A clinical rationale for assessing rapid automatized naming in children with language disorders

Three continuous rapid naming tasks (Semel, Wiig, & Secord, 1995) were administered to 2,450 American, English-speaking, academically achieving individuals with typical language development and intellectual ability (ages 6 to 21 years) and 136 individuals with primary language disorders (LD; ages 6, 7, 9, 11, 12, 15-16). Naming time in seconds differed significantly (p < .01) between the groups for color naming (Task 1) at age 12, shape naming (Task 2) at age 6, and color-shape naming (Task 3) at ages 6, 7, 9, and 12. Naming accuracy did not differ significantly (p > .01) between groups at the majority of the age levels compared. In the normative group, naming speed increased with age in a monotonic progression. The developmental trajectory in the LD group was essentially parallel, but elevated. The percentages of individuals who failed the naming-time criteria for Task 3 (color-shape naming) differed significantly in the two groups at all ages compared (p < .05). These findings indicate that the requirements for two-dimensional, continuous naming (Task 3 color-shape naming) resulted in reduced naming speed (longer total times) and interference with fluency in language production in about half of the clinical sample.     

The circumplex model of the Questionnaire on Teacher Interaction among Hong Kong students: a multidimensional scaling solution

The Questionnaire on Teacher Interaction (QTI) is a teacher–student relationship measure whose underlying two-dimensional structure is represented in a circumplex model with eight sectors. Using Smallest Space Analysis (SSA), this study examined the circumplex structure of the Chinese version of the QTI among a convenience sample of 731 primary-school students in Hong Kong. The study revealed that the SSA solution fits the circumplex structure of the Model for Interpersonal Teacher Behavior and uncovered a two-dimensional solution yielding five sectors in a clockwise direction: Strict, Leadership-Helpful/Friendly-Understanding, Student Responsibility/Freedom, Uncertain, and Admonishing-Dissatisfied. While the Leadership-Helpful/Friendly-Understanding sector was the largest, the Student Responsibility/Freedom sector was the smallest, with few items constituting it. For the two dimensions, the vertical dimension was named Structure Clarity, with adherence to external structure (Strict sector) at one extreme and lack of structure (Uncertain sector and Student Responsibility/Freedom sector) at the other extreme. The horizontal axis was labelled Attitude Valence, with benevolent valence (Leadership sector, Helpful/Friendly sector and Understanding sector) at one end and malevolent valence (Admonishing sector and Dissatisfied sector) at the other end of the axis. The positioning of the five sectors in the present study is in line with the factor structure that was often found in previous research on the circumplex model. By presenting a somewhat different interpretation of the two dimensions and some additional items, we hope that future research will verify our suggestions across different sociocultural settings.     

Cross-Curricular Themes and Curriculum Reform in Hong Kong: Policy as Discourse

This paper critically evaluates the Hong Kong government's recent attempt to introduce cross-curricular themes into the school curriculum. It is argued that the policy failed to have a significant impact because many of its key elements defined the themes as marginal and dispensable. Moreover, the policy embodied a discourse which portrayed teachers as empowered and, consequently, as the primary source of problems of its implementation.     

在数学教学中如何加强数学语言教育

本文从数学语言与数学符号、数学符号与数学概念的关系出发，就如何加强数学语言教育提出几点建议。     

Collaborative and Competitive Video Games for Teaching Computing in Higher Education

This study measures the success of using a collaborative and competitive video game, named Space Race, to teach computing to first year engineering students. Space Race is played by teams of four, each with their own tablet, collaborating to compete against the other teams in the class. The impact of the game on student learning was studied through measurements using 485 students, over one term. Surveys were used to gauge student reception of the game. Pre and post-tests, and in-course examinations were used to quantify student performance. The game was well received with at least 82% of the students that played it recommending it to others. In some cases, game participants outperformed non-participants on course exams. On the final course exam, all of the statistically significant (p<0.05) comparisons (42% of the relevant questions) showed a performance improvement of game participants on the questions, with a maximum grade improvement of 41%. The findings also suggest that some students retain the knowledge obtained from Space Race for at least 7 weeks. The results of this study provide strong evidence that a collaborative and competitive video game can be an effective tool for teaching computing in post-secondary education.     

康熙用人探析

“人治”是中国封建社会的主要特征，是历代封建政治统治的核心内容。康熙在位期间，造就了中国封建社会历史上最后一个高峰，这与其用人政策是密不可分的。研究康熙的用人政策，对我们今天的反腐倡廉、政治体制改革，具有重要的借鉴意义。     

Talk the talk: Learner-generated podcasts as catalysts for knowledge creation

Podcasting allows audio content from one or more user-selected feeds or channels to be automatically downloaded to one's computer as it becomes available, then later transferred to a portable player for consumption at a convenient time and place. It is enjoying phenomenal growth in mainstream society, alongside other Web 2.0 technologies that enable Internet users to author and distribute rich media content quickly and easily. Instead of using the technology for the mere recording and dissemination of lectures and other instructor-centred information, the project reported on in this article focused on enabling students to create their own podcasts for distribution to their peers. The article describes how engaging in the podcasting exercise promoted collaborative knowledge building among the student-producers, as evidenced through focus-group interviewing and an analysis of the products of their shared dialogue and reflection. The findings suggest that the collaborative development of audio learning objects enabling student conceptualisations of disciplinary content to be shared with peers is a powerful way of stimulating both individual and collective learning, as well as supporting social processes of perspective-taking and negotiation of meaning that underpin knowledge creation.     

Attitudes and aspirations regarding engineering among Chinese secondary school students: comparisons between industrialising and post-industrial geo-engineering regions of Mainland China and Hong Kong

School-based pipelines/routes for university and technical engineering education are recognised as important for economic development and the high-school years are critical for shaping students’ career aspirations and attitudes. This study examined a range of attitudes/experiences on the aspirations of secondary students to pursue engineering education and vocation. Experiential/attitudinal aspects covered demographic characteristics, family/school support, practical learning experiences, curricular/extra-curricular experiences, attitudes, perceptions and engineering-efficacy that may affect aspirations. A validated questionnaire capturing these variables was administered to respective samples of secondary school students from four Chinese geo-engineering regions (Beijing, Guangzhou, Hong Kong and ShanXi; 5965 students) that represent differing degrees of industrialisation. Comparative analyses across regions show ‘doing’ engineering is key to motivating students’ aspirations; while regional variations suggest that schooling and family factors are generally more significant in industrialising Mainland cities, and extracurricular opportunities and personal factors are more significant for students in post-industrial Hong Kong.     

仁者在述说——刘春来小说的审美解读

刘春来继承和发扬了周立波的艺术旨趣和创作传统,他以仁者的审美情怀,用小说的表达方式,叙述新时期以来中国农村的历史变迁和农民的生存命运,为我们观照当代中国社会底层的芸芸众生及其日常生活、心路历程,提供了一幅幅具有审美深度的艺术画卷.     

Emotional intelligence and components of burnout among Chinese secondary school teachers in Hong Kong

The relationships among four components of emotional intelligence (emotional appraisal, positive regulation, empathic sensitivity, and positive utilization) and three components of teacher burnout (emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and reduced personal accomplishment) were investigated in a sample of 167 Chinese secondary school teachers in Hong Kong. One hypothesized and five competing models were constructed and tested using structural equation modeling procedures. The hypothesized model provided an adequate and moderately good fit, suggesting that emotional exhaustion, influenced by emotional appraisal and positive regulation, was causally prior to depersonalization and personal accomplishment, but personal accomplishment could develop relatively independently from the burnout components through the influence of positive utilization of emotions. Implications of the findings on the articulation of components of emotional intelligence and burnout for preventive intervention efforts to combat burnout are discussed.