Gender Differences in Lunar‐related Scientific and Mathematical Understandings

This paper reports an examination on gender differences in lunar phases understanding of 123 students (70 females and 53 males). Middle‐level students interacted with the Moon through observations, sketching, journalling, two‐dimensional and three‐dimensional modelling, and classroom discussions. These lunar lessons were adapted from the Realistic Explorations in Astronomical Learning (REAL) curriculum. Students’ conceptual understandings were measured through analysis of pre‐test and post‐test results on a Lunar Phases Concept Inventory (LPCI) and a Geometric Spatial Assessment (GSA). The LPCI was used to assess conceptual learning of eight science and four mathematics domains. The GSA was used to assess learning of the same four mathematical domains; however, the GSA test items were not posed within a lunar context. Results showed both male and female groups to make significant gains in understanding on the overall LPCI test scores as well as significant gains on five of the eight science domains and on three of the four mathematics domains. The males scored significantly higher than the females on the science domain, phase—Sun/Earth/Moon positions, and on the mathematics domain geometric spatial visualisation. GSA results found both male and female groups achieving a significant increase in their test scores on the overall GSA. Females made significant gains on the GSA mathematics domains, periodic patterns and cardinal directions, while males made significant gains on only the periodic patterns domain. Findings suggest that both scientific and mathematical understandings can be significantly improved for both sexes through the use of spatially focused, inquiry‐oriented curriculum such as REAL.     

A Study of How Classroom Dialogue Facilitates the Development of Geometric Spatial Concepts Related to Understanding the Cause of Moon Phases

Using data derived from interviews of small groups of secondary school science teachers, this paper offers insights into how they came to enter school teaching. Together with other data drawn from parallel interviews with another small group of secondary school history teachers in the same schools, conducted initially for comparative purposes, the paper suggests that, in both cases, the decision to teach is the outcome of a number of unpredictable and contingent factors, rather than a response to a sense of vocation or any initial long‐term commitment to the profession. The implications of these findings for theoretical approaches to understanding career choice and for teacher recruitment are briefly explored.     

Developing a university course for online delivery based on learning objects: from ideals to compromises

A course instructor and his assistant at Athabasca University investigated whether the process of transferring interoperable learning objects from online repositories facilitated course production, both pedagogically and economically. They examined the efficiency of the objects‐assembly method from several perspectives while developing an online university course based on learning objects for this, one of Canada's leading online and distance education institutions. The two researchers examined issues that confronted them as they gathered, assessed, repaired, assembled and created learning objects. When their search for suitable objects appeared fruitless, they questioned assumptions made by theoreticians and visionaries about pedagogical and economic efficiencies associated with the objects‐assembly metaphor and production. They highlighted this metaphor's failure to guide their course design based on learning objects in a climate of uncertainty and explained the nature of the compromise that eventually compelled them to acquire a proprietary online delivery system.     

Looking for the library: Using an undergraduate business syllabi analysis to inform an instruction program

This study analyzed 260 syllabi representing a year of the undergraduate curriculum from a business school. The syllabi were examined based on the mentions of the library from across three categories: spaces, resources, and services, as well as possible opportunities for engagement that librarians could target for collaboration. In this study, the library was mentioned 79 times, mostly in relation to library resources. There were also 479 opportunities for engagement coded. This study found that the majority of undergraduate syllabi do not mention the library, but that there are considerable opportunities that librarians can target for future engagement.     

Thinking in Objects and their Collaboration: Introducing Object-Oriented Technology

Although many professionals in education believe that an ‘objects first’ approach is the best method of introducing object-oriented technology, there is no common agreement on how to start such courses. Current study programs often begin by teaching a chosen object-oriented programing language, where students are confronted by a large amount of syntactical detail. Instead of focusing on the basics of object-oriented technology, namely objects and their collaborations, difficulties in handling the details of the programing language lead to a very scattered knowledge of object-oriented concepts. This is dangerous, as learners are left with a set of unconnected knowledge fragments. Approaches which embed different knowledge fragments in an overall knowledge view are known as “cognitive apprenticeship” approaches. The main idea of cognitive apprenticeship is continuous practice. We present a learning environment for introducing object-oriented technology in upper secondary schools based on cognitive apprenticeship. We use a visual programing language to away from the details and provide tool support to aid practice. We present the learning sequencewhich is used and show the impacts it makes on the course structure in our experiment in the chosen object-oriented programming language The Joint Task Force on Computing Curricula IEEE Computer Society.     

Anerkennungsdefizite und Vorurteile

Zeitschrift für Erziehungswissenschaft - Anerkennungstheoretische Überlegungen und Vorurteile gewinnen zunehmend an Bedeutung bei der Analyse und Erklärung problembehafteter...     

Teaching cell and molecular biology for gender equity

Science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields, including cell biology, are characterized by the "leaky pipeline" syndrome in which, over time, women leave the discipline. The pipeline itself and the pond into which it empties may not be neutral. Explicating invisible norms, attitudes, and practices by integrating social studies of science into science education may be the necessary first step in helping female students persist in STEM disciplines. In 2003 and 2004, a sophomore Cell and Molecular Biology course at Virginia Tech (Blacksburg, VA) was taught integrating social studies of science with standard material. The course was successfully implemented, teaching students factual content while increasing awareness of the cultures of science and their self-confidence in engaging with the subject. Course evaluation data indicated that females in particular perceived greater gains in logical thinking and problem-solving abilities than females in a traditional cell biology course. Consistent with K-12 studies, males in this class were likely to view scientists as male only, whereas females viewed scientists as male and female. This pilot project demonstrates that social studies can be integrated successfully in a cell biology course. Longitudinal studies of this cohort of students will indicate whether this approach contributes to the retention of women in the field.