Using Food Science Demonstrations to Engage Students of All Ages in Science,Technology, Engineering,and Mathematics (STEM)

Abstract: The overarching goal of the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Education Initiative is to foster effective STEM teaching and learning throughout the educational system at the local, state, and national levels, thereby producing science literate citizens and a capable STEM workforce. To contribute to achieving this goal, we have assembled six food science demonstrations for use at all educational levels and have presented these lessons to students at the elementary through higher education levels. The focus of this article is to share these food science demonstrations and our experiences using them so that others can use them for engaging students in STEM disciplines, through food science, at any educational level. Featured demonstrations include: (1) liquid nitrogen ice cream: a matter of changing phases, (2) seeing our senses work together, (3) whipping up the cream, (4) milk versus dark: what is the difference?, (5) counting calories by burning them, and (6) culinary spherification: the wonders of cross‐linking. Overall, our experience with using these demonstrations has been very positive. Students appear engaged in the learning process and love to consume the demonstration end products. Downloadable handouts containing demonstration details for each demonstration are available as supporting information.     

Computer use within a play-based early years curriculum

Early years curricula promote learning through play and in addition emphasise the development of computer literacy. Previous research, however, has described that teachers feel unprepared to integrate Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and play. Also, whereas research has suggested that effective computer use in the early years is associated with adult direction, further research suggests adult presence can inhibit play and reduce children's engagement. Focusing on 12 settings following the Welsh play-based Foundation Phase, this paper explores teachers' experiences of integrating computer use into classroom practice, children's levels of engagement with computer activities and how playful children perceive computer use to be. Teachers confidently delivered a variety of computing experiences. Children consistently rated these activities as play regardless of adult presence and demonstrated moderate to high levels of engagement. Findings and the features of observed practice are discussed in relation to the teachers' role as a play partner and the successful co-construction of the play-based curriculum.     

带干扰的离散时间的双险种风险模型

在我国保险公司的运营过程中,保费收入是主要收入来源,理赔则是主要的风险因素,保险公司的最基本经营目标就是提高它的赔付能力,确保稳定地运作.通过对破产概率及生存概率的研究,了解其相关制约因素.得出一些重要结论,从而科学地预测保险公司未来的收入,以及估计保险公司的概率等.     

怎样设计学习型组织？

学习型组织，根据六条相互补充的行为准则来设计：创造不断学习的机会。促进探讨和对话。鼓励共同学习和团队学习。建立学习及学习共享系统。促使成员迈向共同愿景。使组织和环境结合起来。     

对佛教体验的再思考:皈依与神迹--佛教体验的"家族相似性"特征

佛教中的体验与“家庭相似性”关联何在,为之辩护的论题包括两部分：（1）与其他方式相比,把皈依概念和神迹概念纳入体验概念可以使我们对佛教体验形成一种更为恰当的观点,而这一观点能够表明佛教的宣称与科学的经验主义的宣称之间的区别（前提1-10）;（2）关于界定体验之所是的“家族相似性”理念,本文结论是,皈依与神迹是对佛教中的体验所作出的非实在论的“家族相似性”定义中的两个要素（前提11-13）.     

How social relationships influence academic health in the ‘enterprise university’: an insight into productivity of knowledge workers

The comparatively poor mental health status of academics at Australian universities compared with the general Australian workforce poses a public health challenge. Productivity of knowledge workers is a key issue for the new economy. Using the case of one university, I interviewed employees stratified by level of employment and showed that their mental health is adversely affected by social relationships that result from historically‐based bargains. These rely on divergent and sometimes adversarial value systems of employers and employees and a preference for particular institutional policies and practices based on contemporary cultural trends of individualism and economic rationalism that affect social support and social networks in a detrimental way. To redress this burden of mental illness, it is imperative that employer‐employee discourse is changed to incorporate the social reality of the work context. This study offers insights into productivity of knowledge workers generally in service industries of education, information and communication.     

Contributions and Constraints to the Implementation of Inclusive Education in Lesotho

This article reports on a study that investigated the extent to which central ministry policy initiatives result in large‐scale educational change in developing countries. Specifically, Lesotho's policy of inclusive special education was examined as a case study. The study employed a multi‐method approach to yield a large data‐set. Results indicate that policy implementation was limited in both depth (the approaches to inclusive education in some schools) and breadth (the number of schools that have received training in inclusive education). Where implementation was present, perceived teacher knowledge and skill was a strong predictor of success and teachers had positive attitudes toward children with disabilities.     

A Multi-level Examination of College and Its Influence on Ecumenical Worldview Development

This multi-level, longitudinal study investigated the ecumenical worldview development of 13,932 students enrolled in one of 126 institutions. Results indicated that the final hierarchical linear model, consisting of institution-and-student-level predictors as well as slopes explaining the relationships among some of these predictors, explained 39.98% of variance in Time 2 ecumenical worldview. Specifically, differences in ecumenical development trajectories for men and women could be partially explained by the average amount of religious struggle reported by students. Implications for college impact researchers and student development scholars are discussed.     

Development of a user-friendly instrument for identifying the learning strategy preferences of adults

Learning strategies offer a means of addressing individual differences. A programmatic line of inquiry at two universities in the United States has led to an extensive body of research related to learning strategies and to the development of two instruments. This study reports on the development of one of these instruments that can be used to quickly identify learning strategy preferences. Although this instrument, Assessing The Learning Strategies of AdultS (ATLAS), appears very simple and is easy to use, a series of multivariate statistical procedures were used to develop and validate it. These procedures are reported here in detail so that practitioners can be aware of its strong research base and use it with confidence. ATLAS can be used either for self-assessment or by an instructor in order to quickly identify how an individual learner approaches a learning task.     

Surprise and change: Variations in the strength of present and absent cues in causal learning

It is said that “absence makes the heart grow fonder.” But, when and why does an absent event become salient to the heart or to the brain? An absent event may become salient when its nonoccurrence is surprising. Van Hamme and Wasserman (1994) found that a nonpresented but expected stimulus can actually change its associative status—and in the opposite direction from a presented stimulus. Associative models like that of Rescorla and Wagner (1972) focus only on presented cues; so, they cannot explain this result. However, absent cues can be permitted to change their value by assigning different learning parameters to present and absent cues. Van Hamme and Wasserman revised the Rescorla-Wagner model so that the α parameter is positive for present cues, but negative for absent cues; now, changes in the associative strength of absent cues move in the opposite direction as presented ones. This revised Rescorla-Wagner model can thus explain such otherwise vexing empirical findings as backward blocking, recovery from overshadowing, and backward conditioned inhibition. Moreover, the revised model predicts new effects. For example, explicit information about the absence of nonpresented cues should increase their salience (that is, their negative α value should be larger), leading to stronger associative changes than when no explicit mention is made of cue absence. Support for this prediction is detailed in a new causal judgment experiment in which participants rated the effectiveness of different foods’ triggering a patient’s allergic reaction. Overall, these and other findings encourage us to view human causal learning from an associative perspective.