Redesigning problem-based learning in the knowledge creation paradigm for school science learning

The introduction of problem-based learning into K-12 science classrooms faces the challenge of achieving the dual goal of learning science content and developing problem-solving skills. To overcome this content-process tension in science classrooms, we employed the knowledge-creation approach as a boundary object between the two seemingly contradicting activities: learning of science content and developing problem-solving skills. As part of a design research, we studied a group of Grade 9 students who were solving a problem related to the Law of Conservation of Energy. Through the lens of the activity theory, we found that students’ understanding of the intended science knowledge deepened as they made sense of the disciplinary-content knowledge in the context of the problem and concurrently, the students successfully developed solutions for the problem. This study shows that developing problem-solving competencies and content learning need not be disparate activities. On the contrary, we can harness the interdependency of these two activities to achieve dual goals in learning.     

Science Practicals in Schools: Are We Assessing Correctly?

Traditional practical examinations serve the purpose of ensuring that a candidate has some grounding in practical work. Regretably, however, they fall short in the promotion of process skills. A study done at the Institute of Education shows little relationship between tests which highlight these skills and the traditional practical tests. In today's context where emphasis should be placed on process rather than product, the continued dependence on traditional practical examinations does not seem to be in keeping with current curricula changes.     

The Effect of Learner-Generated Drawing and Imagination in Comprehending a Science Text

The purpose of the study was to investigate the effects of imagination and learner-generated drawing on comprehension, reading time, cognitive load, and eye movements, and whether prior knowledge moderated the effects of these two strategies. Sixty-three undergraduate students participated in a pretest-posttest between-subjects study with the independent variable being the instructional strategies with three levels (learner-generated drawing vs. imagination vs. repeated reading). The results revealed that, compared to repeated reading, learner-generated drawing fostered learners' comprehension when their prior knowledge was relatively low. Moreover, when asked to read the science text after the intervention, learners who were previously engaged with imagination spent significantly more time reading the text, and fixated longer and more frequently than those in the repeated reading condition.     

Behavior,perceptions and learning experience of undergraduates using social technologies during internship

Social technologies such as social networking sites, Wikis and blogs have gained popularity not only in social communication but also in other areas, such as in enhancing learning experience among students in tertiary education. This study investigated how blogs and Facebook scaffolded students’ learning during their internships in tertiary education. A mix-method approach was employed to examine students’ perceptions of blogs and Facebook in improving their internship learning experience. The results showed that blogs and Facebook encouraged students and facilitated their engagement in problem solving, information sharing and knowledge construction during their internships. In particular, Facebook showed more promising results, assisting students in reflecting on their experiences. Moreover, students acknowledged that Facebook was a better platform for online interaction and collaborative learning than blogs. This study provides empirical evidence for the use of social media tools in pedagogical scaffolding and collaborative learning during internships.

     

High school students' use of diagrams during reading

This study examines how high school students use diagrams and summaries during reading and the effects of such on comprehension. The roles of verbal and spatial ability are also examined. Seventy-four Year 7 (13-year-old) students each read a text presented on a computer screen. The text was presented one sentence at a time and subjects could call up a diagram or content-equivalent summary of the main ideas of the text at any time. Time to read the sentences and the adjunct aids was controlled by the subject and recorded by the computer. In addition, the computer kept a record of where in the text subjects made a text-to-aid move. After reading, the subjects completed a 10-minute filler task and then produced free recalls of the text. The free recalls were examined for the inclusion of details and main ideas. Path analyses showed a significant direct effect of verbal ability on the recall of details and main ideas as well as a significant indirect effect through time on diagram. Spatial ability was not found to have any effect on recall, either directly or indirectly. Analyses of text-to-diagram moves showed more inspections in the first few sentences followed by an essentially random inspection pattern. Instructional implications are discussed.     

A network condition classification scheme for supporting video delivery over wireless Internet*

INTRODUCTION Real-time video transport over wireless Internet faces many challenges due to the heterogeneous en- vironment including wireline and wireless networks. Fig.1 shows a typical end-to-end video transport in- volving wireline and wireless networks. The video transport may suffer from many problems such as wireline network congestion and wireless multi-path fading, resulting in high packet loss-rate, and causing severe video quality degradation. To maintain the optimal video quali…     

Measuring Longitudinal Gains in Student Learning: A Comparison of Rasch Scoring and Summative Scoring Approaches

This study pioneers a Rasch scoring approach and compares it to a conventional summative approach for measuring longitudinal gains in student learning. In this methodological note, our proposed methodology is demonstrated using an example of rating scales in a student survey as part of a higher education outcome assessment. Such assessments have become increasingly important worldwide for purposes of institutional accreditation and accountability to stakeholders. Data were collected from a longitudinal study by tracking self-reported learning outcomes of individual students in the same cohort who completed the student learning experience questionnaire (SLEQ) in their first and final years. Rasch model was employed for item calibration and latent trait estimation, together with a scaling procedure of concurrent calibration incorporating a randomly equivalent group design and a single group design to measure the gains in self-reported learning outcomes as yielded by repeated measures. The extent to which Rasch scoring compared to the conventional summative scoring method in its sensitivity to change was quantified by a statistical index namely relative performance (RP). Findings indicated greater ability to capture learning outcomes gains from Rasch scoring over the conventional summative scoring method, with RP values ranging from 3 to 17% in the cognitive, social, and value domains of the SLEQ. The Rasch scoring approach and the scaling procedure presented in the study can be readily generalised to studies using rating scales to measure change in student learning in the higher education context. The methodological innovations and contributions of this study are discussed.     

Addressing the challenge of legitimate international comparisons of classroom practice

In this article, we address the choice of suitable instructional units that might serve as the basis for cross-cultural analyses of classroom practice. Our argument draws on analyses undertaken as part of the Learner's Perspective Study (LPS). The database comprised a three-camera video record of sequences of 10 consecutive lessons in each classroom, supplemented by post-lesson video-stimulated interviews with teachers and students: a total of over 180 videotaped lessons, over 50 teacher interviews and almost 400 student interviews. The results of these analyses challenge the suitability of the lesson as the unit of comparative analysis. In particular, the location of the lesson in the topic sequence is seen to be a key influence on the lesson's structure, critically affecting the teacher's deployment of the constituent activities that we have called ‘lesson events.’ The lesson event is proposed as an alternative unit of international comparative analysis of classroom practice.