scholarly journals Testing the role of symbols in preschool numeracy: An experimental computer-based intervention study

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (11) ◽  
pp. e0259775
Author(s):  
Daniel C. Hyde ◽  
Yi Mou ◽  
Ilaria Berteletti ◽  
Elizabeth S. Spelke ◽  
Stanislas Dehaene ◽  
...  

Numeracy is of critical importance for scholastic success and modern-day living, but the precise mechanisms that drive its development are poorly understood. Here we used novel experimental training methods to begin to investigate the role of symbols in the development of numeracy in preschool-aged children. We assigned pre-school children in the U.S. and Italy (N = 215; Mean age = 49.15 months) to play one of five versions of a computer-based numerical comparison game for two weeks. The different versions of the game were equated on basic features of gameplay and demands but systematically varied in numerical content. Critically, some versions included non-symbolic numerical comparisons only, while others combined non-symbolic numerical comparison with symbolic aids of various types. Before and after training we assessed four components of early numeracy: counting proficiency, non-symbolic numerical comparison, one-to-one correspondence, and arithmetic set transformation. We found that overall children showed improvement in most of these components after completing these short trainings. However, children trained on numerical comparisons with symbolic aids made larger gains on assessments of one-to-one correspondence and arithmetic transformation compared to children whose training involved non-symbolic numerical comparison only. Further exploratory analyses suggested that, although there were no major differences between children trained with verbal symbols (e.g., verbal counting) and non-verbal visuo-spatial symbols (i.e., abacus counting), the gains in one-to-one correspondence may have been driven by abacus training, while the gains in non-verbal arithmetic transformations may have been driven by verbal training. These results provide initial evidence that the introduction of symbols may contribute to the emergence of numeracy by enhancing the capacity for thinking about exact equality and the numerical effects of set transformations. More broadly, this study provides an empirical basis to motivate further focused study of the processes by which children’s mastery of symbols influences children’s developing mastery of numeracy.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel C. Hyde ◽  
Yi Mou ◽  
Ilaria Berteletti ◽  
Elizabeth Spelke ◽  
Stanislas Dehaene ◽  
...  

Numeracy is of critical importance for scholastic success and modern-day living, but the precise mechanisms that drive its development are poorly understood. Here we used novel experimental training methods to begin to investigate the role of symbols in the development of numeracy in preschool-aged children. We assigned pre-school children in the U.S. and Italy (N = 215; Mean age = 49.15 months) to play one of five versions of a computer-based numerical comparison game for two weeks. The different versions of the game were equated on basic features of gameplay and demands but systematically varied in numerical content. Critically, some versions included non-symbolic numerical comparisons only, while others combined non-symbolic numerical comparison with symbolic aids of various types. Before and after training we assessed four components of early numeracy: counting proficiency, non-symbolic numerical comparison, one-to-one correspondence, and arithmetic set transformation. We found that overall children showed improvement in most of these components after completing these short trainings. However, children trained on numerical comparisons with symbolic aids made larger gains on assessments of one-to-one correspondence and arithmetic transformation compared to children whose training involved non-symbolic numerical comparison only. Further exploratory analyses suggested that, although there were no major differences between children trained with verbal symbols (e.g., verbal counting) and non-verbal visuo-spatial symbols (i.e., abacus counting), the gains in one-to-one correspondence may have been driven by abacus training, while the gains in non-verbal arithmetic transformations may have been driven by verbal training. These results provide initial evidence that the introduction of symbols may contribute to the emergence of numeracy by enhancing the capacity for thinking about exact equality and the numerical effects of set transformations. More broadly, this study provides an empirical basis to motivate further focused study of the processes by which children’s mastery of symbols influences children’s developing mastery of numeracy.


2020 ◽  
Vol 23 (2) ◽  
pp. 14-17
Author(s):  
Deepak Raj Singh ◽  
Sujan Regmee ◽  
Rupesh Chakradhar ◽  
Aditi Agrawal ◽  
Kshitiz Bhujel ◽  
...  

Introduction: Surgical simulator is a computer based technology used to educate and train medical students and practitioners without the need for a patient, cadaver or an animal model. Touch surgeryTM(TS) is a free of cost smartphone based application used for teaching surgical procedures. The participants in this study were specifically assessed on the increase of their knowledge in the key steps of laparoscopic cholecystectomy after practicing on the smartphone simulator, TS.Methods: A non-randomized controlled trial (uncontrolled longitudinal study) was carried out among 20 final year medical students. Their knowledge on surgical procedure was assessed through a questionnaire prepared regarding the steps of laparoscopic cholecystectomy before and after exposure to TS. Study Variable was the scores to a questionnaire before and after exposure to the surgical simulation.Results: Mean pre-practice score was 25.85 ± 11.05 and mean post practice score was 80 ± 10.62 (p<0.001). Conclusion: This study suggests that the use of TS can increase the knowledge of the students about laparoscopic cholecystectomy. This can definitely be used for teaching students, other surgical procedures.


1981 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
André Strauss

The author of this article contends that there is more to teaching than the teacher possessing a body of information and using group dynamics in passing the information to the students. One-to-one teaching could be better used through the study of behavior and the individual verification of ideas. The author refers to research in the utilitarian verification of ideas and the frequency of error, and he takes note of the difficulties inherent in translation. The role of the teacher in this age of new training methods is clear. He must not only explain concepts but also the different expressions used to refer to them. Also cited is the use of questionnaires and the student analysis of information. The author considers telematics to be a most important source of information.


Crisis ◽  
2010 ◽  
Vol 31 (3) ◽  
pp. 160-164 ◽  
Author(s):  
Almir Fajkic ◽  
Orhan Lepara ◽  
Martin Voracek ◽  
Nestor D. Kapusta ◽  
Thomas Niederkrotenthaler ◽  
...  

Background: Evidence on youth suicides from Southeastern Europe is scarce. We are not aware of previous reports from Bosnia and Herzegovina, which experienced war from 1992 to 1995. Durkheim’s theory of suicide predicts decreased suicide rates in wartime and increased rates afterward. Aims: To compare child and adolescent suicides in Bosnia and Herzegovina before and after the war. Methods: Data on youth suicide for prewar (1986–90) and postwar (2002–06) periods were analyzed with respect to prevalence, sex and age differences, and suicide methods. Suicide data from 1991 through 2001 were not available. Results: Overall youth suicide rates were one-third lower in the postwar than in the prewar period. This effect was most pronounced for girls, whose postwar suicide rates almost halved, and for 15–19-year-old boys, whose rates decreased by about a one-fourth. Suicides increased among boys aged 14 or younger. Firearm suicides almost doubled proportionally and were the predominant postwar method, while the most common prewar method had been hanging. Conclusions: The findings from this study indicate the need for public education in Bosnia and Herzegovina on the role of firearm accessibility in youth suicide and for instructions on safe storage in households. Moreover, raising societal awareness about suicide risk factors and suicide prevention is needed.


2018 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 55-72
Author(s):  
Herlin Hamimi ◽  
Abdul Ghafar Ismail ◽  
Muhammad Hasbi Zaenal

Zakat is one of the five pillars of Islam which has a function of faith, social and economic functions. Muslims who can pay zakat are required to give at least 2.5 per cent of their wealth. The problem of poverty prevalent in disadvantaged regions because of the difficulty of access to information and communication led to a gap that is so high in wealth and resources. The instrument of zakat provides a paradigm in the achievement of equitable wealth distribution and healthy circulation. Zakat potentially offers a better life and improves the quality of human being. There is a human quality improvement not only in economic terms but also in spiritual terms such as improving religiousity. This study aims to examine the role of zakat to alleviate humanitarian issues in disadvantaged regions such as Sijunjung, one of zakat beneficiaries and impoverished areas in Indonesia. The researcher attempted a Cibest method to capture the impact of zakat beneficiaries before and after becoming a member of Zakat Community Development (ZCD) Program in material and spiritual value. The overall analysis shows that zakat has a positive impact on disadvantaged regions development and enhance the quality of life of the community. There is an improvement in the average of mustahik household incomes after becoming a member of ZCD Program. Cibest model demonstrates that material, spiritual, and absolute poverty index decreased by 10, 5, and 6 per cent. Meanwhile, the welfare index is increased by 21 per cent. These findings have significant implications for developing the quality of life in disadvantaged regions in Sijunjung. Therefore, zakat is one of the instruments to change the status of disadvantaged areas to be equivalent to other areas.


1970 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 198-207
Author(s):  
Євген Карпенко

У статті проаналізовано місце феномену емоційної компетентності в становленні дискурсу життєтворення особистості. Відзначено, що її засадничими ознаками є відкритість і діалогічність, що фасилітують процеси життєтворчості в інтра- та інтерпсихічному просторі та сприяють здобуттю певних експірієнтальних «знань» і формуванню відповідних комунікативних «умінь». Отже, емоційна компетентність виконує функцію орієнтації в знаково-символічній реальності внутрішнього та зовнішнього середовища і, відповідно, бере участь у прийнятті рішень стосовно них. Це сприяє реалізації функції особистісного вибору у значущих обставинах життя. Вважається, що цей вибір повинен ґрунтуватися на домінуючій екзистенційній ідентичності та релевантно реалізовуватися на всіх її рівнях: базовому, характерологічному, ситуативному. В цьому контексті емоційна компетентність виступає в якості з’єднувальної ланки між ідентичністю та її зовнішньою поведінковою маніфестацією, в якій вона, власне, й проявляється. Інтегруючи первинні емоції, емоційна компетентність сприяє формуванню системи цінностей, мотивів і світоглядних орієнтацій особистості, а також сприяє їх коректному втіленню в практиці міжособистісного спілкування і, відповідно, конструювання дискурсу власного життя. У цьому полягає ключова роль емоційної компетентності в процесі життєтворення особистості. The article analyzes the role of emotional competence in establishing the discourse of personal life creation. It has been stated that its basic features are openness and readiness to dialog that facilitate life creation processes in the intra- and interpsychic space and promote acquirement of certain experiential "knowledge" as well as formation of relevant communicative "skills". So, emotional competence has a function of orienting in sign and symbol reality of the internal and external environment and, therefore, takes part in decision-making in respect thereof. This enables realization of the function of personal choice in significant life circumstances.  This choice is considered to be based on dominant existential identity and realized in the relevant manner at all its levels: basic, characterological, situational. In this sense emotional competence forms a link between identity and its outer behavioral manifestation.  While integrating primary emotions emotional competence facilitates formation of a system of values, motives and world view of personality as well as their correct implementation in the course of interpersonal communication and personal life discourse construction. This embodies the key role of emotional competence in the process of life creation of personality.


2007 ◽  
Vol 30 (4) ◽  
pp. 47
Author(s):  
P. Pace-Asciak ◽  
T. Gelfand

Medical students depend on illustration to learn anatomical facts and details that may be too subtle for the written or spoken word. For surgical disciplines, learners rely on tools such as language, 2-dimensional illustrations, and 3-dimensional models to pass on important concepts. Although a photograph can convey factual information, illustration can highlight and educate the pertinent details for understanding surgical procedures, neurovascular structures, and the pathological disease processes. In order to understand the current role of medical illustration in education, one needs to look to the past to see how art has helped solve communication dilemmas when learning medicine. This paper focuses on Max Brodel (1870-1941), a German-trained artist who eventually immigrated to the United States to pursue his career as a medical illustrator. Shortly after his arrival in Baltimore, Brodel made significant contributions to medical illustration in Gynecology at John Hopkins University, and eventually in other fields of medicine such as Urology and Otolaryngology. Brodel is recognized as one of America’s most distinguished medical illustrators for creating innovative artistic techniques and founding the profession of medical illustration. Today, animated computer based art is synergistically used with medical illustration to educate students about anatomy. Some of the changes that have occurred with the advancement of computer technology will be highlighted and compared to a century ago, when illustrations were used for teaching anatomy due to the scarcity of cadavers. Schultheiss D, Udo J. Max Brodel (1870-1941) and Howard A.Kelly (1858-1943) – Urogynecology and the birth of modern medical illustration. European Journal of Obstetrics & gynecology and Reproductive Biology 1999; 86:113-115. Crosby C. Max Brodel: the man who put art into medicine. New York: Springer-Verlag, 1991. Papel ID. Max Brodel’s contributions to otolaryngology – Head and Neck surgery. The American Journal of Otology 1986; 7(6):460-469.


Author(s):  
Sanjeeva Kumar Goud T ◽  
Rahul Kunkulol

The present study was aimed to study the effect of Sublingual Vitamin D3 on Serum Vitamin D level in Vitamin D deficiency patients. This was a cross-sectional and interventional study. All the Vitamin D deficiency patients of age 18-60years and either gender, willing to participate in the study were included. Patients who had greater than 20 ng/ml were excluded from the study. The total number of participants in our study was 200, out of these 111 males and 89 females, the mean age in our study was 51.07 ± 7.39Yrs. All volunteers were given sublingual vitamin D3 (60,000IU) in six doses every fifteen days of follow up for 3 months. The subject’s serum 25(OH)D levels were estimated before and after the treatment of sublingual vitamin D3. There was a statistically significant difference in serum vitamin D3 level before 16.61±6.71 ng/ml and after 35.80±7.80 ng/ml after treatment with Sublingual Vitamin D3. Six doses of 60,000IU of Vitamin D3 sublingual route having improved the role of serum 25(OH)D levels in the treatment of Vitamin D3 deficiency patients.Keywords: Vitamin D3; Sublingual route


2018 ◽  
Vol 69 (8) ◽  
pp. 2232-2235
Author(s):  
Marius Moga ◽  
Mark Edward Pogarasteanu ◽  
Antoine Edu

The role of arthroscopy in incipient and mild arthrosis, even combined with proximal tibial ostetomy, is well known and well documented. On the other hand, its role in the treatment of advanced arthrosis of the large joints, especially the knee, is a subject of controversy. The proponents of the use of arthroscopy in advanced arthrosis claim that meniscectomy, synovectomy, ostophytectomy, chondral lesion stabilization, arthroscopic release, plica and loose body removal greatly improve the quality of life for most patients, especially if followed by the use of viscoelastic injection, by diminishing pain and improving joint range of motion. The opponents claim that, even though the advantages are clear in the cases that refuse arthroplasty, in all the other cases the surgical indication should be total knee arthroplasty, as the clinical relief is temporary, but with all the risks of a surgical intervention. We have conducted an overview of the recent literature, in order to find objective evidence to sustain either point of view. We focused on articles published that included an objective measurement of before and after clinical status through clinical scores and objective measurements. We also focused on the follow-up period and on the evolution of the pathology after arthroscopy.


2020 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 148-155 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ashraf Okba ◽  
Salwa Seddik Hosny ◽  
Alyaa Elsherbeny ◽  
Manal Mohsin Kamal

Background and Aims: Women who develop GDM (gestational diabetes mellitus) have a relative insulin secretion deficiency, the severity of which may be predictive for later development of diabetes. This study aimed to investigate the role of fasting plasma glucagon in the prediction of later development of diabetes in pregnant women with GDM. Materials and Methods: The study was conducted on 150 pregnant women with GDM after giving informed oral and written consents and being approved by the research ethical committee according to the declaration of Helsinki. The study was conducted in two phases, first phase during pregnancy and the second one was 6 months post-partum, as we measured fasting plasma glucagon before and after delivery together with fasting and 2 hour post-prandial plasma sugar. Results: Our findings suggested that glucagon levels significantly increased after delivery in the majority 14/25 (56%) of GDM women who developed type 2 DM within 6 months after delivery compared to 6/20 (30%) patients with impaired fasting plasma glucose (IFG) and only 22/105 (20%) non DM women, as the median glucagon levels were 80,76, 55, respectively. Also, there was a high statistical difference between fasting plasma glucagon post-delivery among diabetic and non-diabetic women (p ≤ 0.001). These results indicated the useful role of assessing fasting plasma glucagon before and after delivery in patients with GDM to predict the possibility of type 2 DM. Conclusion: There is a relatively high glucagon level in GDM patients, which is a significant pathogenic factor in the incidence of subsequent diabetes in women with a history of GDM. This could be important in the design of follow-up programs for women with previous GDM.


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