Schooling and the development of central conceptual structures: An example from the domain of children's narrative

A neo-Piagetian model is presented, and used as a framework for interpreting the developmental changes that take place in children's narrative compositions, between 4 and 10 years of age. An instructional program is then described, which is aimed at producing an increase in the developmental level of children's narratives. The program is shown to have an impact not just on the level of stories children generate, but on the extent of their story-recall as well, and on their level of understanding of a wide variety of social interactions. It is suggested: (a) that the reason for the broad transfer is that the program led to the development of a central conceptual structure; and (b) that the method that was used in designing the problem may serve as a model for designing similar programs in other content domains, where the development of such structures is considered a worthwhile objective.     

开放教育案例分析教学模式初探

案例分析教学模式在实践中有较大的应用价值.探讨案例教学的理论基础、结构程序及操作中应注意的问题等,对开放教育及其教学模式的发展有着重要作用.     

An investigation of tertiary students' understanding of evaporation,condensation and vapour pressure

Based on a purposive sample of 15 second‐year chemical engineering students, this study investigates students' conceptions of evaporation, condensation and vapour pressure. During individual interviews the students were questioned on three tasks that had been designed around these topics. Qualitative analysis of student responses showed a range of conceptions in each area, including some misconceptions. A key underlying misconception was the belief that evaporation and condensation require a temperature gradient in order to take place. Many students changed their initial (incorrect) answers when presented with further physical evidence as the interview progressed. The study points to the importance not only of practical work, but of associated conceptual discussions that allow students to reflect on and refine their conceptions.     

Approaches to learning in a second year chemical engineering course

Students' approaches to learning in a second year chemical engineering course were investigated by means of a qualitative research project which utilized interview and journal data from a group of 11 students. Three approaches to learning were identified in this context: a conceptual approach (similar to the classic deep approach), in which the intention is to understand concepts; an algorithmic approach, in which the focus is on calculation methods; and an information-based approach, in which the intention is to gather and remember information. The latter two approaches can both be considered forms of the surface approach in that the fundamental intention does not involve understanding. This paper presents an analysis of students' responses to a series of conceptual questions in which the use of particular approaches is identified. The research presented in this paper supports the notion that particular forms of deep and surface approaches might be found in specific contexts.     

Reported topics of conversation among same‐sex adults

Conversational topics among same‐sex adult friends, co‐workers, siblings, parents and children were studied. A self‐report questionnaire revealed that women's talk tends to focus on family, relationship problems, men, health, pregnancy and menstruation, food, things they've read, movies, television, clothing, and rape. Men talk more about women, sex, money, news, sports, hunting and fishing. No sex difference was found in the most frequent topic of conversation in each context. Same‐sex friends of either sex are most likely talk about the other sex, co‐workers most frequently discuss work, and sisters, brothers, mothers and daughters, fathers and sons, talk most often about family.     

Emergent interactions: rethinking the relationship between teaching and learning

The relationship between teaching and learning is represented in contemporary higher education research which has looked at the correlations between students’ approaches to learning and teachers’ approaches to teaching. This article proposes a rethinking of this relationship, building on a critical realist perspective. Here, the teaching–learning interaction is argued to be emergent from the activities of teaching and of learning, and it is this emergent property which provides the explanatory mechanism for the relationship between them. Support for this position is located in recent work by Paul Ashwin and also in the sociology of Margaret Archer.     

The adoption and social impacts of information technology in U.S. agriculture

Abstract

By 1986 (a decade after their invention) microprocessors had diffused to about 18 percent of all U.S. households and 6 percent of U.S. farmers. In addition to general consumer uses, farm households in the United States utilize microcomputers for such small business applications as record keeping, word‐processing, payroll handling, etc. A special application of microprocessor technology occurred in 1980–1981 when 200 Kentucky farmers participated in a trial of the Green Thumb Box, a video‐text system providing market, weather, and technological information. The nature of the information needs of U.S. farm people seems to fit well with the new information technologies built around the microprocessor, although little of this potential has yet been realized. Since that experiment, videotex has shown itself to have doubtful value as a channel for the distribution of agricultural information, leaving open the question of what might be the best technological vehicle for this audience. Research is needed on two issues: (1) the adoption and use of the new communication technologies, and (2) their social impacts on rural society.