The use of augmented reality to foster conceptual knowledge acquisition in STEM laboratory courses—Theoretical background and empirical results

Learning with hands-on experiments can be supported by providing essential information virtually during lab work. Augmented reality (AR) appears especially suitable for presenting information during experimentation, as it can be used to integrate both physical and virtual lab work. Virtual information can be displayed in close spatial proximity to the correspondent components in the experimentation environment, thereby ensuring a basic design principle for multimedia instruction: the spatial contiguity principle. The latter is assumed to reduce learners' extraneous cognitive load and foster generative processing, which supports conceptual knowledge acquisition. For the present study, a tablet-based AR application has been developed to support learning from hands-on experiments in physics education. Real-time measurement data were displayed directly above the components of electric circuits, which were constructed by the learners during lab work. In a two group pretest–posttest design, we compared university students' (N = 50) perceived cognitive load and conceptual knowledge gain for both the AR-supported and a matching non-AR learning environment. Whereas participants in both conditions gave comparable ratings for cognitive load, learning gains in conceptual knowledge were only detectable for the AR-supported lab work.     

An associative account of Orthographic Satiation in Chinese characters

Prolonged inspection of a Chinese character induces a feeling of uncertainty of the character, a phenomenon named as Orthographic Satiation. However, there has not been direct evidence showing that such satiation does occur at the orthographic level. To investigate whether Chinese satiation occurs at the orthographic level or at other levels, the present study applies a speeded repetition priming paradigm to Chinese, which has been successfully used to examine Semantic Satiation in English. When judging whether a category name matched an exemplar word, participants showed gradually slower responses as the character standing for the category name was repeated, indicating the occurrence of satiation. However, repetition of a character without accessing its meaning, or repeated access to its meaning without repeating the character itself, did not elicit satiation. The results suggest Orthographic Satiation occurs not at the orthographic level, but at a level associating orthography and meaning during Chinese character reading.     

Central Coherence Theory and the interpretation of picture materials: toward an assessment of autistic spectrum disorder

Central Coherence Theory ( Frith, 1989 ; Happe, 1994a ) may account for the piecemeal style of information processing characteristic of people with autistic spectrum disorder (ASD). This style of processing was observed during language and communication assessments of pupils with ASD. A consistent pattern in the types of these responses emerged, such that it was possible to devise a framework to categorise them.
This article investigates the responses of two groups of eight pupils matched on the basis of gender and verbal ability: i) pupils with a diagnosis of ASD, and ii) pupils without identified difficulties. They were presented with a range of picture materials and their responses were placed within a framework of seven response categories. It was felt that the types of errors made by the two groups differed both quantitatively and qualitatively, and that the type and extent of the errors made by the pupils with ASD were largely attributable to the presence of weak central coherence.
Despite the presence of some limitations in the way the investigation was conducted, it was concluded that these methods might contribute toward the assessment and differential diagnosis of ASD.     

A meta-analysis on the relationship between school characteristics and student outcomes in science and maths – evidence from large-scale studies

ABSTRACT

In the present meta-analysis, we examine how secondary school characteristics – such as schools’ academic press, school climate, material resources, personnel resources, classroom climate, instructional practices, out-of-school activities, and socioeconomic status (SES) composition – provide opportunities for students to engage in science and maths, and how these matter with regard to students’ cognitive and motivational-affective outcomes. The meta-analysis includes 71 (international) articles from large-scale studies with a total of 3,960,281 students, 260,390 schools, and 285 effect sizes that were transformed to correlation coefficients. Multilevel meta-analyses were performed. Results identified a number of school variables that can be regarded as relevant for making a difference in student outcomes and at the same time be influenced by education. These refer to school variables such schools’ academic press, classroom climate, instructional practices, and out-of-school activities. Moreover, SES composition was significantly related to student outcomes. Material and personnel resources as well as school climate yielded a close to zero effect. No differences were found between cognitive and motivational-affective outcome variables or between science and maths. The results point to the most promising school characteristics for promoting students’ outcomes and emphasise schools’ potential for students’ engagement in science and maths.     

The Structure and Substance of Teachers’ Opportunities to Learn about Teacher Evaluation Reform: Promise or Pitfall for Equity?

Despite growing momentum to overhaul teacher evaluation policies and practices, scant research examines how educators at the street level of such reform—principals and teachers—make sense of them, and almost no research examines the implications of current evaluation reforms for equity. This article provides findings based on a study of 14 districts implementing a new teacher evaluation policy in Connecticut. It focuses on how principals shaped teachers’ opportunities to learn about the new policy. We find that the majority of teachers’ opportunities to learn were formal and in whole group or one-on-one formats. We find important differences in the quantity and quality of learning opportunities at the district level, with districts serving greater shares of low-income students, students of color, and English language learners generally offering teachers fewer and lower quality opportunities to learn about the new reform than their counterparts. As such, this article builds on prior research illustrating the potential of new evaluation systems to exacerbate inequities and raises important cautions regarding the extent to which the unprecedented teacher evaluation reforms (currently underway) may exacerbate inequities among school districts.     

Fostering an Interest in Science in a Typically Underrepresented Population

ABSTRACT:  This "case study" details how food science was introduced into the classrooms of a typically underrepresented population. James Sarakatsannis, an 8th grade physical science teacher, was planning a unit that would use fast food to teach science to his classes, when he came across the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) website and a wealth of information available to teachers. Along with the valuable materials James found on the website to teach food science, he also found the "Find a Food Scientist" tool and invited 3 local food scientists into his classroom at John Philip Sousa Middle School in the inner city of Washington, D.C., where many of his students represent a typically underrepresented population in the field of food science. Food was a common medium that all of his students were familiar with and had an interest in, and it turned out to be a great tool to discuss various physical science topics in the classroom. The local food scientist visits were an excellent supplement to the topics he was already covering with the students in class. Many students developed a greater interest in science in general after the unit on food science. The unit also may have planted the seed for an education or career in food science somewhere down the line for the 70 13- to 16-year-old students in James's 2 8th grade physical science classes.     

Exploring Engineering instructors’ views about writing and online tools to support communication in Engineering

To be fully prepared for the professional workplace, Engineering students need to be able to effectively communicate. However, there has been a growing concern in the field about students’ preparedness for this aspect of their future work. It is argued that online writing tools, to engage numbers of students in the writing process, can support feedback on and development of writing in engineering on a larger scale. Through interviews and questionnaires, this study explores engineering academics’ perceptions of writing to better understand how online writing tools may be integrated into their teaching. Results suggest that writing is viewed positively in the discipline, but it is not believed to be essential to success in engineering. Online writing tools were believed to support a larger number of students, but low knowledge of the tools limited academics’ understanding of their usefulness in teaching and learning. Implications for innovation in undergraduate teaching are discussed.     

Direct Experience With Nature and the Development of Biological Knowledge

Research Findings: An emerging consensus is that casual, direct contact with nature influences the development of children’s biological knowledge. Here we review the existing literature on this topic, focusing on the effects of (a) rural versus urban rearing environments and (b) pet ownership and care on children’s biological concepts and reasoning. Although the research is limited, the evidence suggests that these factors positively influence children’s understanding of specific biological phenomena (e.g., internal organ function, biological inheritance) and reasoning patterns (e.g., anthropocentrism, ecological reasoning). Practice or Policy: In the modern context of diminishing outdoor playtime and limited experience with nature, this review highlights the importance of direct exposure to the natural world for children’s conceptual development in the domain of biology.