Enhancing the foreign language classroom through experiential learning: Connecting and reflecting

This paper highlights examples of the various ways students in beginner Russian, intermediate Spanish and advanced French engage with the local and regional community in educational and noneducational settings. It explains the history of these engagements and provides instructor impressions as well as impressions from student participants and community partners concerning learning outcomes and the benefits to both students and the community. In all three examples, the majority of students were taking the course to fulfill a core requirement. The number of students who participated in each experiential learning initiative varied from as few as ten to as many as 120 at a given time.https://digitalcommons.usmalibrary.org/books/1063/thumbnail.jp

Improving procedural fidelity of behavioural interventions for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities: A systematic review

Background: Despite its importance within behavioural intervention, it remains unclear how best to achieve high procedural fidelity. This paper reviewed studies on improving procedural fidelity of behavioural interventions for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). Method: A systematic literature search was conducted, which identified 20 studies meeting inclusion criteria. Data were extracted on study design, participant characteristics, intervention, target behaviours, effect sizes, maintenance, generalisation, and social validity. A quality rating was also applied. Results: A total of 100 participants took part in the included studies. Most participants were teachers working with children in school settings. There was a significant positive correlation between level of procedural fidelity and client outcomes. Feedback was the most commonly employed intervention to improve procedural fidelity. Conclusions: More research should be conducted in environments with high levels of variability such as community homes to determine how to reach and maintain high levels of procedural fidelity

Structuring effect of tools conceptualized through initial goal fixedness for work activity

Analysis of work activities in nuclear industry has highlighted a new psycho-cognitive phenomenon: the structuring effect of tools (SET) sometimes leading to unexpected operating deviations; the subject is unable to perform a task concerning object A using or adapting a tool designed and presented to perform the same task concerning object B when object A is expected by the subject. Conditions to isolate and identify the SET were determined and reproduced in experiments for further analysis. Students and seven professional categories of adults (N = 77) were involved in three experimental conditions (control group, group with prior warning, group with final control) while individually performing a task with similar characteristics compared to real operating conditions and under moderate time-pressure. The results were: (1) highest performance with prior warning and (2) demonstration that academic and professional training favor the SET. After discussing different cognitive processes potentially related to the SET, we described (3) the psycho-cognitive process underlying the SET: Initial Goal Fixedness (IGF), a combination of the anchoring of the initial goal of the activity with a focus on the features of the initial goal favored by an Einstellung effect. This suggested coping with the negative effect of the SET by impeding the IGF rather than trying to increase the subjects’ awareness at the expense of their health. Extensions to other high-risk industries were discussed

Redesigning diabetes care delivery in Serbia, using JA CHRODIS Recommendations and criteria

Introduction. Managing non-communicable diseases (NCDs) requires redesigning health care delivery to achieve better coordination of services at all levels of health care. The aim of this study was improving prevention and strengthening high quality of care for NCDs by using type 2 diabetes as a model disease. Methods. The mix method approach served to analyse the impact of the intervention processes. Source of information were routine health statistics, interviews and observation. Key Performance Indicators in defined Improvement Areas assisted in the quality of diabetes care assessment. Results and discussion. During the study the National Diabetes Centre (NDC) was established. The NDC experts organized numerous educational events, 316 physicians and nurses have participated. New electronic data base was implemented in 20 pilot Primary Health Care Centres (PHCCs) with 38,833 electronic diabetes records. Conclusions. The intervention led to establishment of the NDC, strengthening competences of health care professionals and to the renewal of the Diabetes Care Units in PHCCs included in the study

Journal Editor and Associate Editor Perspectives on Research Reproducibility and Open Science

Interest in transparent and open science is increasing in special education, school psychology, and related disciplines. Proponents for open science reforms provide evidence that researchers in special education, and the broader social sciences, engage in practices that mitigate its credibility and reduce the validity of information disseminated to practitioners and policymakers. In light of these issues, this article reports on a survey of journal editors-in-chief and associate editors to gain insight into concerns regarding research reproducibility and the familiarity and viability of open science for improving research credibility. Results indicate that respondents were concerned about research reproducibility, were moderately familiar with open science practices, and viewed many as effective for improving research credibility. Finally, respondents supported the use of journals to encourage open science practices although there was little support for requiring their use. Findings are discussed in relation to open science and implications for research and practice. </jats:p

Evidence-Based Assessment and Single-Case Research: A Commentary for the Special Issue on Direct Behavior Ratings

The purpose of this commentary is to provide observation on the contributions to the special issue and remark on the broader implications of the research. As noted throughout the special issue, the intent was to demonstrate the use of progress monitoring within a problem-solving framework to evaluate student social and behavioral development using direct behavior ratings (DBR). Leveraging single-case research methods through adherence to the What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) standards, the articles included in the special issue provide examples for using DBR to assess student response-to-intervention while also illustrating a number of psychometric considerations that can strengthen the evidence base for progress-monitoring tools more broadly. In this commentary, we argue that the research included in the special issue provides a framework for conceptualizing evidence-based assessment for progress-monitoring instruments using single-case methods. Toward this end, the commentary provides an overview of the concept of evidence-based assessment and uses examples from the included studies to describe various facets. </jats:p

Using and Intensifying Video Modeling for Students With Emotional and Behavioral Disorders

Video modeling (VM) is a powerful and effective tool to support skill acquisition and generalization for students with and without emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD). Video models can include adults, peers, and the very students at which skill development is directed. This article provides a definition of VM and descriptions of its varying formats, an overview of VM’s positive evidence base, reasons why VM is effective, and step-by-step guidance for VM implementation and intensification that meets the needs of students with EBD. </jats:p

Intensifying Goal-Setting Interventions for Students With Emotional and Behavioral Disorders

Goal setting is a research-informed intervention that has demonstrated improved behavioral outcomes for students with emotional and behavioral disorders. However, not all students will respond to goal-setting interventions delivered in a standard format, requiring planning, implementation, and ongoing evaluation of more intensive goal-setting formats. This article describes how teachers can implement goal-setting interventions in their classrooms and provides a systematic framework for teachers to use individualized data to intensify goal-setting interventions. </jats:p