Using a computer simulation to compare expert/novice problem-solving subroutines

Hierarchical problem-solving strategies employed in solving exercise science problems were examined in this study, which also tested the validity of an educational computer simulation. Hypothesis testing was used as the theoretical base for the study of differences in problem-solving within the computer simulation. In a previous study two groups of undergraduate (novices) and graduate students were compared in their ability to solve exercise science problems. The present study added a group of faculty (experts) who were presented with the same simulation protocol as the other subjects. Protocol analysis and the Pitt coding system were used to analyse verbal data. Group differences were examined statistically. The faculty were superior in interpreting data and used the Basic Heuristic and Pattern Extraction strategies for the generation and use of algorithms. The problem-solving strategies varied for each group based on the perceived difficulty of the problem, the knowledge base available, and the similarity of the given problem to previous problems.     

Spelling error interpretation: beyond the phonetic/dysphonetic dichotomy

If spelling errors are classified simply as auditory or visual, or as phonetically accurate or inaccurate, manifestations of both developmental phenomena and possible linguistic process deficits in spelling may be overlooked or misinterpreted. Phonological process deficits in spelling are more complex than simple phonetic ratings will reflect. Spelling errors may yield useful information about specific language disabilities if linguistically informed criteria for analysis are employed.     

Beyond discovery: a case study of teacher interaction,young children and computer tasks

The integration of computer technologies into everyday classroom life continues to provide pedagogical challenges for school systems, teachers and administrators. Data from an exploratory case study of one teacher and a multiage class of children in the first years of schooling in Australia show that when young children are using computers for set tasks in small groups, they require ongoing support from teachers, and to engage in peer interactions that are meaningful and productive. Classroom organization and the nature of teacher–child talk are key factors in engaging children in set tasks and producing desirable learning and teaching outcomes.     

Making sense of genetics: Students' knowledge use during problem solving in a high school genetics class

Interest in including ideas about the nature of science in instruction and research has led to the realization that, in addition to developing courses which offer students experience with science practice, it is important to understand the ways in which students learn and use science knowledge within such courses. The study reported here is based on a particular view of the nature of scientific practice: Science is collaborative; scientists use knowledge in the construction of new knowledge; and scientists' understanding of problems and problem-solving strategies change during knowledge construction. Given this perspective, the study examines the ways in which students in an innovative high school genetics class collaborate to construct knowledge as they develop genetics models. In this classroom, students use three kinds of knowledge: knowledge of genetics, permitting them to recognize anomalous aspects of new data and providing a template from which to develop new models; knowledge of the process of model revision, helping them make decisions about how to develop new models; and knowledge of their own problem-solving strategies, allowing them to “keep track” of what they have done, as well as make connections between the development of new models and their knowledge of genetics. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Emerging issues in the genetics of dyslexia: a methodological preview

A review of the classic and recent evidence on the genetics of reading disability (RD) shows encouraging progress, and accumulating evidence of genetic risk factors that operate within families and are separately localizable to more than one chromosomal region. The accelerating pace of these findings, however, suggests the need to consider some methodological issues about the design and interpretation of current and future studies. A major issue is the shape of the distribution of reading ability in the population, and we offer three tests of increasing rigor for determining whether those distributions are categorical, and hence not suitable for analyses that depend on the assumption of a continuous normal distribution. These tests are as follows: a nonnormal preponderance of cases with RD (i.e., the hump in the lower end of the distribution); a difference in the within-group variance-covariance matrices for typical readers compared to those with RD; and a correlation between a neurogenetically relevant criterion and a categorical reading variable that is larger than the correlation between the same criterion and a continuous version of the same reading variable. We emphasize also the importance of interactive relationships between multiple genetic loci, the variations in genotypic range as well as type of affectedness, the need to account for remediation variance, and the importance of lifespan changes in the phenotypes.     

Bien Educado: Measuring the social behaviors of Mexican American children

Young children's expected social behaviors develop within particular cultural contexts and contribute to their academic experience in large part through their relationships with their teachers. Commonly used measures focus on children's problem behaviors, developed from psychopathology traditions, and rarely situate normative and positive behaviors in context. Building from the literature on parenting goals and socialization expectations in Latino families and a preliminary ethnographic study (Proyecto Educando Niños), we constructed a survey in English and Spanish that measures the expected social behaviors of Mexican-heritage children, ages 3–6 years, using parent and teacher reports. Use of the BEAR Assessment System facilitated the refinement of this instrument to assess the socialization of young, Mexican American children. We report on the psychometric properties of the Mexican American Socialization (MAS) Scale, utilizing item-response theory. Analyses indicate the MAS Scale is reliable and an ecologically valid indicator of multiple constructs of the expected social behaviors of young Mexican American children. In particular, the 41-item Bien Educado subscale showed good reliability and is consistent with socialization constructs described in the literature. Implications for research and practice are discussed.     

Beyond the Screen: Narrative Mapping as a Tool for Evaluating a Mixed-Reality Science Museum Exhibit

This article describes the authors' work as formative evaluators of a mixed-reality science museum installation, Journey with Sea Creatures. Looking beyond the focal point of the screen to the spatial and temporal surroundings of the exhibit, the authors employed a technique they call retrospective narrative mapping in conjunction with sustained on-site observations, follow-up interviews with museum visitors, and the development of personas to better understand the user experience in multimodal informal learning environments.     

Beyond the Classroom: A Framework for Growing School Capacity in a Digital Age

Abstract

Rapid technological advancements promise unprecedented educational opportunities to foster student-centered and personalized learning, yet many schools are underprepared, lacking comprehensive organizational strategies for technology enhanced learning. This study sought to provide a framework to guide K-12 school leaders to build and evaluate digital-age school capacity by identifying essential criteria for digital learning in schools, resulting in the development of the Digital Learning Implementation Framework for Education (D-LIFE). Geographically dispersed digital learning experts contributed to a six-round Delphi study gaining consensus on 148 essential criteria for school administrators and policymakers to appraise strategic evaluation of technology implementation. When compared to prominent frameworks, D-LIFE confirmed high-level alignment with ISTE Essential Conditions, providing a comprehensive evaluation framework for K–12 schooling not addressed in prominent standards or frameworks.     

Flow and the pedagogical affordances of computer games: a case study

Drawing on the theories of symbolic interactionism, social constructivism, and flow, this research examines the integration of the electronic game of the World Food Programme of the UN “Food Force” in a unit on active citizenship and poverty eradication. The research was conducted in two ninth-grade classes of an urban high school in Cyprus. Data were collected from interviews with students and teachers (before and after the implementation), observations in the classroom, the reflective diary of the researcher, and two questionnaires for the students (before and after the implementation). Data analysis showed, among others, that the integration of the game reinforced the active participation of students in the course by evoking their interest and the creation of a “flow” state while using the game. Moreover, the game emerged as a tool for constructing an engaging learning experience through the interactions it supported and encouraged. The results highlight the importance of the use of computer games in education, especially in times that the pedagogical practices need urgent renewal in order to engage students in classroom settings.     

‘Beyond the seventh fold’: A historical account of a natural product chemist

If entrenched workings of a social and cultural milieu strongly and selectively conspires to quell within an individual any notion toward a career in science, what makes such a person act and persist to the contrary? If that persistence prevails over or in the face of strong opposition, what accounts for the success? When such success brings about a degree of conceptual change in the social environment of an emerging branch of science, what kind of person whose scientific contributions help promote the change emerges from the fray? This paper is an historical account of such a person, one of the early natural product chemists who entered the field against discouragements and who remained determined when rejected in violation of publicly acclaimed principles that called for acceptance. Without any conscious attempt to direct its internal or external content, the paper is both analytical and social. The message suggests that there are philosophical views from some quarters we have ignored but perhaps should allow to enter the ongoing debate about curriculum reform. It is also a message to science and science education that perhaps we, all of us, ought to take more seriously than we do the universality of science and scientific talent.     

Moving Beyond the Ableist Roots of Educational Psychology: Audit of the Field and a Path Forward

Educational Psychology Review - In the current literature review, we studied the articles published between 2010 and July 2020 in six prominent educational psychology journals to determine the...     

Teaching human genetics with mustard: rapid cycling Brassica rapa (fast plants type) as a model for human genetics in the classroom laboratory

We have developed experiments and materials to model human genetics using rapid cycling Brassica rapa, also known as Fast Plants. Because of their self-incompatibility for pollination and the genetic diversity within strains, B. rapa can serve as a relevant model for human genetics in teaching laboratory experiments. The experiment presented here is a paternity exclusion project in which a child is born with a known mother but two possible alleged fathers. Students use DNA markers (microsatellites) to perform paternity exclusion on these subjects. Realistic DNA marker analysis can be challenging to implement within the limitations of an instructional lab, but we have optimized the experimental methods to work in a teaching lab environment and to maximize the “hands-on” experience for the students. The genetic individuality of each B. rapa plant, revealed by analysis of polymorphic microsatellite markers, means that each time students perform this project, they obtain unique results that foster independent thinking in the process of data interpretation.     

Going Beyond Belief Systems: Exploring a Model for the Social Influence on Mathematics Teacher Beliefs

This article discusses an approach to teacher belief systems which casts an eye away from cognitive constructs toward sociological constructs to complement existing ideas about the nature and genesis of beliefs. I offer some theoretical ideas for extending the notion of beliefs and describe two contrasting senior mathematics teachers, conceptualising the basis for their differences. These differences move away from beliefs about mathematics, toward ideological and discursive positions which in turn construct the nature of beliefs about teaching and learning.     

Beyond intelligence: a meta-analytic review of the relationship among metacognition,intelligence, and academic performance

This meta-analytic study estimated the correlations among metacognition, intelligence, and academic performance. Metacognition is higher order cognition and one of the most significant predictors of academic performance. The purpose of this study was to examine the degree to which metacognition predicted academic performance when controlling for intelligence. The analysis of 149 samples from 118 articles revealed that, overall, metacognition weakly correlated with both academic performance and intelligence, and that these relationships were moderated by the type of measurement of metacognition. Furthermore, it was found that metacognition predicted academic performance when controlling for intelligence. Our findings indicate the importance of metacognition in educational practice and provide guidance for assessing metacognition in future research.