EurekAlert! - Education
The premier online source for science news since 1996. A service of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

• Falling home ownership, equity, affect college enrollment
  (University of Michigan) Sagging college enrollments may be the next symptom of the sub-prime mortgage mess, according to a University of Michigan economist.
• Baker Institute expert says America needs Obama leadership in technology security, advancement
  (Rice University) The United States needs to act swiftly and sufficiently under an Obama presidency to secure the government's technology infrastructure and to re-establish America's standing as a leader in technology advancements, according to Christopher Bronk, a fellow in technology, society and public policy at Rice University's Baker Institute for Public Policy.
• The smart way to study
  (University of California - San Diego) Combine the aphorisms that "practice makes perfect" and "timing is everything" into one and you might get something resembling findings published in this month's issue of Psychological Science. Proper spacing of lessons, the researchers report, can dramatically enhance learning. And larger gaps between study sessions result in better recall of facts. Conversely: Cramming is ineffective in the long haul.
• MSU scholars help lead national effort for education reform
  (Michigan State University) The United States does not have enough effective teachers -- a problem that could be corrected partly by improving working conditions at low-income schools and determining the best forms of teacher recruitment, according to a national panel of experts led by a Michigan State University scholar.
• Young Hungarian researchers receive prestigious Scopus Award
  (Elsevier) The Scopus Young Scientist Awards were awarded to the best young researchers under 30 years old, in ten scientific disciplinary areas.
• Illinois researchers help Hollywood get the science right
  (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign) Two University of Illinois researchers are among a national group of scientists selected to help leaders in the entertainment industry improve the accuracy of the scientific content of their productions.
• Second life, podcasting, mobiles, PDAs -- the technology of education
  (University of Leicester) University of Leicester professor asks: Who will survive? Who will change? Who will disappear?
• Teaching breast health early to reduce breast cancer mortality in D.C.
  (American Association for Cancer Research) Early breast health education may be the key to lowering breast cancer mortality rates in Washington, D.C., which has the highest rates in the country, according to research presented at the American Association for Cancer Research's Seventh Annual International Conference on Frontiers in Cancer Prevention Research.
• World-first network linking experts in proteomics and metabolomics
  (University of Melbourne) A world-first network linking experts in two leading biotechnologies, proteomics and metabolomics, has been launched by the Hon Gavin Jennings at the University of Melbourne in Melbourne, Australia.
• Forgotten but not gone -- how the brain takes care of things
  (Max-Planck-Gesellschaft) Connections between nerve cells remain intact even when temporarily put out of service.
• Conference on complexity offers new opportunities for interdisciplinary collaboration
  (National Academy of Sciences) More than 160 participants gathered this week for the sixth annual National Academies Keck FUTURES INITIATIVE conference.
• Sleep helps people learn complicated tasks
  (University of Chicago) Sleep helps the mind learn complicated tasks and helps people recover learning they otherwise thought they had forgotten. Using a test that involved learning to play video games, researchers showed for the first time that people who had "forgotten" how to perform a complex task 12 hours after training found that those abilities were restored after a night's sleep.
• Textbook launch to support growth in entrepreneurship training outside of the business school
  (SAGE Publications UK) Business schools may claim "ownership" of the teaching of entrepreneurship. However a new book published this month aims to support the growing amount of entrepreneurial training taking place outside of the business school, teaching the skills and essential practical knowledge for specific markets.
• New program teaches preschoolers reading skills, getting along with others
  (NIH/National Institute of Child Health and Human Development) A study funded by the National Institutes of Health and other federal agencies shows that it's possible to teach preschoolers the pre-reading skills they need for later school success, while at the same time fostering the socials skills necessary for making friends and avoiding conflicts with their peers.
• Cascading effect of even minor early problems may explain serious teen violence
  (Society for Research in Child Development) A new longitudinal study suggests that serious teen violence may result from a "cascading effect" of earlier life experiences culminating in serious violent behavior. The study tracked 754 children from four geographic areas of the US. Children who had social and academic problems in elementary school often had parents who withdrew from supervision and monitoring during middle school. Children then made friends with deviant peers, and ultimately were more likely to engage violent acts.
• In child care, relationships with caregivers key to children's stress levels
  (Society for Research in Child Development) New research finds that many preschoolers in full-day child care have increases in the stress hormone cortisol from morning to afternoon. Children in classrooms of approximately 10 were more likely to have decreases in cortisol from morning to afternoon. Children in classrooms with closer to 20 showed greater cortisol increases. The study looked at 191 preschoolers attending 12 centers, and included teacher descriptions of relationships with the children and measured cortisol from the children's saliva.
• Supportive teachers, peers can ease negative effects of frequent moves in elementary school
  (Society for Research in Child Development) Research has shown that supportive teachers who encourage students to accept newcomers can help the transition of students who move during elementary school. The researchers followed 1,040 elementary school students for four years to examine how moving during these years can contribute to disengagement with school. Moving during this time can lead to declines in academic performance and classroom participation, but teachers can play a role in peer acceptance, which correlates with attitudes toward school.
• Families, friends, schools and neighborhoods contribute to adolescent alcohol misuse
  (Society for Research in Child Development) A new longitudinal study examined how the four social environments of families, peers, schools, and neighborhoods have positive and negative effects on teen alcohol misuse. The study used periodic interviews with 6,544 teens ages 11-17 across three years, as well as parental information and census data. Characteristics in all four social environments played a role in whether teens misused alcohol. The findings underscore the important role that families play in teens' use of alcohol.
• Research-based program found to enhance impact of Head Start on school readiness
  (Society for Research in Child Development) A research-based program designed to be implemented into Head Start classrooms has been shown to have positive effects for children in academic and social-emotional areas. Researchers followed 356 children in 44 Head Start classrooms, some in classrooms using the research-bas