Magnetic microbead transport during resistive pulse sensing

Tunable resistive pulse sensing (TRPS) experiments have been used to quantitatively study the motion of 1 μm superparamagnetic beads in a variable magnetic field. Closed-form theory has been developed to interpret the experiments, incorporating six particle transport mechanisms which depend on particle position in and near a conical pore. For our experiments, calculations indicate that pressure-driven flow dominates electrophoresis and magnetism by a factor of ∼100 in the narrowest part of the pore, but that magnetic force should dominate further than ∼1 mm from the membrane. As expected, the observed resistive pulse rate falls as the magnet is moved closer to the pore, while the increase in pulse duration suggests that trajectories in the half space adjacent to the pore opening are important. Aggregation was not observed, consistent with the high hydrodynamic shear near the pore constriction and the high magnetization of aggregates. The theoretical approach is also used to calculate the relative importance of transport mechanisms over a range of geometries and experimental conditions extending well beyond our own experiments. TRPS is emerging as a versatile form of resistive pulse sensing, while magnetic beads are widely used in biotechnology and sensing applications.     

The association between mathematics pedagogy and learners’ dispositions for university study

We address the current concerns about teaching‐to‐the‐test and its association with declining dispositions towards further study of mathematics and the consequences for choice of STEM subjects at university. In particular, through a mixed study including a large survey sample of over 1000 students and their teachers, and focussed qualitative case studies, we explored the impact of ‘transmissionist’ pedagogic practices on learning outcomes. We report on the construction and validation of a scale to measure teachers’ self‐reported pedagogy. We then use this measure in combination with the students’ survey data and through regression modelling we illustrate significant associations between the pedagogic measure and students’ mathematics dispositions. Finally, we discuss the potential implications of these results for mathematics education and the STEM agenda.     

UNIVERSITY STUDENTS’ VIEWS OF THE ROLE OF MATHEMATICS IN THEIR FUTURE

We report on an international study about mathematics students’ ideas of how they will use mathematics in their future study and careers. This builds on our previous research into students’ conceptions of mathematics. In this paper, we use data from two groups of students studying mathematics: those who participated in an in-depth interview and those who completed an open-ended questionnaire. We found that their responses could be grouped into four categories: don’t know; procedural skills; conceptual skills; and professional skills. Although some students held clear ideas about the role of mathematics, many were not able to articulate how it would be used in their future. This has implications for their approach to learning and our approach to teaching.     

Relation of wait-time and rewards to the development of language,logic, and fate control: Part II-Rewards

In Part I it was shown that by varying the duration of pauses in two locations the length of student statements increased, the number of alternative explanations offered multiplied, and the overall probability of receiving a reply increased. It was noted, as well, that in natural situations where there was a high incidence of teacher sanctioning behavior, regardless of whether it was predominantly positively toned, the verbal performance of students engaged in inquiry appeared to be negatively influenced even when there were reasonable wait-times. That is, even in those rare naturally occurring cases where pauses were longer than the mean of one second, and in experiments where pauses and rewards were independently manipulated if sanctioning behaviors were intense, the positive influence on inquiry of the longer pauses appeared to be somewhat mitigated. It became necessary, then, to study reward patterns in the context of inquiry in order to discover whether, in general, overt verbal rewards which we found occurring with tremendous frequency in natural settings, helped or hindered the progress of student inquiry.     

Assessment

Introduction TERMINOLOGY AND KEY CONCEPTS The term assessment refers to a variety of ways of collecting information on a learner‘ s language ability or achievement. Although testing and assessment are often used interchangeably, the latter is an umbrella term encompassing measurement instruments administered on a ‘one-off‘ basis such as tests, as well as qualitative methods of monitoring and recording student learning such as observation, simulations of project work. Assessment is also distinguished from...     

The creation of digital artefacts as a mechanism to engage students in studying literature

The aim of the project was to motivate school students to learn about the national literature of their own and others’ countries. Engagement was fostered via the creation of digital artefacts (or “e-artefacts”) such as online comic strips, live videos or animations. The pedagogical rationale was based on Papert’s constructionism and Bloom’s revised taxonomy. Participatory action research put school teachers at the centre of the research process. School teachers from five schools (Croatia, Denmark, Poland, Sweden and the UK) chose their own pedagogical approaches for classroom activities. Data on how teachers viewed the use of e-artefacts in their classroom practice were gathered using focus groups. Teachers in all five schools identified the same process for relating texts to activities: involving a close reading of the text, collaborative formatting for the e-artefact, and points for reflection and discussion. Students and staff were not only more excited with studying the literature, learners also showed improvement in language learning. Teachers also reported that specific students showed noticeable increases in self-efficacy and classroom participation. By providing alternative means for students to excel and show competencies beyond academic capabilities, more students feel included and valued. Furthermore, the process of creating e-artefacts demanded greater reflection from students, which was a result of greater engagement with the materials. Finally, including the creation of e-artefacts in the curriculum, while maintaining more traditional approaches, offers a more inclusive and rewarding provision of learning for both students and staff.     

Research,commitment and action: The role of participatory research

The author discusses the development and practice of participatory research as both a method and strategy of social investigation and social action within an adult education framework. Participatory research is compared with traditional research strategies, and its defining principles are outlined, together with specific examples of its application and practical issues both today and in the future.

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Zusammenfassung Der Verfasser bespricht die Entwicklung und die Praxis der partizipatorischen Forschungsweise sowohl als Methode und als Strategie der gesellschaftlichen Ermittlung und des gesellschaftlichen Handelns im Rahmen der Erwachsenenbildung. Die partizipatorische Forschungsweise wird mit traditionellen Forschungsstrategien verglichen, ihre formulierten Prinzipien werden zusammen mit spezifischen Beispielen ihrer Anwendung und deren Erträgen für die Gegenwart und in Hinblick auf die Zukunft umrissen.

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Résumé L'auteur présente et analyse le développement et la pratique de la recherche participative comme méthode et comme stratégie de l'investigation et de l'action sociale dans le cadre de l'éducation des adultes. La recherche participative est comparée aux stratégies traditionnelles de recherches, ses principes de base dégagés et des exemples spécifiques de son application donnés en même temps que les problèmes encourrus aujourd'hui et pour le futur.

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The world of the everyday life of the oppressed is not merely a sphere of social reproduction, but is crossed over by numerous breaks and cleavages with the dominant order; and that although these points of rupture are most often contradictory or partial, they concern the most intimate and long lasting logic of the social struggle.

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Jose Nun,The Rebellion of the Chorus

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'Sous le familier, découvrez l'insolite Sous le quotidien, décélez l'inexplicable Puisse toute chose dite habituelle vous inquiéter Dans la règle découvrez l'abus Et partout ou l'abus s'est montré Trouvez le remède'

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Bertold Brecht,L'exception et la règle