美国科技编辑概况

在美国 ,科技编辑是一个逐渐被认可的领域。美国的科技编辑们在什么环境下工作 ?他们做什么 ?有什么样的教育背景 ?用什么样的体例手册和其他资源 ?有什么组织为他们服务 ?他们对哪些话题和事件有职业兴趣 ?文章描述了美国科技编辑的概况 ,着重说明上面这些问题。本文的写作在很大程度上依赖于我为科技编辑委员会的期刊《科技编辑》做编辑的经验。本文中 ,“科学”具有广泛的含义 ,包括医学及其相关领域。的确 ,在美国许多科技编辑是医学编辑。　　 工作环境和工作类型在美国 ,有各种各样的媒体雇佣科技编辑 ,这些媒体包括杂志、图书、大众…     

Patterns of Instructional-design Factors Prompting Reflective Thinking in Middle-school and College Level Problem-based Learning Environments

Reflective-thinking skills are important in problem-based learning environments as they help learners become deeply engaged in learning. The literature suggests several instructional-design factors (e.g., environment, teaching methods, scaffolding tools) that may prompt reflection in learners. However, it is unclear whether these factors differ based on age or developmental stage. The results of this study indicate that middle-school students perceive the learning environment factor as more important to prompting their thinking, while college students perceive the scaffolding methods factor as more important. While the elements clustered into two factors, most college students disagreed with their helpfulness in prompting reflective thinking, a finding opposite to that obtained for middle-school students. Different patterns were also found between learners’ perceptions of the most helpful elements within each factor. Based on these results, suggestions are given for designing developmentally and age-appropriate PBL learning environments that support reflective thinking.     

Meeting the Dual Goals of Content Knowledge and English language learning: A study of the CCUEI curriculum materials

This article reports a study on the China-Canada-United States English Immersion (CCUEI) Moral Education and Social Studies (MESS) curriculum materials for elementary classes (Grades 3–6) with the aim of learning how the curriculum addressed the dual goals of MESS content and English language learning. An analysis comparing the CCUEI third grade MESS textbook with an equivalent level Chinese textbook demonstrates how China’s national standards in MESS and English education can be met, and drawbacks encountered in the process. The CCUEI textbook was found to embrace grade level MESS content standards, but showed a varied degree of depth of content across standards. The textbook addressed all of the general goals of Level One English language learning (Grades 3–4) and most of the language skills indicators (16 out of 20). An additional in-depth teacher survey provided a user’s perspective on MESS materials. The teachers rated the textbook highly for its activity-centered format and knowledge-rich content. They emphasized the importance of teaching English language as preparation for the MESS content teaching, and asked for more systematic support in language teaching from curriculum materials.     

The chameleon on a tartan rug: adaptations of three academic developers’ professional identities

This paper builds on discussions of academic developers’ identity experienced as a discomfiting, troubled, and often marginal space. Three experienced academic developers, located in research-intensive institutions in three different countries, using auto-ethnographic writing and a shared narrative inquiry, explore moments of congruence and conflict. While there are elements that sustain them in their job, the categorisation of their role can impact on their ability to do their job, undermining their credibility. This can prevent them from engaging in research that could enrich practice in their institutions and inform institutional strategy or change the culture in teaching and learning. Instead they are forced into discomfit: having to defend their right to be involved in the institutional discussions. The most worrying issue is the pervasive trend in the change of academic developers’ status (from tenure-track academic peers to professionals).     

The role of the self-system in self-regulated learning

Until recently, general assumptions were made about the importance of the self-system in self-regulation (e.g., importance of self-concept, self-efficacy, self-esteem), but the more specific underlying structures and processes of the self-system that are involved in this self-management process were rarely addressed. This article presents theoretical and empirical support for a preliminary causal model of the role of the self-system in self-regulated learning. The model postulates that for self-regulated learning processes to be engaged, students must view themselves as activators of these processes (i.e., they must possess positive self-views in general as well as have specific perceptions of competency and control in particular learning situations). The model also postulates a recursive and reciprocal relationship between the processes involved, such that continual self-evaluations of competency and control can force changes in perceptions of self, the learning task, goal importance, etc., that, in turn, exert continuing influences on motivation, use of self-regulatory processes, and actual task performance. Educational implications of the model are discussed along with future research directions.     

Energy balance of locomotion with pedal-driven watercraft

In this study, we examined the mechanics and energetics of locomotion with a paddle-wheel boat and a water bike. Power output (Wtot) was measured directly on the water bike by means of an instrumented chain-ring. The simultaneous assessment of oxygen uptake (VO2) allowed the computation of the "overall" efficiency of locomotion (etao = Wtot/VO2). Mean etao was 0.27 (s = 0.02), which was unaffected by the speed, and was assumed to be the same for the two boats as both are semi-recumbent bicycles. For the paddle-wheel boat, Wtot was then obtained from etao and measures of VO2. The power to overcome (passive) drag was calculated as Wd = D x v (where D is the force measured by means of a load cell when towing the boats at given speeds). Propelling efficiency was calculated as etap = Wd/Wtot, which was lower with the paddle-wheel boat (mean 0.35, s = 0.01) than with the water bike (mean 0.57, s = 0.01). The observed differences in etap and Wd explain why at the highest speed tested (approximately 3 m s(-1), the energy required to cover a unit distance with the water bike is similar to that required to move the paddle-wheel boat at 1.3 m s-1).     

Distance education plans: Course planning for online adult learners

TechTrends - There can be an untethered excitement connected with ever-expanding technologies and the vastness of educational opportunities that online learning generates. Yet, these new and...     

Components of reading comprehension and scholastic achievement

The aim of this study was to understand whether the reading comprehension process is better explained by a single or by multiple factors. 184 students (9 to 13 years old) were presented with a recently devised battery of tests, that measure ten aspects of reading comprehension. Structural equation modelling showed that a two factors model better accounts for the data compared to a one or a three factors model. Results confirmed the hypothesis which distinguishes between ‘basic’ and ‘complex’ aspects of reading comprehension. The second goal of the study was to analyze the relationship between the two-components model and scholastic achievement. Our results highlighted that the more ‘complex’ aspects of reading comprehension, reflecting some metacognitive knowledge and control processes, are the better predictors of scholastic achievement.     

Teacher Testing and Certification: An Historical Perspective from Ontario

Certification tests for elementary teachers in Ontario were introduced in 1871 and in 2002. Although the provincial government’s stated goals for the testing programs were similar, the 2002 program was opposed by the initial teacher education programs and the teachers’ associations, but the 1871 program was not. The authors argue that much of this difference can be attributed to the relationship of the tests to other requirements for certification and the process for determining the content of the tests.