技术和职业教育与培训教师教育:追求创新与卓越

为了促进技术和职业教育与培训教师教育更好的发展，我们需要创新。在欧盟委员会，进入21世纪以来，就开始为技术和职业教育与培训建立共同的政策框架。     

Knowledge Construction in Wikipedia: A Systemic-Constructivist Analysis

We propose a systemic-constructivist perspective for analyzing knowledge construction. In contrast to theories that focus on individuals as actors, the systemic-constructivist approach emphasizes the relevance of social systems and regards the construction of knowledge as a self-referential process that takes place in social systems. We propose that it is the system that defines what is accepted as legitimate knowledge and thus shapes individuals’ behavior. We present this approach and its implications by providing a case study of knowledge construction in Wikipedia. We analyzed the article about the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant shortly after the nuclear catastrophe unfolded. There was a flood of highly uncertain information circulating, which the social system Wikipedia had to deal with and make meaning of. We obtained a group of very diverse people who largely lacked specific background education on the topic but accomplished the collaborative creation of an article that was later considered by experts to be of high quality. By interpreting these occurrences as operations of a social system, we aim to extend the theoretical basis of the learning sciences with an approach that emphasizes systems and their structures instead of individuals or groups. We discuss how this perspective may contribute to understanding collaborative knowledge construction.     

Strengths and Weaknesses of Non-enhanced and Contrast-enhanced Cadaver Computed Tomography Scans in the Teaching of Gross Anatomy in an Integrated Curriculum

Cadaver-specific postmortem computed tomography (PMCT) has become an integral part in anatomy teaching at several universities. Recently, the feasibility of contrast-enhanced (CE)-PMCT has been demonstrated. The purpose of this study was to identify particular strengths and weaknesses of both non-enhanced and contrast-enhanced PMCT compared to conventional cadaver dissection. First, the students’ perception of the learning effectiveness of the three different modalities have been assessed using a 34-item survey (five-point Likert scale) covering all anatomy course modules. Results were compared using the nonparametric Friedman Test. Second, the most frequent artifacts in cadaver CT scans, were systematically analyzed in 122 PMCT and 31 CE-PMCT data sets to quantify method-related limitations and characteristics. Perfusion quality was assessed in 57 vascular segments (38 arterial and 19 venous). The survey was answered by n = 257/320 (80.3%) students. Increased learning benefits of PMCT/ CE-PMCT compared to cadaver dissection were found in osteology (2/3 categories, P < 0.001), head and neck (2/5 categories, P < 0.01), and brain anatomy (3/3 categories, P < 0.01). Contrast-enhanced-PMCT was perceived particularly useful in learning vascular anatomy (10/10 categories, P < 0.01). Cadaver dissection received significantly higher scores compared to PMCT and CE-PMCT in all categories of the abdomen and thorax (7/7 categories, P < 0.001), as well as the majority of muscular anatomy (5/6 categories, P < 0.001). Frequent postmortem artifacts (total n = 28, native-phase n = 21, contrast injection-related n = 7) were identified and assessed. The results of this work contribute to the understanding of the value of integrating cadaver-specific PMCT in anatomy teaching.     

Integrating self-regulation in whole-class reciprocal teaching: A moderator–mediator analysis of incremental effects on fifth graders’ reading comprehension

In this classroom intervention study, reciprocal teaching (RT) of reading strategies was combined with explicit instruction in self-regulated learning (SRL) to promote the reading comprehension of fifth-grade students (N = 306). Twelve intact classes were randomly assigned either to an RT + SRL condition or to an RT condition without explicit instruction in self-regulation. Three additional classes served as a no-treatment comparison group. Strategies instruction was delivered by trained assistants in conventional German language lessons. Students practiced the application of these strategies in small groups. Both at posttest and at maintenance (8 weeks after the intervention), students in the two intervention conditions (RT and RT + SRL) outperformed comparison students in measures of reading comprehension, strategy-related task performance, and self-efficacy for reading. Relative to RT students, students in the RT + SRL condition were better able to maintain training-induced performance gains over the follow-up interval. A moderated mediation analysis revealed that this difference in the sustainability of the two treatments was (a) mediated by the successful mastery of the learned strategies and (b) most evident among students with poor reading fluency skills.     

Computer-based assessment of Complex Problem Solving: concept, implementation, and application

Complex Problem Solving (CPS) skills are essential to successfully deal with environments that change dynamically and involve a large number of interconnected and partially unknown causal influences. The increasing importance of such skills in the 21st century requires appropriate assessment and intervention methods, which in turn rely on adequate item construction, delivery, and scoring. The lack of assessment tools, however, has slowed down research on and understanding of CPS. This paper first presents the MicroDYN framework for assessing CPS, which is based on linear structural equation systems with input and output variables and opaque relations among them. Second, a versatile assessment platform, the CBA Item Builder, which allows the authoring, delivery, and scoring of CPS tasks for scientific and educational purposes is introduced. Third, we demonstrate the potential of such a tool for research by reporting an experimental study illustrating the effect of domain specific content knowledge on performance in CPS tasks both on an overall performance and on a process level. The importance of accessible and versatile technical platforms not only for assessment and research but also for intervention and learning are discussed with a particular focus on educational contexts.     

Wie lässt sich die Experimentierstrategie-Nutzung fördern?

Pupils display a production deficiency within self-regulated learning arrangements using experimentation. Available strategy-knowledge does not result in an effective strategy use. This may be due to a lack of metacognitive capabilities and motivation. These aspects should be supported, then, in order to foster strategy use. Providing prompts is a promising method. The question is how to design them to optimal effect. Two characteristics were investigated in an experimental study, namely the adaptability of prompts and their combination with strategy-related feedback. 93 pupils in year 9 experienced self-regulated learning in a computer-based experiment setting. There was a control group and three experimental groups with non-adaptive prompts, adaptive prompts or a combination of feedback and adaptive prompts, respectively. The dependent variables were the extent of using a strategy for experimentation and pupils’ motivation. Benefits for use of strategy were only observed for the group with a combination of feedback and adaptive prompts. The learners in this group remained also more strongly motivated than in the other groups.     

Adults'' Tolerance of Cries: An Experimental Investigation of Acoustic Features

Variations in the aversiveness of a newborn's distress cry were examined using experimental manipulation of 3 acoustic features of the cry (fundamental frequency, intonation, spectral complexity) and of the information given to subjects about the infant's health status. The subjects (N = 164 medical students) were allowed to control the sound pressure level (range: 50 dB [A]-105 dB[A]) of the different cry versions by repeatedly pressing a button (operant titration). For the nonmanipulated (original) cry version, the accepted sound pressure level decreased as fundamental frequency increased at above 610 Hz. This effect was modified by experimental manipulation of spectral complexity as well as intonation. A preference of intonated cries over monotonous cries was most pronounced between 534 and 686 Hz. Significant interactions of the information variable with the intonation and the complexity variables suggest that the listener's reaction to certain physical cry characteristics can be altered substantially by inducing different cognitive sets.     

Teachers' Gender Stereotypes as Determinants of Teacher Perceptions in Elementary School Mathematics

This study analyzes the hypothesized biasing effect of teachers' gender stereotypes on their impressions of their students' competence and effort in mathematics. 48 teachers participated in the study and responded to the questionnaires concerning perceptions of about 300 of their third and fourth grade students. In general, teacher perceptions were consistent with stereotypes of gender differences: Boys have more developmental resources in mathematics. Furthermore, this bias in teacher perceptions of their students' resources in math is linked to the teacher's own category — based, gender role stereotypic beliefs regarding the general distribution of math talent between boys and girls. The finding is moderated by the student's performance level: It only holds for average and low achieving but not for high achieving boys and girls. In this way, students' performance level is an essential mediator-variable in the transmission of teachers' gender stereotypes.This revised version was published online in October 2005 with corrections to the Cover Date.