Boundary objects and curriculum change: the case of integrated versus subject-based teaching

The article examines the stability and success of ideas within pedagogical discourses. Why do certain ideas attract actors and how does change come about? These general questions are dealt with through considering the example of the swift spread of an interdisciplinary idea, arbetsområde (translated to ‘spheres of work’) in the process of a Swedish national curriculum reform 1966–1967. How did it manage to become such a central concept in the curriculum? The article uses the concept of the boundary object in order to understand the popularity of the ‘spheres of work’ concept. Boundary objects have normally been used to explain the rigidity of science, and how the heterogeneity of different actors normally involved in the production of scientific knowledge can be coordinated and result in generalizable findings. However, lately, they have been applied to the field of curriculum studies. In this study, a boundary object pinpoints the fact that curricular solutions can be about coordinating different types of actors with different stakes in the making of a curriculum.     

Design of learning objects for concept learning: effects of multimedia learning principles and an instructional approach

Literature suggests using multimedia learning principles in the design of instructional material. However, these principles may not be sufficient for the design of learning objects for concept learning in mathematics. This paper reports on an experimental study that investigated the effects of an instructional approach, which includes two teaching techniques – (a) variation theory and (b) representations of subject matter – on the design of learning objects for secondary school algebra concept learning. The results of this study showed that the experimental group performed significantly better than the control group on algebra learning achievement. The results also showed that only the experimental design with the addition of the instructional approach resulted in higher-order mathematical thinking skills and improved procedural skills of the students. Further analysis reveals that concept learning was simplified when multimedia learning principles were applied and the information was presented by the instructional approach.     

Brokers on the boundary: Academy-industry liaison in Canadian universities

As scientific research has taken on increasingeconomic significance so research managementhas become a priority for universities and theState. Over the last two decades,Industry-Liaison Offices have become anestablished part of the infrastructure ofCanadian universities. The managers of theseoffices are the quintessential boundary workerswho are charged with translating academicscience into intellectual property. Someuniversities operate with an `internal' modelwhere the office is fully integrated into theuniversity's structure. Other universitiesoperate with an `external' model where theoffice operates outside the university eitheras a non-profit or a for-profit corporation.This article traces the institutionalization ofthese offices and commercialization in Canadianuniversities. Using documentary analysis andinterviews we document the key issues for thesemanagers in four `case' study universities, asthey attempt to commercialize universityresearch. We describe how these managers`capture the benefits' of discoveries generatedby researchers – the process of identifying,protecting, and exploiting intellectualproperty. Finally, we identify four majorthemes: intellectual property policy; cultureconflict; boundary work; and the public good. We end by raising the question about what islost when `capital' is allowed to enteruniversity culture in such a direct manner.     

Designable elements of integrative learning environments at the boundary of school and work: a multiple case study

Learning environment designs at the boundary of school and work can be characterised as integrative because they integrate features from the contexts of school and work. Many different manifestations of such integrative learning environments are found in current vocational education, both in senior secondary education and higher professional education. However, limited research has focused on how to design these learning environments and not much is known about their designable elements (i.e. the epistemic, spatial, instrumental, temporal and social elements that constitute the learning environments). The purpose of this study was to examine manifestations of two categories of integrative learning environment designs: designs based on incorporation; and designs based on hybridisation. Cross-case analysis of six cases in senior secondary vocational education and higher professional education in the Netherlands led to insights into the designable elements of both categories of designs. We report findings about the epistemic, spatial, instrumental, temporal and social elements of the studied cases. Specific characteristics of designs based on incorporation and designs based on hybridisation were identified and links between the designable elements became apparent, thus contributing to a deeper understanding of the design of learning environments that aim to connect the contexts of school and work.

     

语音系统困难儿童的评估和治疗:个案研究

本研究采用语音加工分析方法 ,探讨了一名说广东话有语音障碍的儿童的语音系统 ,并对其语音系统进行了评估和分析 ,本文亦藉此个案对语音系统困难提出一系列的治疗建议。     

Designing a curriculum based on four purposes: let mathematics speak for itself

Trends in curriculum reform recognise the need to develop skills and competencies in addition to specifying what knowledge should be taught and when. However, a balance between skills and knowledge is sometimes difficult to achieve. In this paper which takes mathematics as the focus, we consider reform currently underway in Wales, from the perspective of a ‘knowledge approach’ and from the perspective of the Successful Futures report which is, we argue, driven more by a skills approach at the heart of which are ‘four purposes’: developing young people as ambitious, capable learners; enterprising, creative contributors; ethical, informed citizens; and healthy, confident individuals. Our interest is in the contribution that mathematics makes to the four purposes; and contribution that the four purposes make (or do not make) to the development of a school mathematics curriculum. After outlining the background and context, the paper consults literature and experts to consider what mathematics is and how the learning of mathematics can be seen to fulfil the four purposes. The study contributes to understanding the difficulties of re-contextualising school subjects from the academic disciplines and proposes that operating with a curriculum driven by big ideas or overarching statements places higher demands on teacher knowledge.     

Teacher learning as boundary crossing: a case study of Master Teacher Studios in China

ABSTRACT

Teacher professional learning is shaped by multiple contexts in a complex way. Previous studies mainly focused on teacher learning in school-based contexts, and rarely explored how teachers learn across schools and in other situations. Adopting the framework of boundary crossing learning, this study examined the processes of teachers’ professional learning when they participated in Master Teacher Studios in mainland China. Through the qualitative case study approach, this study summarised four learning mechanisms: seeking common ground and reserving differences, growing through formal and informal coordination, exposing the gap and reflecting one’s limits, and transforming practices that incorporate one’s teaching ‘soul’. Further, intrapersonal, interpersonal and institutional factors that contribute to teacher learning as boundary crossing are discussed.     

以互联网为基础的,为建筑师服务的钢结构咨询系统模型

互联网技术在建筑及工程中的运用越来越普及，但其主要的研究及实际应用大多集中在信息服务和项目管理方面，而在设计及咨询领域则没有太大进展．本研究试图通过建立一个以互联网为基础的钢结构设计咨询模型来探讨这方面的可能性和潜力．重点讨论以下几方面的问题：定义并用计算机语言来格式化钢结构咨询系统，设计和咨询过程中的行为方法以及模型的组织．     

Designing for problem-based learning in a collaborative STEM lab: A case study

Higher education institutions are using virtual telepresence systems to engage in collaborative course redesign and research projects. These systems hold promise and challenge for inter-institutional work in STEM areas. This paper describes a case study involving two universities in the 4-VA consortium, and the redesign of a shared STEM lab. The purpose of this study was to investigate pedagogical needs across related content areas, and to use findings to make informed lab design recommendations that support beliefs and best practices involving knowledge acquisition. The researchers used several data collection points involving human subjects, site visits and technology testing and evaluation. Results emphasize the need for remote presence in the student-centered and distributed space. Design recommendations are organized into the following categories: general lab space, projection and display, storage, cable management and outlets, videoconferencing, use and management of the lab, computing and mobile devices, software, and training. Further research is proposed.     

A Feminist Commentary on Robert L. Arnstein's Article:

No abstract available for this article.     

Discourses at the boundary spaces: developing a fluent transition from preschool to school

This article examines the preschool–school transition in the Finnish school system from institutional and professional perspectives. It takes place in a context in which the fluent transition from preschool to primary school is supported by developing joint lessons for preschool and primary school children. Transition is seen as a process in which culturally and historically constructed institutional boundaries form an arena for professional learning. The study focuses on boundary work and boundary spaces. Boundaries are seen as spaces where resources from different practices are brought together to expand interpretations of multifaceted tasks. The data are analyzed from a discursive perspective. The study investigates how professionals create new forms of activity when collaborating in boundary spaces. Three discursive frames were identified. The first is called the ‘initiative frame’, the second the ‘consensus frame’ and the third the ‘collaboration frame’. These frames are considered in relation to creating new, shared practices and a common object of activity.     

Developing a university course for online delivery based on learning objects: from ideals to compromises

A course instructor and his assistant at Athabasca University investigated whether the process of transferring interoperable learning objects from online repositories facilitated course production, both pedagogically and economically. They examined the efficiency of the objects‐assembly method from several perspectives while developing an online university course based on learning objects for this, one of Canada's leading online and distance education institutions. The two researchers examined issues that confronted them as they gathered, assessed, repaired, assembled and created learning objects. When their search for suitable objects appeared fruitless, they questioned assumptions made by theoreticians and visionaries about pedagogical and economic efficiencies associated with the objects‐assembly metaphor and production. They highlighted this metaphor's failure to guide their course design based on learning objects in a climate of uncertainty and explained the nature of the compromise that eventually compelled them to acquire a proprietary online delivery system.     

A necessary and sufficient condition for positive solutions of singular fourth order boundary value problems

This paper deals with the existence of positive solutions for the singular fourth order boundary value problem.A necessary and sufficient condition for the existence of C3[0,1] positive solution is given by means of the monotone terative technique.Furthermore,the uniqueness of the C3[0,1]positive solution,and the iterative sequence of the C3[0,1]positive solution are also obtained.     

Determinants of Learning Outcome for Students at High School in Norway: A Constructivist Approach

A vital part of student learning is the construction of mental structures encompassing categories believed to affect learning outcome. In this study we investigate this research question through the lenses of a constructivist approach. As the first study on our research question at high school in Norway, our empirical findings make up the main contribution of this study. The data were analyzed by a grounded theory methodology. The results identify 6 dimensions of determinants of learning outcome. The dimensions: student activity, work processes and motivation to learn are manifest of the latent dimension process of learning, while the second latent dimension learning content is manifested in the 3 dimensions: correction, information from teacher and putting into context.     

一个关于工作场所学习的建议性概念框架:对人力资源开发理论建设与研究的启示

人力资源开发领域的学者和实践者都非常关注工作场所学习。关于正式培训和非正式学习,一直以来形成了大量的研究和讨论。本文从人力资源开发角度,结合已有的大量文献,提出了一个工作场所学习的概念性框架,框架包括三个互相作用的变量:学习的场所、在发展和传授学习经验时所制定的计划的程度和学习过程中培训者、推动者和其他人的角色。本文还讨论了这一框架对人力资源开发领域中理论建设和研究的启示。     

Knowledge structures for integrating working and learning: A reflection on a decade of learning technology research for workplace learning

Designing intelligent services for workplace learning presents a special challenge for researchers and developers of learning technology. One of the reasons is that considering learning as a situated and social practice is nowhere so important than in the case where learning is tightly integrated with workplace practices. The current paper analyses the experience of more than 10 years of research intending to offer intelligent services through capturing and leveraging knowledge structures in workplace learning. The reflection looks at results of several European research projects that have promoted this view. From this analysis, I arrive at a dichotomy of guidance versus emergence that describes how the technologies foregrounded one or the other, and what the effects of these design choices have been. I derive conclusions for dealing with this design trade-off in terms of conceptual, technological and empirical research.     

A review of the empirical generations at work research: implications for school leaders and future research

Most schools currently employ three generations of teachers and leaders: Baby Boomers (1946–65), Generation X (1966–80) and Generation Y (1981–2003). However, the implications for school leaders of multi-generational schools remain relatively unexplored. This paper examines the empirical multi-disciplinary generations at work evidence to identify differences and similarities in how generational cohorts approach work/life balance, authority, collaboration and careers. The paper defines generational characteristics and introduces the review methods employed. The findings are organised within three important leadership actions: stimulating professional growth and capacity, building collaborative cultures, and establishing work conditions. The conclusion presents future research directions.     

Integrating to learn and learning to integrate: A case study of an online master's program on science–mathematics integration for middle school teachers

iSMART (Integration of Science, Mathematics, and Reflective Teaching) Program is an online science and mathematics integrated graduate program for middle school teachers across the state of Texas. As part of a large design-based research project, this paper describes the initial stages of the design process of the iSMART program for its first cohort in the fall of 2010 with a focus on program development. The paper begins with our theoretical perspective and rationale for our use of design-based research methodology. We then provide a review of literature on the integration of science and mathematics and the design of online learning environments. Next, we report on the decisions made by science and mathematics teacher educators in the early process of iSMART design as well as the online design components. Finally, we provide our plan for the continuous implementation and redesign of the program with the first cohort of 25 iSMART teachers.     

大学数学小班化教学改革实施的实证研究--以四川大学为例

通过实证研究、调查研究及比较研究法,对2011年以来四川大学大学数学课程教学班级、教师及学生人数、学生成绩等相关数据进行分析,发现教学班级数量不断增加,班级人数不断减少,但是距离30人的小班教学还有较大差距;大班、小班中学生成绩受课程及其难度的影响较大;师生对小班化教学的期望存在差异,“大班授课,小班研讨”的实施出现异化。建议正确认识适合中国国情、适合大学数学课程特点的小班化教学;加强高校教师教育,促进高校教师教学理念、教学方式方法转变;新进适量的教师,鼓励大学数学在职教师多上课,鼓励教授为本科生上课;有效推行“大班授课,小班研讨”,不断提升助教教学和管理能力。