A working memory model applied to mathematical word problem solving

The main objective of this study is (a) to explore the relationship among cognitive style (field dependence/independence), working memory, and mathematics anxiety and (b) to examine their effects on students’ mathematics problem solving. A sample of 161 school girls (13–14 years old) were tested on (1) the Witkin’s cognitive style (Group Embedded Figure Test) and (2) Digit Span Backwards Test, with two mathematics exams. Results obtained indicate that the effect of field dependency, working memory, and mathematics anxiety on students' mathematical word problem solving was significant. Moreover, the correlation among working memory capacity, cognitive style, and students’ mathematics anxiety was significant. Overall, these findings could help to provide some practical implications for adapting problem solving skills and effective teaching/learning.     

The consistency effect in word problem solving is effectively reduced through verbal instruction

In mathematical word problem solving, a relatively well-established finding is that more errors are made on word problems in which the relational keyword is inconsistent instead of consistent with the required arithmetic operation. This study aimed at reducing this consistency effect. Children solved a set of compare word problems before and after receiving a verbal instruction focusing on the consistency effect (or a control verbal instruction). Additionally, we explored potential transfer of the verbal instruction to word problems containing other relational keywords (e.g., larger/smaller than) than those in the verbal instruction (e.g., more/less than). Results showed a significant pretest-to posttest reduction of the consistency effect (but also an unexpected decrement on marked consistent problems) after the experimental verbal instruction but not after the control verbal instruction. No significant effects were found regarding transfer. It is concluded that our verbal instruction was useful for reducing the consistency effect, but future research should address how this benefit can be maintained without hampering performance on marked consistent problems.     

论张翎小说中的生命意识

在当今海外华文女作家中,张翎以其开放的文化眼光和独特的精神气质而独树一帜。她的作品蕴含了丰富的生命意识,有对人类择水而居的生命隐喻,有对人类共性的积极探讨,有对美好生活的孜孜以求,有对苦难命运的坚忍超越,也有对人生无常的清醒认识,更有对人性光辉、人情温暖的揭示和悲天悯人的宗教情怀。所有这些无不体现了张翎对人类命运的哲学思考和对生命的终极关怀。     

A developmental investigation of word length effects in reading using a new on-line word identification paradigm

Third and fifth grade children (average age 8.6and 10.6 years) and adult participants weretested with printed words of varying length ina new on-line identification task (theluminance increment paradigm, LIP) and aspeeded naming task. Effects of general length(length in letters, phonemes and syllables)were shown to decrease systematically with agein both tasks. Third grade children showedsubstantial effects of word length while theeffect practically disappeared in adults. Ingeneral, this developmental pattern was alsofound when separately examining effects ofphonological length (with length in lettersheld constant) and small unit length (withnumber of syllables held constant), althoughsome differences were observed in performancein the identification and the naming task. Thetwo tasks also showed different developmentalpatterns, with the greatest gain in performancearising between 3rd and 5th grade inthe naming task, and the largest improvementoccurring between 5th grade and adults inthe identification task. The results suggestthat the new luminance increment paradigm canbe usefully applied as an on-line measure ofprinted word perception in beginning readers.     

Manipulatives and number sentences in computer aided arithmetic word problem solving

In this study we investigated the relative contribution of two main components often used in the instruction of arithmetic word problem solving to first-grade children and children with learning problems, external representation with manipulatives and formal mathematical representation with number sentences. Four computer aided treatments were developed along these dimensions. Furthermore, an assessment control group was formed.It was shown that performance improved significantly after treatment in comparison to the performance of the assessment control group. Comparison of the different training conditions showed that a number sentence treatment was the most effective training component. However, this effect was only present with the relatively high competent children and not with the relatively low performing children.     

PLC梯形图转换Word文档问题的研究

文章介绍了利用PLC软件绘制的梯形图转入Word文档的几种方法,并重点对利用AdobeAcrobatProfessiona软件做为工具进行转换进行了较为详细的介绍,为打印利用PLC软件绘制的梯形图质量的提高提出了一种行之有效的方法。     

Intensive scaffolding in an intelligent tutoring system for the learning of algebraic word problem solving

The term intensive scaffolding refers to any set of conceptual scaffolding strategies that always allow the user to find the solution to a problem. Despite the many benefits of scaffolding, some negative effects have also been reported. These are mainly related to the possibility that a student solves the problems without actually engaging in their content. In this paper, we have used an intelligent tutoring system (ITS) to analyze the effect that intensive scaffolding has on the learning of algebraic word problem solving (AWPS). Two different versions of the ITS, which differ in the amount of scaffolding that they provide, have been created. These two versions were used by two groups of students in Secondary Education, in a quasi‐experimental study. The comparison of pre‐ and posttest scores shows a significant increase of the competence in AWPS in the group that used the ITS with intensive scaffolding.     

基于内嵌Word技术的学报稿件管理系统方案

对大学学报稿件管理的业务流程进行了较为全面系统的分析,提出了采用内嵌Word技术解决以往学报稿件管理系统不能很好处理稿件文档的瓶颈,同时基于工作流建立全流程全在线的管理模式,减轻编辑部繁重的工作,并在作者、编辑部、审稿专家之间建立了通畅的管理渠道。     

Word learning: An ERP investigation of word experience effects on recognition and word processing

Adults of varying reading comprehension skill learned a set of previously unknown rare English words (e.g., gloaming) in three different learning conditions in which the type of word knowledge was manipulated. The words were presented in one of three conditions: (1) orthography-to-meaning (no phonology); (2) orthography-to-phonology (no meaning); and (3) phonology-to-meaning (no orthography). Following learning, participants made meaning judgments on the learned words, familiar known words, and unpresented (unlearned) rare words while their ERPs were recorded. The behavioral results showed no significant effects of comprehension skill on meaning judgment performance. Contrastingly, the ERP results indicated comprehension skill differences in P600 amplitude; high-skilled readers showed stronger familiarity effects for learned words, whereas less-skilled readers did not distinguish between learned words, familiar words, and unlearned words. Evidence from the P600 and N400 illustrated superior learning of meaning when meaning information was coupled with orthography rather than phonology. These results suggest that the availability of word knowledge (orthography, phonology, and meaning) at learning affects subsequent word identification processes when the words are encountered in a new context.     

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.     

Mathematics word problem solving for deaf students: a survey of practices in grades 6-12

One hundred and thirty-three mathematics teachers of deaf students from grades 6-12 responded to a survey on mathematics word problem-solving practices. Half the respondents were teachers from center schools and the other half from mainstream programs. The latter group represented both integrated and self-contained classes. The findings clearly show that regardless of instructional setting, deaf students are not being sufficiently engaged in cognitively challenging word problem situations. Overall, teachers were found to focus more on practice exercises than on true problem-solving situations. They also emphasize problem features, possibly related to concerns about language and reading skills of their students, rather than analytical and thinking strategies. Consistent with these emphases, teachers gave more instructional attention to concrete visualizing strategies than to analytical strategies. Based on the results of this study, it appears that in two of the three types of educational settings, the majority of instructors teaching mathematics and word problem solving to deaf students lack adequate preparation and certification in mathematics to teach these skills. The responses of the certified mathematics teachers support the notion that preparation and certification in mathematics makes a difference in the kinds of word problem-solving challenges provided to deaf students.     

欧洲近代两次文学思潮对人生意义的影响

在欧洲中世纪,由于神学占统治地位,人成为神的奴隶,失去了自身价值.文艺复兴开始了人神之争,人文主义者明确提出了人生的目的是追求幸福,还人以本来面目.启蒙运动又更进一步要求变革社会制度,从审视人生走向审视社会,从对社会制度的改造中实现人的自由平等权利,将人生的意义提高为追求人类的普遍幸福.     

Effects of word and morpheme familiarity on reading of derived words

The purpose of this study is to examine factors that influence students’ reading of derived words. Recent research suggests that the lexical quality of a derived word depends on the familiarity of the word, its morphemic constituents (i.e., base word and affixes), and the frequency with which the base word appears in other words (i.e., members of the same word family or family frequency). On the premise that better and more experienced readers have higher quality lexical representations, we explore the extent to which accuracy of reading derived words by 4th and 6th graders is related to measures of familiarity, including derived and base word frequencies, family size, average family frequency, and word length. The results of an exploratory factor analysis indicated that these measures formed two factors, one representing morphemic constitution and the second representing exposure to the word family; both factors accounted for significant variance in the students’ derived word reading. Comparisons of sets of derived words contrasted on familiarity properties showed that performance on derived words, overall, is better for 6th than 4th graders and for good than poor readers. On the measures of family frequency and family size, there were significant discrepancies between grade level and reading ability and frequency characteristics. These add support to the view that morphemic analysis and wide reading experience contribute to derived word reading.     

The influence of reading unit size on the development of Stroop interference in early word decoding

The purpose of the experiments was to determine the automatic use of large or small word reading units in young readers in the absence of word decoding strategies. Picture-word Stroop interference was examined from four types of conflicting labels: (a) words containing both highly predictable grapheme–phoneme correspondence (GPC) units and highly consistent rime units (henceforth, Hi-GPC + Hi-Rime); (b) words with highly predictable GPC units and less consistent rime units (Hi-GPC + Lo-Rime); (c) words with low predictability GPC units and highly consistent rime units (Low GPC + High Rime); (d) nonwords that contained both highly predictable GPC and highly consistent rime units. Naming time for pictures containing these labels was compared against that for pictures with random letter strings or no labels. In Experiment 1, Stroop interference was examined in first, second, and third grade children to determine whether there was developmental change in the presence of rime or GPC interference. In Experiment 2, Stroop interference was examined as a function of relative reading skill in first grade children. In Experiment 3, Stroop interference in adults was compared to the use of rime or GPC pronunciation strategies for nonword reading. In all experiments, Stroop interference in picture naming was longer for pictures with highly predictable GPC unit labels than less predictable GPC unit labels. However, in Experiment 3, even though adults showed interference from predictable GPC units in the Stroop task, they always preferred rime pronunciation for ambiguous nonwords in the nonword reading task. It is argued that the current experiments provide evidence for a flexible units model. The results of this study were presented at the Cognitive Development Society meeting, November 2001, Virginia Beach, VA, and the American Educational Research Association meeting, April 2004, San Diego, California.     

Influence of word meaning on the acquisition of a reading vocabulary in second-grade children

The acquisition of a reading vocabulary for abstract and concrete words was examined in 62 second-grade children. Words had been learned as part of a basal reader program or as part of outside reading. Word recognition speed and reading accuracy were examined for abstract and concrete words using lexical decision and word naming tasks. The size of the concreteness effect was similar for both processing tasks. In neither task did concreteness influence reaction times, but abstract words were read with less accuracy than concrete words in both tasks. Further, these concreteness effects in reading accuracy were larger for words that were part of a basal reading program than for words acquired during free reading. We conclude that word meaning influences the entry of words at a time when children are developing a sizeable reading vocabulary.     

The effects of morphology and word length on the reading of Hebrew nominals

This article investigated the effects of twospecific Hebrew nominal word structures andword length, on the latency and accuracy ofgrade school children's reading ofwords. For this study, three-, four- and five-letterwords of the feminine nominalderivative structure and the feminine nominalinflectional structure, at three differentgrade levels, were used. The study alsodifferentiated between an additional vocalizedconsonant and the addition of a vowel letter.The participants, 150 native monolingual Hebrewspeakers in grades two, four and six, wereasked to read vocalized nouns. The paperreports and analyzes the differences in thereading of the two morphological structures andword lengths to draw conclusions about theireffects on reading performance. The resultsindicated that inflections took longer to readand elicited more correct responses thanderivations. For derivations with theprogression of grade level, latency becomesshorter and the number of correct responsesincreases. For inflections with the progressionof grade level, latency becomes longer but thenumber of correct responses increases. With theaddition of a consonant at all grade levels,latency becomes longer. For accuracy, therewere differential results for the differentword lengths in the different grades. With theaddition of a vowel letter, accuracy increasedin all the grade levels. Latency, for the twoword lengths, showed differential results inthe different grades. A hypothesis on readingdevelopment is suggested based on the language-specificcharacteristics of Hebrew morphologyand the double vowel system of Hebrew.     

Confirmatory factor analysis of word recognition and process measures in the Colorado Reading Project

Measures of word recognition (REC) and two component skills, phonological coding (PHON) and orthographic coding (ORTH), were subjected to multivariate behavioral genetic analysis. Data were obtained from a sample of identical and fraternal twin pairs wherein at least one member of each pair was reading disabled (RD), and from a sample of twins wherein both members of each pair read in the normal range. Confirmatory factor analysis was used to fit the genetic, common environmental, and specific environmental covariance components for REC, PHON, and ORTH within the RD and normal simples. The resulting heritability estimates for REC, PHON, and ORTH were 0.59, 0.41, and 0.05 in the RD sample, and 0.35, 0.52, and 0.20 in the normal sample. After dropping the nonsignificant common environment parameters from the models, the genetic correlations between REC and PHON and between REC and ORTH were respectively 0.81 and 0.45 in the RD sample, and 0.68 and 0.45 in the normal sample. Differences between the genetic correlations were significant in the RD sample (p<0.005), marginally significant in the normal sample (p<0.10), and highly significant in the combined sample (p<0.001), indicating that genetic influences on individual differences in REC are more strongly related to genetic variance in PHON than in ORTH. These results are consistent with previous demonstrations of substantial genetic covariance between the disabled group's deficits in REC and PHON, but not between REC and ORTH (Olson et al., 1989; Olson and Rack, 1990).     

Precession of the equinoxes and its importance in calendar making

Just like the axis of a rotating top, the axis of the Earth moves in a conical path about the ecliptic pole and completes it in about 25800 years. This motion of the Earth is known as precession. Due to this precessional motion, the equinoctial points experience a westward motion and hence the cardinal points shift their positions with the passage of time. In this article, the causes of precessional motion and its effect on calendar preparation are discussed. Utpal Mukhopadhyay obtained his MSc degree in Applied Mathematica from the University of Calcutta in 1986 and since then he is serving as a teacher of Barasat Satyabharti Vidyapith. He is actively engaged in science popularisation programme and regularty writes popular and semipopular articles on astronomy, mathematics and physics in various journals of India and abroad.     

在化学教学中培养学生的问题意识

学生问题意识的欠缺是目前制约研究性学习活动的一个重要因素。在化学教学中培养学生的问题意识已成当务之急。其基本途径可以从转变教育观念、创设问题情境、改进实验教学、实施开放教学等多方面着手。