Knowledge matchmaking in Learning Networks: Alleviating the tutor load by mutually connecting Learning Network users

Tutors have only limited time to support the learning process. In this paper, we introduced a model that helps answer the questions of students. The model invoked the knowledge and skills of fellow students, who jointly formed an ad hoc, transient community. The paper situated the model within the context of a Learning Network, a self‐organised, distributed system, designed to facilitate lifelong learning in a particular knowledge domain. We discussed the design of the model and explained how we selected and supported capable peers. Finally, we examined the calibration of the model and a simulation, which was intended to verify if the model is fit for use in experiments with students. The results indicate that, indeed, it is possible to identify and support capable peers efficiently and effectively.     

Statistical Properties of the K-Index for Detecting Answer Copying

We investigated the statistical properties of the K-index (Holland, 1996) that can be used to detect copying behavior on a test. A simulation study was conducted to investigate the applicability of the K-index for small, medium, and large datasets. Furthermore, the Type I error rate and the detection rate of this index were compared with the copying index, ω (Wollack, 1997). Several approximations were used to calculate the K-index. Results showed that all approximations were able to hold the Type I error rates below the nominal level. Results further showed that using ω resulted in higher detection rates than the K-indices for small and medium sample sizes (100 and 500 simulees).     

Sensationalists United? Football hooliganism and the English press

In the course of researching the Heysel tragedy and its coverage by the media, I pored over dozens of valuable dissections of football hooliganism by renowned sociologists, almost all of whom charged journalists with both exaggerating and exacerbating the problem. Interviews with the accused, unaccountably, were conspicuous by their absence. These scholarly explorations were also accompanied, in my reading, by a widespread tendency to diminish the havoc wrought by criminal and profoundly antisocial behaviour. Many contributory factors were commonly cited, such as ‘frustrated maleness’, high unemployment, Margaret Thatcher’s declaration that ‘there is no such thing as society’ and the excesses of a small, entirely unrepresentative minority. The prime scapegoats, instead, have been the media – especially the space-starved, time-pressed daily newspapers, as ever, the most inviting of open goals. Their alleged crimes were wilful, irresponsible hyperbole; in short, sensationalism. Written by a sports journalist and journalism lecturer, this paper addresses whether such stereotyping is justified.     

Philosophy for Democracy

Philosophy for Democracy is a research project that aims to examine whether and how Philosophy with Children contributes to the development of democratic skills and attitudes. In the Netherlands, as in almost all Western countries, Philosophy with Children is linked with the movement for citizenship education. This article reports the research on the practice of Philosophy with Children. Sixteen philosophical inquiries by children in the classroom were recorded, transcribed and analysed. The analyses show that children develop relevant reasoning skills and advanced dialogical skills. The study shows that embedding Philosophy with Children in a democratic practice is necessary for contributing to a critical-democratic citizenship development. The study also shows that Dutch children often give their opinion, but are not often involved in inquiring their own opinions. From a pedagogical point of view, we think that in Dutch culture and in Dutch schools it would be important to stress more a dialogical – community-based – inquiring attitude.     

The Growth of Knowledge and the Discursive Gap

This article raises the question of the character of Bernstein's theory. It draws upon a set of key concepts elaborated in some of his later papers, although we suggest that it is possible to discern the origins of these ideas in much earlier work. In the first section, Bernstein's diagnosis of the sociology of education as a horizontal knowledge structure with a weak grammar is discussed and an apparent paradox identified: if the sociology of education has this form, how can we account for Bernstein's own theory? The remainder of the paper uses the case of Bernstein's own work as a way of exploring the conditions for knowledge growth in sociology as a vertical knowledge structure with a strong grammar.     

Early employment outcomes of home and foreign educated graduates – the Malaysian Experience

This paper compares early employment outcomes(in terms of income levels and jobsatisfaction) of Malaysian graduates educatedlocally with those educated abroad(specifically in US and UK).Factors likely to be related to these outcomeswere identified by a comprehensive literaturestudy. A regression model was developedcontaining the factors identified above. Questionnaire responses from over 400 recentMalaysian graduates were incorporated into themodel.Model results show a significant relationshipbetween income levels and gender, duration ofemployment, self-esteem, ownership, academicmajor and English proficiency. Surprisingly,location of study was not statisticallysignificant. Furthermore, location of studywas not significantly related to jobsatisfaction either. However job-fit index,self esteem, income and satisfaction with theUniversity were found to bear significantrelationships with job satisfaction. The policyimplication of these findings were explored.     

Digital Learning Material for Model Building in Molecular Biology

Building models to describe processes forms an essential part of molecular biology research. However, in molecular biology curricula little attention is generally being paid to the development of this skill. In order to provide students the opportunity to improve their model building skills, we decided to develop a number of digital cases about developmental biology. In these cases the students are guided to build a model according to a method that is based on expert analysis and historical data; they first build a simplified model based on the wild-type only and then they extend this model step by step based on experimental results. After each extension, the biological implications of the extension are evaluated. The first case was evaluated three times during a regular course at Wageningen University, The Netherlands and once at the University of Zurich, Switzerland. The analysis of audiotapes revealed that students did indeed engage in the reasoning processes, which are typical for model building. Furthermore, exam results seem to suggest that working with the case indeed facilitates model building in analogical situations and the students judged working with the case positively.