EFFECTIVENESS OF USING GAMES IN TERTIARY-LEVEL MATHEMATICS CLASSROOMS

The primary focus of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of games when used in tertiary-level mathematics classes in the United Arab Emirates. Our study incorporated a mixed-method approach that involved surveys (to assess students?? perceptions of the learning environment and attitudes towards mathematics), interviews, observations of classes and narrative stories. A sample of 90 students from 3 tertiary-level institutions in Abu Dhabi participated in the study. In-depth qualitative data provided information about the introduction and use of games in mathematics. A narrative, based on classroom observations of students playing Jeopardy!-type mathematics games, provided insights into games in action in the classrooms. The data were analysed to examine students?? interactions during the games and to triangulate, clarify and explain students?? responses to the learning environment and attitude questionnaires. To examine pre?Cpost differences in students perceptions of the learning environment and their attitudes, 2 questionnaires were administered to students before and after the introduction of games. Pre?Cpost differences for 3 of the 6 learning environment scales (Teacher Support, Involvement, Personal Relevance) and both attitude scales (Enjoyment of Mathematics Lessons and Academic Efficacy scales) were statistically significant. Information obtained from interviews with students and teachers were used to explain the pre?Cpost differences.     

SCIENCE AND MATHEMATICS ACHIEVEMENT IN AUSTRALIA: THE ROLE OF SCHOOL SOCIOECONOMIC COMPOSITION IN EDUCATIONAL EQUITY AND EFFECTIVENESS

In this study, we systematically unpack relationships among student socioeconomic status (SES), science and mathematics achievement, and student interest in science in the context of varying school socioeconomic composition. Using the most recent Programme for International Student Assessment dataset for Australia, we found that increases in school SES are consistently associated with substantial increases in science and mathematics performance. This pattern of association held for all groups regardless of their individual SES. However, our findings also show that students’ interest in science was not associated with varying school SES, and only marginally and inconsistently associated with individual SES. We discuss policy implications and strategies for mitigating the influence of school socioeconomic composition on science and mathematics performance, and for the achievement of more equitable and effective educational outcomes generally.     

EVALUATING SELECTED PERCEPTIONS OF SCIENCE AND MATHEMATICS TEACHERS IN AN ALTERNATIVE CERTIFICATION PROGRAM

In 2003 the University of Missouri (with the aid of US National Science Foundation funding) initiated an alternative certification program (ACP) to address the well-documented need in the US for increasing the quantity and quality of mathematics and science teachers for the middle and secondary levels. Nationwide current certification programs do not provide the quality and quantity of mathematics and science teachers needed in schools. As a result most American states have begun to experiment with ACPs as a way to address the shortage of math and science teachers. To evaluate the success of this program, we collected data from ACP participants regarding perceived preparation, self efficacy, and outcome expectancy at three time points in the program. State standards for beginning teachers were used to construct a perceived preparation instrument. Analysis of data suggests that over time, ACP participants exhibited an increasingly positive view toward their preparation for classroom teaching, as well as increased self efficacy. However, there was little change in the students’ outcome expectancy over time. In this article we share details of the unique ACP program and we describe steps taken to collect and evaluate a project data set. Our work provides useful guidance to researchers and practitioners in the field of science and mathematics teacher education.     

AN URBAN MIDDLE SCHOOL CASE STUDY OF MATHEMATICS ACHIEVEMENT

What does it take to change a school’s mathematics achievement profile from low to one that is proficient and advanced? Is this transformed achievement profile sustainable? Such is the story presented here, in this three-phase case study of a K-8 urban charter school’s mathematics program. The first phase discusses the school’s mathematics program as it existed in 2006. The second phase discusses the contents and interventions implemented which transformed the student achievement scores over a period of 3 years (2006–2009) from low achieving to proficient and advanced. The third phase is a follow-up mixed-methods investigation that was conducted to determine whether the achievement was sustainable and how the program changed. The interventions designed and implemented over the initial 3-year period are discussed, as are the findings of the follow-up study. This is discussed with reference to impacting change in student achievement and its relative significance for future work.     

PRESCRIBING AN EXERCISE PROGRAM AND MOTIVATING OLDER ADULTS TO COMPLY

There is strong experimental evidence to indicate that regular exercise can prevent disease, decrease the risk of falling, reduce physical disability, improve sleep, and enhance mood and general well being. Despite these benefits, approximately 50% of sedentary adults who start an exercise program stop within the first six months of involvement. To help older adults initiate and adhere to a regular exercise program, a seven step approach was developed. The seven steps include. (1) education, (2) exercise prescreening, (3) setting goals, (4) exposure to exercise, (5) role models, (6) verbal encouragement, and (7) verbal reinforcement and rewards. The seven steps provide a useful guide for how to implement an appropriate exercise program, and how to help these individuals stick to such a program once it is initiated.     

论母音练习法在歌唱训练中的运用

本文根据各种母音不同的发音特点。提出把母音练习法运用于歌唱训练中。以此来解决歌喝中喉头不稳定、声区不铳一、声音发白发散、漏气等毛病，以提高歌唱的水平。     

AN ANALYSIS OF TALKING ALOUD DURING PEER COLLABORATIONS IN MATHEMATICS

Utilizing video study methodology where participants, as well as the researcher, analyzed their own video data, this research examined the nature of students talking aloud during peer collaborations in mathematics. The findings suggest that students engage in three types of talking aloud: (1) clarification of thinking (i.e. spontaneous utterances related to the mathematical task); (2) expressions of confusion (i.e. “I don’t understand!”), with the explicit intent of eliciting support from peers; or (3) a combination of (1) and (2). The findings also show that students do not perceive other students’ talking aloud as an inter-communicative gesture. This research highlights the importance emphasizing to students that talking aloud during peer collaborations should be viewed as a potential antecedent to communicative interaction and the importance of teaching students how to listen to one another.     

一个逼近方程解的迭代法

利用泰勒展开理论,给出一个逼近方程f(x)=0的解的迭代方法,并证明了迭代收敛,且收敛速度比牛顿迭代法快得多。     

一个逼近方程解的迭代法

利用泰勒展开理论,给出一个逼近方程f(x)=0的解的迭代方法,并证明了迭代收敛,且收敛速度比牛顿迭代法快得多.     

TOWARD AN INTEGRATION OF THEORY AND METHOD FOR CRITERION-REFERENCED TESTS1,2

In this paper, an attempt has been made to synthesize some of the current thinking in the area of criterion-referenced testing as well as to provide the beginning of an integration of theory and method for such testing. Since criterion-referenced testing is viewed from a decision-theoretic point of view, approaches to reliability and validity estimation consistent with this philosophy are suggested. Also, to improve the decision-making accuracy of criterion-referenced tests, a Bayesian procedure for estimating true mastery scores has been proposed. This Bayesian procedure uses information about other members of a student's group (collateral information), but the resulting estimation is still criterion referenced rather than norm referenced in that the student is compared to a standard rather than to other students. In theory, the Bayesian procedure increases the “effective length” of the test by improving the reliability, the validity, and more importantly, the decision-making accuracy of the criterion-referenced test scores.     

AN IMPROVED HOLOGRAPHIC METHOD FOR THE DETERMINATION OF TEMPERATURE DISTRIBUTIONS AND THERMAL STRESSES

ＡＮＩＭＰＲＯＶＥＤＨＯＬＯＧＲＡＰＨＩＣＭＥＴＨＯＤＦＯＲＴＨＥＤＥＴＥＲＭＩＮＡＴＩＯＮＯＦＴＥＭＰＥＲＡＴＵＲＥＤＩＳＴＲＩＢＵＴＩＯＮＳＡＮＤＴＨＥＲＭＡＬＳＴＲＥＳＳＥＳＨｅＸｉａｏｙｕａｎ（何小元）ＸｕＺｈｕ（徐铸）ＷａｎｇＣｈｅｎｇｆｅ...     

数学美初探

本文从抽象性,统一性(兼简洁性)、精巧性三个方面系统地论述数学美。举出了好些例子加以说明。最后总结说,数学美就美在它的统一和谐、纯、真而自然。     

Matlab辅助高等数学教学方法初探

高等数学是高等院校绝大部分理工科专业必修的基础理论课,在教学中发现,传统的教学方法容易使学生认为其难以理解、枯燥。教学的困难在于其抽象性,为了解决这个问题,我们试图将Matlab引入课堂教学。通过图像等输出,让学生感受"看得见"的数学,可以获得更好的教学效果。     

层次分析排序方法综述

排序方法是ＡＨＰ的核心部分,通过归纳,排序方法可分为特征向量、最小偏差和对数拟合三类．不同的排序方法对应了不同的标准形,对于正互反矩阵Ａ,存在唯一的标准形Ｅｋ ,（ ｋ ＝１ ,２ ,…,７） ,使Ａ＝ Ｗｋ‘Ｅｋ ,其中Ｗｋ 为Ａ 在不同排序方法下得到的排序向量构造的一致性矩阵     

TEXAS TECH PREP ENVIRONMENTAL SCAN OF PARTNER OPINIONS: AN ASSESSMENT OF EFFECTIVENESS

Tech Prep is a federal education initiative funded by the Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Technical Education Act initially authorized in 1990 then reauthorized in 1998. Texas HB 2401 subsequently established the parameters for the operation of Tech Prep in Texas. Texas has 26 regional consortia that coordinate the delivery of services between secondary school districts and two-year colleges under the leadership of consortium directors. The research reported in this paper examined the effectiveness of these consortia based upon an opinion survey administered to Texas Tech Prep consortia directors, community college technical administrators, and secondary technical program directors.     

有机环硅烷的有效合成方法及其波谱性质(英文)

有机基取代二氯硅烷与金属锂在有1,1,1—三甲基三苯基二硅烷存在的四氢呋喃溶液中发生还原偶联反应,合成并分离得到较高收率的具有热力学稳定结构的有机环硅烷,反应式和取得的化合物如下:nR~1R~2SiCl_2+2nLi Ph_3SiSiMe_3 THF→(R~1R~2Si)_n a n=6 b n=5化合物:1a R~=R~2=Me;2b R~1=R~2=P;3a R=Hex,R~2=Me;4a R~1=Ph,R~2=Me;5a R~1=p-tol,R~2=Me,6b R~1=o-tol,R~2=Me;7a R~1=PhCH_2,R~2=Me;8b R~1=Ph,R~2=Et;9a R~1=Ph,R~2=allyl 所有的环硅烷经氢核磁共振谱,红外光谱,紫外光谱等予以鉴定,对新化合物还测定了质谱,并讨论了它们的波谱性质。加入催化剂量的1,1,1—三甲基三苯基二硅烷是用来在溶液中产生三苯基硅基负离子,它可作为促进缩合反应和平衡化的催化剂。本方法特别有利于用来大量生产十二甲基环六硅烷和由烷基、芳基不对称取代的环硅烷。     

足球技战术渗透教学法的实验研究

足球战术教学一直是高校体育教学中的薄弱环节, 本文通过足球技战术渗透教学法的改革实验, 增强了大学生足球战术学习效果, 供广大高校体育教师参考.     

MATHEMATICS AS AN IM/PURE KNOWLEDGE SYSTEM: SYMBIOSIS, (W)HOLISM AND SYNERGY IN MATHEMATICS EDUCATION

The problem of culturally decontextualised mathematics education faced by Nepali students, teachers and teacher educators has often been oriented by the view of the nature of mathematics as a body of pure knowledge, which gives rise to an exclusive emphasis on an ideology of singularity, epistemology of objectivism, language of universality and logic of certainty whilst developing curriculum, conceiving pedagogies and implementing assessment strategies in school mathematics education and mathematics teacher education programmes. With epistemic referents of dialectical logics and performative imagination, an alternative view of the nature of mathematics as an impure knowledge is discussed with its possible disempowering features, such as essentialism, hegemony and dualisms. Finally, an inclusive view of the nature of mathematics as im/pure knowledge system is articulated with the help of various forms of dialectics.     

DIVERSIFYING OUR PERSPECTIVES ON MATHEMATICS ABOUT SPACE AND GEOMETRY: AN ECOCULTURAL APPROACH

School mathematics tends to have developed from the major cultures of Asia, the Mediterranean and Europe. However, indigenous cultures in particular may have distinctly different systematic ways of referring to space and thinking mathematically about spatial activity. Their approaches are based on the close link between the environment and cultural activity. The affinity to place strengthens the efficient, abstract, mathematical system behind the reference and its connection to the real world of place and a holistic worldview. This paper sets out to present an overview of various approaches to aspects of space and geometry by drawing on linguistic and cultural literature, my collaborative research in Papua New Guinea, and from personal communications with indigenous colleagues in Australia and elsewhere. This diversity provides a challenge by which teachers can deconstruct their thinking about mathematics and subsequently to review the content of teaching and to be more responsive to the diversity of cultural backgrounds of students. To assist with recognising ecocultural mathematics on space and geometry, 4 principles are established and discussed on language structures, reference lines and points, measures of space and worldviews and interpretations of space as place.     

READING MATHEMATICS REPRESENTATIONS: AN EYE-TRACKING STUDY

We use eye tracking as a method to examine how different mathematical representations of the same mathematical object are attended to by students. The results of this study show that there is a meaningful difference in the eye movements between formulas and graphs. This difference can be understood in terms of the cultural and social shaping of human perception, as well as in terms of differences between the symbolic and graphical registers.