Teaching Children With Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder to Use Metacognitive Strategies

Metacognitive training is an emerging cognitive intervention for children with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) that teaches children to think about their thinking and use strategies to improve learning and regulation. We investigated how children with FASD acquired metacognitive strategies during a computerized intervention delivered in a school setting. The number, type, and process of strategy acquisition were recorded for seven children with FASD during the intervention. As an indication of strategy learning, we recorded prompted and spontaneous strategy use over time. Children with FASD were found to use a total of 26 different metacognitive strategies, with eight strategies used spontaneously by all participants. Participants demonstrated a significant decrease in the number of different prompted strategies and a significant increase in the number of spontaneous strategies used over the course of the intervention. Implications for the use of a metacognitive approach for students with FASD are discussed, emphasizing the value of a strength-based approach.

Subtraction by addition strategy use in children of varying mathematical achievement level: A choice/no-choice study

We investigated the use of the subtraction by addition strategy, an important mental calculation strategy in children with different levels of mathematics achievement. In doing so we relied on Siegler’s cognitive psychological model of strategy change (Lemaire & Siegler, 1995), which defines strategy competencies in terms of four parameters (strategy repertoire, distribution, efficiency and selection), and the choice/no-choice method (Siegler & Lemaire, 1997), which is essentially characterized by offering items in two types of conditions (choice and no-choice). Participants were 63 11-12-year-olds with varied mathematics achievement levels. They solved multi-digit subtraction problems in the number domain up to 1,000 in one choice condition (choice between direct subtraction or subtraction by addition on each item) and two no-choice conditions (obligatory use of either direct subtraction or subtraction by addition on all items). We distinguished between two types of subtraction problems: problems with a small versus large difference between minuend and subtrahend. Although mathematics instruction only focused on applying direct subtraction, most children reported using subtraction by addition in the choice condition. Subtraction by addition was applied frequently and efficiently, particularly on small-difference problems. Children flexibly fitted their strategy choices to both numerical item characteristics and individual strategy speed characteristics. There were no differences in strategy use between the different mathematical achievement groups. These findings add to our theoretical understanding of children’s strategy acquisition and challenge current mathematics instruction practices that focus on direct subtraction for children of all levels of mathematics achievement.

Valuación de empresas de Telecomunicaciones con parámetros operativos

Key words: Capita asset price, financial expectations, operative factorsAbstract. The value of telecommunication companies measured in terms of their stock value, may be explained not only by their historical financial results and their financial expectations, but also by the evaluation of other operative factors such as: technological change, organizational change, market strategy, acquisition cost, customers portfolio, fusions and institutional changes (regulations). Due to the importance of the telecommunication sector inthe stock market, as well as in the national economy, an analysis which improves its knowledge and allows a better valuation of these companies is required. Models for asset pricing CAPM (Capital Asset Price Model) and APT (Arbitrage Price Theory) have been developed and proved outside national context, besides, according to theory; their effectiveness for determining stock price depends on the stock market efficiencyPalabras Clave: Expectativas financieras, factores operativos, fijación de precios de capitalResumen. El valor de empresas de telecomunicaciones medidos en términos del valor de sus acciones, no solo se explica por la valuación de sus resultados financieros históricos y sus expectativas financieras si no también por la valuación de otros factores operativos tales como cambio tecnológico, cambio organizacional, estrategia de mercado, costo de adquisición, valor de la cartera de clientes, fusiones, y cambios institucionales (regulaciones).Por la importancia que presenta el sector de telecomunicaciones en el mercado de valores y en la economía nacional, se requiere de un análisis que permita su mejor conocimiento y control del valor. Los modelos desarrollados para la fijación de precios de activos; CAPM (Modelo de Fijación de Precios de Capital) y APT (Teoría de Fijación de Precios de Arbitraje) han sido generalmente probados y desarrollados fuera del contexto nacional y su nivel de efectividad para determinar el precio de una acción y que de acuerdo a la teoría depende fundamentalmente del nivel de eficiencia del mercado de capitales.

Game-Based Writing Strategy Practice with the Writing Pal

In this chapter, the authors consider the value of educational games to support students’ writing strategy acquisition and practice. Sixty-five high school students participated in a summer program using the Writing Pal, an intelligent tutoring system designed to support adolescents’ persuasive writing across multiple phases of the writing process. Overall, students who interacted with the full W-Pal intelligent tutoring system (i.e., animated strategy lessons, game-based practice, and essay-based practice with feedback) were better able to articulate new writing strategies than students who engaged in intensive essay-based practice by writing and revising twice as many essays with feedback. Importantly, performance within several educational games was found to be a significant predictor of strategy acquisition. The authors argue that these strategy benefits arise from the ways in which strategy-specific, game-based practice activities support the decomposition of task goals, clear operations for achieving those goals, compensation for individual differences, and motivation to practice.

Crediamigo: partnering with Vivacred?

Subject area The case is suitable for undergraduate and MBA courses: strategic management, social entrepreneurship. Study level/applicability Masters, Bachelors. Case overview In Fortaleza, January 2008, an urban microfinance manager and the planning committee of Crediamigo, Brazil's largest microfinance institution need to devise an entry strategy to Rio de Janeiro's microfinance market. A part of the Banco do Nordeste, and a regional development bank for ten years, Crediamigo has 400,000 clients in the Northeast of Brazil. Its objective is to double its clients base for 2011; Rio de Janeiro's market was the next priority. Crediamigo has two options. The first consists of partnering with VivaCred, a small experienced microcredit non-governmental organization (NGO) which operates in Rio de Janeiro's slums. VivaCred was a microfinance NGO with relatively low organizational capabilities and with a low performance in terms of loan repayment. Its lending methodologies were different from Crediamigo's experience. The second option was to set up a new branch of Crediamigo in Rio and to shape it in Crediamigo's image. The committee was aware that this, “far away from home”, would be a costly and slow venture. Expected learning outcomes After using this case, students will: have been exposed to the strategic, managerial and operational challenges of microfinance expansion in an emerging country; understand better the market entry strategy (acquisition/integration of an organization vs green field) in such a context; have discussed the conditions related to the replication of microcredit methodologies (individual, group and village lending methodologies) in their contexts of operations. Supplementary materials Teaching notes are available for educators only. Please contact your library to gain login details or email [email protected] to request teaching notes.