Let's talk evidence – The case for combining inquiry-based and direct instruction

Many studies investigating inquiry learning in science domains have appeared over the years. Throughout this period, inquiry learning has been regularly criticized by scholars who favor direct instruction over inquiry learning. In this vein, Zhang, Kirschner, Cobern, and Sweller (2022) recently asserted that direct instruction is overall superior to inquiry-based instruction and reproached policy makers for ignoring this fact. In the current article we reply to this assertion and the premises on which it is based. We review the evidence and argue that a more complete and correct interpretation of the literature demonstrates that inquiry-based instruction produces better overall results for acquiring conceptual knowledge than does direct instruction. We show that this conclusion holds for controlled, correlational, and program-based studies. We subsequently argue that inquiry-based and direct instruction each have their specific virtues and disadvantages and that the effectiveness of each approach depends on moderating factors such as the learning goal, the domain involved, and students' prior knowledge and other student characteristics. Furthermore, inquiry-based instruction is most effective when supplemented with guidance that can be personalized based on these moderating factors and can even involve providing direct instruction. Therefore, we posit that a combination of inquiry and direct instruction may often be the best approach to support student learning. We conclude that policy makers rightfully advocate inquiry-based instruction, particularly when students’ investigations are supplemented with direct instruction at appropriate junctures.     

A quasi-experimental study of a peer-assisted strategy-based reading intervention in elementary school

Promising methods of reading instruction for elementary school students incorporate peer-assisted learning routines and reading strategies. In addition, models of reading comprehension point to the importance of various determinants of reading competence such as reading fluency and vocabulary knowledge. Multicomponent reading intervention programs need to be evaluated to determine IF and HOW they unfold their effects on the reading competence of elementary school students on the basis of such theoretical and empirical models. Accordingly, the present study was designed as a quasi-experimental study of a 20-lesson peer-assisted and strategy-based multicomponent intervention for whole-class instruction in elementary school. Linear mixed models and latent growth models were used to analyze the longitudinal data (pre-, post- and follow-up test) on the reading competencies (reading fluency, vocabulary knowledge, reading strategy competence, reading comprehension) and intrinsic reading motivation of students in the intervention (N = 187) and control group (N = 177). The results showed an interaction between the groups and the change in reading comprehension, indicating a significantly increased score in the intervention group at the posttest (d = 0.15) but not at the follow-up test (d = 0.12). The results of the latent growth model point to the importance of designing interventions that explicitly integrate reading strategies, reading fluency and vocabulary knowledge and also foster intrinsic reading motivation. In addition, reading fluency was revealed to be the strongest predictor of reading comprehension and the change in fluency over time was closely linked to reading comprehension development.     

Instructional practices in secondary science: How teachers achieve local and standards-based success

This article reports on analyses of the instructional practices of six middle- and high-school science teachers in the United States who participated in a research-practice partnership that aims to support reform science education goals at scale. All six teachers were well qualified, experienced, and locally successful—respected by students, parents, colleagues, and administrators—but they differed in their success in supporting students' three-dimensional learning. Our goal is to understand how the teachers' instructional practices contributed to their similarities in achieving local success and to differences in enabling students' learning, and to consider the implications of these findings for research-practice partnerships. Data sources included classroom videos supplemented by interviews with teachers and focus students and examples of student work. We also compared students' learning gains by teacher using pre–post assessments that elicited three-dimensional performances. Analyses of classroom videos showed how all six teachers achieved local success—they led effectively managed classrooms, covered the curriculum by teaching almost all unit activities, and assessed students' work in fair and efficient ways. There were important differences, however, in how teachers engaged students in science practices. Teachers in classrooms where students achieved lower learning gains followed a pattern of practice we describe as activity-based teaching, in which students completed investigations and hands-on activities with few opportunities for sensemaking discussions or three-dimensional science performances. Teachers whose students achieved higher learning gains combined the social stability characteristic of local classroom success with more demanding instructional practices associated with scientific sensemaking and cognitive apprenticeship. We conclude with a discussion of implications for research-practice partnerships, highlighting how partnerships need to support all teachers in achieving both local and standards-based success.     

产品设计课程教学新思路

产品设计课程通过产品设计流程的学习,使学生能够较全面掌握产品的各种设计方法。笔者根据多年的教学经验与设计实践经验,以案例教学法为切入点,教会学生面对同一目标产品的不同设计约束条件,分别进行改良设计和创新设计的思路。只有不断改进授课方法,在实践中不断探索,才能够培养出符合社会需求和市场需求的专业设计人才。     

Natural surface design for sliding mode control with multiple discontinuous inputs

It is well known that sliding mode control is based on the definition of an invariant manifold, where the system dynamics are forced to in a finite time. Such a manifold is somewhat arbitrarily defined, as long as the system dynamics are stable on it. Computational and control effort may vary depending on selected manifold. Obviously, if a system has naturally acceptable stable dynamics around a desired equilibrium point, no control is needed unless uncertainties or disturbances are present. It would be desirable that if such a system had uncertainties or disturbances, the control effort be designed only to overcome the effect of such factors. For a system with first order dynamics and affine control input, designing a sliding mode control overcoming only such uncertainties or disturbances is a trivial task. When a higher order dynamics system is involved, unit control may be used, where the input control signals are not discontinuous, but when only discontinuous control inputs are available, a design approach is not readily available. In this paper, taking advantage of the natural stable dynamics of a system, a sliding mode control approach is introduced for designing multiple discontinuous control inputs, where the control effort overcomes only uncertainties, disturbances or unstable dynamics. Two illustrative examples are given in order to show the feasibility of the method.     

A Strategy for Operationalizing Privacy by Design

Recent controversies surrounding privacy have sparked a move by regulators toward the idea of privacy by design (PbD), a concept pioneered by Ontario Information and Privacy Commissioner Ann Cavoukian. Industry has also started to recognize the importance of taking privacy seriously, with various PbD corporate initiatives currently underway. However, some commentators have criticized PbD for being too vague. Using three case studies and a range of best practice examples of PbD, privacy impact assessments (PIAs), and privacy-enhancing technologies (PETs), this article addresses the gap between the abstract principles of PbD and their operationalization into more concrete implementation guidelines for software engineers.     

Introduction to the Special Forum on Critical Making as Research Program

This special issue spotlights the growing diversity of critical making practices in a range of disciplinary contexts both inside and outside of the academy, and begins to develop perspectives that will foster the emergence of critical making as a coherent field. On one hand, we see great value in incorporating material practices into existing information systems (IS) and science and technology studies (STS) research programs. In particular, forms of material engagement can help overcome the ineffectual linguistic bias of traditional critiques of technoscience. On the other hand, we believe that current material practices can benefit from the conceptualization of knowledge and social organization that are foundational to IS and STS research. In this introduction to the special issue we call attention to the mechanisms by which such practices may combine representational and material work to foster and support the development of new knowledge-making communities and institutions. We believe such work can serve as a framework for others engaged in critical making practices to better contextualize and expand the relevance of their work. We intend this special issue to serve as a “stake in the ground” for research on new forms of material-conceptual critique and their incorporation in the repertoire of critical technoscience scholarship.     

Managing research and innovation networks: Evidence from a government sponsored cross-industry program

Important innovations are increasingly produced based on research engagement and fertilization across industries. However, we know little about the challenges associated with managing innovation networks in specific contexts that involves researchers in cross-industry collaboration. Against this backdrop, we draw on theory on design and orchestration of innovation networks to analyze a large-scale government sponsored program, “ProcessIT Innovations” that was designed to increase competitiveness and accelerate economic growth in Northern Sweden. The program was initiated and led by firms from the traditionally strong local process industry and engaged local researchers and firms from the emerging IT industry. Based on our analyses, we offer two contributions. First, we provide a detailed analysis of the challenges related to configuration of the network, orchestration of partnerships between participants, and facilitation of innovation in dedicated development projects. Second, we propose a model of managing research and innovation networks through fertilization across industries and between firms and research institutions.     

考虑视觉感官舒适度的园林建筑层次设计

利用传统算法在进行园林建筑设计的过程中,由于园林建筑层次受到设计人员主观因素的影响较大,难以进行准确的层次提取,造成设计效率和园林建筑层次感降低。为此,提出考虑视觉感官舒适度的园林建筑层次设计方法。根据韦伯-费普勒相关原理,建立园林中不同建筑物数目与视觉感官舒适度模型。针对模型中不同建筑物的主要特征进行提取,获取不同建筑物主要特征之间的映射关联性,从而完成视觉感官舒适度的园林建筑层次设计。实验结果表明,利用本文算法进行园林建筑层次设计,能够显著降低设计时间,提高园林建筑的层次感,效果令人满意。     

参数化建筑设计中模糊物元分析模型研究

为了提高参数化建筑设计的空间形态完美程度,将模糊物元分析模型运用于参数化建筑设计。使用模糊物元分析模型的目的就在于用模糊相容问题来解决模糊不相容问题,第一步构建从优隶属度模糊物元矩阵,第二步构建差平方复合模糊物元矩阵,最后确定熵权。经实例仿真,采用rhino软件对艺术馆进行参数化设计。实验证明,经过该方法完成的艺术馆设计,造型别致而且空间形态丰富,具有一定的应用价值。