Research Report RECSAM: Computers in Education Project,Singapore Study

From 1986 to 1988, Regional Centre for Education in Science and Mathematics (RECSAM) at Penang organised the Computers in Education Project with financial support from the Australian Government. The aim of the Project was to provide information on the use of computers in education among SEAMEO countries. Such information, it was thought, could be useful for educators who needed to formulate sound policies regarding the introduction, management, and use of computers in schools and the roles of computers in education in general. Six countries took part in this project including a team from Singapore.     

A longitudinal study of children’s social behaviors and their causal relationship to reading growth

This paper aims at investigating the causal effects of social behaviors on subsequent reading growth in elementary school, using the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study—Kindergarten (ECLS-K) data. The sample was 8,869 subjects who provided longitudinal measures of reading IRT scores from kindergarten (1998–1999) to fifth grades (2003–2004) in the United States. To examine the causal relationship, propensity score methods were used to match higher and lower groups in four social behavior domains such as Approaches to learning, Interpersonal skills, Internalizing problem behavior and Externalizing problem behavior. Results showed that the matched sample achieved sufficient pretreatment balance between the two groups. To examine the effects of social behaviors on the reading growth, multilevel growth model (MGM) was employed. Comparisons of the matched samples showed that children in the high groups of pro-social behavior or in the low groups of problem behavior at kindergarten entrance started with higher reading skills and developed reading achievement faster than those who were not. This study suggests that children’s early social behavior is crucial in reading development. Practical implication and direction of future research are also discussed.     

Teaching Integration: How Certain Instructional Moves May Undermine the Potential Conceptual Value of the Riemann Sum and the Riemann Integral

Past research in calculus education has shown that Riemann sum-based conceptions of the definite integral, such as the multiplicatively based summation (MBS) conception, can have important value in interpreting and making sense of certain types of definite integral expressions. However, additional research has shown that students tend to not draw on the MBS conception, even in situations where it would be advantageous to do so. In this study we examine how introductory instruction on integration, in which explicit attention is given to the Riemann sum and Riemann integral, may be related to students’ tendency to not use the MBS conception. In particular, it appears that some calculus instructors may make instructional moves in their classrooms that directly undermine the time the instructors had spent developing the Riemann sum and Riemann integral concepts. In doing so, students may perceive these concepts only as calculational procedures, rather than as a potential source of conceptual meaning.     

Reading and spelling gains following one year of Orton‐Gillingham intervention in Singaporean students with dyslexia

Despite the widespread use of Orton‐Gillingham (OG) based approaches to dyslexia remediation, empirical support documenting its effectiveness is lacking. Recently, Chia and Houghton demonstrated the effectiveness of the OG approach for remediation of dyslexia in Singapore. As a conceptual replication and extension of that research, we report results of 39 students with dyslexia aged between six and 14 years enrolled in an OG intervention programme over a period of one year in a single‐subject research (pre‐test/post‐test) design. Analyses of variance showed that students significantly improved in standardised tests of reading and spelling with moderate effect sizes (Cohen's d = 0.52–0.58). Additionally, an inverse relationship was found between students' ages when they began intervention and gains made during the intervention. Results thus indicate the effectiveness of an OG approach in remediating literacy difficulties in students with dyslexia and, taken together with previous studies, further suggest the importance of early identification and intervention.     

Impact case studies: what accounts for the need for numbers in impact evaluation?

ABSTRACT

The UK Research Excellence Framework (REF) introduced impact as an indicator in the evaluation of higher education research quality in 2014. Impact case studies (ICS) are the basis of this evaluation. ICS use narrative explanations of how research causes ‘benefits to society’. This article analyses the evolving roles of the ICS and the relationships of ICS with various stakeholders. It draws on insights from legitimacy theory, Porter’s analysis of the social meaning of objectivity, and the insight from economist Alan Goodhart on the dysfunctional transformation of indicators into targets. It highlights the challenges to ICS evaluators and shows how a spiral of mistrust can both undermine but also cause demand for numbers. It explores whether impact narratives represent an escape from dominant research evaluation metrics and concludes that they do not.     

Relationship of play and language patterns among Singaporean pre‐school children in homes and classrooms

This paper reports the findings of a study aimed at investigating the relationship between Singaporean preschool children's play and language patterns. Observations of 56 children (aged between 4.0 and 6.0 years) from middle and lower‐middle income families at play in a standardised setting in their classrooms and in their homes were videotaped and analysed using two play measures and five language measures. Analysis of parental data revealed positive attitudes towards child play and high involvement in children's play. High Caldwell HOME scores revealed homogeneity in home environments for stimulating child learning and cognitive development. Few significant differences as a function of age, sex or SES were found. Correlational data demonstrated the utility of specific play and language measures. Higher levels of play and higher levels of language were correlated.     

Spirit of the game: Empowering students as designers in schools?

The aim of this paper and the one which follows is to explore how the potential of computer games may be taken up in schools to support learning engagement among students. It is not the intention of the papers to dismiss existing classroom practices or overlook accounts of innovative practices in schools; the papers' aim is to provide educators who are interested in exploring the use of computer games in schools with information and ideas about how these games may be effectively used to engage students in their learning. This paper questions whether the empowerment of students to create games for one another based on the school curriculum may address the insignificance of computer games in the sociocultural setting of the school. Both papers have been commissioned by Microsoft (Asia‐Pacific) under the Partners‐In‐Learning Initiative. Under this initiative, Microsoft establishes partnerships with ministries of education, national and local government bodies, and other stakeholders to empower students and teachers to realize their full potential, mediated by information and communication technologies.     

Entry and competitive dynamics in the mobile telecommunications market

We propose an extension of the Gans-Stern [Gans, J.S., Stern, S., 2003. The product market and the market for “ideas”: commercialization strategies for technology entrepreneurs. Research Policy 32 (2), 333-350] framework that includes entry by existing firms. An incumbent firm possessing complementary assets and strong appropriability is in a formidable position [Teece, D.J., 1986. Profiting from technological innovation: implications for integration, collaboration, licensing, and public policy. Research Policy 15 (6), 285-305]. However, a de alio entrant can leverage complementary assets to enter along a new technological trajectory, and then develop appropriability. We illustrate how several mobile telecommunications firms (Ericsson, Nokia and Samsung) pursued this strategy to catch up with the market leader (Motorola). We also identify several shortcomings in Motorola's approach: it was too inward-looking in developing technologies, but ironically not inward-looking enough in exploiting its most valuable patents.