Student-designed games in secondary education. Effects and perspectives from students and teachers

Abstract

The goal was to gain a deeper understanding of the extended use of student-designed games. 207 students (grades: eight, nine, eleven) from one school participated. They were randomly divided in Experimental (student-designed games) and Equivalent group (traditional instruction). Both experienced the same learning units (two, 12 sessions) over the same time (six weeks). The study followed a pretest, post-test, quantitative-qualitative research design. Data was obtained through questionnaire, diary and open-ended question. Quantitative results showed statistically significant differences at post-test in Autonomy and Important role favoring the Experimental group. Students’ qualitative data produced positive: student empowerment, innovation, fun and learning, and negative themes: lack of flow, boring and no democracy. From the teacher’s diary also emerged positive: student empowerment and increased participation and negative themes: lack of flow. Student-designed games can empower students, increasing their autonomy and important role, but they also have limitations.     

Reward devaluation disrupts latent inhibition in fear conditioning

Three experiments explored the link between reward shifts and latent inhibition (LI). Using consummatory procedures, rewards were either downshifted from 32% to 4% sucrose (Experiments 1–2), or upshifted from 4% to 32% sucrose (Experiment 3). In both cases, appropriate unshifted controls were also included. LI was implemented in terms of fear conditioning involving a single tone-shock pairing after extensive tone-only preexposure. Nonpreexposed controls were also included. Experiment 1 demonstrated a typical LI effect (i.e., disruption of fear conditioning after preexposure to the tone) in animals previously exposed only to 4% sucrose. However, the LI effect was eliminated by preexposure to a 32%-to-4% sucrose devaluation. Experiment 2 replicated this effect when the LI protocol was administered immediately after the reward devaluation event. However, LI was restored when preexposure was administered after a 60-min retention interval. Finally, Experiment 3 showed that a reward upshift did not affect LI. These results point to a significant role of negative emotion related to reward devaluation in the enhancement of stimulus processing despite extensive nonreinforced preexposure experience.     

Higher education in Albania: developing third mission activities

Tertiary Education and Management - The national strategy for higher education of the Albanian government (2008–2013) stated the urgent need for universities to increase their role in the...     

The impact of polytechnic institutes on the local economy

Tertiary Education and Management - Higher education institutions and, particularly, polytechnic institutes in Portugal are, generally speaking, recognized as the key stakeholders in regional...     

运用高通量测序研究Alport综合征多能干细胞的microRNA及其靶基因(英文)

目的:寻找来源于Alport综合征患者与正常对照者的多能干细胞差异性表达的microR NA,并对差异性表达的microR NA靶基因进行预测。创新点:本研究不同于一般的试验标本,试验标本是来源于尿肾脏管细胞诱导而成的多能干细胞。基于Alport综合征是遗传疾病,我们对一遗传家系进行了系统的分析。寻找特异性的差异性表达microR NA及其靶基因,从基因水平对Alport综合征进行研究。方法:在前期工作中,成功地从实验者与对照者的尿肾脏管细胞诱导成多能干细胞。运用高通量测序技术分析并发现实验者与对照者之间差异性表达的microR NA。对差异性表达的microR NA靶基因进行预测,并进行靶基因聚集分析,研究靶基因主要参与的生物学过程。同时进行靶基因信号传导通路的分析,研究靶基因主要参与的细胞信号传导通路。结论:在实验组与对照组之间,发现了30个具有显著差异性表达的microR NAs,包括19个上调表达与11个下调表达。差异性表达的microR NA的靶基因主要聚集在细胞膜和细胞代谢过程;靶基因主要参与嘌呤代谢通路与丝裂原活化蛋白激酶(MAPK)通路。     

Promoting Gypsy children's behavioural engagement and school success: Evidence from a four‐wave longitudinal study

Low schooling, high non‐attendance and school dropout rates are critical phenomena within disadvantaged groups, especially among the Gypsy community. For example, in the UK, 10%–25% of Gypsy children do not attend school regularly and have significantly higher levels of overall absence from school (percentage of half‐day sessions missed) than pupils from other ethnic groups. In Portugal, available data on Gypsy children is sparse, yet data from one geographic region of the country reports high school failure (45%) and dropout rates (15%) among this population. The present study assessed the efficacy of a four‐year intervention to promote Gypsy children's behavioural engagement and school success. Gypsy communities were contacted and 30 children participating in the four waves were randomly distributed into control and experimental groups. Every school day throughout four years, 16 children in the experimental group were called at home and invited to go to school. The effectiveness of the intervention was evaluated in four waves (at the end of each of the four school years), assessing behavioural engagement (i.e. school non‐attendance, classroom behaviour) and school achievement (i.e. mathematics achievement, student progression). Findings show the efficacy of the intervention on promoting behaviour engagement and academic success without devaluing Gypsy people's culture.     

Durable Research,Portable Findings: Rhetorical Methods in Case Study Research

ABSTRACT

Case studies have been a central methodology employed by scholars working in the rhetoric of science and technical communication. However, concerns have been raised about how cases are constructed and collected, and what they convey. The authors reflect on how rhetoricians of science and technical communication researchers can – and do – construct a variety of case-based mixed-methods studies in ways that may make our research more portable and durable without undercutting the important and central role of case-based analysis.     

Does teacher homework feedback matter to 6th graders’ school engagement?: a mixed methods study

Metacognition and Learning - The effectiveness of homework on improving student academic achievement depends on several factors; for example, feedback provided by the teacher (i.e. grading) and...     

Implications of the learning environment in a professional Master’s degree in business administration in Brazil

Learning Environments Research - This study focused on the implications of a learning environment in a professional Master’s degree in business administration in Brazil. The study was...     

Education of gifted pupils in Hungary

where she directs the Department of Didactics. Main research interests: the teaching and learning process; curriculum theory; educational evaluation.