How helpful are error management and counterfactual thinking instructions to inexperienced spreadsheet users' training task performance?

This paper examined the impact of training strategies on the types of errors that novice users make when learning a commonly used spreadsheet application. Fifty participants were assigned to a counterfactual thinking training (CFT) strategy, an error management training strategy, or a combination of both strategies, and completed an easy task (assessing direct application of the skills learned) followed by a hard task (assessing adaptive transfer). Even though there were no objective differences in performance across conditions, a positive relationship was found between errors and task performance for the CFT and combined conditions in the hard task. These preliminary findings indicate the usefulness of examining not only task performance but also types of errors when assessing the effectiveness of software training strategies.     

Preservice teacher education students’ epistemological beliefs and conceptions about learning

A questionnaire was administered to 231 Hong Kong preservice teacher education students to examine their epistemological beliefs and conceptions of learning. Pearson correlation analysis showed significant pairs of epistemological beliefs and conceptions of learning. Regression and path analysis showed epistemological beliefs had significant predictor relationships with conceptions of learning. Four structural equation models were proposed to examine the predictive relationships between epistemological beliefs and selected pairs of quantitative and qualitative conceptions of learning, and the models were validated by confirmatory factor analysis. The results support the hypothesis that epistemological beliefs have significant predictive relationships with quantitative and qualitative conceptions of learning, implying epistemological beliefs play an important role in students’ learning. The paper concludes with implications drawn for the future direction of educational practices and research.     

Cognitive skills and literacy performance of Chinese adolescents with and without dyslexia

The present study sought to identify cognitive abilities that might distinguish Hong Kong Chinese adolescents with dyslexia and to assess how these abilities were associated with Chinese word reading, word dictation, and reading comprehension. The cognitive skills of interest were morphological awareness, visual-orthographic knowledge, rapid naming, and verbal working memory. A total of 90 junior secondary school students, 30 dyslexic, 30 chronological age controls, and 30 reading level controls was tested on a range of cognitive and literacy tasks. Dyslexic students were less competent than the control students in all cognitive and literacy measures. The regression analyses also showed that verbal working memory, rapid naming, morphological awareness, and visual-orthographic knowledge were significantly associated with literacy performance. Findings underscore the importance of these cognitive skills for Chinese literacy acquisition. Overall, this study highlights the persistent difficulties of Chinese dyslexic adolescents who seem to have multiple causes for reading and spelling difficulties.     

从小盆栽到阳台花园

小时候,我特喜欢在长满野花的荒地上奔跑,那些酢浆草、野菊花漫山遍野,到处都是,蓬勃的生命力令人着迷。离开乡村,走进城市,看到了整齐的绿化树、花色一致的盆栽,规规矩矩,觉得毫无吸引力。但转念一想,     

试论小山词之妙用天气描写

晏几道时常巧妙运用天气描写,创造出奇特的艺术表达效果。用天气虚写与天气泛写之新概念从天气描写的角度分析小山词,从而对流传千古、家喻户晓之名篇警句进行新视角的解读。     

色彩在室内装饰设计中的运用

室内空间色彩的搭配可以根据室内环境状况,外加设计图案的样式要求和艺术规律角度进行色彩的调配和选用,保证色彩与室内的空间布置和相互关系相吻合,符合色彩学的合理分配和组合.室内装饰期间,室内设计应首先考虑到室内空间效果,以便在室内设计完工后,做到使室内呈现的是一个色彩的主旋律——色调.其次,在实际操作过程中,按照设计对象的功能和审美需要加以灵活应用.     

Badminton shuttlecock aerodynamics: synthesizing experiment and theory

In this study, the flight performance of four models of shuttlecocks, two with feather skirts and two with plastic, is investigated. The aerodynamic forces of each shuttlecock at varying air speed and angle of attack are measured in a subsonic wind tunnel. Empirical correlations derived from these data are then incorporated into an adaptive, shuttlecock-specific numerical trajectory simulation. These simulated trajectories are in good agreement with experimental results, with average and maximum errors of 2.5 and 9.1% in vertical distance travelled. The aerodynamically adaptive trajectory model is used to analyse four common types of badminton shot: serve, net, smash and high clear. From these simulations, it is found that the trajectory paths of the higher quality plastic shuttlecock most closely mimic those of the feather shuttlecock of same speed grade. Results of both aerodynamic testing and trajectory simulation provide quantitative support for players?? preference for the ??feel?? and responsiveness of feather shuttlecocks. It is also observed that plastic shuttlecocks fly faster than do feather shuttlecocks under smash shots, a behaviour explained by a reduction of drag due to skirt deformation observed in wind tunnel experiments at high flight velocity. The results of the study highlight the influence of shuttlecock design and material on shuttlecock flight.     

The effects of school board consolidation and financing on student performance

Over the last 20 years, states and provinces have become increasingly involved in the financing and administration of elementary and secondary education. Local school boards, however, still retain control over key aspects of the provision of education. Historically, these boards were organized at the community level so as to meet the wants of the local community. Today, states and provinces have become more interested in consolidating school boards and moving to a more centralized funding scheme. Do these changes result in improved student achievement? This paper attempts to answer these questions by examining the school board consolidation and funding changes instituted by the province of Ontario. We differentiate the effects of the policy changes based on observed differences in the school boards prior to consolidation. We show that students in previously high wealth school boards perform worse after the policy change compared to students in previously low wealth school boards.