A Competence-Oriented Approach to Models and Modelling in Lower Secondary Science Education: Practices and Rationales Among Danish Teachers

A new science curriculum, with a significant emphasis on modelling, was recently adopted in Danish lower secondary education. The theoretical intentions behind the new curriculum include substantial changes to how teachers should address models and modelling in their practice. The purpose of this study is to analyse the alignment between the intentions and arguments for integrating models and modelling into science education, on the one hand, and teachers’ practices and rationales for integrating models and modelling into their teaching practice, on the other. First, this study outlines a theoretical competence-oriented modelling framework. This framework describes what kind of knowledge and practice of models and modelling needs to be integrated into teaching to accomplish a competence-oriented approach in this regard. Second, against the background of this framework, we conducted an empirical study of three teacher-teams’ talk about modelling and their practice of integrating models and modelling in their teaching. Our findings suggest that the participating teachers’ practices and rationales for integrating models and modelling into their teaching are characterised by a product-oriented approach that is not well aligned with competence-oriented teaching. Finally, we provide ideas for improving the alignment between theoretical intentions and teachers’ practice, targeted at science educators and curriculum designers.

     

Examining the relationship among student perception of support, course satisfaction, and learning outcomes in online learning

Support for student learning is a key element in optimizing student learning experiences in any learning environment and its importance has been widely discussed. This study looked at student support, particularly in the course context, focusing mainly on guidance provided to students within a course. Three categories of support were identified and used for the purpose of this study: instructional, peer, and technical support. A total of 110 students completed an online survey on students' perceptions of support and course satisfaction in an undergraduate online course at a large southeastern university. The results showed perceived support was significantly related to their overall satisfaction of the online course. The findings of this study suggest that teachers should communicate what types of support are available to students and provide an easy way of accessing and taking advantage of the support.     

An Academic Program Profile: Wayne State University

Since 1948, the Learning Design and Technology (LDT) program at Wayne State University has been offering degrees. Presently, the LDT program offers PhD, EdD, master's, and undergraduate degrees and two certificates. The degrees are delivered using various methods including face‐to‐face, blended, and online. The program focuses on the application of learning sciences and relevant disciplines to improve performance in organizations. The program has two concentration tracks: design and performance systems and learning technologies. Four full‐time and seven adjunct faculty are engaged in various research initiatives and projects with funding in excess of $5 million total. The faculty members serve in leadership roles in several academic and professional associations. In terms of programmatic initiatives, the LDT faculty members have renovated their programs to help make sure students can complete all required courses in 2 years, and the PhD in 4 years. They also are initiating a full‐time research intensive program. With capable faculty members and an excellent curriculum, the LDT program at Wayne State University nurtures competent scholars and professionals. —Sung “Pil” Kang, Ph.D. and Yeol Huh, Ph.D. column editors     

Assessment of step accuracy using the Consumer Technology Association standard

The purpose of this study was to compare the accuracy of commercially-available physical activity devices when walking and running at various treadmill speeds using CTA 2056: Physical Activity Monitoring for Fitness Wearables: Step Counting, standard by the Consumer Technology Association (CTA). Twenty participants (10 males and 10 females) completed self-paced walking and running protocols on the treadmill for five minutes each. Eight devices (Apple iWatch series 1, Fitbit Surge, Garmin 235, Moto 360, Polar A360, Suunto Spartan Sport, Suunto Spartan Trainer, and TomTom Spark 3) were tested two at a time, one per wrist. Manual step counts were obtained from video to serve as the benchmark. The mean absolute percent error (MAPE) was calculated during walking and running. During walking, three devices: Fitbit Surge (11.20%), Suunto Sport (22.93%), and TomTom (10.11%) and during running, one device, Polar (10.66%), exceeded the CTA suggestion of a MAPE < 10%. The Moto 360 had the lowest MAPE of all devices for both walking and running. The devices tested had higher step accuracy with running than walking, except for the Polar. Overall, the Apple iWatch series 1, Moto 360, Garmin, and Suunto Spartan Trainer met the CTA standard for both walking and running.     

A Kantian view of Suits’ Utopia: ‘a kingdom of autotelically-motivated game players’

In this paper, I engage the debate on Suits’ theory of games by providing a Kantian view of Utopia. I argue that although the Kantian aspects of Suits’ approach are often overlooked in comparison to its Socratic-Platonic aspects, Kant’s ideas play a fundamental role in Suits’ proposal. In particular, Kant’s concept of ‘regulative idea’ is the basis of Suits’ Utopia. I regard Utopia as Suits’ regulative idea on game playing. In doing so, I take Utopia to play a double role in Suits’ theory of games. First, it highlights the primary condition of possibility of game-playing, namely, the lusory attitude. Second, it provides a normative criterion that serves as a critical principle to evaluate instances of game playing and as a counterfactual assumption that makes game playing possible. I provide further support for my Kantian interpretation of Suits’ Utopia by bringing to light the anthropological assumptions upon which Utopia is built. In doing so, I argue that both Suits’ theory of games, in general, and his Utopia, in particular, lay out the conditions of possibility of game playing, not an analysis on the life most worth living.     

Non-formal basic education as a development priority: Evidence from Nicaragua

Almost 900m adolescents and adults are illiterate in the developing world, yet most policy discussions focus on the educational circumstances of primary aged children. As a result non-formal educational programs for adolescents and adults are given very little support, and this group is virtually ignored in international agreements such as the millennium declaration. This article presents the first serious attempt at evaluating the impact of a non-formal education program. Results show significant learning achievement over the academic year, as well as strong development impacts of the program in non-learning dimensions of participants’ lives. These positive impacts, plus the significantly lower unit costs and self-targeted nature of the program provide strong evidence that this type of program can be an important part of the poverty reduction and human capital enhancement strategy of developing countries with large illiterate adult populations.     

Interest-Driven Learning Among Middle School Youth in an Out-of-School STEM Studio

The concept of connected learning proposes that youth leverage individual interest and social media to drive learning with an academic focus. To illustrate, we present in-depth case studies of Ryan and Sam, two middle-school-age youth, to document an out-of-school intervention intended to direct toward intentional learning in STEM that taps interest and motivation. The investigation focused on how Ryan and Sam interacted with the designed elements of Studio STEM and whether they became more engaged to gain deeper learning about science concepts related to energy sustainability. The investigation focused on the roles of the engineering design process, peer interaction, and social media to influence youth interest and motivation. Research questions were based on principles of connected learning (e.g., self-expression, lower barriers to expertise, socio-technical supports) with data analyzed within a framework suggested by discursive psychology. Analyzing videotaped excerpts of interactions in the studio, field notes, interview responses, and artifacts created during the program resulted in the following findings: problem solving, new media, and peer interaction as designed features of Studio STEM elicited evidence of stimulating interest in STEM for deeper learning. Further research could investigate individual interest-driven niches that are formed inside the larger educational setting, identifying areas of informal learning practice that could be adopted in formal settings. Moreover, aspects of youth’s STEM literacy that could promote environmental sustainability through ideation, invention, and creativity should be pursued.     

初为人父

正【阅读难度:】初为人父是什么感觉呢?面对一个既陌生又熟悉的小生命,不知所措?欣喜若狂?文中这位新手爸爸看着自己刚出世的儿子,感慨颇多。他看着小儿子的一颦一笑,还从地质学的角度感慨沧海桑田世事变迁。他不断惊叹造物者的伟大,能创造出一个让他一眼就爱上的完美小生命。     

The Public Discussion on Flat Earth Movement

Science & Education - The paper reflects on public discourses about science and pseudoscience, proposing the same discursive structure for both—the Esperantist-Epideictic genre. This...