Mathematics in Physics Education: Scanning Historical Evolution of the Differential to Find a More Appropriate Model for Teaching Differential Calculus in Physics

Despite its frequent use, there is little understanding of the concept of differential among upper high school and undergraduate students of physics. As a first step to identify the origin of this situation and to revert it, we have done a historic and epistemological study aimed at clarifying the role and the meaning of the differential in physics and at improving curricular and teaching models in the sense of Gilbert et al. (Gilbert J.K., Boulter C., & Rutherford, M.: 1998a, International Journal of Science Education 20(1), 83–97, Gilbert J.K., Boulter C., & Rutherford, M.: 1998b, International Journal of Science Education 20(2), 187–203). We describe the contributions of Leibniz and Cauchy and stress their shortcomings, which are overcome by the alternative definition proposed by the French mathematician Fréchet, dating from early 20th century. As a result of this study, we answer to some fundamental questions related to a proper understanding of the differential in physics education (for 17–19 years old students).     

V型知识地图在企业知识管理中的应用研究

基于目前知识地图在企业知识管理应用中普遍存在的一些问题,提出了V型知识地图的设计方法、应用模型和技术架构,试图通过V型知识地图开放式的框架体系,启发式的知识构建,促进组织中知识的应用与创新,为企业知识管理提供新的解决之道。     

Copyright or copyleft?: An analysis of property regimes for software development

Two property regimes for software development may be distinguished. Within corporations, on the one hand, a Private Regime obtains which excludes all outsiders from access to a firm's software assets. It is shown how the protective instruments of secrecy and both copyright and patent have been strengthened considerably during the last two decades. On the other, a Public Regime among hackers may be distinguished, initiated by individuals, organizations or firms, in which source code is freely exchanged. It is argued that copyright is put to novel use here: claiming their rights, authors write ‘open source licenses’ that allow public usage of the code, while at the same time regulating the inclusion of users. A ‘regulated commons’ is created. The analysis focuses successively on the most important open source licenses to emerge, the problem of possible incompatibility between them (especially as far as the dominant General Public License is concerned), and the fragmentation into several user communities that may result.     

Language and theory of mind: a study of deaf children

Theory-of-mind (ToM) abilities were studied in 176 deaf children aged 3 years 11 months to 8 years 3 months who use either American Sign Language (ASL) or oral English, with hearing parents or deaf parents. A battery of tasks tapping understanding of false belief and knowledge state and language skills, ASL or English, was given to each child. There was a significant delay on ToM tasks in deaf children of hearing parents, who typically demonstrate language delays, regardless of whether they used spoken English or ASL. In contrast, deaf children from deaf families performed identically to same-aged hearing controls (N=42). Both vocabulary and understanding syntactic complements were significant independent predictors of success on verbal and low-verbal ToM tasks.     

Locus and nature of perceptual phonological deficit in Spanish children with reading disabilities

The aims of this study were (a) to determine whether Spanish children with reading disabilities (RD) show a speech perception deficit and (b) to explore the locus and nature of this perceptive deficit. A group of 29 children with RD, 41 chronological age-matched controls, and 27 reading ability-matched younger controls were tested on tasks of speech perception. The effect of linguistic unit (word vs. syllable) and type of phonetic contrast (voicing, place and manner of articulation) were analyzed in terms of the number of errors and the response time. The results revealed a speech perception deficit in Spanish children with RD that was independent of the type of phonetic contrast and of linguistic unit.     

Connecting languages: the use of the portfolio as a means of exploring and overcoming frontiers within the curriculum

The Linguistic European Policy stresses the importance of linguistic diversity and encourages students to learn several languages, believing that the more languages we know, the better we can understand each other and preserve our languages. To preserve diversity and to value all the languages (either included in the curriculum or not) is a first step to develop a plurilingual and intercultural competence in the classroom as a means of overcoming frontiers between languages and between people. A second step is to work with teachers and to value what they know by helping them to find new and innovative answers to meet these professional challenges. Thus, this paper describes the work within a project for professional development of a group of in‐service language teachers. The teacher education programme suggests a portfolio‐oriented language learning and teaching approach that promotes plurilingualism. We will analyse the teachers' starting point and their willingness to work within an innovative and challenging approach. The analysed data include a questionnaire prior to the starting of the programme and three written reflections at the end of the programme concerning professional development, new concepts, teaching approach and working habits. The conclusions indicate that the teachers were not familiar with either the concept of plurilingualism or the portfolio‐oriented language learning and teaching approach. Nevertheless, they clearly show their willingness to try a new approach in their teaching practice.

La politique linguistique européenne défend l'importance de la diversité linguistique et encourage l'apprentissage de diverses langues, en croyant que la maîtrise de plusieurs langues augmente la capacité de comprendre les autres et de préserver nos propres langues. Préserver et valoriser toutes les langues (présentes, ou pas, dans le curriculum scolaire) est le début du développement de la compétence plurilingue et interculturelle. Ceci constitue un moyen de dépasser les barrières entre des langues et des peuples différents. Un deuxième pas est le travail avec les enseignants, en valorisant leurs connaissances et en les aidant à découvrir de nouvelles réponses, capables de faire face aux défis de la gestion de la diversité. Cet article décrit le travail mené au sein d'un programme de formation continue destiné à un groupe d'enseignants de langues. Ce programme de formation se construit autour d'une approche plurilingue où le portfolio est le concept‐clé. Le texte présente l'analyse du point de départ des enseignants, en explicitant leurs prédispositions à travailler d'une autre façon. Les données analysées incluent les réponses à un questionnaire antérieur au programme de formation et trois réflexions écrites à la fin de ce même programme à propos du développement professionnel (nouveaux concepts, nouvelle approche, nouvelles habitudes). Les résultats montrent que les enseignants n'étaient familiarisés ni avec le concept de plurilinguisme ni avec l'utilisation du portfolio. Toutefois, les enseignants révèlent le désir d'essayer une nouvelle approche dans leurs pratiques d'enseignement.

La política lingüística europea defiende la importancia de la diversidad lingüística y alienta a aprender varios idiomas, en la convicción de que cuantos más idiomas sabemos, mejor podemos entendernos y preservar nuestros idiomas. Preservar y valorar todas las lenguas (estén o no presentes en el currículum) es un primer paso para desarrollar una capacidad plurilingüe e intercultural en clase, que se convierte en un medio de superar las barreras entre idiomas y entre pueblos. Un segundo paso es trabajar con profesores, valorando lo que saben y ayudándolos a descubrir nuevas e innovadoras respuestas para su desarrollo profesional en momentos de cambios. Este escrito describe el trabajo llevado a cabo en el marco de un proyecto para el desarrollo profesional de un grupo de profesores en un instituto, a partir de un programa de formación sobre enseñanza y aprendizaje de idiomas basado en el porfolio. Analizaremos el punto de partida de su camino y la predisposición para trabajar un abordaje innovador y desafiante del currículum. Los datos analizados incluyen las respuestas a un cuestionario anterior al programa de formación y tres reflexiones escritas en el término de ese programa, sobre desarrollo profesional, nuevos conceptos y hábitos de trabajo. Las conclusiones indican que los profesores no estaban familiarizados ni con el concepto de plurilingüismo ni con la enseñanza y aprentisage de idiomas basado en el porfolio. Sin embargo, evidencian predisposición para intentar nuevos abordajes en sus practicas profesionales.

Die Europäische Sprachenpolitik legt grossen Wert auf die linguistische Vielfalt. Eine der Prioritäten ist demnach, Schüler zum Erlernen mehrerer Fremdsprachen zu motivieren. Diese Idee basiert auf der Grundlage, dass das Erlernen mehrerer Sprachen nicht nur eine bessere Verständigung zwischen Kulturen ermöglicht, sondern auch die eigene Sprache und Kultur erhält. Die linguistische Vielfalt zu erhalten und grossen Wert auf alle Sprachen zu legen (im Lehrplan beinhaltet oder nicht) stellt einen ersten Schritt dar, eine mehrsprachige und interkulturelle Kompetenz im Klassenzimmer zu entwickeln, zur Überwindung von Grenzen zwischen Sprachen und Leuten. Ein zweiter Schritt ist die Arbeit mit Lehrern, in der deren Vorkenntnisse wichtig genommen werden und ihnen damit geholfen werden soll, neue Antworten für die entsprechenden beruflichen Herausforderungen auszuarbeiten. In diesem Vortrag soll die Zusammenarbeit mit einer Lehrergruppe im Rahmen einer beruflichen Weiterbildung beschrieben werden. Das Lehrerausbildungsprogramm schlägt ein portfolio‐orientiertes Sprachlernen und Unterrichten vor, das Sprachenvielfalt fördert. Es soll analysiert werden, aus welchen Ausgangspunkten die Lehrer kommen und welche Bereitschaft sie zu einer innovativen Unterrichtspraxis zeigen. Die analysierten Daten, ein Fragebogen vor Programmbeginn und drei schriftliche Reflexionen am Ende des Programms, beziehen sich auf professionelle Entwicklung neuer Konzepte, Unterrichtspraxis und Arbeitsmitte. Die Schluβfolgerungen zeigen, dass die Lehrer weder mit dem Konzept der Mehrsprachigkeit noch mit dem portfolio‐orientierten Sprachlernen und Unterrichten vertraut waren. Andererseits deuten sie auf eine Bereitwilligkeit von Seiten der Lehrer, eine neue Herangehensweise ihre Unterrichtspraxis zu erproben.     

Evaluation and publication delay in Ibero-American scientific journals

This article analyses the review, acceptance and publication dates of a sample of 21,890 articles from 326 Ibero-American scientific journals from all subject areas and countries included in the Latindex Catalogue 2.0 and published between 2018 and 2020 (freely available as an open access dataset). The aim is to discover evaluation and publication times. The evaluation process takes a median of 110 days, the publication process, a median of 82 days, and the whole process, a median of 224 days. Statistical differences are found according to periodicity, subject areas, countries, existence of a printed version and article type (Call for Papers or General articles). From the data we find that the delay in publication is longer than publishers themselves report to the DOAJ. STEM areas present the most similarity in publication patterns, having a higher number of evaluation days (Ed) than publication days (Pd); Arts and Humanities present the opposite pattern, with a higher Pd than Ed. In the case of Social Sciences, the times are similar. General articles and Call for Papers articles differ in terms of Ed, but not Pd, indicating that Call for Papers revisions are faster.     

服务科研创新的高校大型仪器条件平台建设

对高校大型仪器条件平台建设的基础、意义、思路和重点进行了分析和探讨,从整体规划布局、规范管理、开放共享、完善制度、创新发展等方面总结了平台建设的成功经验,以更好地推进仪器条件平台建设,服务科研创新。     

寓于语境的听力教学

语言的理解与语境是密不可分的。在英语教学中,听力理解作为一项输入性技能,它是实现用英语进行交际的基础,听力水平也成了衡量外语学习者总体语言能力的一个重要因素。然而在实际的课堂教学中,许多老师会发现尽管听力材料简单,语法、单词都没有障碍,但是学生却只能获得一些零散的信息,无法利用这些零散的语素组合出完整的意义。由于不知如何解读组合所得的信息,而常常使学生听力结束后陷入一种＂混沌＂的状态。为了解决这一问题,在研究听力教学及语境理论的基础上,教学者应结合自身教学经验,将听力教学巧妙地寓于语境之中。     

浅谈开放实验室对物流工程专业研究型人才培养

开放实验室是培养学生创新能力和综合素质的重要基地之一,实验室开放训练是物流工程专业研究型人才培养能力获取的重要环节。物流工程专业学生通过在开放实验室进行专业基础技能、专业综合设计、自选课题型综合训练及科研创新型实验等不同程度的实验,可获得关于物流工程专业的基础理论、知识和技能,以及综合设计能力、前瞻能力和具有独立获取知识、提出问题、分析问题和解决问题的基本科研能力。