Development and evaluation of a WebQuest-based teaching programme: Students' use of exploratory talk to exercise critical thinking.

This article reports the findings of an exploratory study involving the development and implementation of a WebQuest-based critical-thinking programme in Hong Kong primary English classrooms. Using 'design research' as its methodological framework, the study investigated the critical-thinking performance of 125 primary school students. Sociocultural discourse analysis of classroom dialogue during programme implementation revealed the participating students to have engaged in explicit reasoning and used 'exploratory talk' as a dialogic tool in exercising critical thinking. The study has profound implications for pedagogical practice with respect to the use of educational technology for critical-thinking cultivation. This article thus makes significant contributions to the WebQuest and critical-thinking literature, extending it to the Hong Kong language education context and beyond.

Differences in working memory as a function of physical activity in children.

OBJECTIVE: Given previous research examining the relationship between physical activity (PA) and working memory in children has not taken into account of potentially confounders, this study specifically controlled for the effects of intelligence and fitness-related factors (i.e., aerobic and motor fitness) on this relationship. METHOD: Thirty-two children were assigned to either the higher PA group (HP) (n = 16) or lower PA group (LP) (n = 16) based on their amount of PA as measured by an accelerometer. Working memory was measured by the delayed-matching test, with concurrent recordings of event-related potentials including the P3 and the positive slow wave (PSW) components. RESULTS: Data analysis controlling for the effects of potential confounders found that the HP group had higher response accuracy in both task conditions relative to the LP group. For reaction times (RT), the HP group showed shorter RT than the LP group in the delayed condition. Furthermore, the HP group had similar P3 amplitudes across task conditions, whereas amplitudes in the delayed condition were smaller than that in the non-delayed condition in the LP group. In addition, the HP group also showed larger PSW amplitudes than the LP group. Supplementary partial correlations analysis indicated negative correlations between levels of PA with RT in both task conditions, and positive correlations with P3 amplitude and PSW amplitude in the delayed condition. CONCLUSIONS: Children with higher levels of PA, while controlling for individual differences in intelligence and fitness-related factors, have better working memory as assessed by both behavioral and neuroelectric measures. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

Schizonepeta tenuifolia: chemistry, pharmacology, and clinical applications.

This article presents an up-to-date review of the plant Schizonepeta tenuifolia (Jingjie), of family Labiatae, with respect to its traditional uses, chemical constituents, various pharmacological activities, and clinical effects. Nonetheless, its mechanism of actions, adverse effects, drug interactions, and contraindications remain unclear. With the global growth on the use of herbal products, Jingjie has been commonly marketed for the treatment of common cold and fever in Chinese proprietary medicines. Hence, further studies will be warranted to show its efficacy and safety.