Conceptual change through vicarious learning in an authentic physics setting

Recent research on principles of best practice for designing effective multimedia instruction has rarely taken into account students’ alternative conceptions, which are known to strongly influence learning. The goal of this study was to determine how well students of quantum mechanics could learn ‘vicariously’ by watching a student-tutor dialogue based on alternative conceptions. Two video treatments were created to summarize key aspects of quantum tunneling, a fundamental quantum mechanical phenomenon. One video depicted a student-tutor dialogue, incorporating many of the common alternative conceptions on the topic, and resolving inconsistencies in reasoning through discussion. The other presented the same correct physics material in an expository style without alternative conceptions. Second year physics students were randomly assigned to one of the two treatments and were tested before and after watching the video during a lecture. Results show a statistically significant (p < .01) advantage for the learners in the dialogue treatment (d = 0.71). Follow-up interviews of students yielded insight into the affective and cognitive benefits of the dialogue video.     

Theory Competition and the Process of Change

The reasons why many educational change initiatives have little impact are often framed in terms of either a poorly designed process on the part of the change initiator, or in terms of problems with the attitudes, skills and/or knowledge of those responsible for implementation. In this paper, we seek to integrate these two perspectives more closely by focusing on their interface and the competing theories frequently held by the change initiators and implementers. This concept of theory competition is illustrated with a case of a national literacy initiative in New Zealand in which the change initiators wished to raise the achievement of low performing students through the development of “learning-centred” leadership in schools and evidence-based practice. The desired outcomes were not achieved because theories about what it means to be a successful leader in such a situation, the data needed to undertake the type of evidence-based analysis envisioned and school personnel beliefs about the target students were understood differently by those responsible for initiating the change and those responsible for implementing it.     

清末新政与日本的亚洲主义

清末新政是一场王朝自救运动，历时十年。日本参与并引导了这场改革，期间中日关系相对缓和，日本亚洲主义影响下的对华政策给这一现象带来了答案。     

基于组织变革的中小学校长培训及其关系处理研究

校长培训组织应该依据社会与教育发展所引起的培训环境的变化，及时调整和完善自身结构和功能，以满足校长培训发展的新需要，这是一种新的搞好“十一五”中小学校长培训工作的组织变革观。文章认为。在实现培训组织变革中，要慎重处理好正规与非正规、现代培训手段与传统培训方式等六大关系。     

云南省新平县哈尼族卡多人语言使用

卡多语言作为哈尼语言中的一个分支，很少有人涉笔对它进行调查研究，本文对卡多人有代表性的三个聚居点的语言使用实况作了实地调查，对卡多人当今语言使用状况、变化及发展如实进行了分析，对其语言使用趋势作出了预测。     

晚清法治观念演变探源

在近代中国，法治作为一种观念、制度被比较普遍地理解和接受，是一个长期孕育的过程。这一过程可以分为三个时期：从鸦片战争至19世纪70年代、从19世纪80年代至清末新政时期、清末新政时期。清末建立法制社会的努力虽然没有成功，但其意义不能低估。     

浅析区域经济发展战略多变的原因及对策

区域经济发展战略多变往往给区域经济带来负面作用 ,影响区域经济的健康发展 ,甚至给一个区域带来严重的经济损失和信誉损失。究其原因主要有 :对区域经济发展规划不全面或不科学 ;大区域的规划及战略多变引起小区域的“连带”性变化 ;区域经济发展规划缺乏应有的法定效力。为避免或减小这种多变性 ,在制定和实施区域经济发展战略的过程中 ,应根据实事求是的原则 ,努力制定科学的经济发展战略 ,减小个人意志对经济发展战略的影响 ,尽可能使小区域的经济发展战略与大区域的统一和协调 ,增强区域经济发展规划的法定效力。     

关键在于观念的转变——谈高校后勤社会化的改革

推进后勤社会化改革，最关键的还是高校的领导和具体的后勤工作实现观念的转变。高校后勤社会化改革是我国整个改革开放事业深入发展的必然趋势。实行全面性的社会化改革，只不过是量变积累到一定程度必然要发生的质变。是时机一旦到来时要发生的顺理成章的事情，高校后勤社会化改革的实质就是经入市场竞争机制，来充分调动从业人员的积极性和主动性，充分激发他们自身固有的活力和潜力。     

民间法在制定法变迁过程中的功能——以制度变迁理论为分析视角

民间法不仅存在于乡土社会，也存在于都市社会。民间法并不是孤立地存在，而是与制定法形成了一种冲突式合作的复杂关系。从制度变迁理论的角度看，正是获利机会的出现刺激了民间法的滋生与制定法的回应，二之间的反复博奕，促成了制定法的变迁。从法理学上看，应该特别重视民间法对法律制度变迁的独特意义。     

Convergent designs in fine fashion: An evolutionary model for stylistic innovation

In this paper we propose and test an evolutionary model of stylistic innovation, that is the change in the aesthetic and symbolic elements of products and services. Style is an increasingly relevant phenomenon in many industries and our goal is to develop a model of how styles get introduced and adopted. We build on existent literature on technological change to frame the dynamics of how style changes across time. In the model we propose, companies face periods of ferment with relevant stylistic variations and periods of convergence on a single trend—that is the stylistic convergent design versus the technologic dominant design. We identify the drivers of convergence in stylistic innovation. We test the model with a longitudinal empirical study (1984-2002) in the fine fashion industry, explaining the main differences between a stylistic and a technological evolutionary model.