Self-instructional videocourses: a cost-effective approach to in-service training of teachers in special education

The article describes employing a short self-instructional videocourse as a form of in-service education for teachers of children with severe learning difficulties. The study examines the feasibility of training teachers to implement simple teaching games in the classroom, aimed at enhancing the basic number skills of children with severe learning difficulties. Teachers'attitudes to the materials were positive, and the videocourse was effective in helping to improve the counting ability of a sample of thirty children. The provision of training opportunities for teachers using videocourses is supported. The article concludes with a discussion of some of the features of the self-instructional model employed in the study.     

An interaction of screen colour and lesson task in CAL

Colour is a common feature in computer‐aided learning (CAL), though the instructional effects of screen colour are not well understood. This investigation considers the effects of different CAL study tasks with feedback on posttest performance and on posttest memory of the lesson colour scheme. Graduate students (n=68) completed a computer‐based vocabulary lesson that included either multiple‐choice or constructed‐response study tasks with feedback. Each lesson section used a different colour theme, while the posttest did not use colour. The constructed‐response study task was a little more effective for posttest memory of lesson content but was substantially less effective for posttest memory of the lesson colour scheme. These results show a clear interaction of screen colour and lesson study task, a memory‐context effect. The practical and theoretical implications of these findings are discussed.     

Intelligent fuzzy spelling evaluator for e-Learning systems

Evaluating Learners’ Response in an e-Learning environment has been the topic of current research in areas of Human Computer Interaction, e-Learning, Education Technology and even Natural Language Processing. The current paper presents a twofold strategy to evaluate single word response of a learner in an e-Learning environment. The response of the learner to be evaluated would consist of errors committed due to lack of knowledge and also out of inadvertent mistakes committed while typing the answers. The proposed system benevolently considers such errors and still marks the learner partially. The feature incorporated in this work adds the human element to the mechanised system of evaluation and assessment in an e-Learning environment.     

Multimedia resources designed to support learning from written proofs: an eye-movement study

This paper presents two studies of an intervention designed to help undergraduates comprehend mathematical proofs. The intervention used multimedia resources that presented proofs with audio commentary and visual animations designed to focus attention on logical relationships. In study 1, students studied an e-Proof or a standard written proof and their comprehension was assessed in both immediate and delayed tests; the groups performed similarly at immediate test, but the e-Proof group exhibited poorer retention. Study 2 accounted for this unexpected result by using eye-movement analyses to demonstrate that participants who studied an e-Proof exhibited less processing effort when not listening to the audio commentary. We suggest that the extra support offered by e-Proofs disrupts the processes by which students organise information, and thus restricts the extent to which their new understanding is integrated with existing knowledge. We discuss the implications of these results for evaluating teaching innovations and for supporting proof comprehension.     

The 2001 Bower Award & prize for achievement in science presented to Paul Baran

The Franklin Institute, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania awarded the 2001 Bower Award and prize to Paul Baran for his efforts to advance our knowledge of physical science or its application for his seminal invention of packet switching—the foundation of modern communications networks and, in particular, the Internet.Simply stated the technology of packet-switching, allows pieces of information to be divided into small packets or “envelopes” of information that are addressed, sent using multiple available routes to a specific destination, then reassembled. This technology—a post office-like system—revolutionized the telecommunications industry. Originally devised during the cold war for a military communications system survivable in the event of nuclear attack, packet switching became the foundation of computer networks including the Internet and truly has altered the world in which we live.     

Gender differences in mathematics education in Zambia

This paper discusses whether gender differences in mathematics education exist in Zambia, and if so, what are their possible causes. Differences are found to be present both in terms of access, and in terms of performance. Possible reasons for such differences are examined, in the light of empirical data consisting of responses to an attitude questionnaire.     

Effects of different ways of introducing a reading task on intrinsic motivation and comprehension

This study compared the effects of two brief prereading instructional practices – hands‐on activities and prior knowledge activation – on sixth‐graders' intrinsic motivation for reading a text and reading comprehension. Both hands‐on activities and prior knowledge activation substantially improved reading comprehension relative to a control condition where students just read to answer questions and take a test about the text content. These effects did not depend on preexisting individual differences in basic reading skill, reading motivation or topic knowledge. Hands‐on activities and prior knowledge activation did not differentially affect reading comprehension, however, nor did either of them have any effect on intrinsic motivation to read the text. If used regularly in classrooms, brief prereading practices in the form of hands‐on activities or prior knowledge activation may result in knowledge gains that accumulate to build a solid conceptual basis for further, self‐regulated learning from text.     

Ohm’s law, Kirchoff ’s law and the Drunkard’s walk

Recall from Resonance, Vol. 1, No. 7 that when the Drunkard asks: “Will I ever, ever get home again?”, Polya answers: “You can’t miss, just keep going and stay out of 3D!” In this two-part article we show how to look at this question of recurrence and transience of random walks (which was originally asked and solved by George Polya) through electrical networks. In the first part we look at the related electrical networks.     

Does maximalist footwear lower impact loading during level ground and downhill running?

A new model of running shoes which features an extreme cushioning and an oversized midsole, known as the maximalist (MAX) was launched. This design claims to provide excellent shock absorption, particularly during downhill running. This study sought to assess the effects of MAX on the external impact loading, footstrike pattern, and stride length during level ground and downhill running on an instrumented treadmill. Twenty-seven distance runners completed four 5-minute running trials in the two footwear conditions (MAX and traditional running shoes (TRS)) on a level surface (0%) and downhill (10%-declination). Average and instantaneous loading rates (ILRs), footstrike pattern and stride length were measured during the last minute of each running trial. A 12% greater ILR was observed in downhill running with MAX (p?=?.045; Cohen’s d?=?0.44) as compared to TRS. No significant difference was found in the loading rates (p?>?.589) and stride length (p?=?.924) when running on a level surface. Majority of runners maintained the same footstrike pattern in both footwear conditions. Findings of this study suggested that MAX might not reduce the external impact loading in runners during level and downhill treadmill running. Instead, this type of footwear may conceivably increase the external impact loading during downhill treadmill running.