Universit?re Satzungsautonomie und Studiengeb��hren

Mit dem Erkenntnis des VfGH vom 30.6.2011, G 10/11 wurden die Bestimmungen über den Studienbeitrag in § 91 Abs 1 bis 3 und 8 UG aufgehoben. Davon ausgehend stellt sich die Frage, ob in dem Fall, dass der Gesetzgeber bis zum In-Kraft-Treten der Aufhebung am 1. M?rz 2012 keine Ersatzregelung für diese Bestimmungen schafft, die Universit?ten selbstst?ndig im Rahmen ihrer Autonomie mittels Satzung Studienbeitr?ge normieren k?nnen. Der Beitrag kommt zu dem Ergebnis, dass dies bei Zugrundelegung der herrschenden Lehre über das Wesen der universit?ren Autonomie bejaht werden muss und geht auch auf ?ffentlich ge?u?erte gegenteilige Rechtsmeinungen ein.     

On Sources of the Word Length Effect in Young Readers

We investigated how letter length, phoneme length, and consonant clusters contribute to the word length effect in 2nd- and 4th-grade children. They read words from three different conditions: In one condition, letter length increased but phoneme length did not due to multiletter graphemes (Haus-Bauch-Schach). In the remaining conditions, phoneme length increased in correspondence with letter length. One presented monosyllabic words with consonant clusters (Herbst); the other presented disyllabic words without consonant clusters (Kö.nig). Phoneme and letter length contributed to the length effect in naming latencies. Words with consonant clusters elicited the largest length effect. We interpreted this finding as reflecting difficulties of young readers with accessing the output phonology of the tightly coarticulated consonant clusters from the separate phonemes delivered from serial grapheme-to-phoneme conversions. Moreover, eye-movement data indicated that increased reading speed, accompanied with decreased word length effects, is due to more efficient grapheme-to-phoneme conversions rather than the emergence of whole-word recognition.     

Innovation modes in the Swiss service sector: a cluster analysis based on firm-level data

The aim of this paper is, firstly, to contribute to the understanding of innovation patterns in services. To this end, firms which are similar in terms of a large set of innovation indicators were grouped into clusters. For the Swiss case, it was possible to identify five clusters which exhibit clearly different configurations of a large number of innovation-related factors (appropriability, etc.) and several structural properties of firms (size, etc.). The clusters may thus be interpreted as specific “innovation modes”. Secondly, we investigated whether these modes are “economically equivalent”. In such a case, the unordered classifying of similar firms would be more appropriate than the ranking of industries according to their innovativeness. The evidence supports the classification approach quite well; however, the ranking procedure cannot be completely refuted. Finally, this paper yields some insights into the differences between the innovation patterns prevailing in services and in manufacturing.     

Epistemological investigation of classroom interaction in elementary mathematics teaching

In everyday teaching, the mathematical meaning of new knowledge is frequently devalued during the course of ritualized formats of communication, such as the funnel pattern, and is replaced by social conventions. Problems of understanding occurring during the interactively organized elaboration of the new knowledge require an analysis of the interplay between the social constraints of the communicative process and the epistemological structure of the mathematical knowledge. Specific aspects of the problem of meaning development are investigated in the course of two exemplary second-grade teaching episodes. These are then used to develop and discuss decisive requirements for the maintenance of an interactive constitution of meaning for mathematical knowledge.     

Optofluidic in situ maskless lithography of charge selective nanoporous hydrogel for DNA preconcentration

An optofluidic maskless photopolymerization process was developed for in situ negatively charged nanoporous hydrogel [poly-AMPS (2-acrylamido-2-methyl-1-propanesulfonic acid)] fabrication. The optofluidic maskless lithography system, which combines a high power UV source and digital mirror device, enables fast polymerization of arbitrary shaped hydrogels in a microfluidic device. The poly-AMPS hydrogel structures were positioned near the intersections of two microchannels, and were used as a cation-selective filter for biological sample preconcentration. Preconcentration dynamics as well as the fabricated polymer shape were analyzed in three-dimensions using fluorescein sample and a confocal microscope. Finally, single-stranded DNA preconcentration was demonstrated for polymerase chain reaction-free signal enhancement.     

Elements of Epistemological Knowledge for Mathematics Teachers

Epistemological knowledge of mathematics in social learning settings is an important type of professional knowledge for mathematics teachers because it refers to social and interactive processes of communication. This article focuses on one central aspect of epistemological mathematical knowledge, namely on the problematique of how mathematical signs and symbols gain meaning in the interactive social processes of teaching and learning. A teaching episode is presented and analyzed from an epistemological perspective. This analysis leads to the identification of three important components of epistemological knowledge that could be introduced into the education of mathematics teachers: the developmental nature of mathematical knowledge; interactive social processes of mathematical communication as autonomous systems; and the interdependence of social and epistemological constraints in mathematical communication. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Socio-demographic composition of primary initial teacher education entrants in Ireland

The homogeneity of the teaching profession is an international, as well as national, phenomenon. In an era of significant demographic change in schools and education policy development in Ireland and across Europe, the lack of solid data about the backgrounds of teachers and initial teacher education (ITE) applicants and entrants has hindered informed policy development, including in relation to ITE application procedures, selection criteria as well as teacher supply and demand. In this paper we discuss findings from the Diversity in Initial Teacher Education (DITE) national project. We present analyses of application (N?=?2,437) and survey data (N?=?530) to explore 2014 undergraduate primary (UG P) ITE entrants’ socio-demographic backgrounds. Key findings confirm that primary teaching remains a popular career choice attracting high academic achievers in Ireland. We note the continuing underrepresentation of males and of people from minority national and ethnic backgrounds. Roman Catholics and students without disabilities are overrepresented in the UG P cohort compared to postgraduate post-primary ITE cohorts and the general Irish population. Findings are discussed with reference to Irish and international literature on teacher diversity.     

FUNDAMENTALISM AS A CHALLENGE FOR RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

“. . . human experience is shaped, molded, and in a sense constituted by cultural and linguistic forms. There are numberless thoughts we cannot think, sentiments we cannot have, and realities we cannot perceive unless we learn to use the appropriate symbol systems ... to become religious involves becoming skilled in the language, the symbol system of a given religion.” — George Lindbeck ^{1 1}George Lindbeck, The Nature of Doctrine (Philadelphia: The Westminster Press, 1984), 34.

“My child is not learning anything. All they do in there is play.” — disgruntled parent after observing a preschool church school class.