Articles tagged with Learning
A study found that custom animations in PowerPoint lectures negatively impact student learning, requiring greater concentration and reducing exposure time. In contrast, static graphics are better retained by students.
The Virtual Dental Implant Training Simulation Program uses multiple patients and clinical scenarios to teach diagnostics, decision making, and treatment protocols. Research shows that healthcare providers who practice clinical skills via simulation have better patient outcomes than those who don't.
A University of Missouri researcher recommends increasing repetition learning and reducing 'fun' activities in US schools to help bridge the gap between natural human learning abilities and modern knowledge needs. This approach can improve students' performance in subjects like science and math.
A three-year study by Tufts University aims to determine whether service-learning enhances engineering programs' appeal to students, particularly women. The research will investigate service-learning's impact on student motivation, self-efficacy, and confidence in their skills.
A Northwestern University study found that bilingual participants mastered nearly twice the number of words as monolinguals when learning an invented language. The research suggests that early exposure to two languages carries far-reaching benefits, making bilingual individuals better language learners in general.
A new study by University of Illinois professor Christy Lleras found that ability grouping in elementary school impairs the literacy of lower-grouped minority students, while having little effect on higher-grouped minority students. The practice creates larger achievement gaps among minority students and exacerbates inequality.
A new course at Ohio State University has been shown to increase the odds of college graduation for struggling first-year students, with those taking the class being 45% more likely to graduate within six years. The course teaches skills such as risk-taking and using feedback to improve academic performance.
Kansas State University is using a Second Life island called TerraWorld to help high school students learn geology through interactive simulations. Students can explore different time periods, complete quests and scavenger hunts, and interact with virtual role models.
Researchers found that teaching kids the underlying structure of math problems enhances their understanding and ability to solve them. This approach, known as conceptual instruction, enables students to explain the problem and its solutions on their own.
A study published in Science has provided molecular evidence for the theory of synaptic homeostasis, which suggests that sleep refreshes the brain by downscaling synapses. This process saves energy, space, and material, clearing away unnecessary proteins and 'noise' from the previous day.
Researchers found depressed individuals correctly identified more negative beans than non-depressed peers, but struggled with positive beans. The study suggests depressed people may have a bias against learning good information, which could impact treatment.
A University of Illinois study finds that public schools with certified teachers and a modern math curriculum outscore private schools. The researchers discovered that smaller class sizes, teacher certification, and instructional practices were key factors in achieving better math test scores for public school students.
Researchers develop a new general chemistry curriculum, CLUE, using the emergence and evolution of life as context for introducing chemistry concepts. The curriculum aims to improve students' problem-solving abilities and deepen their understanding of fundamental principles.
Researchers found that 10-month-old infants can use prior information to understand novel actions, but not when performed in a different location. The study suggests that providing advance information about a person's goals helps infants learn from another person's actions.
A collaborative research course taught at one university led to a global collaboration among faculty members from three universities, resulting in significant increases in communication skills and subject matter knowledge. Students reported improved understanding of how communication fits into collaborative problem-solving and anticipa...
A CU-Boulder study reveals that peer discussion during 'clicker' questions significantly improves students' learning outcomes, leading to better answers and higher grades. The researchers used a method to test whether students were genuinely learning or influenced by their peers.
A study by University of California, Santa Barbara psychologists found that starting with difficult problems can improve understanding of new material. Participants who began with harder problems were able to think abstractly and perform well on the task, whereas those who started with easy problems struggled with more complicated issues.
A computer model called Diag was developed to predict human behavior and learning in a circuit troubleshooting task. The model learned at the same rate as participants, replicating their strategy and solving problems accurately.
The Temporal Dynamics of Learning Center has received a $12 million NSF award to expand its research on the role of time and timing in learning. The center's unique collaboration with teachers and researchers aims to develop innovative programs that apply laboratory findings to the classroom.
The Federation of American Scientists (FAS) received a $1 million grant from the Entertainment Software Association Foundation to improve its educational game, Immune Attack. The game aims to teach how the immune system works and is designed for students and teachers.
Research found that high users of campus green spaces rated their overall quality of life higher and had better cognitive abilities. Most students (90%) were frequent users of green space.
A study by UC Riverside predicts nearly all California elementary schools will fail to meet Adequate Yearly Progress requirements by 2014. The researchers emphasize the need for emphasis on ELA and support in mathematics, suggesting a more tailored approach to address each school's unique challenges.
Researchers at NC State University have developed a video game program called GRADUATE to help North Carolina high school students fulfill the state's new graduation project requirement. The program aims to foster science achievement and IT skills while motivating students to pursue STEM degrees and careers.
Researchers will create immersive virtual environments and assess their effectiveness in undergraduate engineering classes, enabling flexible learning with video games and IT tools. The project aims to enhance student engagement, accessibility, and learning outcomes in mechanical engineering education.
New research challenges the trend of holding kids out of kindergarten until they're older, arguing that academic advantages are short-lived. Older kindergartners initially outperform younger peers, but their edge soon fades by eighth grade.
A UBC study of Olympic athletes found that pride and shame are innate biological responses to success and failure, expressed universally across cultures. The researchers used cross-cultural data gathered at the 2004 Olympics to analyze non-verbal expressions and body language.
A new study by Ohio State University researchers found that students learn more about sensitive subjects like HIV infection and pregnancy prevention when taught by their regular classroom teacher. Students valued the course material more, reported higher quality discussions, and felt more comfortable with their teachers.
A new study suggests that up to three-quarters of US schools labeled as 'failing' due to low test scores would pass using a measure of student learning impact. This approach considers students' learning rates during and outside the school year, providing a more accurate picture of school effectiveness.
Ohio State University students using clickers in physics lectures scored 10% higher on final exams than those without, leveling the playing field for male and female students. The technology may encourage more women to study science, addressing a US need for scientists and engineers.
A RAND Corporation study explores six urban regions' collaborations to increase access to arts learning for children. The initiatives demonstrate the potential of pooling resources and coordinating activities to make arts education a priority.
A study by McMaster University finds that most errors are repeated due to the act of making a mistake constituting learning. Testing 30 students, researchers found that those who spent longer time trying to retrieve words were more likely to repeat the same error state.
A study of 80 years of research found that cooperative learning leads to better social relationships, academic success, and peer interaction among 12- to 15-year-olds. In contrast, competitive and individualistic environments hinder friendships and lower achievement scores.
Researchers found that non-conscious goal pursuit helps individuals achieve their objectives, even in new environments. In two experiments, participants who received achievement-related cues demonstrated improved performance in tasks requiring implicit learning.
Animated speech and language tutors, developed by UC Santa Cruz professor Dominic Massaro, help remedial readers, language learners, and autistic children by modeling natural human speech and articulation. The technology is being incorporated into a new remedial reading program and tailored to teach languages such as Arabic.
A study by University of Missouri researchers found that US students from low-income families are less likely to have access to highly qualified teachers compared to their peers globally. The study's findings highlight a significant 14.4% opportunity gap between high- and low-socioeconomic status students.
A new computerized tutoring system aims to help middle school students develop a deep understanding of scientific concepts by teaching them to 'think like scientists.' The system will guide students' learning, assess their progress, and provide feedback automatically to teachers.
The GABAA receptor's inhibition of learning has been reversed by its overexpression, revealing a complex relationship between neurotransmitters and cognitive processes. Fruit flies exhibit impaired learning at high temperatures but retain memory, suggesting that the receptor's absence may enhance neural plasticity.
Researchers studied how Christianity brought written material from Mediterranean to NW Europe, including Biblical weights, measures, and glossaries. They aimed to understand various forms of transferring Greek and Roman knowledge about the natural world.
Researchers found that learning different names for things makes it easier to place them into the correct categories. In a series of experiments, participants learned labels for aliens on a computer screen and categorized them into two types, demonstrating that redundant labels facilitate learning of novel categories.
Researchers at Kent State University investigate middle-school students' ability to judge their own learning, finding that overconfidence is a major issue. To address this, the team develops a 'study buddy' tool that combines accurate monitoring with effective schedules of learning.
A new study from the University of Texas at Austin found that teaching white children about historical racism significantly improved their positive attitudes toward African Americans. In contrast, African-American children who learned about racism did not experience changes in their racial attitudes.
The university is implementing an active learning approach in computer science education, focusing on studio courses with team projects and interdisciplinary collaboration. This transformation aims to raise student interaction levels and promote motivation through creative problem-solving activities.
New study reveals that overlearning vocabulary through repeated drilling results in no long-term retention, while massing all study on a single topic into a single session reduces long-term retention. Breaks of at least a month between study sessions also improve learning outcomes.
Researchers have identified two techniques to improve people's ability to accurately evaluate their learning: rereading or summarizing text, and focusing attention on key details. These methods demonstrate promise for helping individuals learn complex materials more efficiently.
A new study by the Economic and Social Research Council's Teaching and Learning Research Programme found that schools can be turned into places where students become independent learners. The project showed that teachers who receive proper professional development and support can help children take responsibility for their own learning.
A study by Ohio State University sociologist Paul von Hippel found that students in year-round schools showed similar improvement in math and reading test scores compared to traditional nine-month schools. While disadvantaged children may gain slightly more in reading, the overall impact on academics is minimal.
A study reveals that monkeys learn through active engagement, mirroring human learning strategies. By generating answers themselves from memory, monkeys outperformed passive training with hints in long-term retention. This finding supports the importance of active learning in both humans and animals.
A study found that hand gestures significantly enhance learning, with 90% of students recalling algebraic concepts after three weeks. The method taps into the need to experience information through interacting with the environment, making it a free and effective teaching aid.
A new teaching method uses SimMan simulation technology to teach basic science concepts, with 98% of students rating the correlation as 'very good' or 'outstanding'. Students engaged actively through guided group discussions and interactive simulations.
Researchers found that young birds learned more than half of their songs by eavesdropping on adult tutors interacting with another bird. Direct interaction with a tutor accounted for only 19% of the songs, highlighting the role of eavesdropping in song learning.
A US-Asian teaching gap exists in math instruction, with US teachers utilizing fewer spatial supports and gestures that encourage active reasoning compared to Hong Kong and Japan. This could contribute to lower US student performance on international math tests.
Researchers at Worcester Polytechnic Institute have received a four-year, $2 million award to continue development of the ASSISTment intelligent tutoring system. The system will provide teachers and parents with immediate feedback on student performance, helping them offer individualized instruction and track student progress over time.
Researchers found that taking breaks from studies, including getting a good night's sleep, enhances relational memory and 'big picture' inferences. This 'off-line' processing period allows the brain to unconsciously mull over information, leading to improved performance on complex tasks.
Researchers found that sleep enforces the temporal sequence in memories by replaying experiences in a forward direction. This process enhances word recall when students were asked to reproduce learned words in the correct order.
Researchers found that adults exhibit a 'curse-of-knowledge bias' when reasoning about false beliefs, with their own knowledge influencing their ability to reason. Additionally, age affects false memory development, with children showing improved performance at older ages. The study also discovered a circadian rhythm in central process...
A study by the University of Virginia found that only a small percentage of elementary school classrooms provide high-quality instruction, leading to mediocre student outcomes. High-quality teaching involves active learning environments, teacher-student interaction, and emotional support, but is often lacking in US schools.
Researchers found that 18-month-old toddlers listen and watch emotional reactions directed by one adult to another, then use this emotional information to shape their own behavior. The study indicates infants understand other people's emotional states at a very young age.
A study found that temporary inhibition of native language words helps learners focus on the new language. Fluently bilingual speakers were less prone to this effect, suggesting it's an adaptive strategy during initial second language learning stages.
The University of Alaska Fairbanks has received a $1.3 million federal grant to create a graduate-level training program in second-language acquisition, focusing on the Yupik language. The program aims to provide K-12 teachers with tools to increase fluency and address second-language issues in the classroom.
A new study finds that publicly schooled kindergarteners outperform privately schooled peers in terms of learning gains, contrary to expectations. The research suggests that instituting all-day kindergarten could help narrow the achievement gap between public and private schools.