The effects of using drawings in developing young children’s mathematical word problem solving: A design experiment with third-grade Hungarian students

The present study aims to investigate the effects of a design experiment developed for third-grade students in the field of mathematics word problems. The main focus of the program was developing students?? knowledge about word problem solving strategies with an emphasis on the role of visual representations in mathematical modeling. The experiment involved five experimental and six control classes (N?=?106 and 138, respectively) of third-grade students. The experiment comprised 20 lessons with 73 word problems, providing a systematic overview of the basic word problem types. Teachers of the experimental classes received a booklet containing lesson plans and overhead transparencies with different types of visual representations attached to the word problems. Students themselves were invited to make drawings for each task, and group work and teacher-led discussion shaped their beliefs about the role of visual representations in word problem solving. The effect sizes of the experiment were calculated from the results of two tests: an arithmetic skill and a word problem test, and the unbiased estimates for Cohen??s d proved to be 0.20 and 0.62. There were significant changes also in experimental group students?? beliefs about mathematics. The experiment pointed to the possibility, feasibility, and importance of learning about visual representations in mathematical word problem solving as early as in grade?3 (around age 9?C10).     

Anatomy: Spotlight on Africa

Anatomy departments across Africa were surveyed regarding the type of curriculum and method of delivery of their medical courses. While the response rate was low, African anatomy departments appear to be in line with the rest of the world in that many have introduced problem based learning, have hours that are within the range of western medical schools and appear to be well resourced. Human body dissection is a constant and strong aspect of the majority of the courses surveyed. The staff to student ratio appears to be relatively high in Africa, but in many of the responding African institutions, there appears to be little difficulty in attracting suitable faculty (including those who are medically qualified) to teach anatomy. Retaining this faculty, in some cases, may be difficult because of a global demand for anatomy educators. Anat Sci Ed 1:111–118, 2008. © 2008 American Association of Anatomists.     

Continuity and Discontinuity Between Training and School Experience: Follow-up Studies of Former Students of the Institute of Education

The present report is based on three pilot projects that aimed to explore and describe teachers' perceptions of their training and the transition experience of teachers in the shift from being a student on a teacher training programme to being a full-fledged teacher in the primary or secondary school. The three studies were prompted by the concern for a possible lack of fit, even under the best circumstances, between pre-service training and the work of a full-time teacher in a typical school. In the main, then, this report focuses on the continuity between campus-based training and teaching practice and full-time teaching experience.     

Education Catching Up with Science: Preparing Students for Three-Dimensional Literacy in Cell Biology

The large number of experimentally determined molecular structures has led to the development of a new semiotic system in the life sciences, with increasing use of accurate molecular representations. To determine how this change impacts students’ learning, we incorporated image tests into our introductory cell biology course. Groups of students used a single text dealing with signal transduction, which was supplemented with images made in one of three iconographic styles. Typically, we employed realistic renderings, using computer-generated Protein Data Bank (PDB) structures; realistic-schematic renderings, using shapes inspired by PDB structures; or schematic renderings, using simple geometric shapes to represent cellular components. The control group received a list of keywords. When students were asked to draw and describe the process in their own style and to reply to multiple-choice questions, the three iconographic approaches equally improved the overall outcome of the tests (relative to keywords). Students found the three approaches equally useful but, when asked to select a preferred style, they largely favored a realistic-schematic style. When students were asked to annotate “raw” realistic images, both keywords and schematic representations failed to prepare them for this task. We conclude that supplementary images facilitate the comprehension process and despite their visual clutter, realistic representations do not hinder learning in an introductory course.     

Stellen Hochschultypen differenzielle Entwicklungsmilieus dar?

The German higher education system has three different types of universities. This study aims to investigate the effect of choosing one particular university type on central personality traits (vocational interests, vocational motives and the Big Five). Existing results clearly show that the individual types of universities recruit students with different backgrounds. Whether differential development during and after studies is determined by university type (i.e. socialization effects in a broader sense) or whether it denotes a consequence of pre-existing differences among students of the university types will, for the first time, be examined using propensity-score matching. To do this, data of a large longitudinal study in Baden-Wuerttemberg were used in order to compare 1568 students at traditional universities (Universit?ten), universities of applied sciences (Fachhochschulen), and universities of cooperative education (Berufsakademien) in their second, fourth and sixth year after university entrance examination. Socialisation effects were tested in propensity-score based parallelised sub-samples (N?=?622). Results show that differences between university types can mainly be explained with selection effects and that the effects of attendance at the university types itself were hardly differential.     

Vergleichsarbeiten in Baden-Württemberg

Standard comparative tests are meant to provide a reference system within the framework of educational reforms for development of school lessons. Compulsory comparative testing was introduced in Baden-Württemberg at the end of the school year 2005/2006. The teachers carried out the tests and corrected them themselves. Afterwards they received feedback at school and class levels, which was based on a prior statewide pilot study. The repeated survey had the aim of investigating which intended effects (reference attainment for orientation) and non-intended effects (narrowing-the-curriculum, pre-testing and exercises) teachers associated with this new instrument. Teachers of technical secondary schools (Realschulen) in Baden-Württemberg were surveyed. In the survey before the introduction of standard comparative testing (2004; n _{t 1}?=?914), teachers expected both intended and non-intended effects. Four years after their introduction (2009; n _{t 1}?=?734), respondents were asked to estimate the effects of standard comparative tests. The effects??in every dimension??were judged to be significantly less than had been expected before their introduction. It is pleasing that the teachers did not judge the anticipated narrowing-the-curriculum effects to be significant. However, they also did not see the instrument as a noteworthy orientation help for planning and assessing lessons. Standard comparative tests were not seen by the respondents to provide a reference for new lesson developments.