Background: Reading comprehension and writing ability are critical to students’ success in introductory psychology. However, these generally are not prerequisites. There is conflicting evidence with regard to the effectiveness of remedial reading and writing classes for students with low placement exam scores. Objectives: To explore whether ACCUPLACER® test scores help predict performance in introductory psychology, and the effectiveness of reading and writing remediation classes in helping students, particularly those with low ACCUPLACER® scores. Method: Logistic regression analyses were used, to explore whether ACCUPLACER® test scores helped predict performance, and whether completing remediation classes helped students pass, controlling for ACCUPLACER® and WritePlacer® scores, at an upstate New York community college, between the years 2010 and 2015. Results: Placement test scores did help to predict successful course completion. There was not a statistically significant difference in successful course completion between students who passed the remedial courses and those who did not take them. Conclusions: Success in introductory psychology requires college-level reading and writing. Remedial courses’ value in students’ success in this class appears relatively small or non-significant. Teaching Implications: We propose solutions that may be more effective, involving embedding the remediation in the course, or in closely linked ancillary sections.
For general aviation (GA) pilots, weather was the primary contributing factor for 25% of accidents between 1982 and 2013 (Fultz & Ashley, 2016). All GA pilots must complete the same certification exam and requirements, however not all GA pilots are receiving the same depth of training. Depending on their flight school, pilots-in-training may be lacking important opportunities to practice applying weather theory to aviation. Attending to this gap in training by providing more opportunities to practice applying their weather knowledge may help reduce the number of weather-related accidents in GA. This paper outlines certification requirements and guidelines to become a private pilot, clarifies weather-knowledge requirements, outlines how pilots currently learn their weather, and makes training recommendations to potentially reduce the number of weather-related accidents in GA.
Weather has contributed to hundreds of General Aviation accidents. Research suggests inadequate preflight planning and lack of aviation weather knowledge are contributing factors. This study describes the development of three mental model measures (departure, enroute, and arrival) designed to assess pilots’ understanding of current and forecasted conditions. Each measure requires pilots (n=23) to evaluate weather conditions (flight category) at different regions within the flight area. A two-way mixed ANOVA examined differences in pilots’ understanding of flight category across three preflight weather briefing conditions (flight services call, self-briefing, and a combined condition) and three phases of flight (POF). No significant interaction occurred between briefing condition and POF on pilots’ ability to identify the correct flight category. However, significant differences in pilots’ understanding of weather conditions occurred between phases. Pilots were most effective at assessing flight category/weather on the enroute mental model measure and least effective at assessing weather forecasted surrounding arrival.
Prior to departing on a flight, General Aviation pilots complete a preflight planning process to ensure the safety of their flight. One aspect of the preflight planning process is obtaining a briefing on the weather conditions that the pilot might encounter along their flight route. Traditionally pilots have utilized a phone-in service, run by Flight Services, to aid in their assessment of weather conditions; however, research indicates that pilots are increasingly reliant on conducting self- briefing using online resources. The purpose of this study is to determine pilot perceptions of obtaining a phone-in brief in comparison to self-briefing.
General aviation (GA) pilots are increasingly relying on available weather technology to conduct preflight weather self-briefings, rather than call-in briefings to Flight Services. However, research has shown that GA pilots’ have difficulty in interpreting weather products, such as radar, and that this problem persists even after additional training. The domain of change management examines how to properly plan and implement transitions in technology. The current paper examines this transition from call-in to self-briefing using principles of change management, specifically from the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology.
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