The effects of instructional context and reasoning complexity on mathematics problem-solving

The focus of this study was on the effects of relevance in instructional context and reasoning complexity on mathematics problem-solving achievement, transfer, and attitude. Forty-six fifth graders participated in the five-day study. Students received either contextualized or decontextualized instruction involving either simple or complex reasoning. Two types of achievement questions were used, context-rich and context-poor, which required either single or multiple computational steps to solve. An interaction was found between complexity of treatment and complexity of questions. Students who studied simple problems in decontextualized contexts performed best on one-step questions, while students who studied complex problems in contextualized contexts performed best on multi-step questions (p = .003). A complexity effect was also found for student attitudes toward perceived lesson difficulty (p = .0001) as well as for perceived relevance of mathematics (p = .015). Students who studied simple problems perceived lesson difficulty and mathematics relevance more favorably than those who studied complex problems. These findings suggest that rich mathematical instructional contexts best support mathematics problem-solving, but simple, decontextualized instruction yields the most favorable attitudes.     

CAD-VR geometry and meta data synchronization for design review applications

INTRODUCTION The first phases of the product life cycle are almost completely digitalized nowadays. Single parts or complete product models are modeled with 3D CAD solutions. Assembling single parts to digital mockups (DMUs) is important for checking the de- pendencies between the parts and detecting conflicts. Due to their complexity, such data is managed in specialized Product Data Management (PDM) sys- tems. They gained an increasing importance in many industries during the last d…     

Validation of the Korean version Gender Role Conflict Scale for Adolescents

The objective of this study was to examine the usefulness of the Korean version of the Gender Role Conflict Scale for Adolescents (GRCS-A; Blazina et al. 2005) in Korea. Korean high school students (N = 374) completed the K-GRCS-A. Results of confirmatory factor analysis supported the original 4-factor structures. Reliability was acceptable to satisfactory limits. Further evidence of construct validity was found in modest correlations with psychological well-being variables. Taken together, this study sustained the utility of the K-GRCS-A.     

Including students with disabilities in national academic assessments in Korea

In Korea, the effort to include students with disabilities in the educational accountability system has just begun. This paper reviews how Korean students with disabilities have been tested using the National Assessment of Educational Achievement (NAEA) and what issues have emerged as a result of the testing. Analysis of the 2009 and 2010 NAEA data reveals that only a small proportion of students with disabilities participated in these tests and that those who did participate showed low academic achievement compared with general education students. In addition, even though alternate assessments are conducted by special education teachers to assess the academic performance of students with disabilities, national academic assessments in Korea do not include a system for alternate assessment. Based on findings of the analysis, several suggestions are made for improvement in Korea??s educational accountability system for students with disabilities.     

Examining the application of Web 2.0 in medical-related organisations

Objectives: This study surveyed Web 2.0 application in three types of selected health or medical‐related organisations such as university medical libraries, hospitals and non‐profit medical‐related organisations. Methods: Thirty organisations participated in an online survey on the perceived purposes, benefits and difficulties in using Web 2.0. A phone interview was further conducted with eight organisations (26.7%) to collect information on the use of Web 2.0. Data were analysed using both quantitative and qualitative approaches. Results: Results showed that knowledge and information sharing and the provision of a better communication platform were rated as the main purposes of using Web 2.0. Time constraints and low staff engagement were the most highly rated difficulties. In addition, most participants found Web 2.0 to be beneficial to their organisations. Conclusions: Medical‐related organisations that adopted Web 2.0 technologies have found them useful, with benefits outweighing the difficulties in the long run. The implications of this study are discussed to help medical‐related organisations make decisions regarding the use of Web 2.0 technologies.     

Constructivist research in educational technology: A retrospective view and future prospects

Along with a socially urgent impetus for revolutionary reform of an educational environment appropriate to the 21st century society, constructivism is highlighted in various fields related to education as an alternative educational ideology and approach. Despite its radical shift from traditional learning environments, and the diverse interpretation and understanding among scholars on the nature of constructivism, constructivism surely has brought out meaningful changes and developments in understanding how people learn. In light of this context, the present study aims to retrospectively review the last decade of constructivism, which will be followed by a brief prospective on its future in the next decade, simultaneously taking into account expectations as to how constructivism can stand firm as a theoretical basis for the digital age.     

Examining the Impact of Student Use of Multiple Modal Representations in Constructing Arguments in Organic Chemistry Laboratory Classes

This study was designed to examine students’ use of multiple modal representations within their written arguments as a consequence of completing a series of investigations of an organic chemistry laboratory course. One hundred and eleven students from a major Midwestern university were involved in using the Science Writing Heuristic (SWH) approach where they are required to use the argument structure of question, claim, evidence and reflection in completing the written report for their instructor on their laboratory investigations. Results indicate that students who achieved a high score for embedded multiple modal representations in the evidence section also constructed high quality arguments. That is, students who were able to embed multiple modal representations in evidence made strong reasoned connections to support their claim(s) and construct a cohesive argument. Further, there were strong correlations between the laboratory examination score and holistic quality of argument. This study suggests there is a need to build support structures pedagogically for the individual in order to help students understanding the role and function of multiple modal representations in science.     

Impact analysis for national R&D funding in science and technology using quantification method II

As the influences of science and technology on its national economy have increased, each country has devised various funding programs for research and development (R&D) projects. Numerous studies have been conducted to evaluate the performance of such R&D projects. In most studies, the performances were measured in terms of an ordinal Likert scale, but they were treated as continuous variables. Much important information can be buried when a categorical Likert scale is treated as continuous variable. In this paper, we treat Likert scales as categorical and apply quantification method II to analyze the relationship between short- to mid-term performance factors and long-term impact factor of R&D projects. We apply the proposed approach to the survey data obtained from the Science and Technology Promotion Fund in Korea. The results of this paper are expected to contribute to a better understanding of the impact of R&D funding.     

Improving the process of E-Government initiative: An in-depth case study of web-based GIS implementation

Research on E-Government has largely focused on understanding the “outcomes and outputs of the E-Government project” [Yildiz, M. (2007). E-Government research: Reviewing the literature, limitations, and ways forward. Government Information Quarterly, 24(3), 646–665.]. It is argued that the existing research on E-Government tends to oversimplify the phenomenon. To address the call, the current study focuses on the process of an E-Government initiative by loosely drawing on the ‘technology enactment framework,’ in conjunction with the ‘systems development life cycle’ approach. Using a case study orientation, this study describes in detail how a geographic information systems implementation project is conducted at a local government in the United States. Insights into E-Government initiatives are presented and discussed.     

Design Education in China: New Proposals to Address Endemic Problems

This paper is concerned with identifying the problems that pervade design education and the practice of design in China so that a way forward can be proposed to make improvements that will enable the Chinese design industry to become more competitive after entry into the World Trade Organisation. The authors gathered data from their own experiences and observations in situ, as well as surveys they commissioned. They found that there are numerous endemic, fundamental problems in the practice of design education across the whole education sector. Fortunately, many Chinese design educators and managers of design companies are cognizant of these problems and are motivated to institute changes, even though they are unsure of what these changes should be or how they should be implemented. The authors conclude by making their own recommendations for effecting improvements in design education and professional development.