In-vivo retinal imaging by optical coherence tomography using an RSOD-based phase modulator

Fourier-domain rapid scanning optical delay line （RSOD） was introduced for phase modulation and depth scanning in a time-domain optical coherence tomography （TD-OCT） system. Investigation of parameter optimization of RSOD was conducted. Experiments for RSOD characterization at different parameters of the groove pitch, focal length, galvomirror size, etc. were performed. By implementing the optimized RSOD in our established TD-OCT system with a broadband light source centered at 840 nm with 50 nm bandwidth, in vivo retina imaging of a rabbit was presented, demonstrating the feasibility of high-quality TD-OCT imaging using an RSOD-based phase modulator.     

Computer-generated geometry instruction: a preliminary study

This study hypothesized that increased intensity of graphic information, presented in computer-generated instruction, could be differentially beneficial for students with hyperactivity and inattention by improving their ability to sustain attention and hold information in-mind. To this purpose, 18 2nd–4th grade students, recruited from general education classes, were presented with sequenced geometry instruction, which involved projections of solid geometric images accompanied by text and color. Children were randomly assigned to two levels of intensity: high visual intensity (HVI) with information from the light source (e.g., contrasts, shadows) and low intensity (LVI) projecting only a single value. In support of theoretical predictions, students with hyperactivity/inattention performed better than typical comparisons during the performance of advanced problems in the HVI condition. Furthermore, the students with inattention demonstrated significantly better performance in the HVI than in the LVI condition. Educational, research, and development implications of these findings were discussed.     

文学专题研究课程引入"研究性学习"教学策略初探

在学专题研究课程的教学辅导中。实施以“研究性学习”为指导的教学策略，有助于激发学生自主学习的积极性，有助于挖掘学生的研究、创造潜能。本通过对这一教学策略的环境创设、设计思想、组织实施与评价等方面的理论探索，力图为学专题研究课程寻找一条有效的教学辅导途径。     

Young children's perceptionsof scientists: a preliminary study

Background

Since the 1950s, there has been a growing body of research dealing with perceptions children have of scientists. Typically, research studies in this area have utilized children's drawings in an effort to discern what those perceptions are. Studies assessing perceptions children have of scientists have shown that children have stereotypical images of scientists. Although there is no direct evidence to demonstrate the link between children's images of science and scientists with their career choice, several researchers (including this researcher) have assumed that children's attitudes towards science are greatly influenced by their perceptions of science and scientists.

Purpose

This study aimed to find out if there was a difference in the way 5- to 8-year-old children drew scientists, taking account of age, gender and socio-economic status.

Sample

For this study a convenience sample of 30 young children was used. Participants included young children between the ages of 5 and 8 years from a public elementary school in Ankara, the capital city of Turkey. Although the sample of the study was obtained from one school in a metropolitan area, children involved in this preliminary study were from very different socio-economic backgrounds. As the sample size is very small for making comparisons, it was intended to have a similar number of children from different age groups and socio-economic backgrounds and both genders.

Design and methods

The researcher worked individually with each child who participated in this study in an interview setting. Although each child was asked a set of standard questions, and given a standard set of directions, each interview session was informal enough to allow the researcher to gain additional information about children's drawings and to clarify any of their responses. During the interview sessions, children's responses were noted by the researcher. Before the children were asked to draw their picture of a scientist, they were offered a set of coloured pencils or crayons and told to feel free to colour their drawing or any parts of it they would like to accentuate. At the end of the interview and drawing sessions, the researcher went through all the drawings and notes to get a ‘feel’ for and ascertain what was being said, identifying key themes in each drawing.

Results

The most common scientist type drawn in this study was the stereotypical scientist type: someone who conducts research, or someone who tries to invent a new material. But unlike previous studies, around 35% of the scientist figures drawn (n = 15) were of the social scientist type. Stereotypical images drawn by the current study participants included symbols of research, such as scientific instruments and laboratory equipment of all kinds, and symbols of knowledge, principally books and cabinets, technology and the products of science. An interesting finding of this study was that perceptions of young children differed due to their age. Children at the age of 8 years drew non-stereotypical scientist images, and they drew more detail than did their younger peers. When children were compared in terms of their gender, no significant differences were observed between girls and boys. But on the other hand, none of the boys drew female scientists, and five out of 30 children who were girls drew female scientists. While children of parents with lower socio-economic status drew more stereotypical scientist images, children of parents with higher economic status drew different images of scientists, a result which showed us that the scientist perceptions of young children differ with socio-economic status.

Conclusions

Emergent from this research has been a non-stereotypical perception of scientists, and some evidence exists that such a non-stereotypical perception differs due to age and socio-economic status. While these images may seem amusing, they also provide a reflection of the image that children have about what a scientist looks like. These images may have a powerful impact on present functioning and future plans of young children.     

高校生态文明教育初探

简述高校生态文明教育概况,分析存在的教育机制残缺、生态意识淡薄、价值观错位等问题,进一步提出高校生态文明教育的途径：拓宽教育渠道,提升认知水平;树立正确理念,提倡绿色消费。     

Cultivating better learning attitudes: a preliminary longitudinal study

Abstract

The use of flipped classrooms, blended learning environments and the application of technology has been extensively studied and reported in the literature, but the impact of learning activity design on cultivating better learning attitudes has rarely been explored. A rapid adoption of ‘e-schoolbag’ in basic education in China has been observed in recent years. Its impact on academic performance varies from different ways of e-schoolbag adoption. We conducted a two-year longitudinal study to review the relationship between learning behaviours and academic performance in a primary school with a blended learning environment, and investigated how interventions through learning activity redesign could improve the academic performance by cultivating better learning attitudes. The results show that learning attitudes are positively related to academic performance with proper learning activity design. It is therefore suggested that teachers’ interventions through learning activity redesign can cultivate better learning attitudes and thus improve academic performance for learners.     

Learning disabilities in alcohol-dependent adults: a preliminary study

To determine if neuropsychological deficits, known to precede alcohol use in those genetically predisposed to alcoholism, were present in an alcoholic population, 25 male alcoholics (mean age 41.1) were interviewed concerning alcohol usage, educational difficulties in elementary school, and family history of alcoholism. Using a regression table, discrepancies between current IQ on the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Revised (WAIS-R) (Wechsler, 1981) and achievement on the Woodcock-Johnson Psycho-Educational Battery (WJB) (Woodcock & Johnson, 1977) were calculated to determine present learning status. Forty percent of the alcoholics were found to have had special education, remedial services, or repeated grade failure concurrent with a familial history of alcoholism and current discrepancies indicative of learning disability. There were no significant differences on intelligence, years of drinking, or mean grades completed in school between this group and the rest of the subjects who did not receive services in school. Conclusions were that childhood learning disorders may be related to the development of alcoholism, particularly when alcoholism is in the family, and that special educators have a role to play in the prevention and treatment of alcoholism.     

Developing math automaticity using a classwide fluency building procedure for middle school students: A preliminary study

To investigate the influence of an innovative math fluency intervention, 36 middle‐school students were randomly assigned to either an experimental (the Detect, Practice, Repair [DPR]) or control condition (reading intervention). After covarying pretest scores, the DPR treatment produced a significantly higher (p = .016) adjusted mean (M) math score (M = 47.53, standard deviation [SD] = 3.26) for the intervention group when compared to the control group (M = 33.31, SD = 4.39). The intervention is described so that teachers and consulting school psychologists can implement the steps for individuals or groups (e.g., in a multitiered response to intervention model). © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Abnormal cortical functional connections in Alzheimer＇s disease： analysis of inter- and intra-hemispheric EEG coherence

To investigate inter- and intra-hemispheric electroencephalography (EEG) coherence at rest and during photic stimulation of patients with Alzheimer‘s disease (AD). Thirty-five patients (12 males, 23 females; 52-64 y) and 33 sex- and age-matched controls (12 males, 21 females; 56-65 y) were recruited in the present study. EEG signals from C3-C4, P3-P4, TS-T6 and O1-O2 electrode pairs resulted from the inter-hemispheric action, and EEG signals from C3-P3, C4-P4, P3-O1, P4-O2, C3-O1, C4-O2, TS-O1 and T6-O2 electrode pairs resulted from the intra-hemispheric action. The influence of inter- and intra-hemispheric coherence on EEG activity with eyes closed was examined, using fast Fourier transformation from the 16 sampled channels. The frequencies of photic stimulation were fixed at 5, l0 and 15 Hz, respectively. The general decrease of AD patients in inter- and intra-hemispheric EEG coherence was more significant than that of the normal controls at the resting EEG, with most striking decrease observed in the alpha-1 (8.0-9.0 Hz) and alpha-2 (9.5-12.5 Hz) bands. During photic stimulation, inter- and intra-hemispheric EEG coherences of the AD patients having lower values in the alpha (9.5-10.5 Hz) band than those of the control group. It suggests that under stimulated and non-stimulated conditions, AD patients had impaired inter- and intra-hemispheric functional connections, indicating failure of brain activation in alpha-related frequency.     

Active citizenship: a preliminary study into student teacher understandings

Background:?Assessment grades are ‘estimates’ of ability or performance and there are many reasons why an awarded grade might not meet a candidate's expectations, being either better or poorer than anticipated. Although there may be some obvious reasons for grade discrepancies, such as a lack of preparation or under-performance, there are a number of technical issues to consider, such as the potential effects of random measurement error, human error and grade misclassification. However, traditionally, there has been limited information available to the public about such issues.

Purpose:?This study formed part of a two-year investigation into the reliability of public examination outcomes in England and the current paper explores participants’ narratives relating to one of the themes that emerged from the study of public perceptions of assessment reliability. It examines how individuals interpreted and rationalised their examination results, particularly those that failed to meet expectations, and discusses the impact that such results may have on individuals’ academic self-concept.

Sample and method:?Ten focus groups were conducted across five qualification user groups:?two each with employees, employers, teachers, trainee teachers, and job-seekers (74 participants in total). A flexible discussion schedule was employed to explore participants’ experiences and perceptions of assessment reliability.

Main findings:?Participants tended to internalise ‘blame’ for results that were poorer than expected by constructing explanations that focused on a perceived lack of preparation, ability or knowledge. These experiences appeared to have a negative impact on individuals' academic self-concept. Secondary school teacher participants shared experiences of marking, technical and standard setting errors, and were more aware than other qualification user groups of the external factors that can impact on assessment outcomes.

Conclusion:?Examination results that are poorer than expected can threaten individuals’ academic self-concept, confidence in their ability, and influence their study and career intentions and opportunities. A better understanding of educational measurement issues may offer individuals a more informed framework for understanding their examination results, especially where results do not meet expectations.     

Mentoring the non‐coping teacher: a preliminary study

Mentoring has traditionally focused on trainees and newly qualified teachers (NQTs). There is no established, effective mentoring procedure to help teachers who have worked for longer periods of time (one or more years in the classroom) and who are still not coping after all available help has been offered. This study shows that as a result of effective intervention, in such cases, useful change can occur. When Intensive Mentoring (IM) takes place over a period of two weeks, the Intensive Mentor works throughout the day in the classroom with the teacher. Teachers are encouraged to improve their practices through discussion and reflection and by example. During IM, teachers experience a series of emotional stages that involve coming to terms with the loss of old habits, ideas and notions.     

Teaching Television in the Classroom: results of a preliminary study

Against a background of concern at the effects of heavy TV viewing on young people, a number of studies have indicated the value of television studies courses. However, little systematic research has been carried out in Britain on the best ways to teach with or about television. This paper describes a course for 14‐15 year‐old children, aimed at explaining TV production techniques and approaches, and to evaluate critically TV news broadcasts and drama. The course involved analysis of specific broadcasts and the planning, preparation and production of video programmes by the pupils themselves. Detailed course evaluation, by careful pre‐ and post‐testing of experimental and control groups, has demonstrated clear improvements of the children's understanding of television.     

Reading and spelling acquisition in European Portuguese: a preliminary study

We investigated the initial development of reading and spelling in European Portuguese. First-graders, tested in February and June, had to read and spell words and pseudowords. In February there were regularity and graphemic complexity effects, indicating that these children relied on grapheme–phoneme conversion. The lexicality effect found in spelling, in June, suggest that by the end of first grade these children had begun to construct an orthographic lexicon. However, lexical addressing is not inconsistent with phonological mediation as regularization errors increased between the sessions. Additionally, the previously reported similarity in global performance of Portuguese and French beginning readers may conceal processing differences that are related to specific characteristics of the corresponding orthographic codes.

Children’s attitudes toward small computers: a preliminary study

While it has been established that children have positive attitudes toward the use of computers when used in computer-assisted instruction, little is known about children’s attitudes toward small“home” or“personal” computers. Results of this study indicate that children have multidimensional attitudes toward small computers, their interaction with these computers, and ease of use.     

Helping Headteachers to Search for Their Values: a preliminary study

This article describes a small research project under the auspices of CSET which attempted to support a number of secondary headteachers as they searched for their values through a biographical approach.     

The parental fitness of mothers with multiple personality disorder: a preliminary study

Recent studies show that nearly all individuals who develop multiple personality disorder (MPD) were abused as children. The majority of identified MPD patients are women in the age range associated with child-rearing responsibilities. A review of the parenting patterns of 75 mothers with MPD yielded findings suggesting that 38.7% were competent or exceptional mothers, 16% were grossly abusive to the extent of injuring, molesting, or placing their children at risk, and 45.3% were compromised or impaired as parents. The compromised/impaired mothers were a mixed group, including psychologically abusive individuals and those whose symptoms interfered with parenting despite their best efforts. Clinical illustrations are offered.     

Taiwanese higher education in a cultural perspective: a preliminary study of two premier universities

ABSTRACT

Imposing the policy lessons from higher-performing countries may involve the complex interplays of socio-cultural and institutional contexts. This article attempts to observe Taiwan’s progress in higher education from an explicit cultural perspective. It locates Taiwan among the rising group of higher education systems in East Asia. The study interrogates a wide-held understanding of higher education development and critically reflects on the “high performances” at systemic and institutional levels. It re-examines a capacity of the Western-influenced system in preserving indigenous cultural traditions while pursuing the quest for world-class status. Adopting a case study research, data were collected through in-depth semi-structured interviews with executives and academics at two premier universities in Taiwan. The findings have shown that, due to fundamental differences, integrating traditional values with imported Western-structured institutions remains an arduous task for Taiwanese higher education. This study critiques conventional presumptions concerning the primacy of an Anglo-Saxon model in Taiwan and offers insights into the society’s efforts to bring back its own cultural values.     

The perceived responsibilities of the departmental chairperson: A note of a preliminary study

A small survey in one department revealed surprising differences in perception amongst faculty and students of the role of the chairperson as departmental executive officer. Though styles of leadership vary, the role of the chairperson in higher education requires further investigation and clarification since the quality of a department is, it is claimed, a reflection of the qualities of the chairperson.