What makes a problem mathematically interesting? Inviting prospective teachers to pose better problems

School students of all ages, including those who subsequently become teachers, have limited experience posing their own mathematical problems. Yet problem posing, both as an act of mathematical inquiry and of mathematics teaching, is part of the mathematics education reform vision that seeks to promote mathematics as an worthy intellectual activity. In this study, the authors explored the problem-posing behavior of elementary prospective teachers, which entailed analyzing the kinds of problems they posed as a result of two interventions. The interventions were designed to probe the effects of (a) exploration of a mathematical situation as a precursor to mathematical problem posing, and (b) development of aesthetic criteria to judge the mathematical quality of the problems posed. Results show that both interventions led to improved problem posing and mathematically richer understandings of what makes a problem ‘good.’     

Institutional change and resource endowments to science-based entrepreneurial firms

This paper considers the question of whether the resource endowments of science-based entrepreneurial firms are influenced by the way technology transfer is organised at the parent organisation. We studied one public research organisation in detail (IMEC, Belgium), by questioning all managers involved in technology transfer and the founders of all science-based entrepreneurial firms set up between 1986 and 2002. This research identifies three generations of companies at IMEC, mirroring the organisational changes in technology transfer policies and displaying distinct resource characteristics. Establishing an incubator structure for spin-offs seems to be a learning process during which little decision making can be exerted over senior management's social network in the financial and business community for securing the financial, technological and human resources for the science-based entrepreneurial firms.     

Strength in numbers? Women and mathematics

Two studies were conducted to test the link between numerical distinctiveness, stereotype threat and mathematical performance among women. In the first study, stereotype threat was measured with a stereotype activation task. Women in a solo, non-solo or control condition completed word fragments and a mathematical activity. Solo women, rather than their non-solo counterparts showed mathematical performance deficits. Evidence did not support the mediating role of stereotype activation. In the second study, stereotype anxiety was assessed. According to analyses, solo women reported greater stereotype-related anxiety than non-solo women. A link between stereotype anxiety and mathematical performance deficits was also uncovered. Finally, mathematical underperformance was associated with greater interest in feminine activities. Strategies to buffer the effects of stereotype threat are discussed.     

An integrated approach for modeling and solving the scheduling problem of container handling systems

INTRODUCTION Worldwide container trade has grown 9.5% per year last decade and will continue to do so at an 8% growth rate in the coming years (James et al., 1997), so container terminals have to handle containers more efficiently. Fig.1 shows a typical container terminal layout composed of “Quayside area” and “Storage yard”. Many optimization problems associated with a container terminal have been extensively studied in the past few years. Vis and De Koster (2003) gave a comprehens…     

Modeling context through domain ontologies

Traditional information retrieval systems aim at satisfying most users for most of their searches, leaving aside the context in which the search takes place. We propose to model two main aspects of context: The themes of the user's information need and the specific data the user is looking for to achieve the task that has motivated his search. Both aspects are modeled by means of ontologies. Documents are semantically indexed according to the context representation and the user accesses information by browsing the ontologies. The model has been applied to a case study that has shown the added value of such a semantic representation of context.

Methodological issues associated with longitudinal research: Findings from the Leuven Longitudinal Study on Lifestyle,Fitness and Health (1969 – 2004)

Abstract

Longitudinal studies provide unique opportunities but are also faced with several limitations. The purpose of this study was to document three of these issues (“imperfect” design, evolution of data collection methods, representativeness) by means of the Leuven Longitudinal Study on Lifestyle, Fitness and Health (LLSLFH). The LLSLFH (1969 – 2004) comprises observations on males between 12 and 18 years and at 30, 35, 40, and 47 years, and on females at 16 and 40 years. In the most recent phase of the study, spouses and offspring were also included. The different phases and evolving research questions throughout the LLSLFH required an appropriate adaptation of the research design. The associated evolution of data collection methods largely reflects the changing ideas about physical fitness, body composition, and physical activity, the continuing search for new and better measurement techniques, and the need for adaptations with age. Ongoing study participants are representative in terms of body composition and, except for adolescence in males, also physical activity. No straightforward answer can be given concerning physical fitness. In both sexes, socio-economic status is above average. When informed about the possible “pitfalls” of longitudinal research in advance, several measures could be taken to prevent or limit them as much as possible.     

Une approche plurilingue pour faciliter l’inclusion scolaire : engagement et dynamique pédagogique

A multilingual approach to facilitating inclusion: Educational commitment and dynamics – In the school context, the first steps in the process of learning a foreign language require commitment and motivation on the part of the learner, as well as a commitment from the teacher to include all students. This raises questions about the inclusiveness of education and the educational achievement of multilingual and/or immigrant students in predominantly monolingual classes. The author draws on a corpus of research to explore a number of parameters involved in the implementation of a multilingual and inclusive approach. She links the foundations of a multilingual approach to the institutional framework and the positions of the actors in the didactic relationship, as well as in their relationship to languages. The article then gives an overview of the characteristics of the metacognitive strategies employed by multilingual learners and, in conclusion, proposes some innovative methods to go beyond the monolingual principles in learning and foster exchanges that are both multicultural and multilingual.     

Recommendations for the application and follow-up of quality controls in medical laboratories

This is a translation of the paper “Recommendations for the application and follow-up of quality controls in medical biology laboratories” published in French in the journal Annales de Biologie Clinique (Recommandations pour la mise en place et le suivi des contrôles de qualité dans les laboratoires de biologie médicale. Ann Biol Clin (Paris). 2019;77:577-97.). The recommendations proposed in this document are the result of work conducted jointly by the Network of Accredited Medical Laboratories (LABAC), the French Society of Medical Biology (SFBC) and the Federation of Associations for External Quality Assessment (FAEEQ). The different steps of the implementation of quality controls, based on a risk analysis, are described. The changes of reagent or internal quality control (IQC) materials batches, the action to be taken in case of non-conform IQC results, the choice of external quality assessment (EQA) scheme and interpretation of their results as well as the new issue of analyses performed on several automatic systems available in the same laboratory are discussed. Finally, the concept of measurement uncertainty, the robustness of the methods as well as the specificities of near-patient testing and rapid tests are described. These recommendations cannot apply for all cases we can find in medical laboratories. The implementation of an objective alternative strategy, supported with documented evidence, might be equally considered.     

Ethical considerations in an online community: the balancing act

With the emergence and rapid growth of Social Media, a number of government departments in several countries have embraced Social Media as a privilege channel to interact with their constituency. We are exploring, in collaboration with the Australian Department of Human Services, the possibility to exploit the potential of social networks to support specific groups of citizens. To this end, we have developed Next Step, an online community to help people currently receiving welfare payments find a job and become financially self-sufficient. In this paper, we explore some ethical issues that arise when governments engage directly with citizens, in particular with communities in difficult situations, and when researchers are involved. We describe some of the challenges we faced and how we addressed them. Our work highlights the complexity of the problem, when an online community involves a government department and a welfare recipient group with a dependency relationship with that department. It becomes a balancing act, with the need to ensure privacy of the community members whilst still fulfilling the government’s legal responsibilities. While difficult, these issues must be addressed if governments are to engage with their citizens using Social Media.     

“Cyberpals!/Les Cybercopains!”: A Look at Online Museum Visitor Experiences

This article examines approaches to creating museum Web sites that offer quality experiences to online users. In six case studies, museum Web developers in the U.S. and Canada describe how they have made the most of available human and financial resources. The development history of each site offers insights into the origins of a design and its subsequent versions, and describes the influence of institutional missions, philosophies, success indicators—and financial and human resources, the most crucial factors. The study found considerable variety in the backgrounds, expertise, titles and training of people developing Web sites within institutions. Web teams developed “exchange” experiences through online discussion, and by creating links among users, or between museum staff and users. In three case studies, Web sites encouraged visitors to cycle between online and on‐site museum visits. Web developers describe using quantitative and qualitative online audience research strategies. WebTrends^TM software has enabled Web teams to report complex log analyses. Creating online experiences in partnership with users is the intention of Web developers.