Materials-to-develop-with: The making of a makerspace

Celebrating hands-on making and technological inventiveness, the Maker Movement promotes the popularity of new makerspaces: learning environments filled with diverse materials for youth’s creative projects. Described as “constructionist learning environments,” makerspaces can be challenging to design because materials require substantial budgetary investments. Because the practical demands of space and cost often dominate decisions concerning a new makerspace, less attention is paid to how the choice of materials inadvertently limits who uses the space, how learning happens, or how materials in a space will interact and intra-act over time. Building on theories of constructionism and relational materialism to analyze and theorize learning in makerspaces, we take a case-based approach to illustrate the co-development of 3D printing materials, youth and educational programs at an out-of-school makerspace. In the process, we demonstrate the need to rethink the role of materials in human development and educational design. We introduce the concept of materials-to-develop-with to explain how objects can be internalized and drive the development of spaces, people and learning opportunities.     

Developing ‘active citizens’: Arts Award,creativity and impact

Creativity has become the new watchword in UK academic and policy circles. Within this context, policy discussions about the arts and their impact emphasise economic benefits over educational value, drawing clear distinctions between quantifiable or ‘hard’ measures of impact and those described as ‘soft’, less tangible and lacking a strong evidence base. Departing from the binary logics often underpinning notions of arts impacts, this article is novel in exploring the entwined relationship between impacts seen as ‘hard’ and ‘soft’. We draw on research examining the links between arts education and young people's future trajectories and use the concept of ‘active citizenship’ to show how informal, softer skills fostered through creative learning are an important part of citizenship-making for some young people. Participants’ accounts show how improvements in soft skills can give young people opportunities for agency, which shape progression pathways leading to measurable change. This finding is directly relevant in the context of evaluations of arts impacts in the UK and abroad, and should encourage further examination of the impact of creative learning on transfer of skills as well as policy developments in this area.     

Improving Group Work Practices in Teaching Life Sciences: Trialogical Learning

Research in Science Education - Trialogical learning, a collaborative and iterative knowledge creation process using real-life artefacts or problems, familiarizes students with working life...     

The relationship between perceived ageism and depressive symptoms in later life: Understanding the mediating effects of self-perception of aging and purpose in life,using structural equation modeling

The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between perceived ageism and depression in later life and to clarify the mechanism underlying this relationship by examining the mediating effects of self-perception of aging and purpose in life. The Health and Retirement Study surveys were used for this secondary analysis of data. The sample included 3,991 older adults, and structural equation modeling (SEM) analyses using structural regression models were conducted. SEM analyses revealed that full mediation effects of self-perception of aging and purpose in life exist. Older adults who perceive ageism are likely to have negative self-perception of aging, and this negative view of their own aging is likely to decrease purpose in life and increase depressive symptoms. The results of this study imply that more efforts and resources are necessary to reduce ageism and its negative effect on depression among older adults. Additionally, the current study suggests the necessity of anti-ageism policies and social services. Increasing positive self-perception of aging, purpose in life, and resilience could be the key to a better quality of life for older adults.     

美国优质网络课程的案例介绍

近十年来,我国高校网络课程建设成果显著,但其中暴露出的理论与实践相脱离的现象也比较严重。通过介绍美国德克萨斯A&M大学Dooley教授开设的网络课程《远程教育的高级方法》,尝试剖析其作为优质网络课程在管理平台、教学设计、交互安排、评价方法以及支持服务等方面所具有的特征,以期与国内远程教育的研究者和实践者分享经验。     

Effects of the “Gangnam Style Syndrome” on the South Korean stock market

This study attempts to answer two questions. First, can a single cultural event impact the stock prices of a wide range of companies and sectors? Second, was the positive stock market response in the information technology (IT) sector as well as performing arts sector significant? To answer these questions, we examine whether a hit pop single, “Gangnam Style” by Park Jae-Sang in 2012, affected related sectors of the Korean stock market and whether market reactions went beyond the stock price of the singer’s agency to affect those of other firms. We use an event study approach. The results show two notable empirical findings. First, although the findings indicating abnormal returns and cumulative abnormal returns appear mixed, the overall results imply that the unprecedented worldwide hit single by the South Korean singer positively affected the Recreation & Culture and Digital Content sectors. In other words, the market interpreted the event as good news, with shareholders expecting positive effects on the related sectors. Second, a positive stock market response was observed in the IT sector as well.     

Robotic automation of droplet microfluidics

Droplet microfluidics enables powerful analytic capabilities but often requires workflows involving macro- and microfluidic processing steps that are cumbersome to perform manually. Here, we demonstrate the automation of droplet microfluidics with commercial fluid-handling robotics. The workflows incorporate common microfluidic devices including droplet generators, mergers, and sorters and utilize the robot''s native capabilities for thermal control, incubation, and plate scanning. The ability to automate microfluidic devices using commercial fluid handling will speed up the integration of these methods into biological workflows.