Directed-inquiry approach to learning science process skills: treatment effects and aptitude-treatment interactions

The directed-inquiry approach to learning science process skills and scientific problem solving [DIAL(SPS)2] was developed to help high-school students gain the critical thinking skills required to solve problems in the biology lab. This curriculum integrated several learning strategies into a single approach: advance organizers, the learning cycle, concept maps, Vee diagrams, a focusing strategy, and writing. Two general questions were addressed. First, was the DIAL(SPS)2 treatment more effective than a conventional treatment? Second, was there evidence of an aptitude-treatment interaction? Four high-school biology classes taught by this investigator were used to test the DIAL(SPS)2 curriculum. Scheduling of students involved ability grouping. To test the curriculum in the most rigorous way, the experimental group consisted of average ability students and the comparison group consisted of above-average students. Both the groups were pretested in August and posttested in May. In the intervening time, the experimental group received the DIAL(SPS)2 treatment while the comparison group received a more traditional approach. Analysis of covariance revealed that the DIAL(SPS)2 curriculum had no significant effect on the learning of science process skills or on cognitive development. Aptitude-treatment interaction analyses revealed an interaction of DIAL(SPS)2 treatment and cognitive development.     

A review of aptitude-treatment interaction studies with the handicapped

Twenty aptitude-treatment interaction (ATI) studies that used handicapped students as subjects were reviewed to determine the validity of the ATI concept with handicapped students. Since only four of the studies resulted in significant disordinal aptitude-treatment interactions, it was concluded that the ATI concept, on the basis of present information, is essentially nonvalidated. Areas for further research are discussed.     

Facilitating active social presence and meaningful interactions in online learning

Online learning has minimized many barriers and constraints that are common in traditional learning environments. However, due to the absence of face-to-face contacts, students and instructors are usually faced with the lack of active social presence and meaningful interactions in online learning. This article explores a review of the literature on social presence and various types of interactions in online learning environments in the context of a class project. The findings suggest need for online instructors to explore effective ways to design and facilitate active social presence and meaningful interactions in online learning.     

创设有意义的生物课堂

新课标提出的3大理念面向全体学生、培养学生的生物科学素养、倡导探究式教学，与长期形成的应试教育的理念有很大的冲突，它要求每个老师必须更新教学理念，重新整合教学过程，倡导探究式教学，创设出更符合学生全面发展的生物课堂．     

活得更有意义

胡适曾说:"生命本身没有什么意义,你要能给它什么意义,它就有什么意义。与其终日冥想人生有何意义,不如试用此生做点有意义的事。"怎样活着才算有意义呢?     

Enabling meaningful learning through Web-based instruction with occupational therapy students

This paper explores the design of a Web-based tutorial for Activity Analysis offered within an undergraduate course of occupational therapy and how its design features influenced meaningful learning from the students’ perspective. This tutorial, using a case-based format, offers a learner-directed approach to students and the application of Activity Analysis, a clinical practice tool. The design is based on principles of meaningful learning for on-line instruction (Jonassen, Educational Technology, 35, 60–63, 1995) and instructional theories. Analysis of feedback from learners identifies the salient attributes of the tutorial on meaningful learning.     

Education and a meaningful life

This paper is concerned with the reflections of two lecturers from higher education who worked through several cycles of action research with a group of teachers in a school over a period of eight years trying to improve learning in the school. Very many of the factors identified in the literature as being essential for sustained change were in place, and there were successful outcomes associated with each cycle of action. Nevertheless, our reflections on the whole process highlight some complexities of working with teachers in this way. In this paper we examine the difficulty of attending to contextual factors within the project; we identify links between teacher change and perceptions of risk; we explore a confusion which emerged over the role of such a group within the school. In addition, we argue that the deficit approach which characterises action research is unhelpful to some teachers.     

Instructional design for meaningful learning

The instructional design and student learning literature is reviewed for guidelines for instruction which would encourage deep rather than surface learning. A taxonomy is presented which values student conceptions of key phenomena and skills for the self-discovery of knowledge as more important than the accumulation of information. Strategy elements suggested for the selection and sequencing of content, therefore, focus on revealing the interrelationship between key concepts. Evidence is presented of the persistent nature of existing conceptions and the difficulty of changing conceptual frameworks. Diagnostic questions are suggested as a means of exposing existing conceptions. It then seems necessary to provide a challenge to revealed or anticipated misconceptions so that students pass through a disequilibrium phase before re-forming their existing conceptions. As there is growing evidence of a mis-match between the goals and practice of teachers, action research is suggested as a method of implementation.     

Making biodiversity meaningful through environmental education

Biodiversity is an emerging theme in science, society and, more recently, education. There is no one single definition of biodiversity that is adequate in all situations. Both the knowledge base and the value base of biodiversity are variable and questionable. Because of these characteristics, biodiversity makes for an interesting vehicle for linking science and society, and the investigation of the normative underpinnings of 'science-in-the making'. Based on a 3-year study, this paper explores the crossroads between science education and environmental education and presents a framework for tapping the environmental education potential of biodiversity. Outlined are a number stepping stones for making biodiversity meaningful to learners. It is argued that, from the perspective of environmental education, the illdefined nature of biodiversity is a useful feature. Biodiversity is renewing the discourse on nature conservation issues by bringing together different groups in society that are searching for a common language to discuss nature conservation issues in relation to sustainability issues. The resulting debate allows the socio-scientific dispute character of 'science-in-the-making' to surface. Participation in such a dispute is an excellent opportunity to learn about a highly relevant, controversial, emotionally charged and debatable topic at the crossroads of science, technology and society     

利用母函数解排列问题

解一般排列问题（线排列，圆排列）及元素允许重复的排列问题，常用的方法是利用加法原则、乘法原则及排列基本公式求解，已有一套完整的理论．本文另辟蹊径，利用母函数解排列问题，并且从理论上和实例中进行了具体的研究和尝试．     

Staff meetings: Planning meaningful curriculum

Young children of the 80s feel a lack of involvement of significant others in their lives. They perceive the world as a place where important adults are not seriously involved in their lives even if the same adults would describe themselves as being very caring about their children. The reasons for this perception were developed in a Children of the 80s seminar at California State University, Fresno recently.Doris O. Smith is Coordinator of the Early Childhood Education Program of the School of Education and Human Development at California State University in Fresno.     

给学生创造有意义的学习经历

给学生创造有意义的学习经历旨在让学生主动参与到学习的全过程,有意义的学习经历具有自发性、参与性、发展性和反思性等特点,而学习内容的生活化、问题化、活动化和系统化则是学生经历有意义学习过程的重要保障.     

Playing with rules around routines: children making mealtimes meaningful and enjoyable

Children attending early childhood education and care centres spend a lot of time fitting in with institutional routines. This paper uses ethnographic methods and sociocultural activity theory to describe and analyse the processes whereby young children in an early childhood centre collectively created meaning and interest during potentially boring routine mealtimes. The research explores the relationship between rules and children's playful activity. Using their imaginations children negotiated and played with and within the rules around ‘eating‐together’ times. While physically constrained in chairs around tables children enjoyed the freedom of playing with word sounds and meanings. Children actively, collaboratively and at times subversively, created their peer community culture.