This book highlights current research into virtual tutoring software and presents a case study of the design and application of a social tutor for children with autism. Best practice guidelines for developing software-based educational interventions are discussed, with a major emphasis on facilitating the generalisation of skills to contexts outside of the software itself, and on maintaining these skills over time. Further, the book presents the software solution Thinking Head Whiteboard, which provides a framework for families and educators to create unique educational activities utilising virtual character technology and customised to match learners’ needs and interests. In turn, the book describes the development and evaluation of a social tutor incorporating multiple life-like virtual humans, leading to an exploration of the lessons learned and recommendations for the future development of related technologies.

The 10th International Conference on Intelligent Tutoring Systems, ITS 2010, cont- ued the bi-annual series of top-flight international conferences on the use of advanced educational technologies that are adaptive to users or groups of users. These highly interdisciplinary conferences bring together researchers in the learning sciences, computer science, cognitive or educational psychology, cognitive science, artificial intelligence, machine learning, and linguistics. The theme of the ITS 2010 conference was Bridges to Learning, a theme that connects the scientific content of the conf- ence and the geography of Pittsburgh, the host city. The conference addressed the use of advanced technologies as bridges for learners and facilitators of robust learning outcomes. We received a total of 186 submissions from 26 countries on 5 continents: Aust- lia, Brazil, Canada, China, Estonia, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, India, Italy, Japan, Korea, Mexico, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Pakistan, Philippines, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Slovakia, Spain, Thailand, Turkey, the UK and USA. We accepted 61 full papers (38%) and 58 short papers. The diversity of the field is reflected in the range of topics represented by the papers submitted, selected by the authors.

Children as Teachers: Theory and Research on Tutoring covers topics on the use of children to tutor other children in school; helping relationships in general; and cross-age interaction by children. The book discusses the basic theoretical and empirical foundations for practical programs; original empirical research relevant to cross-age interaction and the impact of tutoring on both the tutor and the tutee; and a wide range of tutoring programs that operate in the schools. The text also reviews existing research on tutoring by children, as well as research and experience on the advantages and disadvantages of several alternative decisions when establishing a tutoring program in the school. Some of the papers in the book report interesting scientific information on topics having obvious practical implications: social class and ethnic differences in tutoring by young children; teaching by siblings; nonverbal skills and consequences of tutoring for the tutor; and the use of a variety of nonprofessionals as helpers. Educators, social scientists, psychologists, and policy makers will find the book invaluable.

The COVID-19 pandemic drastically transformed the classroom by keeping students and teachers apart for the sake of safety. As schools emptied, remote learning rapidly expanded through online services and video chatrooms. Unfortunately, this disrupted many students and teachers who were not accustomed to remote classrooms. This challenge has forced K-12 teachers to think differently about teaching. Unexpectedly and with little time to prepare, they have been confronted with redesigning their curriculum and instruction from face-to-face to online virtual classrooms to protect students from the COVID-19 virus while ensuring that these new online initiatives remain sustainable and useful in the post-pandemic world. As teachers learn to take advantage of the affordances and strengths of the multiple technologies available for virtual classroom instruction, their instruction both in online and face-to-face will impact what and how students learn in the 21st century. The Handbook of Research on Transforming Teachers’ Online Pedagogical Reasoning for Engaging K-12 Students in Virtual Learning examines the best practices and pedagogical reasoning for designing online strategies that work for K-12 virtual learning. The initial section provides foundational pedagogical ideas for constructing engaging virtual learning environments that leverage the unique strengths and opportunities while avoiding the weaknesses and threats of the online world. The following chapters present instructional strategies for multiple grade levels and content areas: best practices that work, clearly describing why they work, and the teachers’ pedagogical reasoning that supports online implementations. The chapters provide ways to think about teaching in virtual environments that can be used to guide instructional strategy choices and recognizes the fundamental differences between face-to-face and virtual environments as an essential design component. Covering such topics as K-12 classrooms, pedagogical reasoning, and virtual learning, this text is perfect for professors, teachers, students, educational designers and developers, instructional technology faculty, distance learning faculty, and researchers interested in the subject.

Behavioral Neuroscientists study the behavior of animals and humans and the neurobiological and physiological processes that control it. Behavior is the ultimate function of the nervous system, and the study of it is very multidisciplinary. Disorders of behavior in humans touch millions of people’s lives significantly, and it is of paramount importance to understand pathological conditions such as addictions, anxiety, depression, schizophrenia, autism among others, in order to be able to develop new treatment possibilities. Encyclopedia of Behavioral Neuroscience is the first and only multi-volume reference to comprehensively cover the foundation knowledge in the field. This three volume work is edited by world renowned behavioral neuroscientists George F. Koob, The Scripps Research Institute, Michel Le Moal, Université Bordeaux, and Richard F. Thompson, University of Southern California and written by a premier selection of the leading scientists in their respective fields. Each section is edited by a specialist in the relevant area. The important research in all areas of Behavioral Neuroscience is covered in a total of 210 chapters on topics ranging from neuroethology and learning and memory, to behavioral disorders and psychiatric diseases. The only comprehensive Encyclopedia of Behavioral Neuroscience on the market Addresses all recent advances in the field Written and edited by an international group of leading researchers, truly representative of the behavioral neuroscience community Includes many entries on the advances in our knowledge of the neurobiological basis of complex behavioral, psychiatric, and neurological disorders Richly illustrated in full color Extensively cross referenced to serve as the go-to reference for students and researchers alike The online version features full searching, navigation, and linking functionality An essential resource for libraries serving neuroscientists, psychologists, neuropharmacologists, and psychiatrists

Professional learning and development for higher education personal tutors and academic advisors. With contributions from 50 practitioners from across the sector, this text examines the key themes, theories and concepts relevant to personal tutors and academic advisors and translates these into real-world practice. Case study narratives from a range of settings demonstrate how student learning and outcomes can be improved, and related critical thinking activities encourage reflection on how these learnings can be applied in specific contexts. The book provides invaluable insights and support for all personal tutors and academic advisors, enabling practitioners to learn from each other, develop innovative ideas, and feel part of a community of learning. Please also see Effective Personal Tutoring in Higher Education for the themes on which the case studies in this collection are based.