Christopher R. Wolfe

An Online Family Intervention to Reduce Parental Distress Following Pediatric Brain Injury

This study examined whether an online problem-solving intervention could improve parental adjustment following pediatric traumatic brain injury (TBI). Families of children with moderate-to-severe TBI were recruited from the trauma registry of a large childrens hospital and randomly assigned to receive online family problem solving therapy (FPS; n = 20) or Internet resources (IRC; n = 20) in addition to usual care. The FPS group reported significantly less global distress, depressive symptoms, and anxiety at follow-up than did the IRC group after controlling for baseline symptoms. The FPS group also reported significant improvements in problem-solving skills, although the groups did not differ significantly at follow-up. Findings suggest that an online, skill-building approach can be effective in facilitating parental adaptation after TBI.

The Efficacy of an Online Cognitive-Behavioral Family Intervention in Improving Child Behavior and Social Competence Following Pediatric Brain Injury

Objective: To examine whether an online cognitive‐behavioral intervention could improve child adjustment following traumatic brain injury (TBI). Participants: Thirty-nine families of children with moderate to severe TBI. Intervention: Families were randomly assigned to the online family problem-solving (FPS) group or to the Internet resources comparison (IRC) group. Main Outcome Measures: Outcomes included child behavior problems, social competence, and self-management/compliance. Results: The FPS group reported better child self-management/compliance at follow-up than did the IRC group. The child’s age and socioeconomic status (SES) moderated treatment effects, with older children and those of lower SES who received FPS showing greater improvements in self-management and behavior problems, respectively. Conclusions: Findings suggest that an online cognitive‐behavioral approach can improve child adjustment after TBI, particularly in older children and children of lower SES.

A web-based family problem-solving intervention for families of children with traumatic brain injury.

We developed a Web-based intervention for pediatric traumatic brain injury (TBI) and examined its feasibility for participants with limited computer experience. Six families, including parents, siblings, and children with TBI, were given computers, Web cameras, and high-speed Internet access. Weekly videoconferences with the therapist were conducted after participants completed on-line interactive experiences on problem solving, communication, and TBI-specific behavior management. Families were assigned to videoconference with NetMeeting (iBOT cameras) or ViaVideo. Participants ranked the Web site and videoconferences as moderately to very easy to use. ViaVideo participants rated videoconferencing significantly more favorably relative to face-to-face meetings than did NetMeeting participants. Both the Web site and videoconferencing were rated as very helpful. All families demonstrated improved outcomes on one or more target behaviors, including increased understanding of the injury and improved parent-child relationships. All parents and siblings and all but 1 child with TBI said they would recommend the program to others. We conclude that a face-to-face intervention can be successfully adapted to the Web for families with varied computer experience.

Targeted Assessment Rubric: An Empirically Grounded Rubric for Interdisciplinary Writing

A rubric to assess interdisciplinary writing was developed and tested through analysis of 84 pieces of freshmen, sophomore, and senior college student work. Four levels of interdisciplinary understanding are described across 4 dimensions of interdisciplinary work: (a) purposefulness, (b) disciplinary grounding, (c) integration, and (d) critical awareness.

Can a Web-Based Family Problem-Solving Intervention Work for Children With Traumatic Brain Injury?

Objective: To examine the feasibility and efficacy of a Web-based intervention for children with traumatic brain injury (TBI). Participants: 6 families comprising 8 parents, 5 siblings, and 6 children with TBI (mean age 10.5 years). Intervention: Families received computers, Web cameras, and Internet access. Participants completed 7–11 online sessions and accompanying weekly videoconferences with the therapist. Main Outcome Measures: Outcomes included child behavior problems, social competence, executive function skills, and parent–child conflict. Results: Children with TBI rated Web site content as very to extremely helpful and reported high overall satisfaction. There was a trend for children with TBI to rate the videoconferences as less helpful than did other family members and relative to a face-to-face visit. Parents reported improvements in antisocial behaviors, and children with TBI reported reductions in conflict with parents regarding school. Conclusions: Web-based interventions hold promise for improving child outcomes following pediatric TBI.

The Contextual Impact of Social Support Across Race and Gender: Implications for African American Women in the Workplace

Over the past 2 decades, the interrelationship among the concepts of social support, stress, and psycho-physiological well-being has undergone much scrutiny in the professional literature. More recently, the many challenges posed by the reality of this countrys increasingly diversified workplace have received attention by both social work practitioners and researchers alike. The area that remains largely unstudied is the intersection of these two fields of study. The research reported here specifically addresses the question: What do we know about social support that can be used to effectively facilitate workplace diversity? The central focus of this article explores the relationship between social support and stress as differentially experienced by African American women, White women, and White men both within and outside the workplace. Of particular interest is the relationship between the social support and well-being in these contexts. Based on the findings of a 3-year study, this article reports on research conducted with a larger study of health promotion and stress and begins with an exploration of types and sources of social support and stress as they relate to issues of gender, race, and context. The article continues with a description of the research methodology. A

Lessons learned: The effect of prior technology use on web-based interventions.

This study examined the role of regular prior technology use in treatment response to an online family problem-solving (OFPS) intervention and an Internet resource intervention (IRI) for pediatric traumatic brain injury (TBI). Participants were 150 individuals in 40 families of children with TBI randomly assigned to OFPS intervention or an IRI. All families received free computers and Internet access to TBI resources. OFPS families received Web-based sessions and therapist-guided synchronous videoconferences focusing on problem solving, communication skills, and behavior management. All participants completed measures of depression, anxiety, and computer usage. OFPS participants rated treatment satisfaction, therapeutic alliance, and Web site and technology comfort. With the OFPS intervention, depression and anxiety improved significantly more among technology using parents (n = 14) than nontechnology users (n = 6). Technology users reported increasing comfort with technology over time, and this change was predictive of depression at followup. Satisfaction and ease-of-use ratings did not differ by technology usage. Lack of regular prior home computer usage and nonadherence were predictive of anxiety at followup. The IRI was not globally effective. However, controlling for prior depression, age, and technology at work, there was a significant effect of technology at home for depression. Families with technology experience at home (n = 11) reported significantly greater improvements in depression than families without prior technology experience at home (n = 8). Although Web-based OFPS was effective in improving caregiver functioning, individuals with limited computer experience may benefit less from an online intervention due to increased nonadherence.

Argumentation Across the Curriculum

This study explores how different kinds of arguments are situated in academic contexts and provides an analysis of undergraduate writing assignments. Assignments were collected from the schools of business, education, engineering, fine arts, and interdisciplinary studies as well as the humanities, natural sciences, and social sciences in the College of Arts and Science. A total of 265 undergraduate writing assignments from 71 courses were analyzed. Assignments were reliably categorized into these major categories of argumentative writing: explicitly thesis-driven assignments, text analysis, empirical arguments, decision-based arguments, proposals, short answer arguments, and compound arguments. A majority of writing assignments (59%) required argumentation. All engineering writing assignments required argumentation, as did 90% in fine arts, 80% of interdisciplinary assignments, 72% of social science assignments, 60% of education assignments, 53% in natural science, 47% in the humanities, and 46% in business. Argumentation is valued across the curriculum, yet different academic contexts require different forms of argumentation.

Efficacy of a Web-based Intelligent Tutoring System for Communicating Genetic Risk of Breast Cancer: A Fuzzy-Trace Theory Approach

Background. Many healthy women consider genetic testing for breast cancer risk, yet BRCA testing issues are complex. Objective. To determine whether an intelligent tutor, BRCA Gist, grounded in fuzzy-trace theory (FTT), increases gist comprehension and knowledge about genetic testing for breast cancer risk, improving decision making. Design. In 2 experiments, 410 healthy undergraduate women were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 groups: an online module using a Web-based tutoring system (BRCA Gist) that uses artificial intelligence technology, a second group read highly similar content from the National Cancer Institute (NCI) Web site, and a third that completed an unrelated tutorial. Intervention. BRCA Gist applied FTT and was designed to help participants develop gist comprehension of topics relevant to decisions about BRCA genetic testing, including how breast cancer spreads, inherited genetic mutations, and base rates. Measures. We measured content knowledge, gist comprehension of decision-relevant information, interest in testing, and genetic risk and testing judgments. Results. Control knowledge scores ranged from 54% to 56%, NCI improved significantly to 65% and 70%, and BRCA Gist improved significantly more to 75% and 77%, P < 0.0001. BRCA Gist scored higher on gist comprehension than NCI and control, P < 0.0001. Control genetic risk-assessment mean was 48% correct; BRCA Gist (61%) and NCI (56%) were significantly higher, P < 0.0001. BRCA Gist participants recommended less testing for women without risk factors (not good candidates; 24% and 19%) than controls (50%, both experiments) and NCI (32%), experiment 2, P < 0.0001. BRCA Gist testing interest was lower than in controls, P < 0.0001. Limitations. BRCA Gist has not been tested with older women from diverse groups. Conclusions. Intelligent tutors, such as BRCA Gist, are scalable, cost-effective ways of helping people understand complex issues, improving decision making.

Plant a Tree in Cyberspace: Metaphor and Analogy as Design Elements in Web-Based Learning Environments

Analogy and metaphor are figurative forms of communication that help people integrate new information with prior knowledge to facilitate comprehension and appropriate inferences. The novelty and versatility of the Web place cognitive burdens on learners that can be overcome through the use of analogies and metaphors. This paper explores three uses of figurative communication as design elements in Web-based learning environments, and provides empirical illustrations of each. First, extended analogies can be used as the basis of cover stories that create an analogy between the learners position and a hypothetical situation. The Dragonfly Web pages make extensive use of analogous cover stories in the design of interactive decision-making games. Feedback from visitors, patterns of usage, and external reviews provide evidence of effectiveness. A second approach is visual analogies based on the principles of ecological psychology. An empirical example suggests that visual analogies are most effective when there is a one-to-one correspondence between the base and visual target analogs. The use of learner-generated analogies is a third approach. Data from an offline study with undergraduate science students are presented indicating that generating analogies are associated with significant improvements in the ability to place events in natural history on a time line. It is concluded that cyberspace itself might form the basis of the next guiding metaphor of mind.