An Educational Case Study in Protocol Verification and Distributed Observation

This paper describes a case study presented to students in computer science during a course on formal techniques for protocol validation. The course teaches some basic notions on specification, simulation, verification, testing and distributed observation. The case study is the classical alternating-bit protocol. The exercise first consists of some simple modeling and simulation of the specification and verification of some basic service properties. It is then followed with the problem of observation of distributed executions of the protocol. This kind of experiment was found to be useful for students, since they gain an understanding of the importance and necessity of formal methods for protocol validation.     

Contributions from citizen science to science education: an examination of a biodiversity citizen science project with schools in Central Europe

ABSTRACT

Despite the rising popularity of Citizen Science (CS) projects, there is little empirical evidence for effects on learning outcomes, particularly when young people are involved. It is also often not clear how CS projects are linked to science education (SE) research. The aim of this study was to examine biodiversity CS projects in an outdoor school class context and to measure the effects on individual learning outcomes (ILOs) with a perspective for SE. Five learning outcomes considered important for CS were tested: interest, self-efficacy/mastery, motivation, behaviour and attitude. These ILOs were measured via eight different scales and tested in an evaluation study of a large CS project with 428 students aged 8–18. Students recorded hedgehogs, wild bee activity, birds and butterflies in gardens. Results showed that students’ interest and motivation, as well as perceived mastery increased during the project. Most remarkably, positive attitudes towards wild animals, natural gardens and biodiversity rose significantly. For most ILOs there were significant differences between age groups: Primary school students showed the highest ILOs and also provided most database entries. The authors describe how well biodiversity CS projects contribute to SE aims and how discrepancies between educational and scientific aims in CS projects may be addressed.     

Le Système ESSOR d'Expérimentation Scientifique Simulée et ses Potentialités Pédagogiques

Summaries

English

One of the main aims in the teaching of science is the acquisition of an experimental methodology. The principal obstacles to this methodological training are briefly analysed; they arise mainly from the shortage of time available for experimental work. In this article, computer‐simulated scientific experimentation is proposed as an aid in overcoming these obstacles. This type of teaching, integrated into a classical curriculum, does not exclude laboratory work, which is still indispensable for the learning of techniques. To facilitate the setting up of the proposed method, the ESSOR system simulation on mini‐computer has been developed. Its technical and pedagogic characteristics are described. This system allows the easy simulation of experiments analogous to those of the laboratory. The student using it is free to adopt individual procedures for the study of a proposed phenomenon; the system follows up automatically the individual activity of students and frees the instructor from most of the difficulties in programming work.     

Environmental Education for Behaviour Change: Which actions should be targeted?

One aim of environmental education is to enable people to make informed decisions about their environmental behaviour; this is particularly significant with environmental problems that are believed to be both major and imminent, such as climate change resulting from global warming. Previous research suggests no strong link between a person's general environmental attitudes and knowledge, and his or her willingness to undertake pro-environmental actions, so this study focuses on some specific issues. Using survey methods to produce quantitative data about students' beliefs concerning the usefulness of specific actions and their willingness to adopt them, novel indices have been constructed that indicate the potential of education to increase students' willingness to undertake those actions. The findings imply that altering a student's belief about certain issues will have little effect on their willingness to act. This can be because most students, even those with only a weak belief in the efficacy, are prepared to take action anyway. Conversely, it can be because a majority, including those convinced about the efficacy, are not prepared to take action. Education about such actions, where there is only a weak link between believed effectiveness and willingness to act, may be ineffective in terms of changing practice, because other factors such as social norms and situational influences dominate. For such actions other strategies may be required. For another set of actions, however, the benefits of education in changing practice seemed more positive; increasing recycling, reducing the use of artificial fertilisers and planting more trees are examples.     

Visualising learning design to foster and support good practice and creativity

Applying Bandura's social learning theory, this paper proposes a theoretical framework for analysing the effect of MUD playing on users' self efficacy. Three types of self efficacy – computer self efficacy (CSE), social self efficacy (SSE) and generalized self efficacy (GSE) – are introduced. A possible hypothesis – successful performance, vicarious experience, hearing positive verbal persuasion and massive exposure during MUD playing will raise the CSE, SSE, and GSE of users – is suggested. Finally, a theoretical model explaining the relationship between self efficacy and MUD activities is proposed.

Applicant la théorie de l'apprentissage de Bandura cet article propose un cadre théorique pour analyser les effets de MUD jouant sur l'efficacité personnelle de l'utilisateur. 3 types de celles-ci - computer self-efficiency (CSE) social self efficacy (SSE) et generalisé self-efficiency (GSE) - sont introduits et une hypothèse possible. Les résultats réussis, expérience substituée, écoute de la persuasion verbalement et l'exposition massive au jeu de MUD augmentera le CSE, SSE et GSE des utilisateurs est suggéreé. Finalement un modèle théoritique expliquant le rapport entre l'efficacité personnelle et les activités de MUD est proposé. NDLR. Beaucoup de termes sont introduisable en francais et ont dû être maintenus en anglais.

(MUD: multi-user domain, multi-user dungeon, oder multi-user dimension; eine (virtuelle) Umgebung, in der mehrere Menschen (Spieler) gleichzeitig eingeloggt sein können, um miteinander zu agieren (Rollenspiele).?/?Efficacy: wörtl.: Wirksamkeit - Der Übersetzer). Unter Anwendung von Banduras Sozialer Lerntheorie wird in diesem Beitrag ein theoretischer Rahmen vorgestellt, mit dessen Hilfe man die Wirkung des MUD-Spielens auf das Selbstvertrauen der Teilnehmer analysieren kann. Es werden drei Arten dieses Selbstvertrauens eingeführt - Computer self efficacy (CSE), Social self efficacy (SSE) und Generalized self Efficacy (GSE). Die Hypothese ist, dass durch die erfolgreiche Durchführung Ersatzerfahrungen, das Hören positiver verbaler Bestätigung und das massives Ausgeliefertsein während des MUD-Spielens das Selbstbewußtsein (CSE, SSE und GSE) des Spielers erhöht wird. Zum Schluss wird ein theoretisches Modell zur Beziehung zwischen Selbstvertrauen und MUD-Aktivitäten vorgestellt.     

Comparative study of teaching content in teacher education programmes in Canada,Denmark, Finland and Singapore

This article presents the results of a comparative study of the content in selected teacher education programmes for primary and lower secondary teachers in Canada, Denmark, Finland and Singapore. First and foremost, the study is a comparison between teacher education programmes in, on the one hand, Canada, Finland and Singapore, all of which score highly in international comparisons such as PISA and TIMMS, and on the other hand Denmark, which receives average scores, but it also functions as a comparison between all four countries. The study covers the following subjects: pedagogy and mathematics. The study does not offer proof of any clear difference between the Danish teacher education programmes and those found in the top-performing countries. Two main findings are: (1) philosophically based professional knowledge, much of which is normative in character, forms an extensive part of the body of professional knowledge within the Danish teacher education programmes, which is not true of the programmes in the Top-3 countries and (2) the programmes in Canada and Singapore more frequently employ literature combining research-based knowledge with practical guidance and experiences, while the programmes in Denmark and Finland keep these knowledge forms separate.     

Homophily Among Peer Groups Members’ Perceived Self-Regulated Learning

The present study is one of the first examining whether peer group members hold similar levels of self-regulated learning. The study specifically addresses the potential homophily among group members’ regulative abilities (metacognition, environment regulation, effort regulation, peer learning, and help seeking) and whether group members’ regulative abilities predict affiliates’ academic performance. The study surveyed 9th-grade students from a Midwestern high school about their regulative abilities for mathematics. Results suggest that peer groups members’ effort regulation is similar among peer affiliates but not other regulative abilities. In addition, peer group members’ regulative abilities do not predict each others’ academic performance.     

The Value of Certain Factors for Direct and Differential Prediction of Academic Success

Are some students advantaged when changing multiple-choice answers? The authors of this investigation assessed the importance of an examinee's cognitive style in the answer-changing process. Two separate studies were conducted using undergraduates (n = 125 and n = 84). One set of variables consisted of a measure of field dependence/field independence, a measure of impulsivity/reflectivity, and an introductory psychology unit examination made up of multiple-choice items. A second set of variables was formed by gathering two answer-changing scores for each subject using the scannable forms from the unit examination—one reflecting the effect of answer changes and the other representing the number of changes. Canonical correlation analysis was used to describe the relationship between the two sets of variables. Only the first canonical correlation coefficient was statistically significant in each study. The structure coefficients indicated that the cognitive-style variables had little impact on the canonical solution and that a combination of the effect of answer changes, the number of changes, and unit examination scores were the most influential components of the first canonical variates.