From the research: Myths worth dispelling: Seriously,the game is up

When new media and delivery systems are introduced, they are often accompanied by claims that they provide increased learning. The temptation to ascribe learning powers to delivery systems is strong, as evidenced by repeated attempts over many decades to do so. A relatively new arrival, serious games are currently the recipient of much attention in this regard. In a new meta‐analysis of learning in training programs with or without games, Sitzmann (in press) suggests that delivering training via simulation games enhances learning, while she also acknowledges that instructional methods—not delivery systems—provide the ingredients that facilitate learning. If blog posts and Internet articles provide a useful indication, many practitioners are furthering claims for increased learning and retention via serious games. These claims provide fertile ground for a new set of myths about this relatively new delivery system. Before choosing to invest in acquiring or developing serious games, decision makers should consider (a) instructional methods and (b) whether they will realize benefits from a cost and implementation perspective. They should not select serious games because of claims that the games will intrinsically enhance learning.     

风险态度在建设项目风险决策中的应用

项目实施过程中,常需要对众多的风险进行评价,根据风险的客观水平判断风险的可接受性,进而对风险的管理和控制方案做出正确决策。但是,不同决策者对待风险的态度是不同的,风险能被接受,除了考虑风险的客观水平外,还应该注意风险态度对决策者的影响。文章应用效用理论来度量人们的风险态度,并将风险态度应用到建设项目风险决策中进行多方案风险综合比较、风险管理措施经济分析及风险管理方案选择。     

Facebook Versus Moodle in Practice

Very few research papers and case studies have shown successful integration of both Facebook and Moodle in the educational experience of students. This study sought to evaluate the educational benefits of the increasingly popular Facebook—which plays an important role in students’ social life as well as their academic life—and to compare it with the widely used course management system Moodle. In this study, the authors surveyed students of the University of Belgrade’s Faculty of Organizational Science in Serbia on their attitude toward Facebook and Moodle as productive online tools for teaching and learning. An analysis of the results was carried out using the SPSS software package. The results of this research answer the question of whether or not using Facebook as an educational tool is more effective than using Moodle and how it affects students’ everyday learning activities.     

基于构件配置的SCM研究

From supply-push mode to demand-pull mode, SCM systems will face four main points: (1) real time visibility that covers the whole supply chain, (2) agility for choice of supply and source, (3) response to diverse customer demands and short delivery deadlines, and (4) rapid occurrence of new products following the market trends and new designs. Component-based SCM has become a hot spot in research areas. A multi-layer framework is set up, including a database server layer, an application server layer, a kernel component layer and a user interface layer. Some function components are designed, which are optimal planning arithmetic components, controller components and evaluation indexes components, in order to suit both discrete and continuous manufacturing. This paper studies a three-dimensional SCM configuration method based on the types of enterprise, manufacturing and products, provides powerful tools for SCM system implementations, and adopts an object-oriented technology to construct component-based distributed information system to assure right time, right materials, right place, right quantity and right customers.     

基于项目管理的配置管理方案及其应用

在软件配置管理有关理论和技术基础上,着重从应用角度探讨在软件开发过程中有效实施配置管理的实施方案以及在配置管理中的规范、流程定义和工具三个要素之间的关系。结合实际研发的项目对整个配置管理在项目开发过程中的应用进行描述,结合项目案例对配置管理的实施和效果进行量化分析和比较,探讨不同项目中其他方式的版本管理组织方式。     

Exploring the influence of gender and gaming competence on attitudes towards using instructional games

Digital games are evolving beyond the solitary context into a ubiquitous, social and collaborative experience. Addressing beliefs about technology and attitudes towards technology‐mediated processes is fundamental to the successful implementation of any innovation. In collaborative gaming, attitude towards gaming influences learners' interactions along the domain, technology and community dimensions. Building on various seminal works, an instrument was developed for measuring four components of attitude towards gaming—affective components, perceived control, perceived usefulness and behavioural components. The survey, including 21 statements each scored on a 5‐point Likert scale, was used with a sample of college students to investigate the influence of gender and gaming competence on attitude towards gaming. The pedagogical implications of the different attitude components are discussed in relation to game design and to the different interactions triggered by the gaming context.     

从游戏视角看幼儿教育

游戏是幼儿最基本的活动,是一种特殊的社会性活动,对幼儿身心健康发展有着重要的作用。游戏是无功利性的,幼儿教师不仅自身要正确对待游戏教育,更要引导家长正确看待游戏,使"幼教小学化"不要借着"基本普及学前教育"这股东风愈演愈烈。幼儿教师应该意识到幼儿园课程的选择以及评价体系的"无目的性",以免给"应试教育"和"幼儿教育小学化"一个"繁衍"的温室。游戏的愉快性是游戏的本质所在,幼儿教师要真正地把游戏看作幼儿发展的活动,不要把游戏仅仅作为吸引孩子的"噱头"。     

Emotions about Teaching about Human-Induced Climate Change

Global climate change is receiving increasing attention as a classroom topic. At the same time, research has shown that individuals have strong emotions about the topic. Emotions about controversial topics and individuals' dispositions toward knowledge have been shown to influence judgments about these topics. This study examined the relationships among preservice elementary and in-service secondary science teachers' emotions about and plausibility perceptions of climate change, background knowledge of weather and climate distinctions (a principle related to understanding climate change), and dispositions toward knowledge. Teachers' topic emotions (anger and hopelessness) were significant predictors of plausibility perceptions, with more anger associated with lesser plausibility and greater hopelessness associated with higher plausibility. Decisiveness—an urgent desire to reach closure—was also significantly related to plausibility perceptions with greater decisiveness associated with reduced plausibility perceptions. In-service secondary teachers who do not currently teach about climate change exhibited greater anger and decisiveness than preservice elementary teachers and in-service secondary teachers who do teach about climate change. Implications for climate literacy education are discussed.     

Exploring identities to deepen understanding of urban high school students' sexual health decision‐making

Sexual health is a controversial science topic that has received little attention in the field of science education, despite its direct relevance to students' lives and communities. Moreover, research from other fields indicates that a great deal remains to be learned about how to make school learning about sexual health influence the real‐life choices of students. In order to provide a more nuanced understanding of young people's decision‐making, this study examines students' talk about sexual health decision‐making through the lens of identities. Qualitative, ethnographic research methods with twenty 12th grade students attending a New York City public school are used to illustrate how students take on multiple identities in relation to sexual health decision‐making. Further, the study illustrates how these identities are formed by various aspects of students' lives, such as school, family, relationships, and religion, and by societal discourses on topics such as gender, individual responsibility, and morality. The study argues that looking at sexual health decision‐making—and at decision‐making about other controversial science topics—as tied to students' identities provides a useful way for teachers and researchers to grasp the complexity of these decisions, as a step toward creating curriculum that influences them. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 47:742–762, 2010     

A review of five African board games: is there any educational potential?

Studies of African indigenous games often focus on a specific game or on games from different regions. This article, rather, examines five popular African board games in order to find the similarities and differences among these games. The analysis shows similarities among them. However, these similarities do not necessarily mean that these games are identical. The review of the games indicates that these games are different when elements such as rules and play are used to study them. This article also demonstrates that these board games are tools that can be integrated into the curriculum through a discussion of the educational affordance of each game. The article is an invitation to educators and game researchers to broaden the definition and exploration of game-based learning.     

The Role of Learning Tasks on Attitude Change Using Cognitive Flexibility Hypertext Systems

In this study, the authors examined the impact of task assignment on the effectiveness of a Web-based experiential exercise based on cognitive flexibility theory to enlighten learner attitudes toward the ill-structured topic of sexual harassment. In the research study, we sought to shed light on the use of a cognitive flexibility approach when measuring attitude changes. Specifically, in this study, we examined whether a learning task assigned to the learner impacts his or her attitude toward the emotionally charged and complex topic of sexual harassment. Results suggest a task need to be carefully constructed so that learners may adapt their attitudes toward sexual harassment.     

Video Game–Based Learning: An Emerging Paradigm for Instruction

Interactive digital media, or video games, are a powerful new medium. They offer immersive experiences in which players solve problems. Players learn more than just facts—ways of seeing and understanding problems so that they “become” different kinds of people. “Serious games” coming from business strategy, advergaming, and entertainment gaming embody these features and point to a future paradigm for eLearning. Building on interviews with leading designers of serious games, this article presents case studies of three organizations building serious games, coming from different perspectives but arriving at similar conclusions. This article argues that such games challenge us to rethink the role of information, tools, and aesthetics in a digital age.     

Video game–based learning: An emerging paradigm for instruction

Interactive digital media, or video games, are a powerful new medium. They offer immersive experiences in which players solve problems. Players learn more than just facts—ways of seeing and understanding problems so that they “become” different kinds of people. “Serious games” coming from business strategy, advergaming, and entertainment gaming embody these features and point to a future paradigm for eLearning. Building on interviews with leading designers of serious games, this article presents case studies of three organizations building serious games, coming from different perspectives but arriving at similar conclusions. This article argues that such games challenge us to rethink the role of information, tools, and aesthetics in a digital age.     

Designing Educational Video Games to Be Objects-to-Think-With

In this article we propose that educational game design should work to create games as objects-to-think-with—games that engage players in the exploration of and experimentation with personally interesting questions around domain-relevant representations. We argue that this design focuses on developing tools and interactions that the player can use for inquiry and productive thinking. As a step toward achieving this goal, we propose the constructible authentic representations design principle and illustrate this principle using a prototype game, Particles!, for exploring the particulate nature of matter. Observations of game play and interviews with 9 children ages 11–14 suggest that core game representations and mechanics provided players with a space for engaging in useful scientific practices and knowledge resources for reasoning about the important role molecular structure plays in material properties beyond the game. We explore how this design proposal extends and complements existing constructivist game design frameworks. Furthermore, we suggest that the framework of games as objects-to-think-with should push the educational game design community to consider the complexity and nuance of cognition and to embrace and champion the learner in game design.     

Communications Approaches to a Cleaner Environment

Abstract

Recent studies of ideologies of sustainable farmers and conventional farmers suggest that these two groups have differing beliefs, values, and attitudes on agriculture and rural life. Although awareness of these differing attitudes and values is an important step in moving toward educational programs and policies for a more sustainable agriculture, actual behavior may not be predictable from this knowledge. A mail survey of Iowa farmers with membership in Practical Farmers of Iowa, a sustainable agriculture organization, was used to examine the attitude—behavior relationship of these farmers and the role social influences play in this relationship. Attitude and social influence scales were developed, as well as a chemical input index that measures commitment to sustainable practices. The results indicate that, when controlling explanatory factors, the attitude—behavior relationship is moderate and the social influences examined do not facilitate this relationship. Implications for educational programs and policies of these findings are discussed.     

Construction and Validation of an Instrument to Measure Taiwanese Elementary Students’ Attitudes toward Their Science Class

The main purpose of this study is to develop a valid and reliable instrument for measuring the attitudes toward science class of fourth‐ and fifth‐grade students in an Asian school culture. Specifically, the development focused on three science attitude constructs—science enjoyment, science confidence, and importance of science as related to science class experiences. A total of 265 elementary school students in Taiwan responded to the instrument developed. Data analysis indicated that the instrument exhibited satisfactory validity and reliability with the Taiwan population used. The Cronbach’s alpha coefficient was 0.93 for the entire instrument indicating a satisfactory level of internal consistency. However, both principal component analysis and parallel analysis showed that the three attitude scales were not unique and should be combined and used as a general “attitudes toward science class” scale. The analysis also showed that there were no gender or grade‐level differences in students’ overall attitudes toward science class.     

Creative Giftedness Is Not Just What Creativity Tests Test: Implications of a Triangular Theory of Creativity for Understanding Creative Giftedness

Creativity tests, at best, measure only a small sliver of the whole of creative giftedness. These tests assess aspects of creative intelligence. But creativity is at least as much a conscious decision and even an attitude toward life as it is a traditionally defined ability. This article discusses how well-intentioned gifted educators may be following the wrong path by overly relying on tests of creativity to measure creative giftedness. This article presents a triangular theory of giftedness that conceptualizes creativity largely as an attitude toward life rather than as ability based.     

简论康熙皇帝对西学的态度

康熙皇帝对西学表现出了浓厚的兴趣。有人据此认为康熙皇帝学习西学、倡导西学。其实，康熙对西学的态度并非积极倡导，他无论对西学怎样感兴趣，都是为了借助西学维护和巩固自己的统治，西学只是康熙的御用品而已。康熙对西学的态度只是利用并非倡导。     

探究CRM域版本控制与SCM智能终端的实现过程

结合成熟的SVN版本管理工具同SCM软件配置管理理论,从CRM域版本管理的工作需要角度出发,叙述了SCM过程中的变更控制和版本控制。使用开源软件SUBVER-SION和APACHE搭建支持WEB访问的版本管理工具系统,提出了基于智能终端安全访问,有效地使变更处于便捷、科学、有效的受控状态。     

我国中小企业实施SCM的必要性和可行性探析

在市场竞争日益激烈的今天,我国的中小企业要想在市场竞争中立于不败之地,一条重要的途径就是实施供应链管理。着重从实施供应链管理有利于中小企业规模经济的实现,有利于分散中小企业的经营风险,有利于中小企业快速有效地响应市场需求,有利于节点企业竞争力的提升,同时也是中小企业寻求自身长期发展的必然要求。从五个方面对中小企业实施供应链管理的必要性进行了初步探讨,并在此基础上就中小企业实施供应链管理的可行性也作了初步的分析。