A Dynamic Model of Career Choice Development

In modern society many hierarchical and time-related career development models have been proposed. Key to these models is the need to go through a career choice process in a specific order and according to a pre-set timing in order to achieve a good career decision. Recent theories lend support to some doubts about the extent to which these models are actually able to comply with reality. A new framework of thought is proposed a dynamic model for career choice development. At the centre of this model is the idea of arriving at a decision after a flexible and non-hierarchical development process. Some consideration is given to what is needed to test the model and on possible consequences for career guidance practice.

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Résumé. Un modèle dynamique du développement du choix professionnel.Dans la société moderne, de nombreux modèles hiérarchiques ont été proposés qui intégraient la dimension temporelle du développement de la vie professionnelle. Un élément clé de ces modèles est la nécessité de passer par un processus de choix vocationnel dans un ordre spécifique donné, qui obéit à de séquences temporelles déterminées afin qu’une bonne décision vocationnelle soit prise. Les théories récentes mettent quelque peu en doute la pertinence de ces modèles par rapport à la réalité. On propose ici un nouveau cadre de pensée un modèle dynamique pour le développement du choix vocationnel. Au centre de ce modèle il y a l’idée que l’on arrive à une décision après un processus de développement flexible et non-hiérarchisé. Quelques réflexions sont proposées sur ce qu’il est nécessaire de faire pour tester le modèle et sur les conséquences possibles pour la pratique en matière de conseils d’orientation vocationnelle.Zusammenfassung. Ein dynamisches Modell der Berufsentscheidungsvorbereitung.In der modernen Gesellschaft wurden viele hierarchische und auf Zeitabläufe bezogene Berufswahlmodelle vorgeschlagen. Kern dieser Modelle ist die Notwendigkeit, einen Berufswahlprozess in einer bestimmten Reihenfolge und nach einem bestimmten Zeitplan zu durchlaufen, um zu guten Berufswahlentscheidungen zu kommen. Aktuelle Theorien nähren allerdings die Zweifel daran, in welchem Ausmaß derartige Modelle der Realität entsprechen. Ein neuer gedanklicher Rahmen wird hier vorgeschlagen Ein dynamisches Berufswahl-Modell. Im Mittelpunkt dieses Modells steht die Idee, nach einem flexiblen und nicht-hierarchischen Entwicklungsprozess zu Berufswahlentscheidungen zu kommen. Es werden einige Überlegungen angestellt, unter welchen Voraussetzungen dieses Modell überprüft werden könnte, und was die möglichen Konsequenzen für die Beratungspraxis sein könnten.Resumen. Un Modelo Dinámico del Desarrollo de la Elección de Carrera.En la sociedad moderna se han propuesto muchos modelos del desarrollo de la carrera jerárquicos y basados en un orden temporal concreto. Lo que caracteriza a estos modelos es que el proceso de elección debe seguir un orden específico y una temporalización concreta para llegar a tomar decisiones adecuadas. Hay teorías recientes que vienen a apoyar algunos de los interrogantes sobre el grado en el que estos modelos realmente se ajustan a la realidad. Se propone un nuevo marco para la reflexión un modelo dinámico del desarrollo de la elección de la carrera. La idea central en este modelo es que se llega a tomar una decisión a través de un proceso de desarrollo flexible y no jerárquico. Se plantean algunas reflexiones sobre lo que se necesita para validar empíricamente el modelo y las posibles consecuencias para la práctica de la orientación para la carrera.

     

The Work-based Learning Route in the Netherlands and in England: Comparing ideas and meanings

The paper provides the outcomes of two small-scale sets of interviews carried out in the Netherlands and in England on views about and interpretations of the work-based route for young people. In the light of current revival of interest in work-based learning for young people, and in particular the apprenticeship model in England, I was particularly interested in the issue of parity of esteem between the work-based route and other routes. Whereas in the Netherlands the focus for the development of Vocational Education and Training (VET) is on the full-time vocational route, which has a reasonably high status, England has opted for the apprenticeship route to be the development tool for high quality VET. The paper explores what we can learn about our own experiences in England in the light of what is happening elsewhere (Raffe, 1998; Raffe et al ., 1999). It becomes clear from the data obtained that policy development in the Netherlands aims to increase the status of work-based learning through incorporating the route into the full-time route and providing end qualifications that can be achieved through either a full-time college-based route or through a work-based learning route. The modern apprenticeship route or work-based learning route as such has not a high status, contrary to what is sometimes claimed to be the case. In England, the aim of policymakers is to create a work-based learning route, which is considered to be a high quality route, and is comparable to the general/academic route. The paper shows that there are various reasons as to why this attempt might fail. Both countries aim to provide a 'ladder' or 'column' of opportunities in VET. The research shows that very few young people in fact move up a ladder, but rather move into work-based learning or apprenticeships at certain points on the continuum, and subsequently move sideways into general or theoretical provision in order to be able to progress higher up. Target groups for work-based learning are different at the lower end from those at levels 3, 4 and 5. Very few participants in either country move from level 1 up to level 4 through participation in a work-based route, and it may therefore be appropriate to talk about the provision of a climbing framework, where young people move backwards and forwards and sideways, rather than about a ladder of opportunities.     

An extended dual search space model of scientific discovery learning

This article describes a theory of scientific discovery learning which is an extension of Klahr and Dunbar's model of Scientific Discovery as Dual Search (SDDS) model. We present a model capable of describing and understanding scientific discovery learning in complex domains in terms of the SDDS framework. The concepts of hypothesis space and experiment space, central to SDDS, are elaborated and used as a representation of the learner's knowledge. Also, we introduce a taxonomy of search operations in hypothesis space which allows us to describe in detail the processes of discovery. Our ideas are tested against data of subjects who comment on the discovery processes of a simulated learner. It is found that the conditions for performance a search operation in hypothesis space include both sufficient knowledge of the search operation itself and reasons for choosing a specific search operation. Furthermore, a number of constraints on the search in hypothesis space is discussed: domain specific and generic prior knowledge, learning goals, and personality factors. We conclude with some recommendations for the design of discovery-based learning environments.     

AN ITERATIVE ITEM BIAS DETECTION METHOD

Two strategies for assessing item bias are discussed: methods that compare (transformed) item difficulties unconditional on ability level and methods that compare the probabilities of correct response conditional on ability level. In the present study, the logit model was used to compare the probabilities of correct response to an item by members of two groups, these probabilities being conditional on the observed score. Here the observed score serves as an indicator of ability level. The logit model was iteratively applied: In the Tth iteration, the T items with the highest value of the bias statistic are excluded from the test, and the observed score indicator of ability for the (T + 1)th iteration is computed from the remaining items. This method was applied to simulated data. The results suggest that the iterative logit method is a substantial improvement on the noniterative one, and that the iterative method is very efficient in detecting biased and unbiased items.     

Sap flow response of Eucaylyptus (Eucalyptus urophylla) to environmental stress in South China

Sap flow and environmental conditions were monitored at two Eucalyptus (Eucalyptus urophylla S.T.Blake) plantations at Hetou and Jijia, located in Leizhou, Zhanjiang, Guangdong Province. It was found that daily sap flux density (SFD) of Eucalyptus was closely related to daily atmospheric vapor pressure deficit (VPD) (R2=0.76, P=0.01 at Hetou and R2=0.7021, P=0.01 at Jijia) at both sites. No significant relationship existed between daily SFD and mean daily air temperature at both sites. Daily SFD varied with wind speed Y=-17585X3 15147X2-1250.7X 2278.4 (R2=0.68; P=0.01) at Hetou and Y=-101.67X3-1.65X2-376.4X 1914.8 (R2=0.40,P=0.05) at Jijia, where Y was daily SFD,X was daily wind speed. Experimental observations yielded the following data: (1) the critical lower and upper daily VPD threshold were 0 and 2 kPa, within which daily SFD varied from 540±70 L/(m2·d) to 4739±115 L/(m2·d) at Hetou site, from 397±26 L/(m2·d) to 3414±191 L/(m2·d) at Jijia site; (2) Diurnal SFDs at Hetou site were much highe     

Emulation for Digital Preservation in Practice:the Results

In recent years, opinions have varied on which digital preservation strategy to follow. Although the digital preservation community has now embraced the idea of applying both emulation as well as migration in their strategies, emulation is still looked upon with skepticism due to its technical complexity and initial costs. As early as in 2004, the Koninklijke Bibliotheek - National Library of the Netherlands (KB) - and National Archive of the Netherlands acknowledged the need for emulation, especially for rendering complex digital objects in the future without affecting their authenticity and integrity. For these reasons, a project was started to investigate the feasibility of emulation by developing and testing an emulator designed for digital preservation purposes. In July 2007 this project ended and delivered a durable x86 component based computer emulator: Dioscuri, the emulator for digital preservation.     

Lifelong Learning on Either Side of the Border: the effects of government policy on adult education in The Netherlands and Belgium

Although there is a tendency to develop policy plans on adult education at a European level, there are still large differences between the various EU countries. These national policy contexts depend on historical, cultural, economic and political factors and can have a profound impact on the way adult education is shaped and developed within a country. Two examples of such policies are presented to clarify this point. In the Netherlands, there is a strong emphasis on the vocational side of adult education. This is for a large part the result of the introduction of the Law on Adult and Vocational Education ( Wet Educatie en Beroepsonderwijs ) in 1996. The non vocational branch of the sector was rather marginalised by this new law. In Belgium, there has been a great effort to support, develop and streamline non vocational adult education. The special Flemish government decree ( Decreet betreffende het sociaal-cultureel volwassenenwerk ) of 2003 was very important in that regard. This decree regulates all aspects of non vocational education or socio-cultural work, including funding and quality assurance. Although the Flemish decree could be seen as a good practice of upgrading non-formal adult education through legislation, it could also be considered a typical Flemish case, rooted in the traditions of adult education in Flanders.