Educational Robots Improve K-12 Students’ Computational Thinking and STEM Attitudes: Systematic Review

2021 ◽  
pp. 073563312199407
Author(s):  
Yanjun Zhang ◽  
Ronghua Luo ◽  
Yijin Zhu ◽  
Yuan Yin
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Computational Thinking ◽  
Learning Effects ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Stem Attitudes ◽  
Interdisciplinary Nature ◽  
Mean Differences ◽  
K 12 ◽  
Educational Robots

Due to the interdisciplinary nature of robotics, more and more attention has been paid to its effectiveness in the field of education in recent years. This systematic review evaluated existing studies in improving K-12 students’ computational thinking and STEM attitudes. Research articles published between 2010 and 2019 were collated from major databases according to six criteria, and 17 studies were eligible. A meta-analysis was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of educational robots in terms of standardized mean differences (SMD) or mean differences (MD) of test scores as outcome measures. The overall effect size was medium (SMD = 0.46, 95% CI: 0.23–0.69). Subgroup analysis found that some groups to have better effectiveness. Specifically, the effect of STEM attitudes (SMD = 0.01) was smaller than computational thinking (SMD = 0.48). Educational robots had more significant effect on boys (MD = 0.39) than girls (MD = 0.27). The effect in primary school (SMD = 0.27) was higher than in middle school (SMD = 0.04), and the effect was great on short-term instruction with educational robots (SMD = 0.35). Based on these results, the study makes some recommendations for educators about strengthening the influence of educational robots on STEM attitudes, improving the persistence of their learning effects, and further exploring their application models.

Copper Concentrations in Breast Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

2020 ◽  
Vol 27 (37) ◽  
pp. 6373-6383 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leila Jouybari ◽  
Faezeh Kiani ◽  
Farhad Islami ◽  
Akram Sanagoo ◽  
Fatemeh Sayehmiri ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Breast Cancer ◽  
Systematic Review ◽  
Breast Tissue ◽  
Reference Lists ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Cancer Risks ◽  
Hair Samples ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Mean Differences ◽  
Very High

: Breast cancer is the most common neoplasm, comprising 16% of all women's cancers worldwide. Research of Copper (Cu) concentrations in various body specimens have suggested an association between Cu levels and breast cancer risks. This systematic review and meta-analysis summarize the results of published studies and examine this association. We searched the databases PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar and the reference lists of relevant publications. The Standardized Mean Differences (SMDs) between Cu levels in cancer cases and controls and corresponding Confidence Intervals (CIs), as well as I2 statistics, were calculated to examine heterogeneity. Following the specimens used in the original studies, the Cu concentrations were examined in three subgroups: serum or plasma, breast tissue, and scalp hair. We identified 1711 relevant studies published from 1984 to 2017. There was no statistically significant difference between breast cancer cases and controls for Cu levels assayed in any studied specimen; the SMD (95% CI) was -0.01 (-1.06 - 1.03; P = 0.98) for blood or serum, 0.51 (-0.70 - 1.73; P = 0.41) for breast tissue, and -0.88 (-3.42 - 1.65; P = 0.50) for hair samples. However, the heterogeneity between studies was very high (P < 0.001) in all subgroups. We did not find evidence for publication bias (P = 0.91). The results of this meta-analysis do not support an association between Cu levels and breast cancer. However, due to high heterogeneity in the results of original studies, this conclusion needs to be confirmed by well-designed prospective studies.

Exercise interventions in lateral elbow tendinopathy have better outcomes than passive interventions, but the effects are small: a systematic review and meta-analysis of 2123 subjects in 30 trials

2020 ◽  
pp. bjsports-2020-102525
Author(s):  
Stefanos Karanasios ◽  
Vasileios Korakakis ◽  
Rod Whiteley ◽  
Ioannis Vasilogeorgis ◽  
Sarah Woodbridge ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Risk Of Bias ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Lateral Elbow ◽  
Long Term Follow Up ◽  
Wait And See ◽  
Lateral Elbow Tendinopathy

ObjectiveTo evaluate the effectiveness of exercise compared with other conservative interventions in the management of lateral elbow tendinopathy (LET) on pain and function.DesignSystematic review and meta-analysis.MethodsWe used the Cochrane risk-of-bias tool 2 for randomised controlled trials (RCTs) to assess risk of bias and the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation methodology to grade the certainty of evidence. Self-perceived improvement, pain intensity, pain-free grip strength (PFGS) and elbow disability were used as primary outcome measures.Eligibility criteriaRCTs assessing the effectiveness of exercise alone or as an additive intervention compared with passive interventions, wait-and-see or injections in patients with LET.Results30 RCTs (2123 participants, 5 comparator interventions) were identified. Exercise outperformed (low certainty) corticosteroid injections in all outcomes at all time points except short-term pain reduction. Clinically significant differences were found in PFGS at short-term (mean difference (MD): 12.15, (95% CI) 1.69 to 22.6), mid-term (MD: 22.45, 95% CI 3.63 to 41.3) and long-term follow-up (MD: 18, 95% CI 11.17 to 24.84). Statistically significant differences (very low certainty) for exercise compared with wait-and-see were found only in self-perceived improvement at short-term, pain reduction and elbow disability at short-term and long-term follow-up. Substantial heterogeneity in descriptions of equipment, load, duration and frequency of exercise programmes were evident.ConclusionsLow and very low certainty evidence suggests exercise is effective compared with passive interventions with or without invasive treatment in LET, but the effect is small.PROSPERO registration numberCRD42018082703.

Computational thinking in K-12 education. An insight through meta-analysis

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-26
Author(s):  
José Miguel Merino-Armero ◽  
José Antonio González-Calero ◽  
Ramón Cózar-Gutiérrez
Keyword(s):  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Computational Thinking ◽  
K 12

scholarly journals Effects of Gamification on Behavioral Change in Education: A Meta-Analysis

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (7) ◽  
pp. 3550
Author(s):  
Jihoon Kim ◽  
Darla M. Castelli
Keyword(s):  
Behavioral Change ◽  
Information Science ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Learning Outcome ◽  
Random Effects Model ◽  
Educational Setting ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Analytic Review ◽  
K 12 ◽  
Academic Search

Background: Gamified reward systems, such as providing digital badges earned for specific accomplishments, are related to student engagement in educational settings. The purpose of this study was to conduct a meta-analytic review to quantify the effects of gamified interventions on student behavioral change. Methods: A meta-analysis was performed using the following databases: The Academic Search Complete, Communication & Mass Media Complete, Education Source, ERIC, Library Information Science & Technology Abstracts, and PsycINFO. Inclusion in the review required: (a) peer-reviewed conducted between 2010 and 2019, (b) experimental controlled design, (c) gamification elements, and (d) educational setting. Results: Using a random-effects model, a statistically significant (Cohen’s d (ES) = 0.48, 95% CI = 0.33, 0.62) gamification effect was evidenced by moderate and positive grand effects sizes (ES). Gamification effects were higher with adults in higher education (ES = 0.95) than K-12 students (ES = 0.92). Brief interventions delivered in days or less than 1 week were significantly more effective (ES = 1.57) than interventions lasting up to 20 weeks (ES = 0.30). Interventions incorporating gamification elements across years (ES = −0.20) was adversely associated with behavioral change. Conclusions: Findings suggest that short-term over longer-term gamified interventions might be a promising way to initiate changes in learner’s behaviors and improve learning outcome.

Effects of electromyographic biofeedback interventions for shoulder pain and function: Systematic review and meta-analysis

2021 ◽  
pp. 026921552199095
Author(s):  
Danilo Harudy Kamonseki ◽  
Letícia Bojikian Calixtre ◽  
Rodrigo Py Gonçalves Barreto ◽  
Paula Rezende Camargo
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Clinical Trials ◽  
Confidence Interval ◽  
Shoulder Pain ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Quality Of Evidence ◽  
Electromyographic Biofeedback ◽  
Mean Differences ◽  
And Function

Objective: To systematically review the effectiveness of electromyographic biofeedback interventions to improve pain and function of patients with shoulder pain. Design: Systematic review of controlled clinical trials. Literature search: Databases (Medline, EMBASE, CINAHL, PEDro, CENTRAL, Web of Science, and SCOPUS) were searched in December 2020. Study selection criteria: Randomized clinical trials that investigated the effects of electromyographic biofeedback for individuals with shoulder pain. Patient-reported pain and functional outcomes were collected and synthesized. Data synthesis: The level of evidence was synthesized using GRADE and Standardized Mean Differences and 95% confidence interval were calculated using a random-effects inverse variance model for meta-analysis. Results: Five studies were included with a total sample of 272 individuals with shoulder pain. Very-low quality of evidence indicated that electromyographic biofeedback was not superior to control for reducing shoulder pain (standardized mean differences = −0.21, 95% confidence interval: −0.67 to 0.24, P = 0.36). Very-low quality of evidence indicated that electromyographic biofeedback interventions were not superior to control for improving shoulder function (standardized mean differences = −0.11, 95% confidence interval: −0.41 to 0.19, P = 0.48). Conclusion: Electromyographic biofeedback may be not effective for improving shoulder pain and function. However, the limited number of included studies and very low quality of evidence does not support a definitive recommendation about the effectiveness of electromyographic biofeedback to treat individuals with shoulder pain.

scholarly journals Effect of somatometric parameters on the prevalence and severity of varicocele: a systematic review and meta-analysis

2021 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Runqing Li ◽  
Junjie Liu ◽  
Yushan Li ◽  
Quanxian Wang
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Cochrane Library ◽  
China National Knowledge Infrastructure ◽  
Random Effects Models ◽  
Knowledge Infrastructure ◽  
Regression Test ◽  
Mean Differences ◽  
Q Statistic ◽  
The Relationship

Abstract Background Published studies have shown contradictory results regarding the relationship between somatometric parameters and varicoceles. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to investigate the possible effects of age, height, weight, and body mass index (BMI) on the presence and severity of varicoceles. Methods Databases including EMBASE, MEDLINE, PubMed, Cochrane Library, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Web of Science, and Google Scholar were systematically searched to identify relevant articles published up to March 2020. Two researchers independently identified eligible articles and extracted data. Cochran’s Q statistic and I2 statistics were used to assess heterogeneity. Meta-analysis was performed using StataSE 12.0 software (StataCorp LP, USA). Random-effects models were used to obtain the weighted mean differences (WMDs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Publication bias was assessed using Begg’s funnel plot and Egger’s regression test. Results The search strategy produced 272 articles, of which 18 articles were eligible according to the inclusion/exclusion criteria. A total of 56,325 patients with varicocele and 1,334,694 patients without varicocele were included in the meta-analysis to evaluate the effect of somatometric parameters on the presence and severity of varicocele. The overall results demonstrated that the presence of varicoceles was significantly associated with height (WMD = 1.41, 95% CI = 1.07 to 1.74, P < 0.001) and inversely correlated with BMI (WMD = − 1.35, 95% CI = -1.67 to − 1.03, P < 0.001) but not with age (WMD = -0.93, 95% CI = -2.19 to 0.33, P = 0.149) or weight (WMD = 0.24, 95% CI = -2.24 to 2.72, P = 0.850). The severity of varicocele was inversely correlated with increased BMI but not with age. Conclusion The presence of varicoceles was significantly associated with height and inversely correlated with BMI.

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