Researchers at Michigan State, Chicago, and WUSTL says sleep may reduce mistakes in memory for both the young and the old.
They studied the presence of false memory in groups of college students. Previous research has shown that sleep improves memory, but this study address errors in memory.
The study was published in the journal Learning & Memory.

References:

1. Sept. 14, 2009 — Sleep helps reduce errors in memory in the United Press International

and 4 others.

One of the courses offered in The New York Times Knowledge Network Fall 2009 catalog is Introduction to Encore Careers. This course will introduce you to the phenomena of encore careers in the health and human services sector and help you explore some of the distinguishing features and challenges of the nonprofit sector. WUSTL social work professor Nancy Morrow-Howell is among participating faculty.

References:

1. Aug. 23, 2009 — Knowledge Network -- Fall 2009 Course Listings in the The New York Times

WUSTL psychology doctoral student Andrew Butler said students who learn history through watching blockbuster movies may be doomed to repeat history.
". . . when information in the film directly contradicted the text, people often falsely recalled the misinformation portrayed in the film."
The findings are published in the journal Psychological Science.

References:

1. Aug. 6, 2009 — Movies enhance recall if facts are correct in the United Press International

and 1 others.

Should states' rights trump the fed? It seems to be a trend across the country. At least 20 states have introduced resolutions reasserting states' rights because they think that federal government is way too involved in what states do with things like taxes and health care and education. WUSTL law professor David Law comments.

References:

1. July 31, 2009 — Should states' rights trump the fed? in the CNN American Morning

A new WUSTL social work study shows that comprehension and other critical skills improve dramatically with one-on-one help from Experience Corps' volunteers. WUSTL social work professor Nancy Morrow-Howell comments.

References:

1. April 8, 2009 — Students in urban schools get big boost from pioneering tutor program in the The Christian Science Monitor

Singer-songwriter Ben Folds sounded a call last fall to collegiate vocal groups everywhere that he was making an album of a cappella versions of his music to be performed by the best university groups he could find. WUSTL's Amateurs and Mosaic Whispers are in the 14 selected. The album will benefit VH1's Save the Music Foundation, which seeks to return instrumental-music education to schools.

References:

1. March 13, 2009 — Ben Folds's Perfect Pitch in the The Chronicle of Higher Education

Obama's election, and this year's 100th anniversary of the NAACP, means there has probably never been more reason to celebrate the annual February observance, black leaders and historians say. Includes comments by WUSTL AFAS professor Gerald Early.

References:

1. Feb. 2, 2009 — Black History Month has added meaning in 2009 in the USA Today

and 3 others.

Despite the enduring myth of the lone genius, innovation does not take place in isolation. Truly productive invention requires the meeting of minds from myriad perspectives, even if the innovators themselves don't always realize it. Keith Sawyer, a researcher at Washington University in St. Louis, calls this "group genius," and in his book of the same name he introduces a scientific method called interaction analysis to the study of creativity.

References:

1. Dec. 7, 2008 — For Innovators, There Is Brainpower in Numbers in the The New York Times

and 11 others.

In the contemporary era of rampant foreclosures, credit card debt, and ever-evolving scams that prey on the economically vulnerable, few social work schools offer specialized financial training to their students, but change is under way. WUSTL social work professor Michael Sherraden devised the concept of Individual Development Accounts, which helps low-income families build assets to reach long-term goals.

References:

1. Nov. 17, 2008 — Social workers to teach money management in the CNN.com

and 1 others.

WUSTL physics professor Clifford Will comments on Albert Einstein's methods of thinking, his development and his contributions to science and daily life.

References:

1. Sept. 17, 2008 — Albert Einstein Saw The Light in the Investor's Business Daily

Article includes research from WUSTL psychologist Richard deCharms that shows lowering pressure on kids and fostering the enjoyment of learning leads to more educational success.

References:

1. Sept. 5, 2008 — Commentary: Pay to learn shortchanges kids in the Los Angeles Times

The basic questions about testing children are: Do kids who are tested a lot learn more or less than kids who are not? and What is the best way to study? Research by WUSTL psychology professor Henry Roediger and a Purdue colleague that has been challenging the conventional wisdom on how best to study is included.

References:

1. Sept. 3, 2008 — Examining Exams in the Newsweek Web Exclusive

Rereading class notes may not be the best way to study. New research suggests that frequent testing -- even self-testing -- is a better bet for retaining information. WUSTL psychology professor Henry Roediger III says his study of 180 students shows the benefits of "the testing effect."

References:

1. July 27, 2008 — Ultimate Study Tool: Testing in the The New York Times

So you thought testing was just assessment and either neutral or actively harmful to learning? Well, think again. New research from the U.S. suggests that, far from being a recipe for a blighted childhood, repeated testing is one of the best ways to learn. The active retrieval of facts from the memory that occurs during testing is far more helpful for consolidating knowledge than passive studying.
This research was conducted by Purdue's Jeffrey Karpicke and WUSTL psychology professor Henry Roediger.

References:

1. April 25, 2008 — Give a leg up in the The Times Education Supplement (London UK)

Nanette Tarbouni, WUSTL undergraduate admissions director, talks about the importance of extracurriculars in undergraduate applications.

References:

1. Feb. 24, 2008 — Extracurriculars That Count in the BusinessWeek.com

The Chicago Tribune magazine story on the conflict between Darwin and theology. Ursula Goodenough professor of biology comments on the conflict.

References:

1. Jan. 20, 2008 — The New Theology in the Chicago Tribune magazine

In 1984 and again in 1999, the National Academy of Sciences, the nation's most eminent scientific organization, produced books on the evidence supporting the theory of evolution and arguing against the introduction of creationism or other religious alternatives in public school science classes. Barbara A. Schaal, a vice president of the academy and an evolutionary biologist at WUSTL, comments on the third volume recently published.

References:

1. Jan. 4, 2008 — Evolution Book Sees No Science-Religion Gap in the The New York Times

and 6 others.

School leaders in the Houston area said Thursday they're not expecting a shake-up in how they assign students to campuses after a Supreme Court decision that limits the use of race.
WUSTL law professor Samuel Bagenstos comments on the ruling.

References:

1. June 28, 2007 — Houston area schools don't expect ruling to have major impact in the Houston Chronicle

Conventional wisdom has it that breakthrough ideas come only from the minds of geniuses. Edison, Tolkien, Darwin -- history's biggest brains are responsible for its biggest innovations. Many companies are organized with this idea in mind.
But creativity isn't a solitary affair -- and it's not the exclusive domain of the brilliant and gifted. In fact, research shows that people working in groups are far more innovative than previously thought.
WUSTL education and psychology professor Keith Sawyer offers advice on what businesses can do to take advantage of their employees' creativity.

References:

1. June 10, 2007 — No Ideas? You're Not Alone in the U.S. News & World Report

Cell phones, meanwhile, have allowed parents to stay more connected than before.Some educators expressed concern about the frequent contact, saying it could stunt self-reliance. But many students do not seem to mind when parents call professors to justify grades or intervene in roommate disputes. "I think part of growing up is learning how to solve problems on your own," Karen Levin Coburn, assistant vice chancellor for students at Washington University in St. Louis and co-author of Letting Go: A Parents' Guide to Understanding the College Years.

References:

1. Aug. 21, 2006 — College and universities find it difficult to enforce a line between a parent's involvement and interference in the Houston Chronicle