Becoming numerate with information and communications technologies in the twenty‐first century

This article draws on data from a three‐year Australian Research Council‐funded study that examined the ways in which young children become numerate in the twenty‐first century. We were interested in the authentic problem‐solving contexts that we believe are required to create meaningful learning. This being so, our basic tenet was that such experiences should involve the use of information and communications technologies (ICT) where relevant, but not in tokenistic ways. This article highlights learning conditions in which young children can become numerate in contemporary times. We consider ‘academic’ or ‘school‐based’ mathematical tasks in the context of a Mathematical Tasks Continuum. This continuum was conceptualised to enable focused and detailed thinking about the scope and range of mathematical tasks that young children are able to engage within contemporary school contexts. The data from this study show that most of the tasks the children experienced in early years mathematics classes were unidimensional in their make up. That is, they focus on the acquisition of specific skills and then they are practiced in disembedded contexts. We suggest that the framework created in the form of the Mathematical Tasks Continuum can facilitate teachers’ thinking about the possible ways in which they could extend children’s academic work in primary school mathematics, so that the process of becoming numerate becomes more easily related to authentic activities that they are likely to experience in everyday life.     

Distribution of Practice in Motor Skill Acquisition: Different Effects for Discrete and Continuous Tasks

Abstract

Research on the benefits of distributed practice for the acquisition and retention of motor skills has a long history. The majority of this research has involved skill acquisition of continuous tasks. However, there is some evidence to suggest that distribution of practice effects are quite different for discrete tasks than for continuous tasks. In the present study, we used a single task, formed discrete and continuous versions of the task, and examined how acquisition and retention were affected by the length of inter-trial interval. The basic task was a movement timing task that involved either one timing estimate per trial (the “discrete” version) or twenty successive estimates per trial (the “continuous” version). Separate groups of subjects learned one version of the task under either distributed (25 s inter-trial intervals) or massed (0.5 s inter-trial intervals) practice conditions. Both massed and distributed retention trials were performed on the same version of the task according to a double transfer design. The results confirmed the apparent disparity: Acquisition and retention were facilitated by distributed practice on the continuous task, but by massed practice on the discrete task. These results were discussed in terms of the role of the inter-trial interval in discrete and continuous tasks.     

一种关于“个人发展”的隐性知识结构

一个人成功与否，与机遇、智力、知识、性格、价值观、人生观等许多因素都相关。然而，有哪些自身的因素与个人成功直接相关呢?研究表明，IQ只是影响个人发展的一个方面。那么，如何更为全面地描述影响个人发展的因素呢?该从个人知识与“经验”的视野分析认为：隐性知识是描述影响个人发展的因素的重要途径。然后，结合斯腾伯格的成功智力理论与波兰尼的隐性知识理论，作提出了一种关于个人发展的隐性知识结构框架。     

"模拟电子技术"课程的教学改革探索

“模拟电子技术”是一门实践性很强的专业基础课。其传统的教学模式存在理论教学效果不佳、实践教学力度不够的弊端，已完全不适应现代高职教育的要求，必须加以改革。     

Influence of using challenging tasks in biology classrooms on students’ cognitive knowledge structure: an empirical video study

Empirical analysis of secondary biology classrooms revealed that, on average, 68% of teaching time in Germany revolved around processing tasks. Quality of instruction can thus be assessed by analyzing the quality of tasks used in classroom discourse. This quasi-experimental study analyzed how teachers used tasks in 38 videotaped biology lessons pertaining to the topic ‘blood and circulatory system’. Two fundamental characteristics used to analyze tasks include: (1) required cognitive level of processing (e.g. low level information processing: repetiition, summary, define, classify and high level information processing: interpret-analyze data, formulate hypothesis, etc.) and (2) complexity of task content (e.g. if tasks require use of factual, linking or concept level content). Additionally, students’ cognitive knowledge structure about the topic ‘blood and circulatory system’ was measured using student-drawn concept maps (N?=?970 students). Finally, linear multilevel models were created with high-level cognitive processing tasks and higher content complexity tasks as class-level predictors and students’ prior knowledge, students’ interest in biology, and students’ interest in biology activities as control covariates. Results showed a positive influence of high-level cognitive processing tasks (β?=?0.07; p?.01) on students’ cognitive knowledge structure. However, there was no observed effect of higher content complexity tasks on students’ cognitive knowledge structure. Presented findings encourage the use of high-level cognitive processing tasks in biology instruction.     

分层次任务教学在大学英语课堂内的运用

大学英语教学,基于学生的水平差异,在无法实施分班教学的情况下,必须进行课堂内的分层次任务教学,培养学生学习英语的兴趣,为有效的英语学习创造必要条件。     

通过"交际任务"学习单词的方法探讨

在“以任务为中心的教学法“中,学生在完成交际任务时,会碰到生词.遇到这种情况处理的方法.可分为三个阶段:任务前阶段、任务中阶段和任务后阶段.学习者能在没有教师帮助的情况下,理解、掌握生词并使用它们来完成交际任务.     

高职图形图像专业项目课程体系研究与开发

传统的教学模式注重培养学生的理论基础,理论与实践脱节,不利于学生专业技能的培养,严重制约着专业的发展。基于项目课程体系高职图形图像课程的开发与实施,有效地激发了学生的学习兴趣,提高了学习效率。     

模拟电子技术课程教学方法改革与实践

针对模拟电子技术课程教学中出现的问题,充分利用EDA和虚拟仪器等现代电子技术,改革教学方法、更新实验方式,开展多层次、创新性的实验教学实践,注重软件与硬件的结合,突出应用能力培养,取得了很好的教学效果。     

基于multisim的模拟电子技术基础课程研究型教学模式探索与实践

文章以"模拟电子技术基础"课程教学为例,阐述了研究型教学模式需要注意的几个问题,包括教学目标定位、师生角色定位、教学环节设计、教学手段选择和考试环节设计;以multisim为手段,探讨了启发教学与自主学习法,基于问题的讨论式教学法,基于课题的研究性教学法和多元化的考试方法。通过实践,学生学会了使用multisim软件,提高了学生的学习兴趣、学习效果和创新能力。