis in particular. Tuberculosis was an occupational hazard of 19th century medical and surgical practice throughout western Europe. This paper analyses six examples of such emigration which had, perhaps unforeseen at the time, significant results in the advancement of public health. Such emigration was in one sense voluntary, but in another was forced upon the victims in their quest for personal survival. In Australia, such medical individuals became leading advocates and successful catalysts for change in such diverse fields as social welfare, public health, the preventive aspects of medical practice, child health, nutrition and medical education. A number of such public health pioneers today have no physical memorials; but their influence is to be seen in the ethos of medical practice in Australia and New Zealand today. Their memory is further perpetuated in the names of Australian native wildflowers and trees that symbolise not only a healthy environment but the longterm investment, accrued with interest, of the institution of public health measures for which their advocacy achieved much success.

Clinical supervision in four mental health professions: A review of the evidence

This paper examines a range of theoretical issues and the empirical evidence relating to clinical supervision in four mental health professions, namely clinical psychology, occupational therapy, social work, and speech pathology. Despite the widespread acceptance of the value of supervision among practitioners and the large quantity of literature on the topic, there is very little empirical evidence in this area. It is not clear whether supervision actually produces a change in clinician behaviour, nor whether it produces benefits in terms of client outcomes. To date, there is insufficient evidence to demonstrate which styles of supervision are most beneficial for particular types of staff, in terms of their level of experience or learning style. The data suggest that directive forms of supervision, rather than unstructured approaches, are preferred by relatively inexperienced practitioners, and that experienced clinicians also value direct supervision methods when learning new skills or dealing with complex or crisis situations. The available evidence suggests that supervisors typically receive little training in supervision methods. However, to date, we have little information to guide us as to the most effective ways of training supervisors. While acknowledging the urgent need for research, the paper concludes that supervision is likely to form a valuable component of professional development for mental health professionals.