Identifying discriminating variables between teachers who fully integrate computers and teachers with limited integration

Given the prevalence of computers in education today, it is critical to understand teachers’ perspectives regarding computer integration in their classrooms. The current study surveyed a random sample of a heterogeneous group of 185 elementary and 204 secondary teachers in order to provide a comprehensive summary of teacher characteristics and variables that best discriminate between teachers who integrate computers and those who do not. Discriminant Function Analysis indicated seven variables for elementary teachers and six for secondary teachers (accounting for 74% and 68% of the variance, respectively) that discriminated between high and low integrators. Variables included positive teaching experiences with computers; teacher’s comfort with computers; beliefs supporting the use of computers as an instructional tool; training; motivation; support; and teaching efficacy. Implications for support of computer integration in the classroom are discussed.     

Developing a computer workshop to facilitate computer skills and minimize anxiety for early childhood educators.

Early childhood educators (n=133) were assigned to 1 of 3 instructional conditions (direct, guided discovery, or no-exposure control) to assess the impact of computer workshops on their level of computer anxiety, computer knowledge, and comfort with computer technology. Groups were matched for computer experience and anxiety, early childhood education (ECE) experience, and ECE center. The direct and guided discovery groups attended a 3-hr hands-on workshop covering hardware, software, and Internet material. Immediately after the workshops, computer anxiety was lower and comfort with computer technology increased. Six months later, the control group had reduced computer anxiety, but the other groups maintained greater knowledge and comfort. Direct instruction reduced computer anxiety slightly but did not promote the acquisition of information of the guided condition. Overall, workshops provided gains that could translate into more effective and efficient computer use in the classroom. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Voltage-gated ion transport through semiconducting conical nanopores formed by metal nanoparticle-assisted plasma etching

Nanopores with conical geometries have been found to rectify ionic current in electrolytes. While nanopores in semiconducting membranes are known to modulate ionic transport through gated modification of pore surface charge, the fabrication of conical nanopores in silicon (Si) has proven challenging. Here, we report the discovery that gold (Au) nanoparticle (NP)-assisted plasma etching results in the formation of conical etch profiles in Si. These conical profiles result due to enhanced Si etch rates in the vicinity of the Au NPs. We show that this process provides a convenient and versatile means to fabricate conical nanopores in Si membranes and crystals with variable pore-diameters and cone-angles. We investigated ionic transport through these pores and observed that rectification ratios could be enhanced by a factor of over 100 by voltage gating alone, and that these pores could function as ionic switches with high on-off ratios of approximately 260. Further, we demonstrate voltage gated control over protein transport, which is of importance in lab-on-a-chip devices and biomolecular separations.     

A short-term longitudinal study of Internet and computer game use by adolescent boys and girls: Prevalence, frequency of use, and psychosocial predictors.

Prevalence, frequency, and psychosocial predictors of Internet and computer game use were assessed with 803 male and 788 female adolescents across 2 time periods, 21 months apart. At Time 1, participants were in the 9th or 10th grade; at Time 2, they were in the 11th or 12th grade. Most girls (93.7%) and boys (94.7%) reported using the Internet at both time periods, whereas more boys (80.3%) than girls (28.8%) reported gaming at both time periods. Girls reported a small decrease over time in the frequency of hours spent per day on overall technology use, mostly due to a decrease in gaming. Both linear and curvilinear relations were examined between parental relationships, friendship quality, academic orientation, and well-being measured in early high school and the frequency of technology use in late high school. Being male significantly predicted both computer gaming and Internet use. There also were trends in favor of higher friendship quality and less positive parental relationships predicting higher frequency of Internet use. Importantly, moderate use of the Internet was associated with a more positive academic orientation than nonuse or high levels of use. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Isolating variables that impact on or detract from the effectiveness of elaboration strategies.

The role of prior knowledge in elaboration strategies was examined in 3 experiments. University students were presented with material that accessed either a highly developed or a less developed knowledge base and instructed to answer "why" questions (elaborative interrogation), create interactive images (imagery), create interactive images using keywords (keyword), or read the information aloud (repetition). Across all 3 experiments, elaborative interrogation was most effective when learners were able to draw on a rich knowledge base. However, when the knowledge base was low, imagery-based strategies were more potent than elaborative interrogation. These results suggest that creating mental images encourages the processing of both relations and distinctions to a greater extent than elaborative interrogation when the learners' background knowledge is limited. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

On the association between sexual attraction and adolescent risk behavior involvement: Examining mediation and moderation.

On the basis of a large-scale survey of high-school youth, the authors compared adolescents reporting exclusively heterosexual, mostly heterosexual, bisexual, and predominately same-sex attraction based on high-risk involvement across a range of risk behaviors. Bisexual and same-sex attracted groups were characterized by heightened high-risk involvement relative to the other two groups. Mediation analysis was used to determine whether these group disparities were explained by a set of normative predictive factors spanning multiple life domains. Differences among a combined exclusively/mostly heterosexual attraction group and both the bisexual and same-sex attraction groups were attenuated (66% and 50%, respectively) after incorporating the hypothesized intervening predictive factors, providing evidence of partial mediation. Primary mediators included intrapersonal (attitudes toward risk-taking; academic orientation), interpersonal (peer victimization; parental relationships; unstructured activities), and environmental (substance availability) factors. Mediation results were consistent across participant age and sex. Implications, limitations, and directions for future research are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Examining students' retrospective memories of strategy development.

Two studies were conducted to assess students' self-reported use of cognitive study strategies. Both studies used a written survey to assess where and when students were introduced to their preferred study strategies. The 1st study compared high school and university students. The 2nd study compared university students' recollections of strategy use in high school with their present study behaviors. Results from the 2 studies were consistent. All groups, at all times in their education, regardless of course difficulty, preferred repetition strategies. Students were aware of other more sophisticated strategies but used them to a lesser extent. What was most compelling was students' indication that strategy instruction was a late addition to their educational experience, with many indicating high school as their 1st encounter with strategy instruction. These reports suggest that students' dependence on repetition strategies may be a product of the lack of familiarity and flexibility in the execution of more sophisticated strategies. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Stability and change in adolescent spirituality/religiosity: A person-centered approach.

Although there has been a substantial increase over the past decade in studies that have examined the psychosocial correlates of spirituality/religiosity in adolescence, very little is known about spirituality/religiosity as a domain of development in its own right. To address this limitation, the authors identified configurations of multiple dimensions of spirituality/religiosity across 2 time points with an empirical classification procedure (cluster analysis) and assessed development in these configurations at the sample and individual level. Participants included 756 predominately Canadian-born adolescents (53% female, 47% male) from southern Ontario, Canada, who completed a survey in Grade 11 (M age = 16.41 years) and Grade 12 (M age = 17.36 years). Measures included religious activity involvement, enjoyment of religious activities, the Spiritual Transcendence Index, wondering about spiritual issues, frequency of prayer, and frequency of meditation. Sample-level development (structural stability and change) was assessed by examining whether the structural configurations of the clusters were consistent over time. Individual-level development was assessed by examining intraindividual stability and change in cluster membership over time. Results revealed that a five cluster-solution was optimal at both grades. Clusters were identified as aspiritual/irreligious, disconnected wonderers, high institutional and personal, primarily personal, and meditators. With the exception of the high institutional and personal cluster, the cluster structures were stable over time. There also was significant intraindividual stability in all clusters over time; however, a significant proportion of individuals classified as high institutional and personal in Grade 11 moved into the primarily personal cluster in Grade 12. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)