TECHNOLOGY IMPLEMENTATION OF CRITICAL THINKING DEVELOPMENT IN THE PROCESS OF TEACHING ENGLISH IN HIGHER SCHOOL

The article attempts to reveal the essence of the concept«critical thinking» and to consider the development of this kindof thinking in higher school students at foreign languageclasses. It is noted that the ability to acquire skills independentlyand use them in practical activities, and not only the amount ofacquired knowledge, has an essential role to play in the adaptationof a graduate to the realities of modern society. Therefore, thecritical thinking technology applying, as well as the traditionalforms of activity in higher education in the process of foreignlanguage teaching, is seen as a clear necessity. The articlenotes that the main purpose of critical thinking development ofstudents who do not have the developed skills to think criticallyis to extend the mental competence to solve social, scientific andpractical problems effectively. Students of higher educationalestablishments have a range of considerable knowledge andsufficient social experience. They are able to transform theexisting knowledge and skills into competencies, provided thatthey are highly motivated and there are active cognitive activities.Thus, the task of teaching critical thinking skills is to developthe cognitive activity of students based on logical, research andcritical thinking. On the basis of the analysis of the practicalexperience of a foreign language course teaching in a higherschool, the development opportunities are revealed andstrategies of the critical thinking development of students inforeign language classes are considered (annotation, preview,contextualization, self-questioning, reflexion, evaluative judgment,comparison and contrasting). Certain methods, promoting criticalthinking at different stages of learning have been proposedin the paper (Basket of ideas, concepts; Cluster; Margin notes;Сinquain making; Training brainstorming; Essay writing). It hasbeen concluded that the critical thinking technology applied atforeign language classes at higher schools significantly increasesthe time of language practice for each student, helps to facilitatetheir learning acquisition, addresses a wide range of educationaland developmental tasks. The teacher becomes an organizerof students' independent educational, communicative andcreative activities and has the opportunity to improve the learningprocess, develop students' communicative skills and developtheir personality comprehensively.

Dutch GPs’ experience of burden by euthanasia requests from people with dementia: a quantitative survey

BackgroundIn the Netherlands during the past decade, a growing number of people with dementia requested euthanasia, and each year more of such requests were granted.AimTo obtain quantitative insights into the problems and needs of GPs when confronted with a euthanasia request by a person with dementia.Design & settingA concept survey was composed for GPs in the Netherlands. Expert validity of the survey was achieved through pilot testing.MethodA postal survey was sent to a random sample of 900 Dutch GPs, regardless of their opinion on, or practical experience with, euthanasia. Collected data were analysed with descriptive statistics.ResultsOf 894 GPs, 423 (47.3%) completed the survey, of whom 176 (41.6%) had experience with euthanasia requests from people with dementia. Emotional burden was reported most frequently (n = 86; 52.8%), as well as feeling uncertain about the mental competence of the person with dementia (n = 77; 47.2%), pressure by relatives (n = 70; 42.9%) or the person with dementia (n = 56; 34.4%), and uncertainty about handling advance euthanasia directives (AEDs) (n = 43; 26.4%). GPs would appreciate more support from the following: a support and consultation in euthanasia in the Netherlands (SCEN) physician (an independent physician for support, information, and formal consultation around euthanasia) (n = 291; 68. 8%); a geriatric consultation team (n = 185; 43.7%); the end-of-life clinic (n = 184; 43.5%); or a palliative care consultation team (n = 179; 42.3%). Surprisingly the need for moral deliberation was hardly mentioned.ConclusionThe reported burden and the rise in numbers and complexity of euthanasia requests from people with dementia warrants primary care support. There needs to be easier access to colleagues with expertise, and training on end-of-life care needs of patients with dementia and their caregivers.

Deserters

This chapter probes the reality of agency and space for dissent that medicalization offered to soldiers during World War I. It explains how the tendency to refer deserters for psychiatric observation and treatment frequently served to shield the soldiers from the full brunt of military discipline if they committed overt acts of disobedience. It also reviews the contemporary understanding of the boundary between mental illness in the actual sense and those who were not truly sick, even if they did not allegedly exhibit complete mental fitness. The chapter reveals the flexibility shown by wartime psychiatrists in determining issues of mental competence for transgressions of discipline related to desertion and the similar charge of going AWOL. It describes how soldiers expressed dissent and avoided significant unwanted involvement in the war, such as direct fighting.

Older people’s perceived autonomy in residential care: An integrative review

Autonomy has been recognised as a key principle in healthcare, but we still need to develop a consistent understanding of older people’s perceived autonomy in residential care. This study aimed to identify, describe and synthesise previous studies on the perceived autonomy of older people in residential care. Ethical approval was not required, as this was a review of published literature. We carried out an integrative review to synthesise previous knowledge published in peer-review journals in English up to September 2019. Electronic and manual searches were conducted using the CINAHL, Philosopher’s Index, PubMed, SocINDEX, Scopus and Web of Science databases. The data were analysed using the constant comparison method. The review identified 46 studies. Perceived autonomy referred to the opportunities that older people had to make their own choices about their daily life in residential care, and achieving autonomy promoted both health and quality of life. Autonomy was linked to older people’s individual capacities, including their level of independence, physical and mental competence, personal characteristics, and whether relatives shared and supported their perceived autonomy. Professionals could facilitate or hinder older peoples’ autonomy in a number of ways, including providing opportunities for autonomy, how daily care needs and activities were managed, and controlling older people’s choices. Professionals’ characteristics, such as education and attitudes, and the older people’s living environments were also associated with their perceived autonomy and included organisational characteristics and physical and social care facilitators. Older people’s perceived autonomy promoted health and quality of life in residential care. However, their autonomy was associated with a number of protective and restrictive individual and environmental factors, which influenced whether autonomy was achieved.

Making a Will: Capacity and Intention

This chapter discusses the capacity and intention required to make a valid will. To have capacity means that a person is legally competent to make a will. To be competent, the testator must have attained the required minimum age and must possess the necessary level of mental competence. A will is also invalid unless the testator had the intention to make it—he must have the animus testandi when he executes the will. More specifically, the requirement is that the testator must have intended that his wishes—as expressed in the appropriate form—should take effect on his death. It follows that these wishes must be entirely the result of his volition: the testator must know and approve of the contents of his will. Hence animus testandi can be vitiated by factors such as fraud, mistake, undue influence, or failure to understand fully the dispositions in the will.

Rational Suicide in Late Life: A Systematic Review of the Literature

Background and Objectives: The complex concept of rational suicide, defined as a well-thought-out decision to die by an individual who is mentally competent, is even more controversial in the case of older adults. Materials and Methods: With the aim of better understanding the concept of rational suicide in older adults, we performed a systematic review of the literature, searching PubMed and Scopus databases and eventually including 23 published studies. Results: The main related topics emerging from the papers were: depression, self-determination, mental competence; physicians’ and population’s perspectives; approach to rational suicide; ageism; slippery slope. Conclusions: Despite contrasting positions and inconsistencies of the studies, the need to carefully investigate and address the expression of suicidal thoughts in older adults, as well as behaviours suggesting “silent” suicidal attitudes, clearly emerges, even in those situations where there is no diagnosable mental disorder. While premature conclusions about the “rationality” of patients’ decision to die should be avoided, the possibility of rational suicide cannot be precluded.

Working with the Elderly Defendant through the Adjudicative Process

As the U.S. population ages, there will be more cases of elder abuse, neglect, and financial exploitation and, consequently, an increase in elderly criminal defendants in the criminal justice system. Because elderly persons appear in criminal court most frequently as crime victims, understanding the problems and needs of the elderly defendant receives less attention. This chapter reviews the cognitive and psychological changes with normal aging, the heterogeneous nature of elderly defendants, and assumptions that law enforcement and court personnel may make when interacting with the elderly population. The chapter reviews the adjudicative process from the perspective of the elderly defendant, focusing on detention, mental competence to stand trial, physical competence to stand trial, discovery and trial. Controversies in adjudicating and sentencing elderly defendants are discussed, as well as the impact of the sharp rise in elderly offenders in prison. Accommodations for elderly defendants during the process of adjudication and the need for expert medical and mental health involvement are reviewed.

Just learning

I have always been interested in learning. I chose to study psychology as an undergraduate because it was in my psychology courses that I got to study theories of learning. I learned that the psychologists couldn't agree on what the explanandum was. Some thought it was human behavior; others argued for mental competence. It was only later that I found my own focus: I became interested in understanding the learning of language (although the issue of behavior versus mental competence persisted).