The order of questions on a test affects how well students believe they performed

<p>We know that students are more optimistic about their performance after they take a test that progresses from the easiest to hardest questions than after taking one that progresses in the opposite order¹. In fact, these “Easy-Hard” students are more optimistic than “Hard-Easy” students even when the two groups perform equally. The literature explains this question order bias as a result of students’ failing to sufficiently adjust, in the face of new information, their extreme initial impressions about the test. In the first two of six studies, we investigated the possibility that a biased memory for individual questions on the test is an alternative mechanism driving the question order bias. The pattern of results was inconsistent with this mechanism, but fit with the established impression-based mechanism. In the next four studies, we addressed the role that the number of test questions plays in determining the size of the question order bias, discovered that warning students is only a partially effective method for reducing the bias, and established a more precise estimate of the bias’ size. Taken together, this work provides evidence that the question order bias is a robust phenomenon, likely driven by insufficient adjustment from extreme initial impressions. ¹ Although the research in this thesis is my own, I conducted it in a lab and supervised a team comprised of research assistants and honours students. I also received advice and direction from my supervisors. Therefore, I often use the word “we” in this thesis to reflect these facts.</p>

The order of questions on a test affects how well students believe they performed

<p>We know that students are more optimistic about their performance after they take a test that progresses from the easiest to hardest questions than after taking one that progresses in the opposite order¹. In fact, these “Easy-Hard” students are more optimistic than “Hard-Easy” students even when the two groups perform equally. The literature explains this question order bias as a result of students’ failing to sufficiently adjust, in the face of new information, their extreme initial impressions about the test. In the first two of six studies, we investigated the possibility that a biased memory for individual questions on the test is an alternative mechanism driving the question order bias. The pattern of results was inconsistent with this mechanism, but fit with the established impression-based mechanism. In the next four studies, we addressed the role that the number of test questions plays in determining the size of the question order bias, discovered that warning students is only a partially effective method for reducing the bias, and established a more precise estimate of the bias’ size. Taken together, this work provides evidence that the question order bias is a robust phenomenon, likely driven by insufficient adjustment from extreme initial impressions. ¹ Although the research in this thesis is my own, I conducted it in a lab and supervised a team comprised of research assistants and honours students. I also received advice and direction from my supervisors. Therefore, I often use the word “we” in this thesis to reflect these facts.</p>

Neuropsychological rehabilitation, neuroimaging and neuroplasticity: A clinical commentary

Initial brain imaging studies on recovery of motor functioning after stroke suggested their potential prognostic value in neurorehabilitation. However, the value of brain imaging in documenting brain changes associated with cognitive and behavioral treatment effects seem less likely. Also, neuroimaging studies at that time seem to have little, if any, value for treatment planning. Advances in neuroimaging technology are beginning to challenge these initial impressions. In this clinical commentary, we propose that advances in the field of neuroimaging have relevance for the future development of neuropsychological rehabilitation. Neuropsychological rehabilitation is entering a new era which involves collaboration with neuroimaging and associated studies on neuroplasticity. We recognize that this may seem “aspirational” rather than practical in most rehabilitation settings. However, we provide examples of how this can be achieved as illustrated by collaborative efforts of clinicians and scientists in the SARAH Network of Rehabilitation Hospitals in Brazil. We also review selective papers on neuroplasticity, spontaneous recovery and diaschisis that have relevance for research which will expand and further develop the field of neuropsychological rehabilitation.

A digital archive is born

This paper explores the opportunities offered and the challenges involved in digitising, presenting and preserving data and materials on cinemagoing during the interwar years collected in the course of Cinema Culture in 1930s Britain, a pioneering inquiry led by Professor Annette Kuhn. The Cinema Memory and the Digital Archive (CMDA) project team is tasked with archiving and digitising the extensive materials that were originally collected in the 1990s: which include over a hundred audio-recorded interviews with 1930s cinemagoers and a wealth of related correspondence, documents and contemporary publications, along with postcards, diaries, scrapbooks and other memorabilia donated by participants. The primary focus of CMDA is to make these existing materials available online, applying the most appropriate formats and standards to make them accessible and engaging to a global audience of both scholars and the general public. In so doing, the project has placed an emphasis on developing logical and transparent systems for indexing and accessioning, collaborating to create a bank of shareable digital assets to help ensure interoperability between the project's own website and remote systems such as Lancaster University Library and Cambridge Digital Library. Drawing on our experiences as a close-knit research team, we describe the development of the project from two distinct perspectives, that of web developer and that of archivist. Identifying key issues, we highlight initial impressions and detail ongoing experiences and knowledge gained in the fields of cinemagoing history and memory studies, examining decisions taken in the early stages of the project that have enabled progression towards its goals. The challenges inherent in bringing such a valuable and unique set of resources ‘back to life’ and into the realm of digital humanities are immense; and we conclude by reflecting on lessons learned and offering fresh perspectives and insights to researchers undertaking similar work.

Initial results from the Optical High-Resolution camera (OHRC) onboard Chandrayaan-2

&lt;p&gt;Chandrayaan-2 Orbiter carries eight experiments for studies, including morphology, surface geology, composition, and exospheric measurements based upon the understanding and information from the previous lunar orbital missions. Orbiter high-resolution camera (OHRC), one of the payloads, has a very high spatial resolution of 0.25 m. It operates in a visible panchromatic (PAN) band with a swath of 3 km from an altitude of 100 km. OHRC will search for hazard-free zones and map the landing site for future human missions. This work presents the initial impressions from the first data release of the OHRC on-board Chandrayaan-2. Here the OHRC image is analyzed for large-scale features like boulders, ridges, and craters on the lunar surface. Classification and visual analysis have been carried out to check the shape (morphology) and location of many impact craters. As seen from OHRC images, the lunar surface near to Hagecius lunar impact crater is dominated by the repetitive and frequent bombardment of small meteorites varying from millimeters to centimeters. The extent of degradation and erosion of a few large craters due to space weathering or the continuous meteorite bombardment is clearly observed. The results provide more clarification towards the ongoing physical processes on the moon. OHRC image provides a much detailed understanding of lunar topography and morphology.&amp;#160;&lt;/p&gt;

Climatic Effects on GPS PPP Accuracy

&lt;p&gt;Recently researchers revealed that meteorological seasons have an effect on the accuracy of GPS. This modified the conventional prediction formulation in which the accuracy was dependent on observing session duration. However, the available accuracy model is from a major climate zone classification. In this study, we evaluate climatic effects on PPP accuracy from a different climate classification: the widely used K&amp;#246;ppen Geiger climate zones. GPS data are obtained from SOPAC (Scripps Orbit and Permanent Array Centre) archives. Synthetic GPS campaigns are generated from the permanent stations of the IGS (International GNSS Service). The data are processed using the PPP module of the NASA/JPL's GipsyX software. The RMS values obtained from the processing solutions are used to determine the effect of climate on PPP accuracy. Eventually, we compare the two climate classifications and present our initial impressions from a core network across the new climate zones.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Keywords:&lt;/strong&gt; GPS, GNSS, accuracy, PPP, climatic effects&lt;/p&gt;

COVID-19: Uncertainties from Conception to Birth

Scientific information on the impact of the new coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) on the health of pregnant women, fetuses and newborns is considered of limited confidence, lacking good-quality evidence, and drawing biased conclusions. As a matter of fact, the initial impressions that the evolution of COVID-19 was no different between pregnant and non-pregnant women, and that SARS-CoV-2 was not vertically transmitted, are confronted by the documentation of worsening of the disease during pregnancy, poor obstetric outcomes, and the possibility of vertical transmission. The present article aims to compile the data available on the association of COVID-19 and reproductive events, from conception to birth.

Planning and Implementing an Online Undergraduate Medical Student Selection Exercise during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Experience of the School of Medical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia

This article described the context, planning and implementation of a video-conference-based undergraduate student selection exercise held in response to restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic. A task force has brainstormed the ideas and decided a face-to-face interview using a video conferencing application which was the best way to achieve the objective set for the exercise. Facilitators communicated with interviewers and candidates, and hosted video meetings between the two parties. Interviewers were trained using online videos, a webinar and a trial run. They rated candidates using a printed rating instrument as well as an online form. About 615 candidates were interviewed in this study. Initial impressions were positive and will be followed-up by a proper evaluation.