This study sought to determine if playing a digital math game could increase student number sense (mathematical proficiency in numeracy). We used a pre- and post-assessment to measure the number sense of two groups of third grade students with the same mathematics teacher. One group played the game Wuzzit Trouble and the other did not. Overall, the group who played Wuzzit Trouble showed a significant increase in number sense between the pre- and post-assessment, compared to the other group who did not. A qualitative analysis of a novel problem revealed differences between the treatment and comparison groups from pre- to post-. A discussion of these findings and features of the game are addressed. Namely, two features inherent in Wuzzit Trouble are associated with the learners’ increased number sense. First, Wuzzit Trouble promoted mathematical proficiency by requiring learners to attend to several mathematical constraints at once. Second, the game engaged learners in an iterative process of decision-making by calling for students to try, check, and revise their strategy as they played.
Twenty-four residents in six assisted living facilities and one retirement community across three counties in South Carolina participated in a study to gain an understanding of older adults'perception of depression in long-term-care (LTC) settings. Participants completed the Geriatric Depression Scale, Meaning Survey (MS), a journal, and a follow-up interview.Spiritual meaning regarding physical and mental health was self-reported from the MS. Five questions were included in the journals regarding emotional, physical, and social health. Results indicate that journaling may be an appropriate investigative tool for researchers, and LTC facilities' efforts should be channeled to increase the availability and quality of mental health services to residents. Regular residential depression screenings, as well as the standardization of mental health care services within LTC facilities, should be an integral part of LTC.
Reciprocity, a core component of social capital, is rarely theorized or measured leaving the relationship between reciprocity and health ambiguous. Historically, reciprocity measures have not been used in the context they were designed causing measurement error. This multi-phased study was designed to develop and validate a reciprocity measure for formal and informal groups within communities and congregations as part of a more comprehensive social capital measure. In-depth interviews (n = 72), cognitive interviews (n = 40), and an expert review panel guided item development and selection for content validity. South Carolina residents (n = 500) completed the 10-item Reciprocity of Social Support (RSS) Scale during 2008-2010. Construct validity was supported through an exploratory factor analysis (EFA) that confirmed a two-factor model for the scale for community-and congregation-based groups. Cronbach's α values indicated items were highly correlated for community groups and church groups. Psychometric analyses of the RSS Scale support convergent and divergent validity for the community-and congregation-based groups. Mean RSS Scale scores were not statistically different between communityand congregation-based groups. This scale has proven psychometric properties for utilization in future research investigating reciprocity of social support in community-and congregation-based groups and will be useful to examine whether reciprocity (by context and type of group) is associated with physical and/or mental health.
Keywordsresearch methods, social sciences, data collection, research methodology and design, reliability and validity, measurement and scaling methods, health psychology, applied psychology, psychology, sociology of mental health, sociology of health and illness by guest on June 4, 2016 Downloaded from
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