Complexities of learning with computer-based tools: A case of inquiry about sound and music in elementary school

Computer-based technology is increasingly becoming available for students at all grade levels in schools, and its promise and power as a learning tool is being extolled by many. From a constructive perspective, if individuals actively construct meaning from their experiences, then simply having particular tools to work with via a computer doesn't ensure that desired learning will result. Thus, it is important to examine how students construct meaning while using such tools. This study examined what fourth grade students learned from the use of two computer-based tools intended to help them understand sound and music: software that emulated an oscilloscope and allowed students to view sound waves from audio input; and software that turned the computer into an electronic keyboard, which provided students with standard pitches for comparison purposes. Principles ofselective attention andpior knowledge and experiences—foundational ideas of a constructivist epistemology—were useful in understanding learning outcomes from inquiry with these tools. Our findings provide critical information for future instruction with the goal of supporting learning about sound and music from such tools. They also indicate the need for more studies examining learning from computer-based tools in specific contexts, to advance our understanding of how teachers can mediate student activity with computer-based tools to support the development of conceptual understanding.     

Being taught to learn together: an ethnographic study of the curriculum in two Chinese kindergartens

This paper reports the findings of a pilot study which adopted an ethnographic approach to investigate the cultural features of the Chinese kindergarten curriculum by means of ‘semi‐participant’ observations, semi‐structured interviews, daily conversations and open‐ended questionnaires in two Chinese kindergartens. The paper first introduces the debate over teaching and learning in the early years in Western contexts. It then demonstrates that the curriculum in Chinese kindergartens is mainly implemented by means of teachers' formal collective teaching. Children seem to be taught to learn; their spontaneous learning interests are welcomed but seldom developed in depth. The preference among teachers for this formal collective teaching, coupled with their perception that this teaching is required in their particular situations, creates a tension between teaching and children's learning. The shift in parents' views of education, from an over‐emphasis on children's knowledge‐based study to support for children's harmonious overall development, also contributes to this tension.     

Practising what we preach: towards a student-centred definition of feedback

Students appear to have an almost insatiable appetite for receiving feedback and the scholarly literature has acknowledged its central importance for learning. And yet there is no widely accepted definition of feedback, most definitions reflecting the perspective of the teacher rather than student. When staff at the University of New South Wales who had put a lot of time into providing feedback nevertheless failed to score highly on the course satisfaction survey question on feedback, staff conjectured that their students might not recognize what they are providing as constituting feedback. A study was undertaken to find out just how students would define feedback. This article provides the background to the study, describes its design and presents the definition of feedback as conceptualised by the students, and then considers its significance.     

Perceptions of two television cartoons: Powerpuff girls and Johnny Bravo

“Powerpuff Girls” (PPG) and “Johnny Bravo” (JB) are two recent additions to cartoon programming on the Cartoon Network. In Study 1 over three‐fourths of 187 elementary school children indicated that they had watched JB and PPG. These children perceived PPG to be significantly more aggressive than JB. In Study 2 two trained, independent raters scored JB, compared to PPG, as more likely to make appearance‐enhancing actions and more likely to use come‐ons while the PPG were more aggressive and more likely to giggle/laugh. Johnny was more likely to be the recipient of aggressive behaviors, rather than be aggressive himself.     

The spiral of silence: examining how cultural predispositions,news attention,and opinion congruency relate to opinion expression

This study examines new explanatory predictors behind the spiral of silence theory, using the issue of legalization of same-sex marriage in Singapore as the context of study. Our results show that fear of isolation and saving face were negatively associated with individuals' willingness to express their opinion on the issue, whereas news attention and issue salience were positively associated. Also, fear of isolation was negatively associated with individuals' willingness to offer a rationale for their opinion, whereas news attention and issue salience were positively associated. Power distance had no effects on outspokenness. Notably, news attention moderated the influence of fear of isolation and saving face on public outspokenness.     

Learning Computer Science and Engineering in Context

The growing tendency away from transmissive pedagogy to a broadly constructivist pedagogy in higher education is characterised as a cultural change which lacks a strong theoretical foundation within the culture. In this paper, learning is considered from a phenomenographic perspective, which teachers can ground in their own experience of teaching and work with to gain insights into their students' experience of learning. Thereby the theoretical foundation of the culture can successively be strengthened. The message is illustrated with the results of empirical research into students' experience of learning in groups in a project-focused induction course to a computer science and engineering programme.     

Attitudes towards science: A review of the literature and its implications

This article offers a review of the major literature about attitudes to science and its implications over the past 20 years. It argues that the continuing decline in numbers choosing to study science at the point of choice requires a research focus on students' attitudes to science if the nature of the problem is to be understood and remediated. Starting from a consideration of what is meant by attitudes to science, it considers the problems inherent to their measurement, what is known about students' attitudes towards science and the many factors of influence such as gender, teachers, curricula, cultural and other variables. The literature itself points to the crucial importance of gender and the quality of teaching. Given the importance of the latter we argue that there is a greater need for research to identify those aspects of science teaching that make school science engaging for pupils. In particular, a growing body of research on motivation offers important pointers to the kind of classroom environment and activities that might raise pupils' interest in studying school science and a focus for future research.     

The Dudley Challenges: virtual balloon journeys and real learning

The Dudley Challenges were developed to celebrate the millennium and the first year of the Dudley Grid for Learning. Three Challenges, Challenge 2000 the original resource, Challenge Europa and Junior Trek, are based on virtual balloon journeys, visiting a series of interesting cultural centres. Access to each centre visited is by solving a series of difficult, cross‐curricula problems that deliver a range of higher order learning experiences. Creativity, imagination, initiative, perseverance as well a range of ICT skills are promoted, developed and celebrated as key elements of the challenge.

Die Dudley Herausforderungen: Virtuelle Ballonreisen und wirkliches Lernen

Die Dudley Herausforderungen wurden zur Milleniumsfeier und zum ersten Jahrestag des “Dudley Grid of Learning” entwickelt. Die drei Herausforderungen, Challenge 2000 die Original Ressource; Herausforderung Europa und Junior Treck beruhen auf einer virtuellen Ballonreise, in deren Verlauf eine Serie interessanter kultureller Zentren besucht werden. Der Zugang zu jedem besuchten Zentrum ist nur nach Lösen einer Reihe schwieriger Allgemeinbildungsfragen, die einen hohen Lernzuwachs liefern, möglich. Kreativität, Einbildungskraft, Initiative, Durchhaltevermögen ebenso wie Computerkompetenz werden gefördert, entwickelt und gefeiert als Schlüsselelemente der Herausforderung.

Les Challenges Dudley :les voyages virtuels en ballon et l’apprentissage réel

Les Challenges Dudley ont été crées pour célébrer le millénaire et la première année de la Grille d’Apprentissage Dudley.Trois de ces Challenges, le Challenge 2000 la resource –mère,le Challenge Europa et Junior Trek sont fondés sur des voyages en ballon virtuels qui permettent la visite de centres culturels pleins d’intérêt.Pour accéder à chaque centre et le visiter , il faut résoudre une série de problèmes difficiles, interdisciplinaires qui offrent une gamme d’aventures apprenantes de premier ordre. On stimule,on développe et on célèbre ainsi la créativité, l’imagination,l’initiative la persévérance ainsi qu’un éventail de compétences en TIC qui sont les éléments‐clés du Challenge.