While it is well established that expert performers can pick up and utilise postural cues to anticipate more effectively than less-skilled counterparts, the role of contextual information in expert anticipation has received relatively little research attention. The aims of this thesis were to highlight the importance of contextual information in anticipation, identify specific sources of contextual information that impact anticipation, and examine how this information is used. In five studies, skilled and less-skilled tennis players were presented with videos or animations of the same open play rallies. The animations omitted postural information, constraining participants to anticipate based on contextual information alone. First, participants anticipated more accurately than chance in both display conditions. Skilled participants were more accurate than less-skilled participants, with the difference being greater in the video condition. Second, gaze data and retrospective verbal reports were collected when viewing the animations. Skilled participants displayed different gaze behaviour and more thoroughly evaluated the presented information than less-skilled participants. Third, animations were manipulated to depict or omit potential sources of contextual information. The preceding shot sequence was shown to be a useful source of contextual information, particularly for skilled participants. Additionally, player positioning could be used to anticipate highly accurately in absence of any other information. Finally, the option generation strategies underpinning expert anticipation were examined. Participants generated fewer options when postural cues were available compared with when constrained to the use of contextual information alone. Moreover, skilled participants generated more task-relevant and fewer task-irrelevant options than less-skilled participants. Collectively, these findings increase understanding of the role of contextual information in expert anticipation and further highlight the complex nature of perceptual-cognitive expertise.

Two instructional design features hypothesized to affect problem solving performance, problem format and contextual interference, were investigated. Problem format was manipulated by altering the format of worked examples to demonstrate a molar or modular solution. Contextual interference was manipulated by randomizing the order in which problem categories were studied. Participants studied worked examples from 5 complex probability categories and solved 11 novel problems. The modular problem format reduced study time and the workload during study and increased performance on the subsequent test. Greater contextual interference increased study time but had no effect on workload or test performance. Additionally, a regression analysis demonstrated that mental workload partially mediated the effect of problem format on test performance. A separate regression analysis did not demonstrate that working memory capacity moderated the effect of problem format on mental workload.

A influência de avaliações em larga escala no currículo é bem conhecida e discutida amplamente. Contudo, a influência de avaliações vestibulares no mesmo tem sido deixada de lado, bem como a discussão sobre sua influência nos próprios exames governamentais. O presente texto tenta abrir este caminho, analisando a alteração nos tipos de questões elaboradas pelo vestibular, no sentido de arcar com uma responsabilidade social que lhe foi imposta. É feita uma análise do nível cognitivo exigido pelas questões - com base na taxonomia de Bloom (1983) e nas classes de exigência cognitiva de Zoller (2002), entre outras características - bem como outros detalhes relevantes, como interdisciplinaridade, área da química abordada, habilidades e competências envolvidas e o índice de discriminação, ao longo de onze anos (2003 - 2013). Os resultados demonstram uma crescente preocupação com o modo como se mede as capacidades dos alunos avaliados por tais exames. A partir de então, discute-se brevemente sobre o uso dos exames vestibulares como base para a construção do currículo, bem como o modo com que os exames são tratados pelo meio leigo e suas consequências / The influence of large scale assessment on the curriculum is well known and widely discussed. However, a influence of pre-entrance tests on it has been put aside, as well as the discussion about is influence on governmental assessment. The present work tries to clear that pass, analysing if there is any significant change on the types of questions made by these pre-entrance exams, in a perspective of living up to the social responsibility that was imposed on them. It is made an analysis around the cognitive level required by the questions - based on Bloom\'s taxonomy (1983) and in Zollers cognitive skills requirements (2002) - amongst other relevant details, such as interdisciplinarity, chemistry field addressed, skills and competences involved and the discrimination rate, over the period of eleven years (2003 - 2013). The results show a growing worry towards the way the student\'s capability is being measured by these exams. From that, it\'s briefly discussed the use of such exams as base to building the curriculum, as well as how the exams are treated by the non-academics and its consequences.

A influência de avaliações em larga escala no currículo é bem conhecida e discutida amplamente. Contudo, a influência de avaliações vestibulares no mesmo tem sido deixada de lado, bem como a discussão sobre sua influência nos próprios exames governamentais. O presente texto tenta abrir este caminho, analisando a alteração nos tipos de questões elaboradas pelo vestibular, no sentido de arcar com uma responsabilidade social que lhe foi imposta. É feita uma análise do nível cognitivo exigido pelas questões - com base na taxonomia de Bloom (1983) e nas classes de exigência cognitiva de Zoller (2002), entre outras características - bem como outros detalhes relevantes, como interdisciplinaridade, área da química abordada, habilidades e competências envolvidas e o índice de discriminação, ao longo de onze anos (2003 - 2013). Os resultados demonstram uma crescente preocupação com o modo como se mede as capacidades dos alunos avaliados por tais exames. A partir de então, discute-se brevemente sobre o uso dos exames vestibulares como base para a construção do currículo, bem como o modo com que os exames são tratados pelo meio leigo e suas consequências / The influence of large scale assessment on the curriculum is well known and widely discussed. However, a influence of pre-entrance tests on it has been put aside, as well as the discussion about is influence on governmental assessment. The present work tries to clear that pass, analysing if there is any significant change on the types of questions made by these pre-entrance exams, in a perspective of living up to the social responsibility that was imposed on them. It is made an analysis around the cognitive level required by the questions - based on Bloom\'s taxonomy (1983) and in Zollers cognitive skills requirements (2002) - amongst other relevant details, such as interdisciplinarity, chemistry field addressed, skills and competences involved and the discrimination rate, over the period of eleven years (2003 - 2013). The results show a growing worry towards the way the student\'s capability is being measured by these exams. From that, it\'s briefly discussed the use of such exams as base to building the curriculum, as well as how the exams are treated by the non-academics and its consequences.

No description available.

This thesis aimed to enhance understanding of the nature of knowledge bases possessed by elite sports performers which underpin perceptual-cognitive and decision making skills. Two main theories were considered; Active Control of Thought (ACT*) and Representational Redescription (RR). The purpose of Study 1 was to examine the anticipatory ability of elite and non-elite players in football and hockey. The results indicated that elite players in both sports were quicker and more accurate in their expectation of pass destination. Study 2 aimed to understand the extent to which knowledge is transferable. The results indicated that elite players’ knowledge is relatively domain specific although some elements of underlying task strategy may transfer. The objective of Study 3 was to explore the means by which elite and non-elite players in football and hockey identify and differentiate between possible decisions. Results showed elite players’ rationale was based on deeper theoretical principles whilst non-experts utilised relatively superficial information and naïve theories. Study 4 focussed on problem representations of elite and non-elite football players. Results revealed elite players’ representations were more pertinent, connected and articulated in a more effective manner. Overall, the findings from the current thesis provide advanced understanding of the knowledge bases responsible for perceptual-cognitive and decision making skill, and such understanding may assist attempts to enhance athletes’ performance and support future research.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the BASICS program. The program, Building and Applying Strategies for Initial Cognitive Skills, was developed by the Institute for Staff Development of Miami, Florida, for educating teachers, paraprofessionals, and parents in techniques considered essential in helping pre-school, primary grade, and special education children develop initial cognitive skills. The study was undertaken to determine the effects of the program on the self-concept, experimental beliefs, dogmatism, and pupil control ideology of in-service elementary school teachers who participated in it as an elective graduate level course. The design of the study was the non-equivalent control group design. Twelve subjects who volunteered to participate in the program formed the experimental group. Twelve other subjects were randomly selected from a graduate-level class in elementary school curriculum development to form the control group. The instructor who was in charge of the BASICS program taught the class from which the control subjects were selected. The study was conducted during the first six-week summer term of 1975 at North Texas State University. The two groups were administered pre and post the Tennessee Self Concept Scale, the Personal Beliefs Inventory (PBI), the Teacher Practices Inventory (TPI), the Dogmatism Scale Form E, and the Pupil Control Ideology (PCI) Form. The pre- and post-test data obtained were analyzed using the Mann-Whitney U as a one-tailed test.

Utilizing ECLS-K:2011 data, this study compares adopted and biological children to account for the role of heritable characteristics in explaining the relationship between family environments and children's cognitive skills. I find that cognitive skills do not differ across adopted and biological children after adjusting for the systematic differences between them. I also find that the relationship between family environment and children's cognitive skills does not differ across adopted and biological children. Taken together, these results suggest that the relationship between family environment and children's cognitive skills is not spurious.

No description available.

Learning disability affects many learners in South Africa and its impact is exacerbated by environmental disadvantage. In a fast changing educational system within a framework of Outcomes-Based Education, where inclusion of learners from various cultures who face a wide variety of barriers to learning is a reality, the need for more accommodating teaching aids and techniques is pressing. Reading comprehension skills influence most aspects of school work, cognitively, emotionally and socially, and therefore learning support strategies to address reading difficulty are especially important. This research focused on visualization as a metacognitive reading comprehension technique for learning support to intermediate level learners with learning disabilities who suffer environmental deprivation. The aim was to help learners to develop and utilise their cognitive skills when reading by forming a mental picture of the text that is being read. Internalization and generalization of this technique was targeted. The communicative meaning of text, rather than fluent word recognition, was emphasized. Manifestations of learning disability, environmental deprivation, problems in reading comprehension and visualization as a "whole brain" approach to reading development were reviewed in the literature. In collaboration with a multicultural school for learners with epilepsy and learning disabilities, the visualization technique was formatively refined during ten sessions of practical implementation. Qualitative and quantitative techniques were used to assess behaviour and performance per learner. Clinical assessments verified the findings of the case studies. / Dissertation (MEd)--University of Pretoria, 2012. / Educational Psychology / unrestricted