Fostering scientific understanding and epistemic beliefs through judgments of promisingness

The evaluation of promisingness is central to knowledge building and knowledge creation but remains largely unexplored. As part of a design-based research program to support promisingness judgments, the present study implemented an intervention in a sixth grade science class, with the goal of exploring the potential of promisingness judgments to foster scientific understanding and epistemic beliefs. Aided by a Promising Ideas Tool and pedagogical supports designed for this intervention, students explored the concept of promisingness, judged the promisingness of their community ideas, and engaged in iterative cycles of idea refinement. Results indicated that students were capable of improving their understanding of promisingness and making promisingness judgments deemed sensible by domain experts. The conceptual understanding and epistemic beliefs displayed by students improved over the course of the intervention, and such improvement happened in tandem with students’ understanding of promisingness. The implications of this exploratory study and future research are discussed.     

进一步加强学生综合素质的培养--科技成果转让及中介服务专业暑期实习总结

通过科技成果转让及中介服务专业2000级生的暑期实习,文章总结了学生实习中的所学所感,提出当代大学生应进一步加强综合素质的培养,以适应社会各行业的需求.     

汇率干预中的多点自由边值问题的数值计算方法

1IntroductionIt is i mportant for the economic development of acountry to maintain the stabilization of exchange rate,so the intervention of exchange rate has become thetopic of the main concerns of the economic and math-ematical circles[1-5].To maintain the stabilization ofexchange rate,many countries use target zone re-gi mes,that is,the central banks intervene in the for-eign exchange market such that the exchange ratestays within the interval[a,b].There are fixed costand cost proportional …     

用兆欧表检测电子元件

开发常规测量仪表的多种用途是启发和培养学生创造性思维的有效途径之一.作者提出了若干实例,把兆欧表用于在非专业条件下的多种电子元件的检测工作之中.     

Investigation of iodine concentration in salt,water and soil along the coast of Zhejiang,China

Objective: We aim to describe the environment iodine concentration in salt, water and soil along Zhejiang Province coast in the China foreland. It will be helpful for us to judge whether this area is insufficient in iodine and universal iodized salt is necessary or not. Methods: We collected iodized salt samples, drinking water samples (tap water in the towns, and well water or spring water in the villages), water samples from different sources (ditches, lakes, rivers) and soil samples through random sampling in June, 2005. Salt, water and soil iodine was detected by arsenic-cerium redox method. Statistical analysis was expressed as mean±SEMby Windows SPSS 13.0. Results: (1) The iodine concentration in salt was 27.9±4.33 mg/kg (n=108). (2) Seventy-five water samples were collected. The water iodine value was 0.6～84.8 μg/L (mean of 11.66 μg/L). The watershed along the Qiantang River has significantly higher iodine content than the water in Lin'an in mountain area (P＜0.01). The iodine content and mean iodine content of tap water, well or spring water and natural water sources were 4.30±2.43 μg/L (n=34), 23.59±27.74 μg/L (n=19)and 12.72±10.72 μg/L (n=22) respectively. This indicated that among environmental water sources, the ditch iodine content was the highest with river water iodine being the lowest (P＜0.01). (3) Soil iodine value was 0.11～2.93 mg/kg (mean of 1.32 mg/kg).Though there was no statistical difference of soil iodine in different districts (P=0.131), soil iodine content correlated positively with water iodine content. Conclusion: Iodine concentration in salt accords with national policy of adding iodine in salt. Foreland has more iodine in water than mountain area. The data reflected that water and soil iodine in foreland area was not high, which suggests universal iodized salt should be necessary. Environment iodine has relatively close association with pollution.     

Development of a Clinical Practice Model for Serving Clients with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder

There is a lack of systematic research on the training of clinicians toward providing counselling services and support to individuals with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD). The aim of this qualitative project was twofold: (1) to develop and pilot a clinical consultation process that would address clinicians’ reported need for greater communication and information sharing in serving clients affected by FASD; and (2) to build a model of FASD-informed clinical counselling practice by examining this consultation process and by capturing the experiences of clinicians who were involved. Findings from focus groups and meeting minutes are reported with respect to the model’s focus on reflection, communication, and action.     

Channel One Revisited: Prospective Teachers and the Role of American Higher Education

This study examined perceptions of college of education students and their experiences with Channel One, a privately-owned news service used in public education. Given that about one-third of middle and high schoolers in the US view the broadcast every school day, the authors surveyed 172 freshmen to discern their views and attitudes toward Channel One programming and commercials and the role colleges and universities might play in relation to this media service. While most studies on Channel One have been conducted from a K-12 point of view, the goal of this study was to reconsider the topic from the perspective of prospective teachers and post-secondary education. A. J. Angulo  is Assistant Professor of Social Foundations, Winthrop University. He received an Ed.D. and Ed.M. from Harvard University. His research interests include history of education, technology and education, and student rights. Susan K. Green  is Associate Professor of Educational Psychology, Winthrop University. She received a Ph.D. in social psychology from Loyola University, Chicago and a Ph.D. in educational psychology and research from the University of South Carolina, Columbia. Her interests include classroom assessment, motivational and instructional strategies to promote learning, and multicultural issues in education.     

The Effectiveness of a Brief Mindfulness-Based Intervention for College Freshmen Who Have Aged out of Foster Care

This study investigated the effects of a brief meditation intervention on perceived stress, mindfulness, and sleep quality for college freshmen who have aged out of foster care. Thirty-six youth who had aged out of foster care and enrolled at a large midwestern 4-year university (n?=?16 experimental group, n?=?20 control group) participated in a study in which they were assessed three times on the dependent variables. Students also participated in a focus group after the intervention ended. Four sessions of the brief mindfulness intervention resulted in significant short-term reductions in stress levels and increases in sleep quality. Finding effective personal interventions to increase chances for college success for students with histories in foster care can also offer potential insight toward the development of educational models and resources for other vulnerable college student populations.