A framework for assessing mathematical creativity in school chilren

In spite of the neglect of the study of creativity specifically within the subject of school mathematics, the notion of creativity is apparently considered by many mathematical educators to be relevant and important in terms of children doing mathematics. Some of the research and literature associated with creativity in school mathematics, mainly from English speaking countries, is reviewed. Particular attention is given to attempts to assess creative ability in school mathematics. Two key aspects emerge: the ability to overcome fixations in mathematical problem-solving, and the ability for divergent production within mathematical situations. It is proposed that these might form the basis for a framework for fostering and rewarding mathematical creativity in schoolchildren.     

Second-order conditioned taste aversion in rats: Shared modality is not sufficient to promote an association between S2 and SI

Second-order conditioning (SOC) in pigeons, but not rats, appears to involve an association between the second-order stimulus (S2) and the first-order stimulus (SI). Nairne and Rescorla (1981) suggested it was the use of stimuli from the same modality that promoted an association between S2 and SI in pigeon SOC studies. In support of their hypothesis, they demonstrated that pigeons, like rats, did not form an association between S2 and SI when these stimuli were from different modalities. In this study, we sought to determine whether rats, like pigeons, would associate S2 with SI when these stimuli shared the same modality. Female Lister rats injected with LiCl after consuming .12M saline solution (SI) showed an aversion to a 15% sucrose solution (S2) that was subsequently paired with the saline. This was so regardless of whether S2 and SI had been presented sequentially (Experiment 1) or simultaneously (Experiment 2). Only in Experiment 2, however, did extinction of the aversion to saline diminish the aversion to sucrose; that is, employing stimuli from the same modality was not a sufficient condition, of itself, to allow rats to associate S2 with SI.     

Before studying in the humanities,what do students need?

What enables success for students studying in the humanities can be a contested space; dependent not only on the view taken on the content and purpose of specific subjects, but also on the nature of teaching and learning. This paper examines the process of redeveloping an elective unit in a Tertiary Enabling Programme to prepare students for study in undergraduate humanities areas. The research involved consulting with academics from different disciplines in a regional university and analysing their views on what enhances student success. These discussions are reviewed in light of literature on best practice in teaching and learning for foundation and first-year university students, particularly exploring Pierre Bourdieu’s notion of extending ‘cultural capital’ while expanding ‘habitus’ to emerge confidently into the field of academic life. We conclude that fostering students’ awareness of personal perspective on historical and contemporary events, alongside encouraging awareness of the constructed nature of meaning in particular events is central to developing the kind of thinking valued by lecturers in humanities subjects.     

Microcomputers in Mathematics Teaching

The use of computers is of considerable value for those learning mathematics. Their effective use depends upon adequate teacher education and the provision of sufficient hardware in classrooms where mathematics is taught. The purpose of using computers in mathematics classrooms is to engage learners' interest and involvement in the mathematics they are learning. To achieve this learners need to be in control of what they are doing. At present, turtle geometry and the use of relatively limited software packages appear to be most effective for this, but in the near future it should be possible to develop software tools which are both powerful and easy to use. These are likely to include information-retrieval packages; spreadsheets; and also 'microworlds' written in a language such as Logo or Prolog.     

Helping secondary schools to be more inclusive of Year 7 pupils with SEN

The authors, all District Senior Educational Psychologists (DSEPs), were asked by a Principal Education Officer to design and implement a funded project to support inclusion in the county. This action research project aimed to help secondary schools be more inclusive of their Year 7 pupils with special educational needs. Inclusion issues were identified using pupils’ responses to questionnaires based on the Index for Inclusion materials. Schools then formulated interventions to suit their particular needs. The impact of the interventions was evaluated one year later. Positive results are reported in terms of responses from the pupils with SEN.     

协调劳动力的教育与培训

非常高兴在这里作演讲,而且在这里我想向会议的主办方,并向中国的联合国相关机构表示感谢!我来自联合国教科文组织亚太地区教育局,该     

Evaluating two approaches to helping college students understand evolutionary trees through diagramming tasks

To understand evolutionary theory, students must be able to understand and use evolutionary trees and their underlying concepts. Active, hands-on curricula relevant to macroevolution can be challenging to implement across large college-level classes where textbook learning is the norm. We evaluated two approaches to helping students learn macroevolutionary topics. Treatment 1 is a laboratory for the software program EvoBeaker designed to teach students about evolutionary trees. We tested Treatment 1 among nine college-level biology classes and administered pre/posttests to assess learning gains. We then sought to determine whether the learning gains from Treatment 1 were comparable to those derived from an alternate hands-on treatment, specifically the combination of a prerecorded lecture on DVD and paper-based activity based on Goldsmith's Great Clade Race (Treatment 2). Comparisons of pre- and posttests among participants using either Treatment 1 or 2 show large learning gains on some misconceptions and skills beyond knowledge gained from reading standard textbook entries. Both treatments performed equivalently in overall learning gains, though both had areas where they performed better or worse. Furthermore, gains among students who used Treatment 1 representing a wide range of universities suggest that outcomes are potentially applicable to a variety of "real-world" biology classes.     

Task-based small group learning in large classes: Design and implementation in a second year university botany course

We describe the introduction of task-orientated cooperative group work in a second year Botany course in Phycology (the study of algae) to accommodate a large class of students with varying academic and linguistic skills and a tendency to learn by rote. Students were issued with workbooks, containing study questions, readings, a discussion worksheet, and a test yourself quiz. Each of six weekly topics was introduced by a lecture or slide-tape presentation, after which students were asked to answer study questions as homework. This was followed by group discussion work in the classroom. Group discussion worksheets were collected weekly and used together with a 10-question multiple choice spot test for continuous evaluation. Interviews with students, and the results of a questionnaire indicated that they enjoyed the approach, and found that it stimulated their interest in the subject. A subjective assessment by the lecturer, based on student performance, suggests that they improved their use of higher intellectual processes.