Designing computer learning environments for engineering and computer science: The scaffolded knowledge integration framework

Designing effective curricula for complex topics and incorporating technological tools is an evolving process. One important way to foster effective design is to synthesize successful practices. This paper describes a framework called scaffolded knowledge integration and illustrates how it guided the design of two successful course enhancements in the field of computer science and engineering. One course enhancement, the LISP Knowledge Integration Environment, improved learning and resulted in more gender-equitable outcomes. The second course enhancement, the spatial reasoning environment, addressed spatial reasoning in an introductory engineering course. This enhancement minimized the importance of prior knowledge of spatial reasoning and helped students develop a more comprehensive repertoire of spatial reasoning strategies. Taken together, the instructional research programs reinforce the value of the scaffolded knowledge integration framework and suggest directions for future curriculum reformers.Portions of this paper were presented at the American Psychological Association Meeting, Ontario, Canada, August 22, 1993. under the title of Cognition and instruction in higher education: Applications of advanced technologies. The title of the symposium was New Fellows in Educational Psychology-The Implications of Their Work for University-Level Instruction. This material is based upon research supported by the National Science Foundation under grant MDR-8954753. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the authors and not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.     

Ameliorating gender differences in attitudes about science: A cross-national study

The outcomes of two studies reported here indicate that the teacher inservice workshops, combined with activity-based science lessons, affected students' attitudes and perceptions about electricity. Australian and U.S. studies produced different patterns explored and explained in the paper.This material is based upon research supported by the National Science Foundation under grant MDR-88-50570 in the United States and supported by a grant from the Special Projects Program of the Commonwealth Schools Commission in the Education of GirlsDD section of Projects of National Significance in Australia. Any opinions, findings and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this paper are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation or the Commonwealth Schools Commission.     

Science for early adolescence teachers (science FEAT): A program for research and learning

This article is based on a paper which received the “Innovations in Teaching Science Teachers” award at the 1995 meeting of the Association for the Education of Teachers in Science. The award is made possible by Delta Education. This material is based upon work supported in part by a grant from the National Science Foundation (Grant No. 9253170). Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this article are those of authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.     

加强地方科学基金申报组织与过程管理的质量控制

结合工作实践,分析地方科学基金从申报到结题各环节存在的问题,并从加强地方科学基金项目过程管理的角度,系统地提出提高地方科学基金项目研究质量的管理方法,旨在进一步改善高校的科研条件,提高科研水平和服务区域经济发展、社会进步的能力。     

Can research on science learning and instruction inform standards for science education?

We contrast the current science education reform effort with the reforms of the 1960s and suggest how the current effort could be enhanced. We identify insights from recent research that we believe can inform the reform process, in particular, to reach all science students and also impart a cohesive view of science. We propose an alternative models view of scientific explanation and show how this view would contribute to reforms of (1) course goals, (2) social aspects of science learning, (3) instructional practices, and (4) roles for technology.This paper summarizes discussions and debates that the authors have had over the last few years. The dialogue stems, in part, from our joint participation in the American Educational Research Association Special Interest Group on Education in Science and Technology (AERA SIG:EST) leadership. This paper communicates the spirit of our thinking and does not necessarily reflect the view of SIG:EST, or any other organization.We gratefully acknowledge the support of National Science Foundation Grant MDR-9253462 in work related to this paper. We appreciate helpful comments from Eileen Lewis and the Computer as Learning Partner group.This material is based upon research supported by the National Science Foundation under grant RED-9155744. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the authors and not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.     

After-School and Informal STEM Projects: the Effect of Participant Self-Selection

Journal of Science Education and Technology - This research represents an unforeseen outcome of the authors’ National Science Foundation Innovation Technology Experiences for Students and...     

关于青年科学基金的作用及优化资助政策的思考

青年科学基金是国家自然科学基金会专门设立的,用于资助35岁以下的青年科研人员独立开展科学研究。从青年科学基金的设立、实施近20年的绩效出发,初步探讨了青年科学基金的作用、存在的问题,提出了今后青年科学基金改进资助方式、提高资助效率的政策建议。     

国家社会科学基金、自然科学基金专利领域课题状况研究——以1999-2011立项课题为考察对象

文章通过全国哲学社会科学规划办公室网站、国家自然科学基金委员会和中国知网(CNKI),搜集了1999-2011年间专利领域受国家社科基金和国家自科基金资助项目的相关信息,从项目数量变化、不同项目比例、科研机构分布、负责人和成果产出方面进行分析,并且结合存在专利方面成果产出的相关领域的项目,进行统计研究。专利领域的科学研究对推动我国科技创新具有不容忽视的引领作用,目前我国专利科研项目数量相对贫乏,具有相当大的挖掘空间。我国在加大知识产权保护力度的同时,有必要大力提供专利科研项目资助。     

Factors in the development of proportional reasoning strategies by concrete operational college students

This study was designed as a test for two neo-Piagetian theories. More specifically, this research examined the relationships between the development of proportional reasoning strategies and three cognitive variables from Pascual-Leone's and Case's neo-Piagetian theories. A priori hypotheses linked the number of problems students worked until they induced a proportional reasoning strategy to the variables of M-space, degree of field dependence, and short-term storage space. The subjects consisted of students enrolled in Physical Science I, a science course for nonscience majors at the University of Southern Mississippi. Of the 34 subjects in the study, 23 were classified as concrete operational on the basis of eight ratio tasks. Problems corresponding to five developmental levels of proportional reasoning (according to Piagetian and neo-Piagetian theory), were presented by a microcomputer to the 23 subjects who had been classified as concrete operational. After a maximum of 6 hours of treatment, 17 of the 23 subjects had induced ratio schemata at the upper formal level (IIIB), while the remaining subjects used lower formal level (IIIA) schemata. The data analyses showed that neither M-space and degree of field-dependence, either alone or in combination, nor short-term storage predicted the number of problems students need to do until they induce an appropriate problem-solving strategy. However, there were significant differences in the short-term storage space of those subjects who mastered ratio problems at the highest level and those who did not. Also, the subjects' degree of field-dependence was not a predictor of either the ability to transfer problem-solving strategies to a new setting or the reuse of inappropriate strategies. The results of this study also suggest that short-term storage space is a variable with high correlations to a number of aspects of learning such as transfer and choice of strategy after feedback.     

Preservice Middle and High School Mathematics Teachers’ Strategies when Solving Proportion Problems

The purpose of this study was to investigate eight preservice middle and high school mathematics teachers’ solution strategies when solving single and multiple proportion problems. Real-world missing-value word problems were used in an interview setting to collect information about preservice teachers’ (PSTs) reasoning about proportional relationships. An explanatory case study methodology with multiple cases was used to make comparisons within and across cases. Analysis of the semi-structured interviews with each PST revealed that using practical problems, in which plastic gears and a mini balance system were provided, and multiple proportion problems facilitated the PSTs’ recognition of the proportional relationships in their solutions. Therefore, they avoided using cross-multiplication and erroneous strategies in those problems. Among the strategies that the PSTs used in solving single and multiple proportion problems, the ratio table strategy was the most frequent and effective strategy. The ratio table strategy enabled the PSTs to recognize the constant ratio and product relationships more than the other strategies. The results of this study illuminate how PSTs reason about proportional relationships when they cannot rely on computation methods like cross-multiplication.     

Reconsidering the Character and Role of Inquiry in School Science: Analysis of a Conference

We summarize a conference on scientific inquiry bringing together science educators, cognitive scientists and philosophers of science with three goals:

Scientific Inquiry in Educational Multi-user Virtual Environments

In this paper, we present a review of research into the problems of implementing authentic scientific inquiry curricula in schools and the emerging use of educational Multi-User Virtual Environments (MUVEs) to support interactive scientific inquiry practices. Our analysis of existing literature in this growing area of study reveals three recurrent themes: (1) with careful design and inclusion of virtual inquiry tools, MUVE-based curricula can successfully support real-world inquiry practices based on authentic interactivity with simulated worlds and tools, (2) Educational MUVEs can support inquiry that is equally compelling for girls and boys, and (3) research on student engagement in MUVE-based curricula is uneven. Based on these themes, we suggest that future large-scale research should investigate (1) the extent to which MUVE-based inquiry learning can be a viable substitute for the activities involved in real-world inquiry; (2) the impact of MUVEs on learning and engagement for currently underserved students, and (3) the impact on engagement and learning of individual aspects of MUVE environments, particularly virtual experimentation tools designed to scaffold student inquiry processes and maintain engagement. Additionally, we note that two identified issues with integrating scientific inquiry into the classroom are currently not addressed by MUVE research. We urge researchers to investigate whether (1) MUVE-based curriculum can help teachers meet state and national standards with inquiry curricula; and (2) scientific inquiry curricula embedded in MUVE environments can help teachers learn how to integrate interactive scientific inquiry into their classroom. This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. 0310188. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.     

Proportional Reasoning Ability and Concepts of Scale: Surface area to volume relationships in science

The National Science Education Standards emphasise teaching unifying concepts and processes such as basic functions of living organisms, the living environment, and scale. Scale influences science processes and phenomena across the domains. One of the big ideas of scale is that of surface area to volume. This study explored whether or not there is a correlation between proportional reasoning ability and a student's ability to understand surface area to volume relationships. Students' knowledge of surface area to volume relationships was assessed pre and post to a one‐week instructional intervention involving investigations about surface area to volume as a limiting factor in biological and physical systems. Results showed that proportional reasoning scores of middle school students were correlated to pre‐test and post‐test assessment scores, and a paired‐sample t‐test found significant differences from pre‐test to post‐test for the surface area to volume assessment. Relationships between proportional reasoning, visualisation abilities and success in solving surface to volume problems are discussed. The implications of the results of this study for learning concepts such as magnitudes of things, limits to size, and properties of systems that change depending on volume and surface are explored.     

Problem-solving skills of high school chemistry students

What strategies do high school students use when solving chemistry problems? The purpose for conducting this study was to determine the general problem-solving skills that students use in solving problems involving moles, stoichiometry, the gas laws, and molarity. The strategies were examined for success in problem solving for 266 students of varying proportional reasoning ability, using interviews incorporating the think-aloud technique. Data were coded using a scheme based on Polya's heuristics. Results indicated that successful students and those with high proportional reasoning ability tended to use algorithmic reasoning strategies more frequently than nonsuccessful and low proportional reasoning students. However, the majority of all students solved the chemistry problems using only algorithmic methods, and did not understand the chemical concepts on which the problems were based.     

Using Handheld Computers to Support Improved Classroom Assessment in Science: Results from a Field Trial

A variety of handheld applications and curricular materials have been developed to support inquiry science learning in recent years, but there are few handheld-supported assessment activities available to teachers. In Project WHIRL, researchers from SRI International worked in partnership with teachers from Beaufort County School District (SC) to develop a suite of handheld software applications that could be used to support classroom assessment in upper elementary and middle school science classrooms. In this paper, we will analyze results from a field trial conducted in 2003–2004 with 18 teachers in the district, focusing on how teachers’ enactment of handheld-supported assessment activities altered the frequency and quality of their assessment practices.This material is based in part on work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant Number REC-0126197. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.     

Advancing Research in the National Science Foundation’s Advanced Technological Education Program

ABSTRACT

Advanced Technological Education is distinct from typical National Science Foundation programs in that it is essentially a training—not research—program, and most grantees are located at technical and two-year colleges. This article presents empirical data on the status of research in the program, discusses the program’s role in supporting NSF’s values of intellectual merit and broader impacts, and offers strategies for enhancing research within the program.     

An innovative model for collaborative reform in Elementary School Science Teaching

This article received the Innovations in Teaching Science Teachers award at the 1996 meeting of the Association for the Education of Teachers in Science. The award is made possible by Delta Education.This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation (Grant No. TPE-9050015). Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.     

2007—2011年三大主流旅游期刊文献分析

《旅游学报》、《旅游科学》和《旅游论坛》是我国旅游研究三大主流期刊。基于5年来这三种期刊关于旅游研究进展,对载文数量的时间分布、载文作者的地域分布、论文作者单位、研究内容和研究方法作统计分析。研究发现,旅游研究问题和方法及接待业的研究是三种期刊研究最多的内容,《旅游论坛》偏重于旅游教育和人才培养,《旅游学刊》更注重基础理论问题的探讨;三种期刊均是定性研究方法所占比例最：赶．其他方法的运用较少;《旅游学刊》载文作者所处地域在经济发达地区占绝大部分,《旅游科学》和《旅游论坛：》载文作者所属地域分布最多的分别是上海和广西,体现了服务地方的特点;三种期刊载文作者单位最多的都是高等院校及其研究机构。     

Scaffolding reflection and articulation of scientific explanations in a data-rich,project-based learning environment: An investigation of progress portfolio

In this study, we examined how learners developed scientific explanations about light with the assistance of various technology-based scaffolds. The study emphasis was on scaffolding processes of reflection and articulation. We used a content-neutral software program (Progress Portfolio) to create the instructional scaffolds. A qualitative research design was used to investigate two pairs of prospective teachers in a science content course in engineering. Our findings suggested that the computer-based scaffolds used in our study were useful to support articulation, reflection, and revision of explanations, when certain conditions were met. A major theme of our findings relates to interacting effects among learner characteristics, teacher coaching, software scaffolding design, and task characteristics. This material is based on work supported by the National Science Foundation under NSF REC 9980055, which was granted to the second author. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation. The authors would like to acknowledge Joe Taylor for his role in the design and implementation of the study.     

Becoming a Learning Organization: New Directions in Science Education Research at the National Science Foundation

The Education and Human Resources (EHR) Directorate at the National Science Foundation has been examining its role in supporting the development of new approaches to science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education. This article explores what it means to be scientifically literate, what it takes to become a learning organization, how the EHR Directorate is working towards becoming such an organization through rigorous self-study, and how EHR can best manage its large portfolio of awards that support investigations in STEM education to enhance their collective value to researchers, policymakers and educators. Several elements of the self-study process are described, and the implications for the Directorate as well as for the field of researchers in science education are explored.The views expressed in this paper are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the National Science Foundation.