Early Childhood Technology Education: A Sociocultural Perspective

We are living in a fast-changing, technology-driven world, where technology affects the daily lives of every person, directly or indirectly. While the importance of providing young children with technological knowledge and experience has been well-recognized, how the curriculum should be developed deserves greater study. Using early childhood education in Hong Kong as a case study, this paper argues that to be successful in planning and implementing a technology curriculum, we cannot consider only the technological aspects. We also need to take into consideration the social and cultural factors. Among various social and cultural factors, this paper focuses on: (a) the background of the students and their parents, (b) society’s perceptions of technology, and (c) society’s expectations of children who learn about technology, and (d) the approach and method of teaching and learning technology.     

New Simulation Methods to Facilitate Achieving a Mechanistic Understanding of Basic Pharmacology Principles in the Classroom

We present a simulation tool to aid the study of basic pharmacology principles. By taking advantage of the properties of agent-based modeling, the tool facilitates taking a mechanistic approach to learning basic concepts, in contrast to the traditional empirical methods. Pharmacodynamics is a particular aspect of pharmacology that can benefit from use of such a tool: students are often taught a list of concepts and a separate list of parameters for mathematical equations. The link between the two can be elusive. While wet-lab experimentation is the proven approach to developing this link, in silico simulation can provide a means of acquiring important insight and understanding within a time frame and at a cost that cannot be achieved otherwise. We suggest that simulations and their representation of laboratory experiments in the classroom can become a key component in student achievement by helping to develop a student’s positive attitude towards science and his or her creativity in scientific inquiry. We present results of two simulation experiments that validate against data taken from current literature. We follow with a classroom example demonstrating how this tool can be seamlessly integrated within the traditional pharmacology learning experience.     

Understanding learning behaviour of Malaysian adult learners: a cross-cultural sensitive framework

The link between learning and the knowledge-economy is so crucial that the Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development has reconceptualised the term knowledge-economy to call it “learning economy”. Ultimately, one of the main challenges of learning and development in the 21st century is to evaluate the significant learning attributes of the adult learners. Literature on Students’ Approaches to Learning (SAL), were used to conceptualise the study. However, researchers have reported the weakness of the SAL for cross-cultural studies. This study acknowledges the importance of cultural issues in the study of learning approaches. The adapted version of SPQ, i.e. R-SPQ-2FM (Revised-Study Process Questionnaire-2 Factors Malaysia) which considers both etic (universal) and emic (culturally specific) characteristics was administered on 532 Malay and 326 Chinese Malaysian adult learners. Results show that there are significant cross-cultural insights between Malay and Chinese adult learners, particularly in the Understanding and Memorising Approach, Career/Achieve Motives constructs, the effects of “work experience” and “time spent on study” have on approaches to learning. Findings above would strengthen “evidence-informed” policy making for Malaysian authorities or regional policy makers in the Asia Pacific.     

高等教育大众化背景下社区教育发展探析

随着我国高等教育大众化进程的加快以及政府构建终身学习型社会倡议的提出,势必迎来社区教育大发展的时代。作者通过对我国社区教育发展的必要性、现实困难的详尽分析,指出我国社区教育未来发展方向是促进学习型社区的建立,在学习型社区广泛建立的基础上,构建我国终身教育体系和学习型社会。     

回忆中国首批赴美“民间”访问学者团

1979年2月,来自中国科学院物理所的八位科学家组成的代表团到达埃文斯顿(Evanston),成为了自1949年以来首批踏足美国的"民间"访问学者。代表团成员有:钱永嘉、李铁成、郑家祺、沈觉涟、王鼎盛、程丙英、顾世杰以及林磊。林磊呆了三个月,而其余成员则呆了两年。林磊在西北大学的研究工作后来发表在世界最有声望的物理学期刊《物理评论快报》上,成为该期刊中第一篇中国作者发表的文章。本文将概述与这次访问相关的国内背景形势以及中美关系,讲述访问学者团的构成,以及1979年的访问活动本身,最后将谈及此次访问活动对代表们之后职业生涯的影响,以及对中国改革开放的整体影响。     

我国中文体育类核心期刊评价指标分析

采用文献计量分析方法,以<中国学术期刊综合引证报告>(CAJCCR)2002～2007版为数据源,对我国13种中文体育类核心期刊的栽文量、总被引频次、影响因子、5年影响因子、他引率、即年指标、被引半衰期和基金论文比共8项指标进行统计分析.结果表明:近年来,我国13种中文体育类核心期刊的整体水平明显提高.其中,期刊载文量、总被引频次、影响因子及被引半衰期等指标的增幅均较显著,说明中文体育类核心期刊的总体发展势头良好.     

我国区域体育用品制造业企业竞争力的比较研究

依据前期相关研究成果,通过构建我国区域体育用品制造业企业竞争力的多指标综合评价体系,并采用文献资料调研与多元数理统计分析方法,对我国5大类体育用品制造行业企业竞争力进行实证研究.结果表明:广东、江苏、浙江、福建、上海和山东体育用品制造业企业竞争力较强,且近6年来一直保持着较好发展态势.体育用品制造业企业竞争力第1、2类地区(企业竞争力较强)主要包括东部少部分经济较发达省份,第3类地区(企业竞争力较弱)主要以中西部经济欠发达省份为主.我国长江三角洲、环渤海地区、泛殊三角区域、东部与中部地区问体育用品制造业企业竞争力均存在较大差异,长江三角洲和环渤海地区、东部与中部地区企业竞争力差异性尤为显著,说明我国体育用品制造业发展的区域差异性比较明显.     

我国区域体育用品制造业经营管理绩效的综合评价 ———基于2003—2007 年全国22 个地区的实证研究

采用因子分析与主成分分析等综合评价方法,对2003-2007年全国22个省(市)、自治区体育用品制造业的经营管理绩效进行综合评价.区域体育用品制造业经营管理绩效5个单项维度的评价结果显示:近5年来,广东、浙江、福建、江苏、山东和上海体育用品制造业在企业发展能力、盈利能力及资产运营状况3个方面持续占据前6强,各纬度综合评价得分均高于国内平均水平,而综合排序处于第7～22位的地区多属中、西部,其各纬度综合得分皆低于全国平均水平,广东在盈利能力和资产运营两方面尤为突出;2003-2007年天津、湖南、河北、北京、安徽、辽宁和黑龙江等地债务负担均存在走高态势,2004年国内体育用品制造业债务状况最为严重,共9个省(市)高出全国平均债务水平,且2005年至今各地区体育用品制造业债务负担未曾出现明显缓解迹象;山东、浙江与江苏体育用品制造业的其他财务费用支出连续5年排名前三甲,而广东、福建和上海的其他财务费用支出综合排序明显下降.区域体育用品制造业经营管理绩效的综合评价结果表明:广东、福建、山东、江苏、浙江与上海体育用品制造业经营管理绩效连续5年保持前6强,其中广东5次蝉联全国第一,而其余16个地区体育用品制造业经营管理绩效水平处于全国平均水平之下.说明我国区域体育用品制造业已出现"强者趋强,弱者更弱"的现象,即"马太效应"愈演愈烈,且体育用品制造业的区域发展现状与国内"三大区域"经济增长格局相脱节.     

基于 SEM的体育用品制造业经营管理绩效测评模型

选取全国31个省、市及自治区体育用品制造业作为实证研究对象,并引入结构方程模型(SEM)探讨了体育用品制造业产品销售状况、资产运营状况、债务状况与经营管理绩效之间的相互关系及影响路径.结果表明:①产品销售状况对体育用品制造业经营管理绩效具有显著的直接正向影响;②资产运营状况对体育用品制造业经营管理绩效也具有显著的直接正向影响;③产品销售状况以资产运营状况为中介对体育用品制造业经营管理绩效具有显著的间接正向影响;④债务状况也可通过资产运营状况对体育用品制造业经营管理绩效具有显著的间接负向影响;⑤产品销售状况以债务状况和资产运营状况为中介对体育用品制造业经营管理绩效具有显著的间接正向影响.该实证研究结果对于人们正确认识体育用品制造业产品销售状况、资产运营状况、债务状况与经营管理绩效之间的内在联系具有重要意义,以期为相关部门提供决策参考.