The Impact of Learner’s Prior Knowledge on Their Use of Chemistry Computer Simulations: A Case Study

It is complicated to design a computer simulation that adapts to students with different characteristics. This study documented cases that show how college students’ prior chemistry knowledge level affected their interaction with peers and their approach to solving problems with the use of computer simulations that were designed to learn electrochemistry. Students with different prior knowledge levels were found to use different approaches to solving problems with the use of computer simulations. In particular, the cases showed that students with a high level of prior knowledge tended to use the equations and formulas to accomplish the learning tasks and then use the computer simulations to confirm their predictions. Students with a low level of prior chemistry knowledge used the computer simulations as the main resources to accomplish their tasks. Considerations of individual differences and the integration of learning materials were suggested for further research on instructional use of computer simulations.     

Size-dependent trajectories of DNA macromolecules due to insulative dielectrophoresis in submicrometer-deep fluidic channels

In this paper, we demonstrate for the first time that insulative dielectrophoresis can induce size-dependent trajectories of DNA macromolecules. We experimentally use λ (48.5 kbp) and T4GT7 (165.6 kbp) DNA molecules flowing continuously around a sharp corner inside fluidic channels with a depth of 0.4 μm. Numerical simulation of the electrokinetic force distribution inside the channels is in qualitative agreement with our experimentally observed trajectories. We discuss a possible physical mechanism for the DNA polarization and dielectrophoresis inside confining channels, based on the observed dielectrophoresis responses due to different DNA sizes and various electric fields applied between the inlet and the outlet. The proposed physical mechanism indicates that further extensive investigations, both theoretically and experimentally, would be very useful to better elucidate the forces involved at DNA dielectrophoresis. When applied for size-based sorting of DNA molecules, our sorting method offers two major advantages compared to earlier attempts with insulative dielectrophoresis: Its continuous operation allows for high-throughput analysis, and it only requires electric field strengths as low as ∼10 V∕cm.     

建立市场辅导机制下的"文化保护主义"体系——欧盟影视公共资助模式的思考

公共资助体系是欧洲国家对以影视为主导的文化创意产业的一系列重要的公共政策,起源于20世纪30年代。世界大战末期的欧洲成为美国电影及美国价值观主导的市场,如何保持欧洲产业的文化多样性和全球竞争力引起了欧洲业界的普遍危机认同。通过市场和文化的双轨措施实施的公共资助体系,开发出产业之区域整合与互惠模式,创造出一个全新的全球市场竞争力量,保持了欧洲各文化对美国文化强权的抗衡能力的政策模式和产业辅助体系。基于市场竞争和文化多样双重原则下建立起来的视听产业公共资助体系,以“经济和文化”的两手原则为指导,目的是为影视产业的市场化和文化价值服务,其建构的体系原则、资金来源、运营方式均值得尚处于产业化转型,尤其是文化体制改革进程中的中国影视业界借鉴。     

Using autobiographical queer life narratives of teachers to connect personal,political and pedagogical spaces

Autobiographical queer life narratives are communicative spaces where queer teachers take up personal issues of being, becoming, and belonging in contextual and relational analyses of their situated experiences. In this work w/e consider the challenges and risks involved in this research, which, when shared and probed in classroom spaces, is a dangerous exposition of the queer self. With these challenges and risks in mind, w/e examine how our narratives provide fugitive knowledge to inform a pedagogy of ‘resist-stance’ that recognizes, respects, and engages queer identity, difference, history and culture. W/e provide examples of this pedagogy, discussing teaching strategies currently being used to connect the personal, the political and the pedagogical in classroom spaces. W/e also speak of the difficulties of living out this pedagogy as transformative teaching to transgress queer erasure in hetero-normative educational practice.     

Analysing the professional development of teaching and learning from a political ethics of care perspective

This paper uses Tronto's political ethics of care as a normative framework to evaluate a model of teaching and learning professional development. This framework identifies five integrated moral elements of care – attentiveness, responsibility, competence, responsiveness and trust. This paper explicates on each of these elements to evaluate the piloting and implementation of a teaching and learning professional development model at a South African higher education institution. The political ethics of care was found to be a useful normative framework for a group of higher educators to reflect on the process of engaging in teaching and learning professional development in that it revealed the importance of differential power relations, the importance of working collaboratively and being attentive to the needs of both caregivers and care receivers.     

Lessons learned and tables turned: ‘(in)security’ and media representations in the 2018 World Cup

ABSTRACT

This essay follows up on an article published in Soccer & Society prior to the 2018 World Cup in Russia. There it was argued that this edition of the World Cup served as particularly interesting for the academic field focussed on sport-mega events (SMEs) and ‘security’, because of its uniquely securitized climate. Written immediately after the 2018 World Cup, the present essay reflects upon the event’s ‘security’ and mega-event security more broadly. It revisits some ‘security-related’ episodes. Then, special attention will be given the media discourse vis-à-vis ‘hooliganism’. The essay argues that the media discourse took an unorthodox ‘turn’ with regard to English ‘hooligans’, who, compared to past events, were portrayed as being ‘in risk’ – rather than being the group generating ‘the risk’ of football-related violence and public disorder.     

Stability of Observed Maternal Behavior Across Tasks,Time, and Siblings

Objective. To further understanding of the stability and variability in maternal behavior across tasks, time, and sibling pairs. Design. Mothers (a total of 451) were observed separately in interactions with two of their children across two tasks and three time points. Independent observers rated responsive and negative maternal behaviors. Results. Moderate to large correlations across tasks (responsivity = .51; negativity = .41), time points (responsivity = .40; negativity = .38), and siblings (responsivity = .56; negativity = .49) were found. Although these correlations indicate significant stability (i.e., consistency) of maternal behavior, they also indicate variability, with unexplained variance ranging from 69–84% for responsivity and 75–86% for negativity. Conclusions. Proportions of maternal behavior across tasks, time, and siblings can and cannot be accurately predicted given examination of maternal behavior in a comparable task, later time point, or sibling. The current study underscores the importance of considering both stability and variability as equally critical components for understanding maternal behavior.     

A European research on women and Engineering Education (2001-2002)

Preoccupied by the fact that the number of women involved in Engineering in Europe is increasing too slowly, a consortium (teams from seven countries) was created in 2001 with the aims to understand why is this the case, and to study means which exist and are effective in attracting women into Engineering training. In particular, an hypothesis was tested: does a significant percentage of Human and Social Sciences included in the training make a difference? Case studies in the different countries involved in the project and in four different technical fields were chosen. Interviews and questionnaires were used in order to have the point of view of academics and employers about women engineers, their training and their career. The report was presented to the EU in September 2002. Based on the study, conclusions and recommendations have been written, and are presented in the paper.