LAFAYETTE, Ind. — The Kathryn Weil Center for Education, St. Elizabeth Regional Health and the Spirit of Women will host the 2008 Spirit of Women Day of Dance for Health from 1 to 5 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 23, at Tippecanoe Mall’s center court to inspire area residents toward better overall health. Proving that exercise can be both fun and beneficial to the heart, the program combines the fun of dancing to different forms of music, such as ballroom dancing, rock ‘n’ roll, jazz, salsa, swing and hip-hop, with health screenings and consumer education on heart disease and other women’s health issues. Lafayette joins more than 60 other cities to simultaneously host Day of Dance.

“Dancing is a sport we all love, and an activity that has powerful benefits for our body,” said Jackie Bahler, director of the Kathryn Weil Center for Education. “On Feb. 23, we are dancing for fun and hoping to inspire a lifetime of healthy living for every participant.”

The schedule for Feb. 23 is the following:

• 1 p.m.: Marla’s Music and Motion
• 1:15 p.m.: Dance Magic
• 1:45 p.m.: Triple “S” Sassy Snake Stompers
• 2 p.m.: Y-Dance
• 2:15 p.m.: TLC (Tap Lover’s Club)
• 2:35 p.m.: Harrison Raiderettes
• 2:50 p.m.: Red Shoe fashion show
• 3:10 p.m.: Purdue Ballroom Dance Club
• 3:30 p.m.: Bare Bones Belly Dance
• 4 p.m.: Dance Moves and Gymnastics (DMG)
• 4:15 p.m.: Lafayette Fun Squares and Purdue Crazy Eights

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LAFAYETTE, Ind. — The Kathryn Weil Center for Education, St. Elizabeth Regional Health and the Spirit of Women will host the 2008 Spirit of Women Day of Dance for Health from 1 to 5 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 23, at Tippecanoe Mall’s center court to inspire area residents toward better overall health. Proving that exercise can be both fun and beneficial to the heart, the program combines the fun of dancing to different forms of music, such as ballroom dancing, rock ‘n’ roll, jazz, salsa, swing and hip-hop, with health screenings and consumer education on heart disease and other women’s health issues. Lafayette joins more than 60 other cities to simultaneously host Day of Dance.

“Dancing is a sport we all love, and an activity that has powerful benefits for our body,” said Jackie Bahler, director of the Kathryn Weil Center for Education. “On Feb. 23, we are dancing for fun and hoping to inspire a lifetime of healthy living for every participant.”

The schedule for Feb. 23 is the following:

• 1 p.m.: Marla’s Music and Motion
• 1:15 p.m.: Dance Magic
• 1:45 p.m.: Triple “S” Sassy Snake Stompers
• 2 p.m.: Y-Dance
• 2:15 p.m.: TLC (Tap Lover’s Club)
• 2:35 p.m.: Harrison Raiderettes
• 2:50 p.m.: Red Shoe fashion show
• 3:10 p.m.: Purdue Ballroom Dance Club
• 3:30 p.m.: Bare Bones Belly Dance
• 4 p.m.: Dance Moves and Gymnastics (DMG)
• 4:15 p.m.: Lafayette Fun Squares and Purdue Crazy Eights

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WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Students learn more from taking tests than they do by studying, according to new research from a Purdue University cognitive psychologist and memory expert.

“That’s contrary to our conventional way of thinking; learning only takes place when studying, additional studying increases learning, and testing just assesses what we know,” said Jeffrey D. Karpicke, an assistant professor of psychological sciences.

“Now we have some pretty powerful evidence that during a test there are cognitive processes happening that actually promote learning. Testing is not just an assessment of what you studied. The act of retrieving information actually improves memory because you are practicing a skill. And that’s the exact same skill you are going to need to retrieve that information again and again.”

Karpicke and Henry L. Roediger III, the James S. McDonnell Distinguished University Professor of Psychology at Washington University in St. Louis, co-authored an article that appears Thursday (Feb. 14) in Science. The article is titled “The Critical Importance of Retrieval for Learning.” The researchers, who have made similar findings in earlier research, compared how college students learned by studying and testing on Swahili-English vocabulary words in four different conditions. The students learned the vocabulary words in a computerized flashcard format on the first day and took a final test a week later. Forty students participated in the study and 10 students were tested in each group.

In the first group, students studied all the words and were repeatedly tested on all, even after they could correctly recall the words. In the second group, once a word was recalled it was dropped from studying, but continued to be repeatedly tested. Students correctly recalled about 80 percent of the word pairs on the final test in the two situations that emphasized repeated testing.

In two other situations, once words could be recalled they were dropped from repeated testing. Those participants recalled only 36 percent and 33 percent of the pairs correctly.

“Repeated testing caused a dramatic difference,” Karpicke said. “Related to that, we showed that once you could recall something easily from memory, further study of it produced no additional measurable learning.”

These methods of studying and testing are similar to how students learn from a lecture or textbook material, Karpicke said.

“More research needs to be done, but I am confident these findings have wide application across a variety of educational materials,” he said.

The researchers also asked the students to predict the percent of the pairs they would recall in one week.

“They didn’t have any insight when it came to how well they were learning,” he said. “That is surprising considering these are students who have been learning and studying much of their lives, and it is really amazing that they were not able to accurately predict their abilities.”

Currently, Karpicke is assessing students’ preferences for methods of studying and how students can be encouraged to utilize more effective strategies.

Karpicke also shares his research results with his students when he administers tests.

“Testing is really most effective when students implement it on their own, which can be done simply with flash cards,” he said. “But our research points to a really effective way to use flash cards: Even if you can recall a new piece of information, you should continue practicing recalling it, rather than dropping it from practice. It’s crucial that students develop such testing skills and tools to use on their own because so much learning takes place outside of the classroom.”

This study was supported by a Collaborative Activity Grant of the James S. McDonnell Foundation. Purdue’s Department of Psychological Sciences is housed in the College of Liberal Arts.

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — With incomes down, foreclosures up and a struggling economy, a Purdue University Extension specialist offers tips for dealing with financial difficulty.

“Right now we’re seeing layoffs and some jobs moving overseas,” said Elizabeth Kiss, consumer and family sciences specialist. “These aren’t the only reasons income can be lost, however. Many times income loss can be associated with divorce, natural disasters, illness or disability of you or your spouse.

“If your income suddenly drops when you’re not prepared, the number one thing is to not panic because there are options and resources available to help.”

Purdue Extension experts have updated and released a series of fact sheets, “When Your Income Drops,” with information about dealing with lost wages.

“When income is suddenly lost, it is important to start by taking a look at what assets you have and in what areas spending can be reduced,” Kiss said. “The top priorities should be meeting basic expenses – paying for housing and buying groceries.”

Once a prioritized spending plan is in place, Kiss said calling creditors to negotiate payments can be beneficial.

“Not all creditors will be willing to work with you, but with the slow housing market and slowing economy, many of them will do what they can to make things work,” she said.

Another place to look for assistance is within the community. Many communities offer resources to struggling residents.

“You should take stock of community resources to see where help is available and whether or not you qualify,” Kiss said.

For those who haven’t yet experienced economic difficulty, Kiss said it’s never too early to prepare for an unexpected income loss.

“The best thing to do is save and prepare in case something like this were to happen,” she said. “We recommend individuals and families have an emergency fund with enough money to cover expenses for 6-9 months. It’s also very important not to rely on credit cards if possible.”

The Purdue Extension fact sheets are available online at http://www.ces.purdue.edu/extmedia/CFS/CFS-704-1-W.pdf or in print version by calling Purdue Extension at (888) EXT-INFO.

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — High school students interested in discovering how to build their own guitar will have the opportunity to learn the science and art behind the craft at two summer workshops offered at Purdue University.

Mark French, an assistant professor of mechanical engineering technology and organizer of the workshops, said that both workshops will be modeled after the Purdue Guitar Workshop, which will be held for the second year in July.

“We want to reach out to high school students to get them interested in technology and specifically about modern advanced manufacturing processes,” he said. “There was a lot of interest last year from high school students, so we decided to create opportunities for them that contain more of an educational bent but still will be a lot of fun.”

The Society of Manufacturing Engineers High School Workshop will be offered July 29-Aug. 1. It is open to all high school students in 10th and 11th grades. The class will meet daily from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the Knoy Hall of Technology, Room 106, and Michael Golden Labs, rooms 1208 and B217. The cost to attend is $100.

The WIRED High School Workshop will be held Aug. 12-15. It is open to 10th- and 11th-graders from Region 4 in Indiana. Students will stay in on-campus residence halls for the week. The cost to attend is $35.

The workshop is being funded in part by a $35,000 grant from the national WIRED initiative, which was part of a larger grant the university received last year.

Indiana WIRED (Workforce Innovations in Regional Economic Development) is part of a federal development initiative designed to help state and local communities compete in the global economy. Region 4 includes the counties of Benton, Carroll, Cass, Clinton, Fountain, Fulton, Howard, Miami, Montgomery, Tippecanoe, Tipton, Wabash, Warren and White.

In both workshops, the students will make an acoustic-electric guitar. Attendees will receive a complete kit of materials, including a guitar body and neck with most of the machining already completed. Participants will then be able to tailor the final shape of the body and neck, as well as add other custom touches, such as paint.

The courses will be conducted by Purdue faculty and staff, including French, who has visited Taylor Guitars’ headquarters in El Cajon, Calif., doing structural dynamics testing on about 60 acoustic guitars in Taylor’s factory. French also teaches a class during the academic year on instrument manufacturing and testing in which students build and test an acoustic guitar.

Brad Harriger, a professor of manufacturing engineering technology, will offer insights on advanced manufacturing processes. Richard Couch, director of engagement at Purdue’s Center for Advanced Manufacturing, will offer insights on large-scale manufacturing.

French said he is especially interested in reaching out to women and minorities, groups that he said are traditionally not attracted to careers in advanced manufacturing.

“There is a national shortage of qualified workers in the industry, so getting kids interested early is important,” he said. “There is a huge demand for our students. We want to dispel the myth that using power tools and large machinery is just for boys. Creating a learning environment where everyone isn’t the same is an important step in changing attitudes.”

Each workshop is limited to 15 participants. Those interested in signing up can contact French at (765) 494-7521 or rmfrench@purdue.edu.

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Dozens of Purdue University students and staff are belting out love songs in a week long competition between would-be pop stars that culminates in a live Valentine’s Day finale at 8 p.m. on Thursday (Feb. 14).

More than 30 semifinal performances will be shown repeatedly on video at Ford Dining Court from 5-8 p.m. on Wednesday (Feb. 13). A panel of judges impersonating American Idol judges Paula Abdul, Simon Cowell and Randy Jackson will select and announce the 10 finalists.

The first “Ford Idol” will be selected by audience members who will cast their votes by making penny donations to Tippecanoe County’s Cary Home for Children. Voters are encouraged to vote as often as they like. Results will be announced at Ford Dining Court at 8 p.m. on Friday (Feb. 15).

“When the blizzard hit West Lafayette last Valentine’s Day, Ford Dining Court was ‘the place to be’ for a large collection of snowed-in staff members and student diners confined to campus,” said Barbara Maughmer. “We wanted to make Ford Dining Court the place to be once again in a way that could entertain the entire community and benefit some of the community’s most vulnerable members.”

Contestant song choices span every decade since the 1960s including the Monkees’ “Daydream Believer,” the Starland Vocal Band’s “Afternoon Delight,” Pat Benatar’s “Shadows of the Night,” Elton John’s “Can You Feel the Love Tonight?” and Robi Rosa’s “Crash Push.”

The contest took an international bent when one contestant delivered “Besame Mucho,” a 1940 Mexican love song famously revived by doe-eyed, wild-haired American Idol contestant Sanjaya Malakar. Another contestant sung in Chinese.

“I’m sure we will have our share of William Hungs, but I’m hoping for a couple Katharine McPhees,” said judge Jon “Simon” Hopkins, Ford Dining Court student coordinator. “Admittedly, this is for charity, but I still have to call them as I see them. And, Katharine, darling, if that whole marriage thing doesn’t work out, be sure to call your Uncle Simon.”