Ophthalmoscopy is an essential skill for medical trainees, however, trainees commonly report feeling uncomfortable with this skill. The purpose of this study is to determine the utility of a low-cost simulator in improving medical student's comfort and proficiency with direct ophthalmoscopy. An easy to assemble simulator was constructed using…

Achieving fluency in sightreading--particularly rhythm reading--is cited by researchers as a universally problematic component of formal music education. This study employed an experimental design to examine the efficacy of focused practice on rhythm reading with targeted feedback. College music majors (n = 28) were sent a novel, challenging piece…

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to test the association between self-control (SC) variables and (a) sport-specific practice amounts, (b) engagement in various practice contexts, (c) threats to commitment to one's sport, and (d) skill development using the Brief Self-Control Scale (BSCS) in a diverse sport sample. Method: Two hundred…

Nursing, dance and studio-based arts, engineering, and athletic therapy are viewed as practice-oriented professions in which the teaching and situated learning of practical skills are central. In order to succeed, students must perform a series of performance-based assessments, which seemingly require an "able" body to enact complex…

The purpose of the study was to examine types of parental involvement associated with independent music lessons. A self-report survey was designed to explore parent characteristics, parental goals, students' musical progress, the teacher-student relationship, the practice environment, and parent behaviours during practice sessions. The extent to…

This action research study occurred in a grades 5-12 alternative school for at-risk students in northern Canada. iPads were incorporated first in grades 5-8 (year one), and then in grades 5-8 and an ungraded class (year two). The goal was to enhance students' engagement in school and strengthen their language arts and numeracy skills. In year one,…

In the context of a Transition to Work course for fourth-year psychology majors, we had students use an e-portfolio to self-reflect on the learning experiences they deemed most significant during their degree. Such significant learning experiences can be drawn upon when answering behavioral job interview questions. We examined whether students…

The body of research examining deliberate practice and self-regulation in musical instruction has grown extensively over the past several decades, while at the same time many practices in the independent music studio remain unchanged and/or under-researched. Compelling evidence indicates that students with high levels of self-regulation experience…

This correlational study, conducted in intermediate English as a second language (ESL) high school classes in Quebec, investigated the relationship between instructor feedback and student anxiety. The participants were 53 ESL students in their last year of secondary school who were required to take an integrative-writing exam as part of their…

In the past two decades, a large body of research has examined the differences between novices and experts in subject areas ranging from physics to poetry. Yet research on developing expertise has found no "magic bullet" in becoming an expert and has concluded that innate talent plays a less prominent role than previously imagined.…

Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), a chronic neurological disorder, is not formally recognized in the educational systems across Canada. As a result, there is little opportunity for collaboration or sharing of information between the medical/research community and the educational system. Because ADHD is not formally identified,…

Research suggests that allowing individuals to control their own practice schedule has a positive effect on motor learning. In this experiment we examined the effect of task difficulty and self-regulated practice strategies on motor learning. The task was to move a mouse-operated cursor through pattern arrays that differed in two levels of…

There is a continuing need to investigate how contemporary students in schools are writing the word, and their world, beyond modernist parameters of the page. This article explores the online writing of a senior English world literature class, located in a Western Canadian city, as examined through a recent qualitative case study. Borrowing a 17th…

Involving 28 grade eight students, this action research study examined strategies that lead to effective and efficient band rehearsals at the junior high level. Data was gathered concerning the proportion of instructional time spent on teaching concepts and skills, on active music making, and on classroom management. From this, and a review of the…

Describes research in music education at Laval University in which students receive auditory training using a microprocessor-based hardware system. Topics include intervals, chord quality, scale degrees, diatonic tonal functions, rhythmic, melodic and harmonic dictation, jazz chord quality, microtones, and fundamentals. Students maintain full…