The effects of the cooperative learning method supported by multiple intelligence theory on Turkish elementary students’ mathematics achievement

In the present experimental study, the effects of the cooperative learning method supported by multiple intelligence theory (CLMI) on elementary school fourth grade students’ academic achievement and retention towards the mathematics course were investigated. The participants of the study were 150 students who were divided into two experimental (used CLMI) and two control groups (used traditional method). “Mathematics Achievement Test,” “Teele Inventory for Multiple Intelligences” and “Personal Information Form” were used as the measurement instruments of the study. The findings of this research have indicated that CLMI has a more significant effect on academic achievement than the traditional method. Yet, regarding the retention scores, CLMI has not significant effect on retention.     

Visual conceptualizations and models of science

This is the Guest Editor's introduction to the Special Issue on “Science of Science: Conceptualizations and Models of Science”, Journal of Informetrics. The introduction discusses challenges towards a theoretically grounded and practically useful science of science. It provides a brief chronological review of relevant work and argues for (1) the development of common frameworks for the comparison and combination of existing approaches, theories, laws, and measurements, (2) the combination of quantitative and qualitative studies of science, and (3) the operationalization of theoretical concepts in terms of measurement and empirical evidence. Next, three visual conceptualizations of science are discussed and compared. Each of them provides a framework for the comparison and combination of existing works, means to combine quantitative and qualitative data, and helps to operationalize and communicate theoretical concepts using empirical data. Last but not least, the contributions of and interlinkages among the papers included in this issue are discussed.     

A method to integrate patterned electrospun fibers with microfluidic systems to generate complex microenvironments for cell culture applications

The properties of a cell’s microenvironment are one of the main driving forces in cellular fate processes and phenotype expression invivo. The ability to create controlled cell microenvironments invitro becomes increasingly important for studying or controlling phenotype expression in tissue engineering and drug discovery applications. This includes the capability to modify material surface properties within well-defined liquid environments in cell culture systems. One successful approach to mimic extra cellular matrix is with porous electrospun polymer fiber scaffolds, while microfluidic networks have been shown to efficiently generate spatially and temporally defined liquid microenvironments. Here, a method to integrate electrospun fibers with microfluidic networks was developed in order to form complex cell microenvironments with the capability to vary relevant parameters. Spatially defined regions of electrospun fibers of both aligned and random orientation were patterned on glass substrates that were irreversibly bonded to microfluidic networks produced in poly-dimethyl-siloxane. Concentration gradients obtained in the fiber containing channels were characterized experimentally and compared with values obtained by computational fluid dynamic simulations. Velocity and shear stress profiles, as well as vortex formation, were calculated to evaluate the influence of fiber pads on fluidic properties. The suitability of the system to support cell attachment and growth was demonstrated with a fibroblast cell line. The potential of the platform was further verified by a functional investigation of neural stem cell alignment in response to orientation of electrospun fibers versus a microfluidic generated chemoattractant gradient of stromal cell-derived factor 1 alpha. The described method is a competitive strategy to create complex microenvironments invitro that allow detailed studies on the interplay of topography, substrate surface properties, and soluble microenvironment on cellular fate processes.     

Vimentin networks at tunable ion-concentration in microfluidic drops

The structure and function of biological systems, for example, cells and proteins, depend strongly on their chemical environment. To investigate such dependence, we design a polydimethylsiloxane-based microfluidic device to encapsulate biological systems in picoliter-sized drops. The content of each individual drop is tuned in a defined manner. As a key feature of our method, the individual chemical composition is determined and related to the drop content. In our case, the drop content is imaged using microscopy methods, while the drops are immobilized to allow for long-time studies. As an application of our device, we study the influence of divalent ions on vimentin intermediate filament networks in a quantitative way by tuning the magnesium concentration from drop to drop. This way we are able to directly image the effect of magnesium on the fluorescently tagged protein in a few hundreds of drops. Our study shows that with increasing magnesium concentration in the drops, the compaction of the networks becomes more pronounced. The degree of compaction is characterized by different morphologies; freely fluctuating networks are observed at comparatively low magnesium concentrations of 5–10 mM, while with increasing magnesium concentration reaching 16 mM they develop into fully aggregated networks. Our approach demonstrates how a systematic study of interactions in biological systems can benefit from the exceptional controllability of microfluidic methods.     

Acoustophoretic microfluidic chip for sequential elution of surface bound molecules from beads or cells

An acoustophoresis-based microfluidic flow-chip is presented as a novel platform to facilitate analysis of proteins and peptides loosely bound to the surface of beads or cells. The chip allows for direct removal of the background surrounding the beads or cells, followed by sequential treatment and collection of a sequence of up to five different buffer conditions. During this treatment, the beads/cells are retained in a single flow by acoustic radiation force. Eluted peptides are collected from the outlets and subsequently purified by miniaturized solid-phase extraction and analyzed with matrix assisted laser desorption mass spectrometry. Fundamental parameters such as the system fluidics and dispersion are presented. The device was successfully applied for wash and sequential elution of peptides bound to the surface of microbeads and human spermatozoa, respectively.     

Institutional narratives within the performative preschool in Sweden: ‘if we write that we're no good,that's not good publicity!’

An increasingly important part of the work of preschool staff in Sweden today is to present their activities outwardly, including producing and presenting quality accounts of their activities and making them visible to a public audience. To grasp the local narratives, interviews were conducted with a few teachers and their school leader, aiming to describe how they reason about the work of formulating their activities in publicly accessible documents, and the consequences of this work. Theoretical concepts used for analysis and conclusions are performativity, which views performances as a means of control and change, and institutional narratives, as means to understand the effects of the local context on how activities and teaching are performed. Results show that the staff find and discuss detours in the presentation of their activities, where possible failings are made opaque. Paradoxically, such ‘detour actions’ will at the same time be disciplinary as the teachers adjust to the logic of performativity. Implications for policy and practice are discussed.     

Enhanced speed control of a DC servo system using PI + DF controller tuned by stochastic fractal search technique

Since Proportional?+?Integral?+?Derivative (PID) controller is still the workhorse in taking over the workload of process control systems, this article introduces a new design methodology toward improving the performance of such controller. After a PI control law with windup protection is given, it is combined with a derivative path employing a first-order low pass filter in an innovative way to develop a performant controller called PI?+?DF controller. In attempting to attain a high level of control performance, gains of this controller including proportional, integral, derivative and filter gains are tuned choosing the recently introduced Stochastic Fractal Search (SFS) algorithm owing to its superiority to many state-of-the-art algorithms considering convergence, accuracy and robustness. To evaluate the efficacy of SFS, Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) is also applied to the case study. Furthermore, the presented SFS optimized PI?+?DF controller is compared to a recently reported control scheme through simulation and experimental tests on an identical DC servo system. After providing the stability proof, SFS tuned PI?+?DF controller is found to be the pioneer in exhibiting the most accurate speed response profile under complicated scenarios, which is followed by PSO tuned PI?+?DF controller and the existing control approach, respectively.     

For the oppressed teacher: stay real!

This article addresses teachers’ challenges in relation to other stakeholders, in light of funding policies and evaluation mechanisms. In particular, a condition where pressures toward high pass rates or ‘throughput’ in the degree system provide a good negotiation position for students with little learning orientation as to their aspirations after credit units is considered. This condition is intensi?ed by the fact that the mere completion goals of non-learning-oriented students align with the collective goals of administration (university), given the throughput-based funding policies. A teacher willing to honorably exercise the profession is, then, ‘squeezed in between.’ Daily teaching endures by the incorporation of the wrong kind of ?exibility, which undermines the education system. This problematic pattern is reviewed, and a remedy proposed by drawing on Freire and considering a recent theorization by Sutton on the position of an academic under a neoliberalist condition.     

Varying access to professional,special educational support: a total population comparison of special educators in Swedish independent and municipal schools

Independent schools are securely established in the Swedish education system. Prior research shows they generally have fewer pupils in need of support and lower proportions of special educators. Here, results are presented from a total population study of Swedish special educators (n = 4252) examined after 2001. The aim was to explore and compare the occupational situations of special educators working in Swedish municipal and independent schools. This is done by studying their occupational situations and the values they express regarding identification of – and work with – special support. The results show that while the respondents are demographically similar and express similar values, they have very different occupational situations. Those employed in independent schools have fewer years’ experience as special educators, are more often employed part‐time than full‐time and are more likely to hold other positions in schools (such as head teacher) than those employed in municipal schools. The results further illustrate different organisational approaches towards special educational support. Apparent is that independent schools offer professional special educational resources to a lower degree and utilise them differently. This is likely to influence the situation of pupils in need of support, and has consequences for the image of the Swedish education system.