Supporting healthy communities through sports and recreation programs

There is some evidence, in the form of critical descriptions of programs and systematic reviews, on the benefits to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities from participation in sport and recreational programs. These include some improvements in school retention, attitudes towards learning, social and cognitive skills, physical and mental health and wellbeing; increased social inclusion and cohesion; increased validation of and connection to culture; and crime reduction.Although the effects of sports and recreation programs can be powerful and transformative, these effects tend to be indirect. For example, using these programs to reduce juvenile antisocial behaviour largely work through diversion, providing alternative safe opportunities to risk taking, maintenance of social status, as wellas opportunities to build healthy relationships with Elders and links with culture.Although Indigenous Australians have lower rates of participation in sport than non-Indigenous people, surveys suggest that around one-third of Indigenous people participate in some sporting activity (ABS 2010). That makes sports a potentially powerful vehicle for encouraging Indigenous communities to look at challenging personal and community issues.Within Indigenous communities, a strong component of sport and recreation is the link with traditional culture. Cultural activities such as hunting are generally more accepted as a form of sport and recreation than traditional dance. Therefore sport and recreation are integral in understanding ‘culture’ within Indigenous communities, as well as highlighting the culture within which sport and recreation operate.

Illusions vary because of the types of decorations at bowers, not male skill at arranging them, in great bowerbirds

Many animals use extended phenotypes to attract mates, but the availability of suitable resources in the environment can affect the size and form of these signals, with unknown consequences for honest signalling. In some populations of the great bowerbird, Ptilonorhynchus nuchalis, males arrange decorations by size, with smaller decorations placed closer to the bower entrance than larger decorations. This may create a more even background pattern from the female's viewpoint within the bower than if decorations were arranged randomly. Males show consistent, individual variation in the size-distance gradient, which could reflect variation among males in the cognitive skills needed to arrange decorations. We examined whether individual consistency in gradient characteristics is related to a male's skill at decoration arrangement or the types of decorations at bowers. We paired 18 males and switched bower decorations between pairs. We measured gradient characteristics before switching and 4 and 8 days after switching. Gradient characteristics after switching were related to those of the bower from which decorations were received, not to those of the male's own bower before switching. Gradient characteristics were also related to the types of decorations received, including bones and snail shells. These results suggest that variation among males in the size-distance gradient is explained by differences in the availability of decorations at bowers, not the cognitive skills required to arrange decorations. Although variation in gradient characteristics could indicate the male's ability to locate and transport particular decorations, it could also reflect local availability of objects, with no relationship to male quality.

A new perspective on competency management: Implemented through effective human-computer interaction

Making an informed decision on whether an individual is suited to undertake an educational course or industry training programme can be very frustrating. When dealing with young adults at different cognitive skill levels, it is important to be able to identify and distinguish between their knowledge/competency levels, mostly on the basis of the evidence gathered from test-items. The current absence of appropriate measurement tools to determine skill/competency/knowledge levels remains a practical issue. The main aim of this paper is to discuss the management of this important differentiation in cognitive skill performance. One of the dilemmas surrounding this type of competency evaluation is the time it takes to test an individual. Insisting for instance, that a novice undergoes a long and arduous test, including many difficult testing items, results in lowered self-esteem, reduced motivation for learning something new, may induce stress related disorders. Similarly, expecting a more competent individual to undergo numerous simple test-items can generate the same negative result. A Competency Management System (CMS) is presented to initiate effective human-computer interaction (HCI) for cognitive skills assessment. © 2009 Springer-Verlag US.

Program outcomes in youth justice outcomes: the PLUS+ program review

This report provides a methodology to assess the outcomes of rehabilitation programs that are delivered to young offenders in South Australia. A method of assessing change is described that can be applied across a number of different programs, but is illustrated in relation to one particular program, the PLUS+ program. PLUS+ is a group-based cognitive skills program which employs cognitive-behavioural methods of problem-solving, skills-training, and self-management to rehabilitate young offenders. It is one of the most intensive and best established programs to have been implemented in South Australia. Based on a review of this program a number of recommendations are made to enhance the future delivery and evaluation of PLUS+.

Two Essays on the economics of Education

We develop a job-market signaling model where signals may convey two pieces of information. This model is employed to study the GED exam and countersignaling (signals non-monotonic in ability). A result of the model is that countersignaling is more expected to occur in jobs that require a combination of skills that differs from the combination used in the schooling process. The model also produces testable implications consistent with evidence on the GED: (i) it signals both high cognitive and low non-cognitive skills and (ii) it does not affect wages. Additionally, it suggests modifications that would make the GED a more effective signal.

A model of mixed signals with applications to countersignaling an the GED

We develop a job-market signaling model where signals may convey two pieces of information. This model is employed to study the GED exam and countersignaling (signals non-monotonic in ability). A result of the model is that countersignaling is more expected to occur in jobs that require a combination of skills that differs from the combination used in the schooling process. The model also produces testable implications consistent with evidence on the GED: (i) it signals both high cognitive and low non-cognitive skills and (ii) it does not affect wages. Additionally, it suggests modifications that would make the GED a more signal.

O teatro do oprimido e sua contribuição na formação da criança com transtorno do déficit de atenção com hiperatividade

This research investigates and reports the contributions of the Theatre of the Oppressed and its techniques as a therapeutic resource in the education of children with Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity. In the first chapter organize one studying theoretical seeking to conceptualize and understand the Learning, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, seeking to better understand the behavior and the behavior of children with ADHD. Researching on the symptoms, causes and effects of this syndrome. Trace a relationship between familyschool- specialists in an attempt to prove the importance of family support in the teachinglearning process and treatment of these children. In the second chapter start conceptualizing theater, the relationship between work-Theatre-Education Therapy, explain the difference between the theatrical stage and the therapeutic stage. Account the importance of theater games in the classroom and its contribution to social and educational training of the child. Justify the choice of the Theatre of the Oppressed recognizing him as the primary method for this research, because it is a set of exercises, games and techniques that help the child regain equilibrium relations, developing autonomy, encourages creativity and spontaneity, freeing them from their oppression. Besides being an efficient transformation behavior, improving behavior, allowing the inclusion of children in society. It is verified the effectiveness of the method and techniques in their work with children Municipal School Professor. Antonio Severiano in Natal / RN, allowing these children develop body awareness, working senses, thought, memory, inhibition, teaching to expose your point of view, understand and deal with their emotions, respecting its limits and develop their motor and cognitive skills

Ensino por investigação: contribuições de um curso de formação continuada para a prática de professores de ciências naturais e biologia

Normally initial teacher training has not been sufficient to provide all the tools for an updated and efficient teaching practice. It is presented here one of the ways of working the completion of the initial training through a course of continuing education. This course is based on inquiry teaching which is considered an important teaching strategy for science education. This kind of teaching enables improvement of students reasoning and cognitive skills, the cooperation among them, the understanding of the nature of scientific work, and the motivation to think about the relationship between science, technology, society and environment. For this dissertation a course of continuing education based on this approach was followed in order to evaluate which contributions it can bring to the teaching practice. The course was followed based on three stages: on the first there was a questionnaire and an informal interview; next it happened through participant observation with audio and visual aid; the third stage happened through semi structured interview. The collected information was analyzed based on Content Analysis. An inquiry teaching pedagogical material was produced for the course including some examples and applications of this approach. The aim of the material is that it can be a support for the teachers after de course. The results allowed seeing that the course was very useful, different from the traditional and the teachers that put the approach to use found it to be very positive. Thus it can be said that some of the teachers who participated will try again to apply it, try to contextualize more the teaching situations with the students day to day life, as well make them more active and critic. We can also gather from the study, that the inquiry teaching is a very different tool from what the teacher was taught and is accustomed to use and the theoretical comprehension, acceptance and practice change is a complicated process and demands time

Desenvolvimento de um protótipo de um atlas escolar interativo: projeto e produção

This paper aims at presenting an Interactive School Atlas prototype which was developed for cartography and environmental education. The methodology was based on the theoretical study about child mental development of Piaget theory, in order to elaborate strategies that allow the student a better comprehension about the spatial information understanding. It was defined as study case of sixth grade students, because they belong to the Formal Operation stage, in which the children reach the needed mental operations for understanding cartographic key concepts. This Atlas was developed in two stages: cartographic design and Atlas production. The Atlas implementation was developed seeking the use of Multimedia Cartography and animation resources that may attract students and teachers, instigating them to explore the tools and strategies to lead users to a correct interpretation of map contents. The Atlas was implemented by using the Macromedia Flash and Visual Basic softwares and the MapObjects library. Though the map has bot been evaluated yet, one should point out that it was designed according to the theoretical and methodological knowledge of the cognitive development and its relationship to cartographic conceptions, aiming at adapting the product to children cognitive skills.

Lógica por trás dos contratos sociais

Natural selection shapes body and behavior of each species. For primates, the social environment constituted one of the greatest selective pressure for the development of their cognition. When we consider gender differences, we see that sexual selection also operates through different selective pressures for men and women not only in physical terms but in terms of cognitive skills. Among these, the primary cognitive abilities - that emerge naturally - and secondary - that rely on an artificial environment for learning - develop differently for each sex, making them suitable for specific tasks in different capacities. Previous studies utilized the Wason Selection Test a conditional logic tool - to measure, among several other things, the ability to recognize violation of rules in abstract contexts and social contexts. Subjects generally had better performance in the latter, however, in these studies possible differences motivated by learning in formal logic or genre were not considered. Our study investigated these two variables, as well as the time spent to solve each task. Furthermore, we used an index to take into account the rights and wrongs of the participants in tasks. We realized that although learning in formal logic does not bring significant differences in solving tests, the gender differences are strongly observed when we consider the social contexts and abstract. Women perform better in social tasks. This can be explained due to different sexual selective pressures for this gender in terms of one-on-one relationships within the group. Men are better at tasks of abstract context and this is probably due to the same reason. Their capabilities for territory defense, habitat navigation and forming coalitions depends on primary cognitive abilities that support secondary cognitive skills of abstraction. Thus, gender differences are a factor to be taken into account in controlling future experiments with the same tool

Estilos de aprendizagem sob a ótica da Psicologia Evolucionista

Among a variety of learning conceptions, David Kolb´s Experiential Learning Theory proposes four different learning styles: diverging, characterized by orientation towards people and multi-perspective vision; assimilating, concerned with ideas and abstract concepts as well as theory formulation; converging, expert in dealing with technical tasks and problem solving; and accommodating, risk taker and good at getting things done. Interesting correlations have been pointed out between Kolb s learning styles, professional careers and genders. With respect to behaviors, specific cognitive skills and interests, sex differences are widely known, and explained by Evolutionary Psychology as the result of distinct selective pressures acting on each gender. The aim of this research was to assess adolescents learning styles and their relation with interests on school and career choices, analyzing possible gender differences. We distributed questionnaires to 221 senior high school students to research their preferences for school disciplines, professional activities and career choices. The Learning Style Inventory specified the learning style of each individual. Our results showed a high frequency of reflective styles, with predominance of females as diverging and males as assimilating. Concerning school and professional interests, there were correlations between styles oriented towards the abstract and technical interests. Moreover, females preferred disciplines related to languages and interpersonal activities while males preferred disciplines related to science and technical activities. There were more males in exact science and engineering careers, and more females in social science and applied social science. Correlations found between learning styles, school and professional interests corroborate Kolb´s propositions, and the findings about gender differences are supported by Evolutionary Psychology theories

Ensino de biologia e o desenvolvimento de habilidades cognitivas por meio de atividades práticas e contextualizadas

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Avaliação do processo de aprendizagem em alunos de ensino médio sob a perspectiva dos professores: apontamentos referentes a uma proposta de ensino e aprendizagem interdisciplinar

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Educação científica, CTSA e ensino de física: contribuições ao aperfeiçoamento de situações de aprendizagem sobre entropia e degradação de energia

Pós-graduação em Educação para a Ciência - FC

Relações familiares e habilidades sociais de irmãos de indivíduos com transtorno do espectro autístico: estudo comparativo

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)