Situating graphs as workplace knowledge

We investigate the use and knowledge of graphs in the context of a large industrial factory. We are particularly interested in the question of “transparency”, a question that has been extensively considered in the general literature on tool use and, more recently, by Michael Roth and his colleagues in the context of scientific work. Roth uses the notion of transparency to characterise instances of graph use by highly educated scientists in cases where the context was familiar: the scientists were able to read the situation “through” the graph. This paper explores the limits of the validity of the transparency metaphor. We present two vignettes of actual graph use by a factory worker, and contrast his actions and knowledge with that of a highly qualified process engineer working on the same production line. We note that in neither case the graphs were transparent. We argue that a fuller account that describes a spectrum of transparency is needed, and we seek to achieve this by adopting some elements of a semiotic approach that enhance a strictly activity-theoretical view.     

工作场的学习:概念、认知基础与教学模式

工作场的学习是过去10多年间西方学习科学研究的一个热点.虽然其概念还存在争议,但所有的定义都强调了现场任务与目标、学习者之间以及与指导者之间互动的重要性.工作场的学习的认知机制有别于学校的学习,其认知基础是整体认知理论和社会文化的建构主义,与工作场的学习相适应的教学模式是弹性教学,特别是认知学徒制.深入探讨工作场的学习的意义与过程,对于反思和改进学校教育具有重大价值.     

试论大学生工作场所学习效果评价内容选择

对大学生工作场所学习效果评价内容做出科学选择,不仅要从相关的理论研究成果中汲取营养,而且要从目前高校的实践中找到务实的方向。通过调查两所广东地方高校的校企协同育人实验班,发现尽管不同高校、不同专业选择的学习效果评价内容各具特色,但也不可避免地存在一定的局限性。为克服这种局限性,在对学习的本质与工作场所学习理论研究成果进行梳理分析的基础上,根据社会发展对大学生的要求,构建了以工作过程知识、基本工作能力、工作学习态度为主要结构的大学生工作场所学习效果评价内容框架,每个架构都包括了两级内容,确定了较强可操作性的具体标准。     

装备研制中的技术成熟度评价方法研究

自20世纪70年代美国国家航空航天局首次提出技术成熟度的概念以来,技术成熟度评价作为一种控制研制风险的有效工具,在美国的重大武器装备采办项目管理中发挥了重要的作用。但目前该工具在我国的应用尚不成熟,没有形成科学、系统的评价方法。针对该现状,提出一个技术成熟度评价的指标体系,用以全面刻画技术在向装备实物转化过程中的状态;同时提出基于层次分析法、信息熵和灰色关联聚类的指标权重确定方法,使得专家的决策信息得以充分挖掘利用。通过一个算例验证该方法在应用中的可行性和有效性,旨在为进一步开展技术成熟度管理工作提供借鉴。     

基于工作相关学习的类型与能力提高机理研究

在个体学习和工作相关学习的理论基础上进行实证调查,论述了工作中的学习对知识工作者能力发展的重要性;对工作相关学习产生的条件进行深入剖析,提出三种不同类型的学习;阐述了各学习类型对应的能力发展的机理,以及每种学习类型最适宜用于发展的能力维度。     

设备类技术成熟度评价标准研究

由于传统技术成熟度评价标准规范以航天和武器系统为背景制定,为适应使用范围扩大和技术多样性带来的挑战,需要研究更加通用和易用的评价标准。在国家科技重大专项技术成熟度评价研究与实践基础上,面向设备类技术研究更加通用的技术成熟度标准。首先,选取了五个具有代表性的技术成熟度评价标准规范,通过对比分析提出了需要研究提高标准通用化的问题。然后,以继承性、通用性和易用性为原则,重点研究提出了技术成熟度相关术语,各级定义、内涵和要求并举例说明。设备类技术成熟度通用评价标准更突出各级核心要求和不同级别的差异,更具有通用性也更容易理解和使用。     

Increasing the career choice readiness of young adolescents: an evaluation study

A career workshop that applies models of the Cognitive Information Processing Approach (Sampson, Reardon, Peterson, &; Lenz, 2004) and incorporates critical ingredients (Brown and Ryan Krane, 2000) to promote the career choice readiness of young adolescents was developed and evaluated with 334 Swiss students in seventh grade applying a Solomon four group design with a three-month follow-up. Participants significantly increased their performance in terms of career decidedness, career planning, career exploration, and vocational identity. Implications for evaluation research and counselling practice are presented.     

If You Don't Know,Ask! Using Expert Knowledge to Determine What Content Is Needed in an Undergraduate Food Quality Management and Control Course

Quality management and quality control of food products are critical to producing food that is safe to consume and has consistent quality and sensory attributes. The extent to which undergraduate students are equipped with competencies in quality management/control, in theory, has a direct connection with their career potential to ensure food products and/or services meet the expectations of consumers and society. However, the most important quality management/control competencies for undergraduate food science students have yet to be identified. The objective of this study was to determine key knowledge and skills in quality management/control needed by food science graduates. A modified Delphi method was used to gather consensus on these knowledge and skills from experts in food quality management/control. Surveys were used to establish a framework of the most relevant quality management/control concepts for undergraduate food science students to learn and organize these concepts into core domains according to their relative importance. A course outline for teaching an undergraduate course on food quality management/control was developed that detailed relevant topics and depth of coverage for each of these topics. The needs assessment method used in this study to align course content with food industry's needs may be used for a wide variety of course topics.     

The Role and Value of Technical Communicators: Technical Communicators and Subject Matter Experts Weigh In

This qualitative study compares how technical communicators (TCs) and subject matter experts (SMEs) characterize the role and value of the TC. Seven TCs and eight SMEs participated in an investigation of the similarities and differences between the perceptions of these two groups. Key findings are that SMEs perceive of TCs as investigators, educators, and relationship builders; TCs talk about themselves in terms of investigators, interpreters, and audience advocates; and TCs are often uncomfortable discussing their value.     

Career readiness: An analysis of text complexity for occupational reading materials

The Common Core State Standards (CCSS) and the broader college and career readiness agenda encourage educators, researchers, and other stakeholders to focus on preparing students for life after high school. A key emphasis is literacy, as the ability to read and comprehend written language is critical to success in college and careers. Understanding the level of reading comprehension needed for college and careers has important instructional implications. This study examined text complexity levels of various career texts using the Reading Maturity Metric and compared them to expectations in the CCSS. Text samples were selected for jobs from the five job zones in the Occupational Information Network database. Text complexity demands for all careers were generally in the CCSS range of college and career readiness and increased as job zone and required preparation increased. Results could provide specific career-related targets to make the CCSS reading requirements more relevant for students.