常山属的初步研究

Dichroa Lour., a small genus of Saxifragaceae, contains about 12 species, ranging from the mainland of S. E. Asia southward to Pacific islands. But most of the species are more restricted in distribution. Of the 12  recognized species,  six  are known from South China and Indochina; three are confined to west and northwest New Guinea; two are endemic to the Phillipines. Only one species is widely distributed in S. E. Asia.  In the present paper, the genus is divided into two sections  and two series based on the number of stamens and the characteristics of the ovary.  One spe- cies is described as new.     

The effect of an MSN agent on learning community and achievement

The use of instant messaging to support e-learning will continue to gain importance because of its speed, effectiveness, and low cost. This study developed an MSN agent to mediate and facilitate students' learning in a Web-based course. The students' acceptance of the MSN agent and its effect on learning community identification and learning achievement were investigated using the technology acceptance model. Results indicated that the MSN agent proved easy to use, and that students recognized its benefits with regard to their learning. In more detail, students perceived that the MSN agent would be beneficial to learning community identification, but this perceived usefulness had less effect on their learning achievement. However, it was found that perceived system usage of the MSN agent was significantly related to learning achievement, which differed from the result of analyzing students' perceived usefulness of the agent. Rather than using a systematic recording log, the perceived system usage of the MSN agent was measured through questionnaires. Interview feedback revealed that effective learning was related to the learners' engagement in the MSN agent and not just from their perceived usefulness of it. Therefore, the MSN agent could have more potential to facilitate students' learning in an online environment if learning activities related to study are designed to promote students' engagement.     

Knowledge of derivational suffixes in students with language learning disabilities

Knowledge of derivational suffix meanings was investigated in 10- to 12-year-old students with language learning disabilities and individually matched chronological- and language-age peers. Students produced derived forms from nonce bases in an elicitation task and selected derived forms in a forced choice task. For instance, students produced a word to label the baby of an invented animal called a TEM (TEMlet, TEMette, TEMkin, etc.) and chose an appropriate label from four options (TEMlet, TEMkin, TEMship, TEMhood). Twenty-eight suffixes (e.g., less, y, ize) conveying seven derivational meanings (e.g., “without X,” “approximately X,” “to make X”) were studied. All groups showed higher accuracy on the forced choice task than on the elicitation task. However, elicitation task accuracy of students with language learning disabilities fell substantially below that of typically achieving students. Suffixes for “agent X,” “character of X,” and “to make X” were produced in the elicitation task with higher accuracy than suffixes for “approximately X,” “diminutive X,” and “state of X.” In both tasks, suffix use was associated with productivity (i.e., regularity of suffix attachment). All groups chose highly productive suffixes (e.g., TEMlet) over less productive suffixes (e.g., TEMkin) to convey each meaning.     

College students’ conceptions of context-aware ubiquitous learning: A phenomenographic analysis

The purpose of this study was to explore students’ conceptions of context-aware ubiquitous learning (u-learning). The students participated in a u-learning exercise using PDAs equipped with RFID readers. The data were collected from individual interviews with each of the students by a trained researcher, and the responses of the interviewees were further analyzed using the phenomenographic method. The analysis revealed five categories of conceptions of u-learning, including “u-learning as the application of technology,” “u-learning as a platform for attaining information,” “u-learning as a timely guide,” “u-learning as increase of knowledge” and “u-learning as active learning.” There conceptions are viewed as a hierarchy, from less advanced to more sophisticated. An in-depth analysis of the students’ conceptions of learning indicated that students held multiple conceptions of u-learning. This study further suggests that inquiry practices (such as allowing open-ended exploration for the learning topic) should be addressed in u-learning activities, as these practices may foster more sophisticated conceptions of u-learning.     

Development of a ubiquitous learning platform based on a real‐time help‐seeking mechanism

The popularity of mobile devices has encouraged the advance of ubiquitous learning, in which students are situated in a real‐world learning environment with support from the digital world via the use of mobile, wireless communications, or even sensing technologies. Most of the ubiquitous learning systems are implemented with high‐cost sensing devices for detecting the locations or behaviours of learners; moreover, these systems mainly focus on providing learning guidance or learning materials, while facilities for supporting mutual help among students are usually ignored. In this study, we propose a context‐aware ubiquitous learning platform (CULP) which uses low‐cost cell phones with embedded cameras and Internet service to support ubiquitous learning. CULP is able to provide instant support for learners in the ubiquitous learning activity; that is, learners can receive help from the right people via the hints given by the learning system when they encounter problems during their learning activities. The experimental results of a Personal Computer‐Assembling course show that, with the assistance of the new learning platform, both the learning efficiency and the learning achievement of the students were significantly improved.