Implicit Cognitive Vulnerability through Nudges, Boosts and Bounces

Implicit Cognitive Vulnerability is a developing theoretical understanding, wherein feeling safe within an instructional environment is of significant impact upon short-term and long-term memory’s cognitive acquisition of information so as to embed new information within a learner’s conceptual framework of understanding. Towards successfully individualizing a learner’s implicit cognitive vulnerability, the primary focus has been upon the larger community environment in which the learner is housed, yet the viability of the learner’s ability and cognitive viability must also be addressed through nudges, boosts and bounces of motivational support. Recognizing this individualized need of learners, this discussion revolves around the ability of a learner to embed implicit cognitive vulnerability within their own cognitive viability through structured and unstructured synchronous and asynchronous nudges and boosts that support self-regulatory and self-efficacy understandings.

EFFECT OF THE INSTRUCTIONAL ENVIRONMENT IN GIRLS’ HIGHER SECONDARY SCHOOLS ON THE PERFORMANCE OF SUBJECT SPECIALISTS

Purpose of the study: This study was intended to reveal the effect of the instructional environment on the performance of the subject specialists. The purpose of the was to find out correlation exists between instructional environment and performance of the SS in terms of exam results of students in HSSC Part II and to find out correlation exists between the performance of SS within the classroom and the availability of a conducive instructional environment in schools. Methodology: Quantitative method with descriptive research was used in this study. Checklist and student's exam results were used to collect the data and analyses were done through SPSS. Main Findings: There found a significant negative correlation between instructional environment and performance of the SS in terms of exam results of students in HSSC Part II and there found a significant negative correlation between the performance of SS within the classroom and the availability of a conducive instructional environment in schools. Applications of this study: This study is applicable in the given context of Southern districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa as well as the results can be utilized and checked in another context within the province and in the country. This study will surely contribute to bringing the attention of policymakers and government officials to put their efforts into improving the current situation related to the instructional environment and performance of the subject specialists. Novelty/Originality of this study: The novelty of this study lies in the results that contradict usual and normal results that show that the instructional environment has a positive association with the performance of the teachers. This study brings into light the opposite side of the worldwide results. This will open grounds for future researchers to work in this area in different contexts to explore that whether a negative correlation exists in other contexts and if so, what factors are contributing to developing such a negative relationship.

Intelligence and academic performance: Is it all in your head?

Academic performance relies, in part, on intelligence; however, intelligence quotient (IQ) is limited in predicting academic success. Furthermore, while the search for the biological seat of intelligence predates neuroscience itself, its findings remain conflicting. Here, we assess the interplay between IQ, academic performance, and brain connectivity with behavioral and functional MRI data collected from undergraduate students as they completed an active learning or lecture-based semester-long university physics course. IQ (i.e., full-scale WAIS scores) increased significantly pre-to post-instruction, were associated with physics knowledge and reasoning measures, but were unrelated to overall course grade. IQ was related to brain connectivity during physics-related cognition, but connectivity did not mediate IQ’s association with task performance. These relations depended on students’ sex and instructional environment, providing evidence that physics classroom environment and pedagogy may have a gendered influence on students’ performance. Discussion focuses on opportunities to improve physics reasoning skills for all students.

Challenges and Opportunities for Teaching Students with Disabilities During the COVID-19 Pandemic

According to UNESCO (2020), school closures caused by the COVID-19 pandemic have affected over 1.5 billion students and families. The COVID-19 pandemic has presented multiple challenges for teaching students with disabilities in an online instructional environment, but there are also opportunities for collaboration, training, and communication for special educators to meet the needs of their students.

Creativity and Impactful Learning Through Implicit Cognitive Vulnerability

Creating an instructional environment in which the learners can be cognitively vulnerable with the information learned, with learner colleagues, as well as with the instructional facilitator is vitally important towards information attainment and actively evaluating and revising one's own conceptual frameworking of information. The instructional engagement of the learner within the instructional environment is vitally important, towards knowledge acquisition as well as the learner's creativity towards understanding and working with the information, while emphasizing the strengths associated with impactful learning. Creativity is understood within implicit cognitive vulnerability, articulated as value, effectiveness. Further, impactful learning is understood as relationships and community, as well as respect and consciousness.

Virtual Teaching in the Time of COVID-19: Rethinking Our WEIRD Pedagogical Commitments to Teacher Education

Teacher Educators confront a professional future in which online instruction will play an increased role in student learning. As instructional activities are delivered online, a critical challenge for teacher educators will be to continue supporting those ideals key to the missions of many Schools and Colleges of Education—the creation of an instructional environment that is culturally responsive, committed to equity and inclusion, and able to support a diverse and “well” student body.

Using Alternative Assessment to Assess Undergraduate EFL Students at Yemeni Universities: Challenges from the Perspectives of Faculty

The present study aimed at investigating alternative assessment (AA) within the Yemeni university EFL classrooms in terms of identifying the challenges of using AA to assess undergraduate EFL students from the perspectives of the faculty. Data were collected, through a questionnaire, from (66) lecturers and professors of different ranks who teach EFL at the collegiate level in two Yemeni public universities and one national university. The results of the study indicated that faculty members of English departments at Yemeni universities face some challenges of using AA to assess undergraduate EFL students. These challenges belong to various factors, including the instructional environment, the students, the management of Yemeni universities, the faculty members, or the nature of AA. Statistically significant differences were found in the mean scores according to years of experience variable between respondents with less than 5 years and those with 5-10 years of experience in favor of those with less than 5 years of experience, but not according to the type of university, gender, and specialization variables. Accordingly, some recommendations were given to address the identified challenges, which might lead to a better implementation of AA in Yemeni university EFL classrooms.