Articles tagged with Learning
WPI computer scientist Craig Shue is developing a new technology using containerization to protect companies and users from malware attacks. The system isolates each user's interaction with the server in a temporary copy, or instance, that disappears when the session ends.
A new science curriculum, Integrating Biology with Inquiry (IBIS), has been shown to increase student buy-in and satisfaction over time, while maintaining learning gains. The four-year study found that students recognized the connection between their teaching methods and their learning outcomes.
A recent UCLA study found that artificial intelligence, specifically deep learning computer networks, have severe limitations in distinguishing objects. The researchers demonstrated that these machines can be easily fooled, and their method of identifying objects using computer vision differs substantially from human vision.
A meta-analysis of 32 randomized controlled trials found that mind-body exercises enhance cognitive flexibility, working memory, and verbal fluency in older adults. The study suggests that these exercises can improve learning and overall mental health, offering a promising approach to supporting cognitive function as we age.
Researchers have created a new artificial intelligence that can effectively defeat captcha security systems used by most popular websites. The algorithm, based on deep learning methods, requires only 500 genuine captchas to train, making it highly efficient and able to launch attacks with low effort.
Preliterate 6-year-olds outperformed their peers on grammatical relations, but struggled with novel words. After six months of reading instruction, the advantage disappeared, suggesting that literacy may come at a cost.
A randomised controlled trial found that a whole-school approach using restorative practice improved student-reported indicators of bullying and mental wellbeing. The programme also showed small but significant benefits for smoking, drinking, and illicit drug use among students.
A new 'buddy system' of nursing education has been found to improve student learning and confidence by promoting collaborative decision-making. The 'Two Heads Are Better than One' method involves two students working together as one nurse, forcing them to prioritize and make clinical decisions, resulting in less anxiety and more robust...
A computational tool using machine learning and optimization algorithms matches refugees to host communities with the best resources for success. Annie MOORE predicts refugee employment likelihood and guides resettlement workers in finding suitable placements, improving integration outcomes.
The MDI Biological Laboratory has received a five-year, $1.2 million grant from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences to promote data literacy among high school students and teachers. The project aims to address the contamination of well water in Maine and New Hampshire with arsenic, which can lead to severe health problems.
A study found that teaching Latin roots to English Learners improves word analysis skills and enhances academic vocabulary. By leveraging their native language, students can build a stronger connection between Latin and English, ultimately improving literacy and academic achievement.
A study found that pain treatment is more efficient when provided by a stranger, revealing the analgesic effect of surprise. Participants experienced reduced neural pain responses and subjective pain judgments after being treated by someone from a different social group.
A research team at the University of Waterloo has defined gameful experience as a psychological state resulting from three characteristics: perceived achievable goals, motivation under arbitrary rules, and voluntary actions. This unifying concept aims to clarify terminology and improve gameful system design.
Washington State University has been awarded a five-year grant to increase the number and diversity of students from rural Washington who enter biomedical careers. The project, called HEAL, uses art-based learning to engage underrepresented communities in STEM education.
A recent study published in Open Mind suggests that people's sense of certainty is boosted by feedback rather than hard evidence when learning new things or trying to tell right from wrong. This cognitive dynamic can lead to the reinforcement of false beliefs and limit intellectual horizons.
A recent study by Christine Mallinson and Anne H. Charity Hudley suggests that K-12 STEM educators who are aware of linguistic issues can better support African-American students. The authors recommend developing cultural and linguistic competencies through partnerships with local linguists and using linguistic insight to invite studen...
A study by Swansea University found that up to one in seven recent graduates may have paid someone to undertake their assignment, representing 31 million students. The data suggests a significant increase in contract cheating over time, with a historic average of 3.5% rising to 15.7% in studies from 2014.
A study found that friendship groups who sat together achieved similar grades, while students sitting alone at the edges tended to do worse. The research suggests that lecturers can use this information to provide targeted support for anxious students and encourage interactions between different groups.
Researchers found that predictable situations enhance language learning in toddlers by reducing the need for them to track unexpected events. This design separated the content of what children were learning from the predictability of the situation, showing a cascade effect on learning something new.
A new study from the University of Portsmouth suggests that implicit practice methods can help football players improve their penalty kick accuracy. The research found that using these methods, which encourage independent decision-making, results in higher kicking accuracy compared to explicit training methods.
Researchers found that stimuli in the environment can influence what we think about and activate subconscious 'sets' that override conscious intentions. This challenge traditional views of a private conscious mind, suggesting it may be more permeable than thought.
A new assessment called Exam Roulette uses a game of chance to increase student preparation and motivation for essay tests. Students can preview potential questions, ask clarifying questions, but not receive specific content information, reducing anxiety and stress.
A pilot program at the University of New Hampshire at Manchester introduced a semester-long course with a study abroad trip to Belize, making it more affordable for students. Financial aid covered full or partial costs for seven students, while all participants reported increased confidence and likelihood of traveling abroad again.
The National Science Foundation has awarded a grant to the Natural History Museum of Utah and the College of Education at the University of Utah to develop an online learning environment for student learning in the biosciences. The project, EPIC Bioscience, will use digitized museum collections to provide middle school students with en...
A possible biomarker for long-term learning has been discovered, which may lead to different educational techniques to improve retention of information. The researchers used EEG to measure students' brain responses to anatomical terms before and after an introductory anatomy class.
A new report synthesizes findings from over 300 research studies to emphasize the importance of teaching phonics in establishing fundamental reading skills in early childhood. The review provides concrete recommendations for drawing on this evidence base in the classroom to support more children becoming confident, skilled readers.
A study from the University of Waterloo found that children can sense an item's ownership without direct interaction, using territory-based inferences. This suggests that children have adult-like intuitions about ownership, which is surprising given their age.
A new Penn Medicine medical school program trains students to understand life circumstances affecting patients' health care experiences. Students develop community engagement skills, confidence, and competence to overcome challenges.
A study by UC Davis researchers explores how citizen science activities support youth learning and agency in environmental science. Youth participants collected data on bird populations, butterfly life cycles, water quality, and land use, developing skills in data analysis, evaluation, and communication.
Boosting learning from positive and negative feedback may prevent psychosis, according to researchers at the University of Missouri. Brain scans using functional magnetic resonance imaging can also identify markers for psychosis risk, helping mental health professionals better treat patients with psychoses.
A robot at Georgia Tech has learned to dress people by analyzing simulated examples of dressing a human. The robot uses its sense of touch to guide the garment onto a person's arm and predict the consequences of different motions.
A new program aims to provide early career teachers in the Sacramento region with effective strategies for classroom communication, including using student videos and avatars. The project, led by UC Davis professor Steven Z. Athanases, will focus on high school English and elementary science teaching.
David Hullender, a UTA professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering, has been recognized as a 2018 Minnie Stevens Piper Professor. He is being honored for his transformative power in inspiring generations of students over 48 years through teaching, mentoring, and instilling self-confidence.
Saint Louis University professor Simone Bregni uses video games like Assassin's Creed II to teach Italian, reinforcing vocabulary and grammar while introducing cultural data. His students made significant progress, exceeding traditional Italian courses by 3-5 points in a single semester.
The University of Tennessee, Knoxville's Haslam College of Business received the 2018 UPS George D. Smith Prize for its innovative analytics master's program, which combines cutting-edge analytics with business strategy and soft skills.
A Brigham Young University study found that students who analyzed their own microbiome data spent 31% more time on coursework and reported increased confidence in scientific reasoning abilities. This approach may increase student engagement in science education, inspiring lifelong learning.
The Journal for STEM Education Research is a subscription-based, open-access journal focusing on students' cognitive and non-cognitive development in STEM education. It explores learning environments and pedagogies to facilitate student learning and development.
The study found that the student-centered design resulted in high course grades and demonstrable mastery of content. The course uses Smart Sparrow's learning platform to access learner analytics, enabling instructors to make rapid design improvements.
A recent study analyzing over 2,000 college classes in science, technology, engineering, and math found that conventional lecturing persists as the primary teaching method. Despite advocacy for student-centered learning, the study discovered that only 18% of classrooms emphasized group work and discussions.
A University of Sussex study used an MRI scanner to investigate how adults learn new words. The research found that the hippocampus plays a key role in this process, allowing adults to remember word-object correspondences over time through a 'propose-but-verify' strategy.
Middle school students who used personalized DNA and genealogy learned as much as their peers who used case studies. The curriculum encouraged students to explore their personal histories and cultures, fostering engagement with science and promoting understanding of complex topics like race and genetics.
A new study by Northwestern University found that gay and lesbian youth experience less psychological distress when in a romantic relationship, suggesting the benefits of initiatives like citywide 'queer proms' to promote healthy dating behaviors.
A new study from City, University of London, University of Oxford, and Yale University shows that people exhibit an 'optimism bias' when learning about others, with stronger vicarious optimism for those they care about. This bias affects how much people change their beliefs after receiving good or bad news.
The Learning Sciences Research Institute at UIC is studying how teachers learn and acquire knowledge to promote critical inquiry and deep reading in science, mathematics, and literature classrooms. The project aims to inform ideas about teaching practices that support student problem-solving and inquiry-based learning.
Research by neuroscientists at New York University uncovers neural circuits that may be intact but improperly tuned, leading to inflexibility in learning new information. The study sheds light on the cognitive deficit characteristic of Fragile X syndrome, which impairs memory use in multiple ways.
A new study published in the Journal of Experimental Child Psychology found that children aged 8-12 can learn routes quickly and efficiently with minimal repeated experience. The research suggests that young children's brains are capable of learning complex spatial information, even with a large number of turns.
The STARS (Students and Trainees Advocating for Resource Stewardship) program at Boston University School of Medicine aims to help medical students develop skills to identify the appropriate amount of patient care. Through the program, students will review ABIM Foundation's Choosing Wisely value-based care campaign and use tools like t...
A new study published in Physics Today found that traditional introductory physics laboratory courses fail to enhance student learning due to lack of active engagement. Researchers designed innovative lab alternatives that encourage iterative experimentation and critical thinking.
A new study published in PLOS ONE found that female students outperform male students on biology courses where exams count for less than half of the total grade. The researchers suggest that instructors can mitigate performance gaps by using a mixed assessment model, incorporating lower-stakes exams and quizzes.
Research suggests that Chinese storybooks stress purpose, respect for others, humility, and enduring hardship, which aligns with the lessons taught in Chinese schools. In contrast, US storybooks emphasize happiness, self-esteem, and overcoming obstacles, which may not contribute to scholastic success.
A study from the University of Waterloo found that reading information aloud enhances long-term memory by leveraging the dual action of speaking and hearing oneself. This 'production effect' is particularly beneficial for learning new information, suggesting a simple yet effective method to improve memory retention.
The NIH has awarded $2.34 million to the Global Biological Standards Institute (GBSI) for a five-year educational project to improve research reproducibility. The project, PREPaRED, will train students in reverse experimental design and create freely-available online curricular materials.
A new study found that boys' reading test scores significantly improve in schools where more than 60% of pupils are girls, shedding light on the benefits of gender balance in education. This suggests that characteristics commonly associated with girls' academic behavior can positively influence boys' performance.
A new Iowa State University study found that dual-language learners (DLLs) outperform English-only students in cognitive and academic areas once they gain basic English proficiency. DLLs with limited English skills also made significant progress, eventually matching or outperforming English-only peers.
Research suggests that smartphones and digital media are distracting students during university lectures, leading to lower academic performance. The constant multitasking of digital natives hampers their ability to focus on the lecture content, making sense of it difficult when switching attention to their phones every five minutes.
A study found that women tend to gossip more about their rivals' physical appearance and enjoy it more than men. Men, on the other hand, often gossip about others' achievements, demonstrating sex differences in gossiping behavior.
A survey of university students found that many know about common learning strategies, but fewer actually use them. The reasons include lack of time, ineffective application, and difficulty in seeing the benefits. To improve this, universities should provide more self-regulated learning training, including hands-on practice to learn ho...
A University of Washington-led study found that group project dynamics affect academic performance, with students who report being uncomfortable in their groups faring worse. Jigsaw activities were shown to promote more collaboration, reducing the likelihood of a 'dominator' in the group.
The research team discovered a neural signal in the brain's ACC that detects unexpected outcomes, offering clues to the cellular origin of feedback negativity. This finding has significant implications for our ability to detect situations where we can learn more effectively.
Researchers gathered data from over 16,000 students and found no evidence that motivation decreased despite prolonged effort on a single task. Instead, motivation increased as new tasks were completed, suggesting that self-control may be stable throughout the day.