A survey to examine teachers’ perceptions of design dispositions,lesson design practices,and their relationships with technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK)

This study investigates 201 Singaporean teachers’ perceptions of their technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK), lesson design practices, and design dispositions through a survey instrument. Investigation of these constructs reveal important variables influencing teachers’ perceptions of TPACK which have not yet been explored. The confirmatory factor analysis and reliability analysis confirm the validity and reliability of the instrument. The structural equation model shows that the teachers’ perceptions of design dispositions (orientations towards design) and lesson design practices (approaches used for lesson design) have direct relationships with the teachers’ perceptions of TPACK. The results of this study show that to enhance teachers’ TPACK perceptions, teacher educators need to help teachers develop lesson design practices that support ideation and iteration. They also need to develop teachers’ design dispositions that are amenable to exploring and resolving conflicting lesson design ideas. Going beyond TPACK, understandings of teachers’ lesson design practices and design dispositions are important for teacher educators to better design professional development for integration of information and communications technology.     

Rethinking classroom-oriented instructional development models to mediate instructional planning in technology-enhanced learning environments

Although classroom-oriented instructional development (ID) models have the potential to help teachers think and plan for effective instruction with technology, research studies have shown that they are not widely employed. Many of these models have not factored in the complexities that teachers faced when planning for instruction in technology-enhanced learning environments (TELE). They also fail to facilitate teachers’ critical re-examination of their existing practices and exploration of other practices to take up the affordances of technologies for effective instruction. Adopting an activity theoretical perspective towards instructional planning in the TELE, this paper examines two existing ID models: Reiser and Dick [1996. Instructional planning: A guide for teachers. Boston: Allen and Bacon] and Morrison, Ross, and Kemp [2004. Designing effective instruction (4th ed.) New York: Wiley]. It then constructs a classroom-oriented expansive and reflective ID model that: (1) facilitates the teacher's re-examination of their existing practices to identify contradictions in his/her instructional planning process in the TELE; (2) treats the ID elements in a nonlinear and non-sequential way; (3) accounts for the decisions made by other participants in the TELE, especially students and other teachers; (4) supports teachers’ formulation of solutions to the contradictions and transforms practices to take up the affordances of technology in the TELE; and (5) recognizes the need for teachers to move beyond the current activity by reflecting upon it so as to enable the emergence of new norms of practice.     

Secondary school students’ intentions to learn AI: testing moderation effects of readiness,social good and optimism

As Artificial Intelligence (AI) is rapidly integrated into existing technologies which has brought forth the fourth industrial and learning revolution, designing curriculum for AI education has become an important strategic development for education authorities throughout the world. Framed broadly from the Theory of Planned Behavior, this study examined a structural equational model to establish the interrelationships of students’ perceived usefulness, attitude towards using AI, subjective norms to learn about AI, basic literacy about AI and their behavioral intention to learn about AI. In addition, it examines the moderation effects of readiness, social good, and optimism on the research model. The findings confirm the hypothesized model. In addition, various moderation effects were found among students’ perception of readiness, social good, and optimism for AI. The implications of the study point towards the need to consider these factors in designing AI curriculum to foster students’ behavioral intention to learn AI.

     

An initial examination of Singaporean seventh and eighth graders’ views of nature of science

Research in nature of science (NOS) among Asia-Pacific countries such as Singapore is arguably scarce. This study aimed to survey Singaporean secondary school students’ views of NOS with a newly developed instrument named Students’ Views of Nature of Science (SVNOS), which included various key aspects of NOS that are generally agreed upon by the science education community. Moreover, the relations between some demographic factors, including gender and grade, and students’ views of NOS were explored.

Sample, design and method

In total, 359 Singaporean seventh and eighth graders were invited to participate in this survey. The reliability, validity and structure of the SVNOS instrument were ensured by confirmatory factor analysis. A two-way multivariate analysis of variance was then conducted to determine the interaction effects between the gender variable and the grade-level variable.

Results and conclusion

The results indicated that the SVNOS instrument is reliable and valid to assess students’ views of NOS regarding seven distinct NOS dimensions. The male students were more prone to have constructivist-oriented views of NOS in the most of the SVNOS dimensions, while the female students conveyed more non-objective views of NOS. In addition, the eighth graders revealed more empiricist-oriented views of NOS than the seventh graders in several SVNOS dimensions. This result seems to contradict the results of previous studies that students’ views of NOS may reflect a developmental trend with their increasing educational experiences.     

Rapid,one-step fabrication and loading of nanoscale 1,2-distearoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine liposomes in a simple,double flow-focusing microfluidic device

Liposomes are currently well-established as biocompatible delivery vehicles for numerous compounds. However, conventional manufacturing tends to rely on time-consuming processes, costly equipment, unstable reaction parameters, and numerous pre- and post-processing steps. Herein, we demonstrate a microscope-slide-sized alternative: a double flow-focusing microfluidic geometry capable of sub-hour synthesis and controlled loading of tunable liposomes. Using phospholipid 1,2-distearoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine as the bilayer constituent, the effect of varying the dissolved lipid concentration and flow rate ratio on synthesized liposome diameters was investigated and the encapsulation of fluorescent hydrophobic drug model ergost-5,7,9(11),22-tetraen-3β-ol was performed to ascertain the potential of this device as a loading platform.     

The use of weblogs in higher education settings: A review of empirical research

“Weblogs” or “blogs” are increasingly visible in higher education settings. Some scholars suggest that blogs are useful because of their reflective nature. However, as this review indicates the research regarding blogs is largely self-report data (surveys, interviews) or content analyses. This review summarizes results of this existing research on weblogs in higher education settings. Limitations of existing empirical studies are discussed and some directions for future research related to the use of blogs in higher education settings are suggested.     

Session - 2 December 19, 2007 Lipid disorders and management of obesity

Serum ferroxidase and albumin levels were determined in 98 patients of tubercuiosis, of whom 49 were freshly diagnosed, sputum positive (group-I) & 49 were completely treated patients (group-II). Forty nine age and sex matched healthy individuals were taken as controls. Mean±SD of serum ferroxidase and albumin levels in controls, group-I and group-II was found to be 864.35±106.35 IU/L & 3.91±0.234 g/dL, 1603.76±222.65 IU/L & 3.24±0.518 g/dL and 1001.78±201.63 IU/L & 3.82±0.43 g/dL, respectively. Serum ferroxidase in group I was significantly higher as compared to controls and group-II (p<0.01). The decreased levels of serum albumin in group I, as compared to control and group-II was statistically significant (p<0.01). Serum ferroxidase: albumin ratio (Ferroxidase in International Unit per gram of albumin) in group I (50.47±10.36 IU/g) was significantly higher than controls (22.22±3.3 IU/g), (p<0.001) while in group II it was significantly lower (26.72±7.18 IU/g, p<0.001) than group-I and close to control values. Serum ferroxidase: albumin ratio (IU/g) can therefore be incorporated as a surrogate marker to assist in diagnosis and prognosis of pulmonary tuberculosis.     

Reliable H∞ output control of nonlinear systems with dynamic event-triggered scheme

This paper is concerned with the reliable event-triggered H_∞ output control of nonlinear systems with actuator faults. A dynamic triggering scheme depending on system outputs is implemented to reduce the amount of communication transmissions, which is different from existing constant triggering thresholds. The parameters of actuator faults are estimated via observer state. To compensate for the fault effects on systems, the reliable controller parameters are adjusted along with the obtained estimations. By using some technical lemmas, new sufficient conditions for the closed-loop system to be asymptotically stable with prescribed H_∞ performance are formed in linear matrix inequalities. Lastly, simulations are implemented to demonstrate the validity of the proposed method.     

Importance of Biology in Environmental Education

One of the aims in the Singapore Green Plan is to maintain a more proactive and environmentally conscious population. This can be met through the education of the people. The Plan recognises that one of the most important target groups is the student population. For this to be achieved, a case can be made for the teaching of biology as a core subject in both the primary and secondary schools. According to the Biological Science Inquiry Model, a teaching model designed for instructing and nurturing the learning process of students, a good foundation in biology will enable students to be more open minded, more inquiring into related issues and apply biological principles to rationalise such issues. A good grounding in biology will therefore help students to have a better understanding of environmental issues as these issues are extensively related to biological principles. This can be illustrated by the ten issues concerning the global environment highlighted at the United Nations Conference on the Environment in June 1992. Through a systematic discussion of each of these issues, this paper illustrates the importance of biological knowledge in understanding the problems, implications and consequences of these issues.     

Enculturating seamless language learning through artifact creation and social interaction process

This paper reports a design-based research (DBR) cycle of MyCLOUD (My Chinese ubiquitOUs learning Days). MyCLOUD is a seamless language learning model that addresses identified limitations of conventional Chinese language teaching, such as the decontextualized and unauthentic learning processes that usually hinder reflection and deep learning. MyCLOUD focuses on developing new learning practices among students who traverse the in-school and out-of-school learning spaces, in the hope of bridging the formal and informal aspects of language learning. This paper focuses on two stages of DBR across 13 months and traces students’ artifact creations and social interactions facilitated by the design and re-design of the learning environment. The findings indicate that the students’ participation rates and the qualities of their artifacts and online interactions were significantly improved towards the second stage of the intervention. The key implication from the DBR cycle is that the teachers need to plan and enact enculturation activities to systematically promote the motivation and qualities of artifact creations and online interactions. “Facets” of artifact creation and online interaction skills are distilled to guide the enculturation design as a result.