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Learning myopia: an adaptive recency effect in category learning.

Recency effects (REs) have been well established in memory and probability learning paradigms but have received little attention in category earning research. Extant categorization models predict REs to be unaffected by learning, whereas a functional interpretation of REs, suggested by results in other domains, predicts that people are able to learn sequential dependencies and incorporate this information into their responses. These contrasting predictions were tested in 2 experiments involving a classification task in which outcome sequences were autocorrelated. Experiment 1 showed that reliance on recent outcomes adapts to the structure of the task, in contrast to models' predictions. Experiment 2 provided constraints on how sequential information is learned and suggested possible extensions to current models to account for this learning.

Attention↗

How do people learn to allocate resources? Comparing two learning theories.

How do people learn to allocate resources? To answer this question, 2 major learning models are compared, each incorporating different learning principles. One is a global search model, which assumes that allocations are made probabilistically on the basis of expectations formed through the entire history of past decisions. The 2nd is a local adaptation model, which assumes that allocations are made by comparing the present decision with the most successful decision up to that point, ignoring all other past decisions. In 2 studies, participants repeatedly allocated a capital resource to 3 financial assets. Substantial learning effects occurred, although the optimal allocation was often not found. From the calibrated models of Study 1, a priori predictions were derived and tested in Study 2. This generalization test shows that the local adaptation model provides a better account of learning in resource allocations than the global search model.

Adult↗

Category number impacts rule-based but not information-integration category learning: further evidence for dissociable category-learning systems.

Category number effects on rule-based and information-integration category learning were investigated. Category number affected accuracy and the distribution of best-fitting models in the rule-based task but had no effect on accuracy and little effect on the distribution of best-fining models in the information-integration task. In the 2 category conditions, rule-based learning was better than information-integration learning, whereas in the 4 category conditions, unidimensional and conjunctive rule-based learning was worse than information-integration learning. Rule-based strategies were used in the 2-category/rule-based condition, but about half of the observers used rule-based strategies in the 4-category unidimensional and conjunctive rule-based conditions. Information-integration strategies were used in the 4-category/ information-integration condition and by the end of training were used in the 2-category/information-integration condition.

Adult↗

Differential effects of learning on neurogenesis: learning increases or decreases the number of newly born cells depending on their birth date.

The hippocampal formation, to which new neurons are added on a daily basis throughout life, is important in spatial learning. Surviving de novo produced cells integrate into the functional circuitry, where they can influence both normal and pathological behaviors. In this study, we examined the effect of the water-maze (a hippocampal-dependent spatial task) on neurogenesis. Learning in this task can be divided into two phases, an early phase during which performance improves rapidly, and a late phase during which asymptotic levels of performance are reached. Here we demonstrate that the late phase of learning has a multifaceted effect on neurogenesis depending on the birth date of new neurons. The number of newly born cells increased contingently with the late phase and a large proportion of these cells survived for at least 4 weeks and differentiated into neurons. In contrast, late-phase learning decreased the number of newly born cells produced during the early phase. This decline in neurogenesis was positively correlated with performance in the water-maze. Thus, rats with the highest de novo cell number were less able to acquire and use spatial information than those with low numbers of new cells. These results show that learning has a complex effect on hippocampal neurogenesis, and reveals a novel mechanism through which neurogenesis may influence normal and pathological behaviors.

Aging↗

People with learning disabilities who also have mental health problems: practice issues and directions for learning disability nursing.

The plight of people with learning disabilities who have mental health problems has become an issue of contemporary importance in the provision of health services to this section of the population. This paper will argue that learning disability nursing has a central role to play in the promotion of mental health for this client group (Department of Health 1995a). However, learning disability nursing presently operates without a clear model of mental health. Therefore, before this potential can be realized there is a need to establish the common ground between the discourses of learning disability nursing and those of psychiatric nursing which might be related to this client group. This paper begins by identifying the background issues relating to the problems of meeting the mental health needs of people with learning disabilities. It then proposes that an applied behavioural approach has the potential to provide a coherent theory that can link the discourses of normalization, developmental psychiatry and mental health nursing, whilst also establishing the applied behavioural approach as a powerful technology upon which meaningful interventions can be designed.

Behavior Therapy↗

Problem-based learning versus lecture-based learning in a course of basic pharmacology: a controlled, randomized study.

Since its first implementation in a medical programme at McMaster University, Canada, problem-based learning (PBL) has become a well-established means of teaching and learning medicine. Extensive research has been conducted and a number of strengths of the method are well supported. Several items, however, remain unclear although there is evidence that no relevant difference exists in factual knowledge among students from PBL and traditional curricula, a controlled, randomized study has not been conducted to address this issue. The Medical Faculty of the University of Cologne is in the process of integrating elements of PBL into its curriculum. In the spring term of 1997, after seven semesters of experience with PBL supplementing the traditional course of basic pharmacology, we did for the first time use PBL instead of the lecture-based course (LBL) and conducted a controlled prospective study to determine the effects of this intervention. One-hundred and twenty-three students were randomly assigned to either PBL (n = 63), with tutorial groups of up to nine students, or to the traditional, lecture-based course (n = 60). Analysis of the results of both groups in the examination of basic pharmacology, consisting of multiple-choice and short-essay questions, revealed similar scores with a tendency favouring PBL students in the category of short-essay questions. Hence, it seems clear that PBL does not imply a disadvantage in terms of factual knowledge. Students considered PBL to be an effective learning method and favoured it over the lecture format. Furthermore, students reported positive effects of PBL in terms of use of additional learning resources, interdisciplinarity, team work and learning fun.

Education, Medical, Undergraduate↗

Using real patients in problem-based learning: students' comments on the value of using real, as opposed to paper cases, in a problem-based learning module in general practice.

OBJECTIVES: To explore the feasibility and value of using real patients as trigger material in problem-based learning (PBL). DESIGN: A questionnaire was given to all students participating in a PBL module including a question about 'the added value of using real, as opposed to paper cases', in problem-based learning. Resources used by students and assessment of feasibility were recorded by the course tutors. SETTING: A 7-week student-selected problem-based module in general practice in the fourth-year undergraduate medical curriculum, University of Newcastle upon Tyne. SUBJECTS: 69 students participating in the module over 2 years. RESULTS: All students valued the use of real patients. A total of 10 categories were identified, all congruent with accepted educational principles for effective adult learning. Real patients stimulated the use of a very wide range of resources and imaginative presentation of what had been learned. CONCLUSION: Real patients are potent trigger stimuli in problem-based learning. The use of real patients in this general practice-based module presented no organizational or ethical difficulties. Their use should be considered more widely.

Curriculum↗

Learning from implicit learning literature: comment on Shea, Wulf, Whitacre, and Park (2001).

In their analysis of complex motor skill learning, Shea, Wulf, Whitacre, and Park (2001) have overlooked one of the most robust conclusions of the experimental studies on implicit learning conducted during the last decade--namely that participants usually learn things that are different from those that the experimenter expected them to learn. We show that the available literature on implicit learning strongly suggests that the improved performance in Shea et al.'s Experiments 1 and 2 (and similar earlier experiments, e.g., Wulf & Schmidt, 1997) was due to the exploitation of regularities in the target pattern different from those on which the postexperimental interview focused. This rules out the conclusions drawn from the failure of this interview to reveal any explicit knowledge about the task structure on the part of the participants. Similarly, because the information about the task structure provided to an instructed group of participants in Shea et al.'s Experiment 2 did not concern the regularities presumably exploited by the standard, so-called implicit, group, Shea et al.'s claim that explicit knowledge may be less effective than implicit knowledge is misleading.

Humans↗

On-line interprofessional learning: introducing constructivism through enquiry-based learning and peer review.

Interest in on-line methods of learning has accelerated in recent years. There has also been an interest in developing student-centred approaches to learning and interprofessional education. This paper illustrates the issues in designing a large (more than 700 students), on-line, inter-professional module for third year, undergraduate students drawn from nine professional healthcare courses and from four campus sites. It uses an enquiry-based learning approach. The learning theories of Piaget, Vygotsky and Schön are integrated with the on-line frameworks of Salmon and Collis et al., together with conclusions drawn from the literature and our own experiences, to produce a design that encourages students to learn through participation, re-iteration, peer-review and reflection. Consideration is given to improving student motivation and attitudes towards change, both in the design and the delivery of the module.

Curriculum↗

Learning strategies used by cardiology residents: assessment of learning styles and their correlations.

OBJECTIVE: To identify the learning styles of a group of cardiology residents (R) undergoing a training program at the University of Buenos Aires and to identify correlations of these styles. METHODS: Statistical data were obtained through a 120-question survey developed by Vermunt and colleagues, which identified four different learning styles: construction-directed; reproduction-directed; application-directed; and undirected. Four variables were identified [gender, previous experience as a teaching assistant (TA) in medical school, university final average (FA) and the public or private institution/centre of origin] in order to analyse level of correlation with learning styles (LS). Between April 2001 and April 2002, 149 residents (R) completed the survey. Average age was 29 (+/-2.7) years old; with 63% being men. FINDINGS: The predominant LS were oriented toward knowledge application. In terms of variables, no differences regarding gender were detected; the R with TA showed undirected LS characteristics; those with a low FA registered a tendency towards reproduction-directed LS; and those residents at public/state medical centres indicated construction-directed LS tendencies. CONCLUSION: An application-directed learning style predominates in this group of residents. Information regarding learning styles can provide foundations upon which arguments can be made for changes in education that are traditionally not evidence-based.

Adult↗

Accurate prediction of toxicity peptide and its function using multi-view tensor learning and latent semantic learning framework.

MOTIVATION: Therapeutic peptide is an important ingredient in the treatment of various diseases and drug discovery. The toxicity of peptides is one of the major challenges in peptide drug therapy. With the abundance of therapeutic peptides generated in the post-genomics era, it is a challenge to promptly identify toxicity peptides using computational methods. Although several efforts have been made, few algorithms are designed to identify whether a query peptide exhibits toxicity. Considering the varied levels of biological activities, the toxicity peptides should be further classified into multi-functional peptides. RESULTS: This study introduces a two-level predictor, ToxPre-2L, developed using the multi-view tensor learning and latent semantic learning framework. The proposed method utilized multi-label learning with feature induced labels to avoid the redundancy of information from each view. Then the multi-view tensor learning was employed to establish the latent semantic information among different views, while low-rank constraint learning was leveraged to exploit the correlation information among multi-labels. Finally, we constructed an updated toxicity peptide benchmark dataset to assess the effectiveness of the proposed method. Experimental results demonstrated that ToxPre-2L achieves a better performance than alternative computational methods in the prediction of toxicity peptides and their multi-functional types. AVAILABILITY AND IMPLEMENTATION: The source code and data of ToxPre-2L can be accessed at http://bliulab.net/ToxPre-2L.

Peptides↗

Name and face learning in older adults: effects of level of processing, self-generation, and intention to learn.

Many older adults are interested in strategies to help them learn new names. We examined the learning conditions that provide maximal benefit to name and face learning. In Experiment 1, consistent with levels-of-processing theory, name recall and recognition by 20 younger and 20 older adults was poorest with physical processing, intermediate with phonemic processing, and best with semantic processing. In Experiment 2, name and face learning in 20 younger and 20 older adults was maximized with semantic processing of names and physical processing of faces. Experiment 3 showed a benefit of self-generation and of intentional learning of name-face pairs in 24 older adults. Findings suggest that memory interventions should emphasize processing names semantically, processing faces physically, self-generating this information, and keeping in mind that memory for the names will be needed in the future.

Adult↗

Explicit knowledge and intention to learn in sequence learning: an event-related potential study.

The present study was performed to examine how intention to learn and explicit knowledge in sequence learning are reflected in event-related potentials. Participants responded to numerals presented in a repeating order, which were replaced infrequently by deviant numerals. The participants were given incidental or intentional learning instructions. Sequence parts for which they acquired explicit knowledge were identified for each participant by post-task memory tests. Reaction times indicated that sequence learning occurred under both types of instruction. The N2 enhancement for deviants was primarily associated with explicit sequence knowledge, and the P3 enhancement showed a weak association. These results suggested that N2 and P3 reflect different aspects of explicit learning.

Adolescent↗

Learning and cognitive styles in web-based learning: theory, evidence, and application.

Cognitive and learning styles (CLS) have long been investigated as a basis to adapt instruction and enhance learning. Web-based learning (WBL) can reach large, heterogenous audiences, and adaptation to CLS may increase its effectiveness. Adaptation is only useful if some learners (with a defined trait) do better with one method and other learners (with a complementary trait) do better with another method (aptitude-treatment interaction). A comprehensive search of health professions education literature found 12 articles on CLS in computer-assisted learning and WBL. Because so few reports were found, research from non-medical education was also included. Among all the reports, four CLS predominated. Each CLS construct was used to predict relationships between CLS and WBL. Evidence was then reviewed to support or refute these predictions. The wholist-analytic construct shows consistent aptitude-treatment interactions consonant with predictions (wholists need structure, a broad-before-deep approach, and social interaction, while analytics need less structure and a deep-before-broad approach). Limited evidence for the active-reflective construct suggests aptitude-treatment interaction, with active learners doing better with interactive learning and reflective learners doing better with methods to promote reflection. As predicted, no consistent interaction between the concrete-abstract construct and computer format was found, but one study suggests that there is interaction with instructional method. Contrary to predictions, no interaction was found for the verbal-imager construct. Teachers developing WBL activities should consider assessing and adapting to accommodate learners defined by the wholist-analytic and active-reflective constructs. Other adaptations should be considered experimental. Further WBL research could clarify the feasibility and effectiveness of assessing and adapting to CLS.

Aptitude↗

Enhancing the learning in self-directed learning modules.

Self-directed learning modules are a popular option for providing continuing nursing education. Not all nurses are comfortable with this learning format. Nursing educators may be unfamiliar with strategies to facilitate self-directed learning. Self-directed learning is based on assumptions about adults as learners. Effectiveness and acceptance of the learning modules are enhanced by educational strategies that address these assumptions.

Curriculum↗

Comparing problem-based learning with case-based learning: effects of a major curricular shift at two institutions.

PURPOSE: Problem-based learning (PBL) is now used at many medical schools to promote lifelong learning, open inquiry, teamwork, and critical thinking. PBL has not been compared with other forms of discussion-based small-group learning. Case-based learning (CBL) uses a guided inquiry method and provides more structure during small-group sessions. In this study, we compared faculty and medical students' perceptions of traditional PBL with CBL after a curricular shift at two institutions. METHOD: Over periods of three years, the medical schools at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and the University of California, Davis (UCD) changed first-, second-, and third-year Doctoring courses from PBL to CBL formats. Ten months after the shift (2001 at UCLA and 2004 at UCD), students and faculty who had participated in both curricula completed a 24-item questionnaire about their PBL and CBL perceptions and the perceived advantages of each format RESULTS: A total of 286 students (86%-97%) and 31 faculty (92%-100%) completed questionnaires. CBL was preferred by students (255; 89%) and faculty (26; 84%) across schools and learner levels. The few students preferring PBL (11%) felt it encouraged self-directed learning (26%) and valued its greater opportunities for participation (32%). From logistic regression, students preferred CBL because of fewer unfocused tangents (59%, odds ration [OR] 4.10, P = .01), less busy-work (80%, OR 3.97, P = .01), and more opportunities for clinical skills application (52%, OR 25.6, P = .002). CONCLUSIONS: Learners and faculty at two major academic medical centers overwhelmingly preferred CBL (guided inquiry) over PBL (open inquiry). Given the dense medical curriculum and need for efficient use of student and faculty time, CBL offers an alternative model to traditional PBL small-group teaching. This study could not assess which method produces better practicing physicians.

Academic Medical Centers↗

Aging affects motor learning but not savings at transfer of learning.

Two important components of skill learning are the learning process itself (motor acquisition) and the ability to transfer what has been learned to new task variants (motor transfer). Many studies have documented age-related declines in the ability to learn new manual motor skills. In this study, I tested whether the degree of savings at transfer of learning is similarly affected by advancing age. Young and older adults made aiming movements with a joystick to hit targets presented on a computer screen, with real-time feedback display of their movement. They adapted to three different rotations of the feedback display in a sequential fashion, with return to the normal feedback display between each. Adaptation performance was better when it was preceded by other adaptive experiences, regardless of age.

Adult↗

The equivalence of learning paths in early science instruction: effect of direct instruction and discovery learning.

In a study with 112 third- and fourth-grade children, we measured the relative effectiveness of discovery learning and direct instruction at two points in the learning process: (a) during the initial acquisition of the basic cognitive objective (a procedure for designing and interpreting simple, unconfounded experiments) and (b) during the subsequent transfer and application of this basic skill to more diffuse and authentic reasoning associated with the evaluation of science-fair posters. We found not only that many more children learned from direct instruction than from discovery learning, but also that when asked to make broader, richer scientific judgments, the many children who learned about experimental design from direct instruction performed as well as those few children who discovered the method on their own. These results challenge predictions derived from the presumed superiority of discovery approaches in teaching young children basic procedures for early scientific investigations.

Achievement↗