The Effect of Guidance in Problem-Based Learning of Statistics

Contrary to classical problem-based learning, in guided problem-based learning, the learning goals are predetermined by the instructor—on the basis of a detailed decomposition of the subject matter to be studied—to activate prior knowledge and to structure self-study and subsequent group discussion. This study investigated the effects of classical problem-based learning and guided problem-based learning, for different prior knowledge levels, on perceived value and usefulness of the learning activity and on conceptual understanding of statistics. Participants randomly assigned 110 students to 10 problem-based learning groups, and subsequently, the 10 groups were allocated randomly to classical problem-based learning or guided problem-based learning. The results indicate that guided problem-based learning tends to enhance conceptual understanding of statistics more thanbreak; classical problem-based learning once students have some prior knowledge of the subject. Furthermore, guided problem-based learning tends to increase students’ awareness of the value and usefulness of the learning activity.     

A sociocultural view of doctoral students' relationships and agency

Existing literature suggests that doctoral students' learning and experience are significantly influenced by their relationships with a wide range of people within and beyond academic settings. However, there has been little theoretical work focused on these issues, and questions of agency in doctoral study are in need of further attention. This paper draws on sociocultural theory in the analysis of interviews conducted with 33 doctoral students across four UK research-intensive universities. It focuses on agency and frames others as mediating students' experiences whether as embodied or represented in material, or imaginary form.     

Introducing Forum Theatre to elicit and advocate children’s views

Eliciting and advocating the voice of the child remains at the heart of international political agenda and also remains a central role for educational psychologists (EPs). Previous research indicates that EPs tend to use language-based methods for eliciting and advocating views of children. However, these approaches are often limited. Taking a case study approach this paper aims to explain how the use of Forum Theatre offers EPs a legitimate way of eliciting and advocating the views of children. The study worked with seven Year Six children to create a Forum Theatre Performance which was performed in front of the whole school (spect-actors). Focus groups were held with teachers (n = 3) and children (n = 6) from within the school. This study uses a semantic deductive thematic analysis to explain underlying emancipatory processes within the context of a small rural primary school. The results of this study support previous literature demonstrating that Forum Theatre has a wealth of emancipatory processes which might optimise the approach being used to elicit and advocate for the voice of the child. Practical applications and limitations are discussed with some suggestions for further research.     

Equality and Education: Fact and Fiction

This paper reports on a series of statistical analyses carried out on some of the National Curriculum tests in mathematics for 11-year-olds in England. In England all 7-, 11- and 14-year-olds are tested in English, mathematics and science (11- and 14-year-olds only). The tests for 11-year-olds are very high stakes, in that the results are published in a school-by-school basis in newspapers etc. The analyses were prompted by the suggestion (from governmental organisations) that the balance of the curriculum content in the mathematics tests should be changed to accommodate better the require ments of the government-initiated National Numeracy Strategy. The analyses were carried out on two datasets, involving nationally representative samples of 11-year-old pupils. The analyses reveal some interesting patterns of change in the overall outcomes when Handling Data questions were statistically replaced by Number items of various kinds and also some interesting changes at the individual level, which could potentially affect the Level outcomes of a significant number of children nationally. However, the final conclusion reached is that, given an appropriately sized and structured pool of items across the curriculum content areas, tests can be constructed which are of an appropriate level of difficulty and discrimination power and which still allow year-on-year calibration of the national standards in mathematics.     

Facebook网络巡警

一个阳光正午,就快到午饭时间,在位于加州帕洛阿尔托的Facebook公司总部内,西蒙·阿克顿正在寻找色情图片。一对年轻人热恋缠绵的照片映人屏幕。这张图片赋予挑逗性,但是并不违规,阿克顿一边点击键盘,一边评判图片是否合适。下一幅图片：一个只穿着短内裤的年轻女子,用手遮着胸部。     

Social Perception in Infancy: A Near Infrared Spectroscopy Study

The capacity to engage and communicate in a social world is one of the defining characteristics of the human species. While the network of regions that compose the social brain have been the subject of extensive research in adults, there are limited techniques available for monitoring young infants. This study used near infrared spectroscopy to investigate functional activation in the social brain network of 36 five-month-old infants. We measured the hemodynamic responses to visually presented stimuli in the temporal lobes. A significant increase in oxyhemoglobin was localized to 2 posterior temporal sites bilaterally, indicating that these areas are involved in the social brain network in young infants.     

城市·身体·雕塑·行为艺术

2009年10月,英国伦敦人流穿梭的街道上,一群身着彩色帽T的家伙东奔西跑,他们像淘气的孩子般爬上爬下,把自己的身体挤进通道入口、壁凹和任何能找得到的公共建筑的缝隙内。街上的行人常常被他们的举动搞得一头雾水,目瞪口呆。