Numerical instability of deconvolution operation via block pulse functions

This paper characterizes oscillations found in block pulse function (BPF) domain identification of open loop first-order systems with step input. A useful condition for occurrence of such oscillations is presented mathematically. For any positive value of ‘ah’, oscillations are observed to occur, where h is the width of BPF domain sub-interval and 1/a is the time constant of the first-order system under consideration.     

Science Teachers’ Representations of Classroom Practice in the Process of Formative Assessment Design

Formative assessment has been recognized as an essential element of effective classroom practice; as a result, teachers are increasingly required to create formative assessments for their classrooms. This study examines data drawn from a long-term, site-based professional development program that supported a department of biology teachers in the iterative design and enactment of common formative assessment tools. We analyze teacher conversations to understand how teachers collaborated to design formative assessments. Results indicate that when teachers attended to problems of practice related to teaching evolution, increased transparency in their talk helped build consensus about the design of formative assessment tools. These results highlight the importance of encouraging transparency in teacher dialog when they are engaged in collaborative design of formative assessments.     

Sleepless over sinuses

In this humor column, a prenatal educator finds herself sleepless over recent changes in breast anatomy.     

Explain this!

Childbirth educator humorously discusses props used as tools for teaching and teasing.     

Potty training

In this column, a childbirth educator takes a humorous look at bladder control.     

Communicative Repair Strategies and Problem Behaviours of Children with Autism

The use of strategies by children with developmental disabilities to repair communicative breakdowns has received little attention in the research literature to date. The research that is available suggests that children with severe communication impairments may be more likely to experience communicative breakdowns than their typically developing peers. These children may also have fewer strategies available to them to repair these breakdowns. The present article reviews some of the research in this area and discusses the possible links between communicative breakdowns and the emergence of problem behaviour in children with autism. Theoretical and practical implications are considered and areas for future research are highlighted.     

Agostino Gemelli (1878–1959) and mental disability: science,faith and education in the view of an Italian scientist and friar

ABSTRACT

In the early decades of the twentieth century the question of mental disabilities was widely discussed in Italy, while the first special schools for the intellectually impaired were set up. An important role was played by the Franciscan friar Agostino Gemelli (1878–1959), a physician, renowned psychologist, and founder in 1921 of the Catholic University of Milan. Gemelli promoted relevant psychological research on intellectual disabilities, based on empirical and measurable processes. He considered only scientific studies necessary to promote appropriate educational actions. Gemelli and his collaborators developed from a biological point of view the classification elaborated by the famous psychologist and psychiatrist Sante De Sanctis (1862–1935). Moreover, in 1926 Gemelli established the School for special teachers and assistants for disabled children in the Catholic University of Milan, with the aim of making the “special” teachers confident with medical, psychological and pedagogical issues. This institution did not have a “Catholic colour”: indeed, Gemelli called professors of great fame to teach in his School, without concern for their ideological thoughts. All his work was characterised by the cooperation between science and religion: the experimental method did not contrast with Catholic values. This paper is based on unpublished documents from different archives.     

Evaluation of simSchool: An Instructional Simulation for Pre-Service Teachers

This study uses theory-based design principles to evaluate the effectiveness of an instructional simulation, simSchool. It begins by examining the simulation and evaluation literature, followed by an evaluation of the simSchool software. It is a Web-based simulation designed to emulate various students (reactions) in order to provide practice for pre-service teachers in instructional planning, assessment, and communication. This article uses a framework to analyze the simulation, according to the simulation's instructional goals and design models. The framework for designing a simulation approach to instruction, based on the model-centered instructional theory, provides a detailed model for dissecting the seven functional layers of a simulation. When combined with user testing, results indicated that simSchool provides a valid model of a simulated environment for pre-service teachers to practice instructional activities.     

Variational Monte Carlo technique

In this article, I discuss the use of the Variational Monte Carlo technique in the determination of ground state energies of quantum harmonic oscillators in one and three dimensions. In order to provide a better understanding of this technique, a pre-requisite concept of Monte Carlo integration is also discussed along with numerical examples. The technique can be easily extended to study the ground state energies of hydrogen atom, particle in a box, helium atom and other complex microscopic systems involving N particles in d-dimensions.     

What is the responsibility of mathematics education to the Indigenous students that it serves?

Although refuted many times, the commonly accepted story about Indigenous communities in Australia is that they had few counting words and thus were lacking in ways to quantify amounts. In this paper, we use the case of quantifying to discuss how Indigenous mathematics can be used, not just to help Indigenous students transition into the classroom but also back into their home communities. We argue that mathematics education must take seriously its responsibility to support Indigenous students to gain school mathematics and also to help maintain the use of traditional mathematical ideas. If this does not occur, mathematics educators will contribute, intentionally or unintentionally to the loss of Indigenous knowledge that present and future generations of Indigenous people will hold them responsible for.