Stabilizing two-dimensional stochastic systems through sliding mode control

This paper presents a stabilizing control for two-dimensional stochastic differential equations. The stability concept in this study is the stability in probability. To ensure such a stability, the control is designed based on the sliding mode technique, and applied to account stochastic systems. This finding has a practical implication—the proposed control can be used to stabilize a real-time automotive electronic throttle valve. The proposed approach is verified by data collected from experiments.     

Representational guidance and student engagement: examining designs for collaboration in online synchronous environments

In this paper we report the results of a study which investigated the affordances of multi-user virtual environments (MUVEs) for collaborative learning from a design perspective. Utilizing a mixed methods approach, we conducted a comparative study of the effect of varying representational and interactional design features on a collaborative design activity in three online synchronous environments. We compared environments featuring multiple modes of interaction (MUVEs), shared representations (text chat and 2D still images) and text-only features. Sixty-one students enrolled in an undergraduate course on Child Development participated in the study. Participants were asked to design a theoretically-based, developmentally appropriate, preschool classroom setting. Students were randomly assigned to one of three online learning environments that provided varying levels of representation and interaction. Significant differences in collaborative problem solving interactions were found. Participants in the shared representations + text condition evidenced stronger learning outcomes as regards substantive discussion and integration of child development concepts; while participants in the MUVE condition reported the most enjoyment with the experience. These findings are explained by the concepts of representational guidance, representational bias, educational affordances and interface design metaphors. Suggestions for the design of MUVEs for collaborative learning are provided.     

Introducing sustainability into university curricula: an indicator and baseline survey of the views of university teachers at the University of Valencia

Many higher education institutions have assumed the role of diffusing knowledge, values, attitudes and behaviours that favour sustainability. A key objective in such work is training university teachers to apply sustainability criteria to their respective disciplines. While university teachers' active participation is essential to achieving this goal, their ideas about and predispositions towards introducing sustainability into curricula are not always understood or appreciated. In this paper, we report on a questionnaire survey at the University of Valencia, Spain, on the current baseline situation for introducing sustainability across the university's curricula. We also report on a measure to periodically review the situation, including progress of and/or decline in introducing sustainability into diverse subject areas, focusing on a series of indicators grouped under the common name ‘π Indicator’. Key findings from the survey include the widespread support for introducing sustainability across the university's curricula; however, as might be expected, significant differences occur in how questions are addressed by staff from various disciplines, including how they relate to departmental perceptions, interpretations and performance of sustainability‐related teaching.     

The influence of socioeconomic status,working memory and academic self-concept on academic achievement

European Journal of Psychology of Education - There is today ample evidence that academic achievement depends on individual disparities in socioeconomic status (SES), working memory (WM) and...     

The association between mathematics pedagogy and learners’ dispositions for university study

We address the current concerns about teaching‐to‐the‐test and its association with declining dispositions towards further study of mathematics and the consequences for choice of STEM subjects at university. In particular, through a mixed study including a large survey sample of over 1000 students and their teachers, and focussed qualitative case studies, we explored the impact of ‘transmissionist’ pedagogic practices on learning outcomes. We report on the construction and validation of a scale to measure teachers’ self‐reported pedagogy. We then use this measure in combination with the students’ survey data and through regression modelling we illustrate significant associations between the pedagogic measure and students’ mathematics dispositions. Finally, we discuss the potential implications of these results for mathematics education and the STEM agenda.     

Teacher education: Wasteland or watershed?

It is established that the literature presents diverse positions on the impact of teacher education on beginning teacher practices. Teacher education is seen as a wasteland, a watershed for conservatism or progressivism, or a temporary influence quickly washed out by institutional and social conditions of school settings. The literature is unanimous in declaring teacher education inadequate. Data from a small scale interpretive study of entry into secondary school teaching are used to support two major claims. First, teacher education can function as a watershed equipping some beginning teachers with the competence and confidence to attempt reconstruction of existing school conditions. Second, no simple linear relationship exists between teacher education and beginning teacher practices; rather, they exist along with many other personal, institutional and social factors in a complex, interconnected network.     

Analyzing the Concept of Spiritual Development Based on Institutional Educational Projects from Schools Located in Valparaíso,Chile

Abstract

Chile’s General Law of Education (LGE) states that one of the purposes of education is the spiritual development of all its schooled population. In turn, other legal documents claim that the Institutional Educational Project should define how schools are to approach that statement. This article analyses the frequency of keywords, based on a theoretical framework and revision of the Vision and Mission sections of the Educational Projects of 20 schools from Valparaíso, in order to show how this statement is approached and what those approaches imply.     

The instructional organization for integrating diverse expertise

Responsibility for instruction should pass from academic content experts to experts in the technology of instruction. This implies substantial changes in organizational structure, especially in higher education. The instructional process is very complex, requiring organizational arrangements permitting growth by the accretion of diverse expertise. Traditional education has assumed that the essence of instruction is in its content. Though important, content can no longer be regarded as the most critical dimension. Concern with accountability forces attention on the process; the technology becomes critical. Diverse expertise could be applied usefully to problems of instruction if arrangements can be changed to allow more such specialists to participate. They are needed for planning facilities, designing practical and experimental learning stations, providing arrangements for monitoring instructional operations, and introducing instructional content relevant to man/machine/environment interfaces.