Strategy Selection and Metacognition

The concept of metacognition is one of the most important developments in the contemporary study of cognition, especially with regard to problem solving and the transfer of cognitive skills. Its study has followed the experimental paradigm with researchers looking for universal principles; metacognition has only a small role to play in looking for explanations of individual differences in cognition. In this paper we are attempting a theoretical analysis of a number of interrelated issues with regard to their importance for metacognition in the light of some current empirical work. It considers mainly the role of these processes in strategy selection, especially in light of the impasse‐based theories of problem solving, and explores the relationship of individual differences to metacognition.     

EDUCATION AND THE LIMITS OF REASON: READING DOSTOEVSKY

Philosophers of education have had a longstanding interest in the nature and value of reason. Literature can provide an important source of insight in addressing questions in this area. One writer who is especially helpful in this regard is Fyodor Dostoevsky. In this essay Peter Roberts provides an educational reading of Dostoevsky's highly influential shorter novel, Notes from Underground. This novel was Dostoevsky's critical response to the emerging philosophy of rational egoism. In this close reading of Notes from Underground, Roberts compares rational egoism with neoliberalism, analyzes the experiences of the central character (the Underground Man), and considers the need for harmony in our educational development as reasoning, feeling, and willing beings.     

“Happier Than Ever to be Exactly What He Was”: Reflections on Shrek,Fiona and the Magic Mirrors of Commodity Culture

This article compares the models of subjectivity and identity in William Steig’s 1990 picture book Shrek! and in DreamWorks’ Shrek films. Steig presented his ogre hero as a model of the crises of subjectivity all children must face, and then reassured readers by showing how even a hideous figure such as Shrek can find resolution and be “happier than ever to be exactly what he was.” DreamWorks’ Shrek films, on the other hand, offer up models of identity based on consumption and rooted in commodity culture, tales which seek to transform their viewers into consumers and even into commodities themselves. As texts of commodity culture, the films must create, not resolve, anxiety and self-doubt. Has DreamWorks’ adaptation of Steig’s book merely replaced a self-confident ogre with an anxiety-ridden consumer? Or, can the films’ humor and absurdity, their parody of familiar commodities and corporate landscapes, and their introduction of boundary-crossing characters such as Fiona offer an alternative critique of commodity culture? This article demonstrates how the films work to uphold and reinforce commodity culture, but also examines how they might also provide moments of potential subversion and critique.     

城市生活与达斡尔族传统文化

本文运用民族学的理论知识,主要从城市达斡尔族对其传统文化的了解、保持、传承情况着手论述,进一步分析城市生活对达斡尔族日常生活和传统文化发展的影响以及达斡尔族传统文化对城市文化发展、经济发展以及生态文明建设方面的影响。     

Current control of journal literature in economics in the United Kingdom

Abstract

The National Library of Australia and the state libraries of New South Wales and Victoria each maintain separate collections of printed ephemera. The role of these collections and the policies used in the acquisition and selection of items for them are described, analysed and compared. The role of the public library local studies collections in helping to create a cooperative, nationwide approach to the acquisition of this material in Australia is discussed in relation to this national and state activity. The value of an understanding of the Australian situation is related to a research project to develop guidelines for collection policies for printed ephemera at the national and local levels in Wales.     

SPACES FOR LEARNERS AND LEARNING: EVALUATING THE IMPACT OF TECHNOLOGY-RICH LEARNING SPACES

This article discusses the utility of evaluating technology-rich learning spaces, exploring approaches and tools from a practitioner perspective. It provides a brief introduction to the concept of ‘technology-rich learning spaces’ and explores approaches to evaluation, suggesting a framework with specific case studies to illustrate the varying approaches to evaluating innovative space design in higher education institutions. The role of learners in the evaluation methodology, and the importance of institutional context, will be explored to highlight whether impact can effectively be assessed. The authors conclude that rigorous evaluation studies must be underpinned by sound theoretical frameworks in order to understand the complexities of the student experience in blended learning environments.     

Testing Expert-Based Versus Student-Based Cognitive Models for a Grade 3 Diagnostic Mathematics Assessment

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the adequacy of three cognitive models, one developed by content experts and two generated from student verbal reports for explaining examinee performance on a grade 3 diagnostic mathematics test. For this study, the items were developed to directly measure the attributes in the cognitive model. The performance of each cognitive model was evaluated by examining its fit to different data samples: verbal report, total, high-, moderate-, and low ability using the Hierarchy Consistency Index (Cui & Leighton, 2009), a model-data fit index. This study utilized cognitive diagnostic assessments developed under the framework of construct-centered test design and analyzed using the Attribute Hierarchy Method (Gierl, Wang, & Zhou, 2008; Leighton, Gierl, & Hunka, 2004). Both the expert-based and the student-based cognitive models provided excellent fit to the verbal report and high ability samples, but moderate to poor fit to the total, moderate and low ability samples. Implications for cognitive model development for cognitive diagnostic assessment are discussed.