Julie Foertsch

In Search of Complete Comprehension: Getting "Minimalists" to Work.

Three experiments illustrated that readers will not completely comprehend the sentences they read unless sufficiently motivated by situational demands. Complete comprehension of a topic is defined as the ability to accurately redescribe that topic in ones own words, and it entails three separate yet interdependent processing tasks: (a) activating the information contained in a topic, (b) resolving the topic as a new topic or as an anaphor referring to an old topic, and (c) modifying ones mental structures to organize the additional information that is received. Each process hinges on the outcome of those that preceded it, and comprehenders are not expected to initiate the next process in the sequence unless it is required or motivated by task demands. To test these predictions, three experiments were conducted in which participants were prompted to engage in one, two, or all three comprehension processes after reading two-clause conjunctive sentences. The results suggested that experimental participants had a strategy of minimal task satisfaction: They did not resolve anaphors, build structures, or draw inferences unless it was necessary for completion of the experiment.

In Search of Gender Neutrality: Is Singular They a Cognitively Efficient Substitute for Generic He?

With increasing frequency, writers and speakers are ignoring grammatical proscription and using the plural pronoun they to refer to singular antecedents. This change may, in part, be motivated by efforts to make language more gender inclusive. In the current study, two reading-time experiments demonstrated that singular they is a cognitively efficient substitute for generic he or she, particularly when the antecedent is nonreferential. In such instances, clauses containing they were read (a) much more quickly than clauses containing a gendered pronoun that went against the gender stereotype of the antecedent, and (b) just as quickly as clauses containing a gendered pronoun that matched the stereotype of the antecedent. However, with referential antecedents, for which the gender was presumably known, clauses containing singular they were not read as quickly as clauses containing a gendered pronoun that matched the antecedents stereotypic gender.

The impact of electronic networks on scholarly communication: Avenues for research

Communicating via electronic networks is presented as a unique form of discourse that exists on a continuum between the context‐dependent interaction of oral conversation and the contextually abstracted composition of written text. Electronic networks provide unique opportunities for studying communication, language comprehension, and the effects of feedback on composition. In an attempt to encourage researchers from many disciplines to study electronic discourse and its impact on scholarly communication, relevant research in the fields of cognitive psychology, composition theory, computer science, and information science is reviewed. Because many questions about the ramifications of using electronic discourse as a primary form of scholarly communication remain unanswered, directions for new research are proposed.

Integrative Cases for Preclinical Medical Students Connecting Clinical, Basic Science, and Public Health Approaches

BACKGROUND Healthcare and public health systems are each transforming, resulting in a need for better integration between clinical and population-based approaches to improve the health of populations. These changes also demand substantial transformations in the curriculum for medical students. Integrative Cases were designed for all first- and second-year medical students to provide them with more awareness, knowledge, and skills in integrating public health into clinical medicine. Each case examines basic science factors, clinical approaches, and public health determinants, including risk factors and direct and indirect contributing factors. PURPOSE This study was designed to evaluate the effectiveness of Integrative Cases in the medical student curriculum. METHODS Integrative Cases were formatively evaluated using standardized online post-event questionnaires emailed to students after each case. The questionnaires focused on goals specific to each case, ratings of particular sessions and facilitators, general impressions of the case, and student suggestions for improvement. RESULTS Student evaluations indicate that Integrative Cases achieved their goals, especially providing experiences that offer a more expansive view of medicine and public health, stimulating interest and questions that anticipate future learning and making connections across basic science, medicine, and health. Students also indicated that these cases added to their understanding of public health issues and how to apply what they had learned to patient care. CONCLUSIONS Integrative Cases demonstrate the effectiveness of a comprehensive approach that integrates clinical medicine with basic science and public health perspectives.

Training in Urban Medicine and Public Health: Triumph

Purpose The number of U.S. medical school graduates who choose to practice in health professional shortage areas (HPSAs) has not kept pace with the needs of society. The University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health has created a new program that prepares medical students to reduce health disparities for urban medically underserved populations in Milwaukee. The authors describe the Training in Urban Medicine and Public Health (TRIUMPH) program and provide early, short-term outcomes. Method TRIUMPH integrates urban clinical training, community and public health curricula, longitudinal community and public health projects, mentoring, and peer support for select third- and fourth-year medical students. The authors tracked and held focus groups with program participants to assess their knowledge, skills, satisfaction, confidence, and residency matches. The authors surveyed community partners to assess their satisfaction with students and the program. Results From 2009 to 2012, 53 students enrolled in the program, and 45 have conducted projects with community organizations. Participants increased their knowledge, skills, confidence, and commitment to work with urban medically underserved populations. Compared with local peers, TRIUMPH graduates were more likely to select primary care specialties and residency programs serving urban underserved populations. Community leaders have reported high levels of satisfaction and benefits; their interest in hosting students exceeds program capacity. Conclusions Early, short-term outcomes confirm that TRIUMPH is achieving its desired goals: attracting and preparing medical students to work with urban underserved communities. The program serves as a model to prepare physicians to meet the needs of urban HPSAs.

eTeach/sup /spl reg// - a proven learning technology for education reform

An eTEACH presentation combines a video frame (Microsoft MediaPlayer) with a slide frame (Microsoft PowerPoint), an external web links frame, a dynamic table of contents that titles the major portions of the lecture and allows jumping to any portion, buttons that allow the lecture to be advanced or rewound 10 or 30 seconds, and fast forward and reverse buttons; all in an Internet Explorer window. The PowerPoint slides and web links automatically synchronize with the current position in the lecture video. eTEACH supports PowerPoint animation features for viewing in the browser. eTEACH supports accessibility features such as closed captioning and web page readers. eTEACH has been used extensively in reforming a large enrollment computer sciences course.

Work in progress-science in the afternoon: a new public-private outreach partnership

The University of Wisconsin - Madison and the Boys and Girls Club of Dane County recently formed a partnership to offer a sustained after-school informal science program to children ages 7-12. Designed to improve scientific literacy and engender an affinity for science, the program provides inquiry-based, hands-on learning opportunities stressing the interdisciplinary nature of science. With an initial focus on the ecology of the local watershed, participants explore methods of scientific inquiry, the nature of watersheds, connections between human activity and water quality, and the ecosystem impacted by the watershed. Given the opportunity to discover scientific and ecological principles firsthand, participants are encouraged to become stewards of their own environment and share what they have learned with friends and families. Sustained exposure to informal science activities will lead to improved performance in science classes and increased likelihood that these children will consider science and engineering careers.