Concept Maps as Assessments of Expertise: Understanding of the Complexity and Interrelationships of Concepts in Science

Concept maps were created as one of six measures to identify exceptionally talented students during the Cultivating Diverse Talent in STEM (CDTIS) project, with the goal of identifying and nurturing talents in students from groups traditionally underrepresented in special programs. New methods were compared with conventional methods to select students for an internship in the laboratories of scientists. In this article, we describe development, field testing, and implementation of the concept map assessments in life and physical science. Assessments were field tested in partner schools with high percentages of American Indian (97% to 100%) and Hispanic (83%) low-income students. Students were selected by considering their performance on all six assessments and were placed in internships along with students selected using conventional methods. Concept maps were successful: (a) students from partner schools demonstrated high levels of domain-relevant skills; (b) scores approximated a normal distribution; (c) scores of students from culturally diverse, low-income groups were very similar to the scores of students selected using conventional methods even though many of conventionally identified students had high grade point averages and came from schools in high-income areas with many educational opportunities. Students completed original research and presented posters to the university community and their local communities. Concept maps can be used alone or in combination with other assessments; their use needs to be studied with larger groups of students and in other contexts.

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Culturally Responsive Assessment of Physical Science Skills and Abilities: Development, Field Testing, Implementation, and Results

Journal of Advanced Academics ◽

10.1177/1932202x20920572 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 31 (3) ◽

pp. 298-328

Author(s):

Fahad S. Alfaiz ◽

Randy Pease ◽

C. June Maker

Keyword(s):

High School Students ◽

Low Socioeconomic Status ◽

Physical Science ◽

Field Testing ◽

School Students ◽

Grade Point ◽

Problem Solving Skills ◽

Average Rating ◽

Talented Students ◽

Technical Assessment

During the Cultivating Diverse Talent in STEM (CDTIS) Project, a team of scientists, teachers, and a researcher developed a performance-based assessment of high school students’ creative problem-solving skills and ability to apply physical science principles in practical ways. It was one of six measures to identify exceptionally talented students. Students identified using conventional methods (M1), with an average grade point average (GPA) of 3.93, had an average rating of 2.95 on a 5-point scale on the mechanical–technical assessment. The M2 students, who were from schools with high percentages of Hispanic, American Indian, and low socioeconomic status (SES) students, had an average GPA of 3.07 and an average rating of 3.27, demonstrating that this assessment can be an important way to change the cultural and economic balance of students identified as exceptionally talented in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM). Other researchers are encouraged to examine the validity of the mechanical–technical assessment to identify exceptionally talented students in different groups.

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Culturally Responsive Assessments of Spatial Analytical Skills and Abilities: Development, Field Testing, and Implementation

Journal of Advanced Academics ◽

10.1177/1932202x20910697 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 31 (3) ◽

pp. 234-253 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

C. June Maker

Keyword(s):

Secondary Students ◽

Reliability And Validity ◽

Field Testing ◽

Persistent Problem ◽

Performance Based Assessment ◽

Special Programs ◽

Post Measure ◽

Analytical Assessment ◽

And Mathematics ◽

Talented Students

A persistent problem in education is underrepresentation of certain cultural and linguistic groups such as American Indian, African American, and Hispanic, in special programs for exceptionally talented students, especially in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). The spatial analytical task, a performance-based assessment with demonstrated reliability and validity as an instrument to identify exceptionally talented students, was included with new instruments created in the Cultivating Diverse Talent in STEM (CDTIS) project. A continuum of problems, including closed, semi-open, and open-ended, was an important component of the measures, enabling the assessment of creative problem solving as well as assessment of skills such as seeing how things fit together visually and in space; through mental images, on paper, and in physical objects or forms. The spatial analytical assessment was implemented as part of a battery of instruments to identify students to participate in a special internship program. Ratings of students on the spatial analytical assessment who were identified for the internship program using the new assessments were higher than ratings for students identified using conventional methods, which demonstrates that the assessment will be a useful tool for selecting students from diverse cultural groups. The assessment has multiple purposes in addition to its use as an identification tool: evaluation of special programs, planning differentiated instruction, and as a pre- and post-measure of student gains. The test–retest reliability, and construct, concurrent, and predictive validity for secondary students need continued investigation in future studies.

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Culturally Responsive Assessments of Mathematical Skills and Abilities: Development, Field Testing, and Implementation

Journal of Advanced Academics ◽

10.1177/1932202x20906130 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 31 (3) ◽

pp. 211-233 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

A. Kadir Bahar ◽

C. June Maker

Keyword(s):

American Indian ◽

Reliability And Validity ◽

Field Testing ◽

Math Assessment ◽

Persistent Problem ◽

Special Programs ◽

Linguistic Groups ◽

And Mathematics ◽

Talented Students ◽

Test Retest Reliability

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COVID-19 and Youth Living in Poverty: The Ethical Considerations of Moving From In-Person Interviews to a Photovoice Using Remote Methods

Affilia ◽

10.1177/0886109920939051 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 088610992093905

Author(s):

Maria Liegghio ◽

Lea Caragata

Keyword(s):

Social Work ◽

Low Income ◽

Relational Ethics ◽

Original Research ◽

Ethical Considerations ◽

Roles And Responsibilities ◽

Lone Mother ◽

Critical Social Work ◽

Procedural Ethics ◽

Ongoing Project

COVID-19 hit and instantaneously research using in-person methods were paused. As feminist and critical social work scholars and researchers, we began to consider the implications of pausing our ongoing project exploring the provisioning and resilience of youth living in low-income, lone mother households. Reflexively, we wondered how the youth, families, and issues we were connected to would be impacted by the pandemic. We were pulled into both ethical and methodological questions. While the procedural ethics of maintaining safety were clear, what became less clear were the relational ethics. What was brought into question were our own social positions and our roles and responsibilities in our relationships with the youth. For both ethical and methodological reasons, we decided to expand the original research scope from in-person interviews to include a photovoice to be executed using online, remote methods. In this article, we discuss those ethical and methodological tensions. In the first part, we discuss the relational ethics that propelled us to commit to expanding our work, while in the second part, we discuss our move to combining photovoice and remote methods.

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1669. Trends in Authorship for Infectious Disease Research Conducted in Low-Income Countries

Open Forum Infectious Diseases ◽

10.1093/ofid/ofz360.1533 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 6 (Supplement_2) ◽

pp. S610-S611

Author(s):

Chelsea E Modlin ◽

Kimberly Powell ◽

Russell R Kempker

Keyword(s):

Infectious Disease ◽

Infectious Diseases ◽

Low Income ◽

Research Capacity ◽

Low Income Countries ◽

Health Priorities ◽

Original Research ◽

Local Health ◽

Open Forum ◽

Research Collaborations

Abstract Background Research capacity in low-income countries (LICs) plays an important role in strengthening national healthcare systems and addressing local health priorities. Research in infectious diseases is especially important as they comprise five of the top 10 causes of death in LICs. While academic collaborations between high-income countries (HICs) and LICs offer many benefits, they also risk structural and professional imbalances. This study explores research capacity as a function of first or last authorship and funding for research conducted in LICs that is published in high-impact infectious disease journals. Methods A literature search using the abstract database Scopus was completed for original research conducted within LICs or using samples collected from LIC subjects published between 1998 – 2017 in Clinical Infectious Diseases, Journal of Infectious Diseases, and Open Forum Infectious Diseases. Primary outcomes included the number of LIC first and last authors compared with HIC authors over time. Secondary outcomes included the geographic distribution of research and the proportion of research financed by LICs. Results A total of 1380 articles were identified of which 20% had LIC first authors and 21% had first authors with dual LIC/HIC affiliations. For last authors, 13% were affiliated with a LIC and 15% had dual LIC/HIC affiliation. HIC researchers compiled the majority of first and last authors regardless of geography (Figure 1). The number of studies conducted in LICs increased over the 20-year timeframe (Figure 2) but is attributed to an increase in articles with HIC authors. The number of LIC authors remained unchanged resulting in a decreasing proportion of LIC authors. Only 4% of articles received funding from a LIC; however, 79% of these studies were authored by LIC researchers vs. 39% of studies funded by HIC sources. Conclusion There is a growing appreciation for international HIC/LIC research collaborations with the objective to reduce the burden of infectious diseases that disproportionately affect low-income settings. However, with this increased attention comes the responsibility to improve LIC research capacity. This includes promoting LIC researchers via authorship and supporting sustainability with funding that highlights LIC priorities. Disclosures All authors: No reported disclosures.

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Clinical Field Testing of Vulcanized Jaipur Rubber Feet for Trans-Tibial Amputees in Low-Income Countries

Prosthetics and Orthotics International ◽

10.1080/03093640701321411 ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 31 (1) ◽

pp. 105-115 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

J. Steen Jensen ◽

Wilfried Raab

Keyword(s):

Low Income ◽

Field Testing ◽

Low Income Countries

The publishers would like to apologise for an error that occured in the order of figures in the above mentioned paper in Volume 30, Issue 3 of Prosthetics and Orthotics International. The paper should appear as follows.

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Clinical Field Testing of Polyurethane Feet for Trans-Tibial Amputees in Tropical Low-Income Countries

Prosthetics and Orthotics International ◽

10.1080/03093640600794684 ◽

2006 ◽

Vol 30 (2) ◽

pp. 182-194 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

J. Steen Jensen ◽

R. Nilsen ◽

N. H. Thanh ◽

A. Saldana ◽

C. Hartz

Keyword(s):

Failure Rate ◽

Low Income ◽

Developing World ◽

Compliance Rate ◽

Field Testing ◽

Low Income Countries ◽

Controlled Study ◽

Tropical Areas ◽

Prospective Controlled Study ◽

Better Than

In a prospective controlled study, 172 polyurethane feet of different designs were fitted to 155 amputees with trans-tibial prostheses. These were followed in respect of their durability. The amputee compliance was in general good, and 87% were satisfied with their device. After 18 months the failure rate of 20% with the CIREC spring-blade foot was significantly better than the others, but poorer craftsmanship, higher complaint rate and lower compliance rate cast some doubt on the results. The results with the conventional SACH foot constructions with polyurethane as filling and covering materials were so poor after 18 months that their use cannot be recommended in tropical areas of the developing world.

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College Freshmen's Perceptions of Their High School Experiences

Journal of Advanced Academics ◽

10.1177/1932202x0902000304 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 20 (3) ◽

pp. 438-471 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Cynthia Hudley ◽

Roxanne Moschetti ◽

Amber Gonzalez ◽

Su-Je Cho ◽

Leasha Barry ◽

...

Keyword(s):

College Students ◽

High School ◽

Postsecondary Education ◽

Low Income ◽

First Generation ◽

Peer Group ◽

First Generation Students ◽

Strong Argument ◽

Positive Attitudes ◽

Talented Students

Among academically talented students, SES and racial group membership predict both college expectations and matriculation, and youth less often attend and complete postsecondary education if their parents did not go to college. For successful adjustment to college, significant adults during high school matter more than they might imagine. Talking to teachers and counselors had strong relationships with social and academic adjustment as well as with positive attitudes for all students. Interestingly, the more participants talked to teachers in high school, the more academically competent they felt in college, and this relationship was especially strong for first-generation students. Such findings suggest that “getting ready” experiences may prepare students to more effectively balance the multiple developmental tasks they face as college students on the threshold of adulthood. This preparation may be especially important for persistence among vulnerable populations, including first-generation students, who spend the least time of any group talking to teachers outside class. Students in low-income, urban communities may be in reasonable proximity to a community, vocational, or 4-year college; students in rural schools may more often see relatively few opportunities for higher education. An academically oriented high school peer group also may prepare students to become socially engaged on the college campus. These preliminary findings are a strong argument for policies and practices that bring all new college students together in personalized social interactions as quickly as possible rather than focusing on groups perceived to be “at risk.”

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Health research in the state of Odisha, India: a 10-year bibliometric analysis (2011-2021)

10.31219/osf.io/baqd8 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Jaya singh Kshatri ◽

Parmeshwar Satpathy ◽

Sumita Sharma ◽

Trilochan Bhoi ◽

Smruti Prakash Mishra ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Bibliometric Analysis ◽

Low Income ◽

Health Research ◽

Research Priorities ◽

The State ◽

Original Research ◽

Funding Sources ◽

Publication Number ◽

Health Related Research ◽

Health Related

Background: Bibliometric analyses are an important tool for evaluating health research outputs in terms of their distribution, trends, actors, focus, and funding sources. The transition from Millennium to sustainable development goals have led to a gradual shift in health policy and possibly the research priorities of low-income settings in the Empowered Action Group (EAG) states, lagging in socio-economic and health parameters, also ranking low on innovations and research. This study was aimed to describe the recent trends, quantity, type, focus and sources of health-related research in the EAG state of Odisha, India.Materials and Methods: Peer reviewed published original research articles which were related to human health, published between 1st Jan 2011 and 31st Dec 2020 and where the study population were residents of Odisha, or study site was in Odisha, exclusively or partially were analyzed. Publication characteristics were tabulated, including title, journal name, open access, date of publication, number of authors, designation of the authors, number of institutes involved, name of institute of first author. Details of study setting, study site, ethical clearance, funding source were also collected.Results: The study identified 2285 articles from database searches and included 666 articles after screening for the bibliometric analysis. Most of the manuscripts had between 3-6 authors (43.5%). Two institutes from the state, ICMR-RMRC and KIIT, together contributed to over 22.4% of the published manuscripts as lead authors. Nearly 45.9% studies were community based while 45.3% were hospital based. While most of the published work was on infectious diseases, the proportion came down with time between 2011 and 2020. An overwhelming majority of studies were observational in nature and less than 10% were experimental in design. Conclusions: The analysis shows a substantial increase in the number of publications in this decade. Priority setting of health care problems, increased funding and capacity building can give a much-necessitated impetus to more quality and evidence-based research for aiding policy implementation and improvement of overall health of Odisha.

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The Impact of Wyman’s Teen Leadership Program on College Achievement and Retention

eJournal of Public Affairs ◽

10.21768/ejopa.v7i3.5 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 7 (3) ◽

Keyword(s):

Higher Education ◽

Postsecondary Education ◽

Low Income ◽

First Generation ◽

Retention Rates ◽

Leadership Program ◽

Grade Point ◽

Teen Leadership ◽

Postsecondary Access ◽

The Impact

Low-income, first-generation college students face a host of obstacles on their journeys toward degree completion. Providing effective supports for these students as they navigate their postsecondary experiences is an important determinant of success, the implications of which can be far-reaching. The purpose of the current study discussed in this article was to examine the impact of Wyman’s Teen Leadership Program (TLP) on positive college outcomes for low-income, first-generation students pursuing higher education at Missouri State University (MSU). TLP is a community-based, postsecondary access and success program comprising three developmentally progressive phases that begin when teens are ninth graders and ends after their second year of postsecondary education. During the postsecondary phase of the program, TLP works in close partnership with higher education institutions like MSU to effectively support students through caring relationships and coordinated services. Using a mixed-methods approach, the authors analyzed the college retention rates and grade point averages (GPAs) of 39 TLP participants attending MSU and 82 comparison students with similar background characteristics. Findings revealed statistically higher retention rates and GPAs for TLP participants compared to non-participants. Focus groups were also conducted to better understand the perceptions of TLP participants (n = 15) and TLP staff members (n = 6). Using Schlossberg’s (1989) theory of marginality and mattering as a framework, the authors analyzed focus group responses, from which three overarching themes emerged: relationships, intentional experiences, and self-efficacy. The study findings suggest that postsecondary access and success programs are most effective when their curricula and program experiences are supported by strong and consistent student-adult relationships.

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