Critical stance within a community of inquiry in an advanced mathematics course for pre-service teachers

Journal of Mathematics Teacher Education - This paper reports a study of university students’ experiences of learning mathematics in an introductory differential equations course that takes...     

A Case Study of the Use of Internet Photobook Technology to Enhance Early Childhood “Scientist” Identity

There are many influences on a child’s identity. Photobook technology purposefully prepared around science explorations presents a modern opportunity to repeatedly trigger memories that reinforce the “me, as scientist” viewpoint. Semi-structured interviews at 6 and 8 years of age were conducted with a child who was the subject of a photobook of everyday science activities to gain insights into his thinking about the nature of science and how he interprets his younger self participating. Interview data were recorded, transcribed and analyzed using dimensions from the previously established parameters for the nature of science. The child’s statements about his participation in the photos were matched to these dimensions to consider how he sees himself “doing science” through his early years. Preliminary findings suggest that the child recognizes elements of science and regards himself as an active participant. In both interviews, the child reinforces these views by the opportunity to revisit the experiences in the photobook. Affective components may motivate further science involvement as well: the child enjoyed the time and attention that the photos and discussion provided; the child took pride in being the subject of a book. This case study suggests that there is a fertile field of research to investigate how, for whom, and in what ways internet photobook technology may enhance a child’s developing identity as capable science explorer.     

Fun folds: Life on the water

Fun Folds is a creative format for teaching language. Through use of this paper-folding art form, language teaching gains a new dimension. Learning becomes active, rather than passive. This multisensory, multidimensional program helps children develop temporalspatial concepts and expand oral expression, auditory and visual memory and sequencing skills, visual-motor proficiency, and receptive and expressive language skills as they participate in an enjoyable, stimulating and interesting paper-folding activity.This article is excerpted fromFun Folds available from Communication Skill Builders, 3130 N. Dodge Blvd., P.O. Box 42050, Tucson, AZ 85733.     

Computer science in K-12 school curricula of the 2lst century: Why,what and when?

In this paper we have examined the position and roles of Computer Science in curricula in the light of recent calls for curriculum change and we have proposed principles and issues to consider in curriculum design as well as identifying priority areas for further research. The paper is based on discussions within and beyond the International Federation of Information Processing (IFIP) Education Community since 2012 as well as an analysis of curriculum developments in five different countries. Emerging themes have been discussed with reference to important perspectives from curriculum theory including “powerful knowledge” as a key element of entitlement and management of the growth of expertise. Based on this analysis we have identified areas of consensus as well as constraints, risks and issues that are still subject to controversy. There is an emerging consensus of the importance of Computer Science and the nature of its “powerful knowledge”. Furthermore current understanding of the opportunities and benefits for starting to learn Computer Science early in primary schools has identified this early start as an entitlement and equity issue. There is a strong consensus that teacher professional development in Computer Science Education is critical for supporting curriculum change and is currently a major challenge in many countries. Other key issues include understanding how the growth of expertise affects potential structure and sequencing in the curriculum and the balance of content. Further considerations include how new technological opportunities interact with pedagogical approaches and can provide new potential for the growth of expertise.     

The relationship between personality and attitudes towards computers: an investigation among female undergraduate students in Israel

The relationships between computer-related attitudes and the Eysenckian personality dimensions of extraversion, neuroticism and psychoticism are explored among a sample of 298 female students in Israel. The data demonstrate that more positive attitudes towards computers are associated with higher scores on the psychoticism scale and lower scores on the extraversion scale. There is no significant relationship between attitudes towards computers and scores on the neuroticism scale     

Meaningful reading gains by adult literacy learners

To obtain a fuller picture of the efficacy of reading instruction programs for adult literacy learners, gains by individual students were examined in a sample (n = 148) in which weak to moderate gains at the group level had been obtained in response to tutoring interventions that focused on strengthening basic decoding and fluency skills of low literate adults (Sabatini, Shore, Holtzman, & Scarborough, 2011). Learners were randomly assigned to receive one of three tutoring programs for an average of 44 h of instruction. We used within-individual gains replicated over tests (WIGROT) as the method for identifying gainers, who were defined as students whose reading levels increased from pretest to posttest by a half year or more on at least two of four measured aspects of reading proficiency. The 46 % of the sample who met the criterion had higher pretest scores than non-gainers on measures of reading (d = .42, p < .01) and phonological awareness (d = .47, p < .01), and included fewer adults with a history of special education (43 vs. 61 %, phi = .19, p < .05), regardless of which instructional condition had been received. The findings suggest that basic skills instruction can lead to a meaningful degree of benefit for many adult learners who persist in reading programs for several months. Supplementing group level results with analyses of individual growth, such as WIGROT, appears to be useful in evaluating the efficacy of literacy interventions.