Asking the ‘Right’ Questions. Identifying Issues in Developing a Technological Solution

It is well established that technological education is not just about the development of technical expertise. A socially constructed view of technology aims to recognise the culture of technology. Technology education as expressed in the New Zealand curriculum provides an opportunity for societal issues to have equal space with technological capability and technological knowledge. However, when technological activities focus on solutions it is all too easy for stakeholders' positions to be ignored. There is a need for a teaching approach to engage in a liberating technological literacy discourse where values and beliefs of all participants directly and indirectly involved in the activity, are examined. This research monitored a professional development programme where identification of the values represented in a familiar object provided a model for discussion and the development of a teaching environment that promoted consideration of values during problem-solving. The data have been collected from primary school teachers who developed teaching programmes for Years 1 to 8 (5–12 years).     

Frequent sit-to-stand transitions and several short standing periods measured by hip-worn accelerometer are associated with smaller waist circumference among adults

This cross-sectional study analysed the association of sedentary behaviour (SB) and standing with waist circumference. Finnish adults aged 30-75 years from a sub-sample of population-based Health 2011 Study used a hip-worn tri-axial accelerometer (Hookie AM20, Traxmeet, Ltd, Espoo, Finland) for seven days. Those 1405 participants (57% women) who used accelerometer at least four days, minimum of 10 hours/day, were included. SB and standing were analysed in 6s epochs using validated algorithm. Daily total time, daily number and accumulated time from bouts (30s–5min,30s–10min,30s–15min,30s 30min,>5min,>10min,>15min, >30min) as well as daily number of sit-to-stand transitions were determined. Waist circumference (cm) was measured in standardized way. Participants’ mean age was 52 years (SD 12.2). Mean waist circumference was 97cm (SD 12.3) in men and 87cm (SD 12.7) in women. According to multivariable stepwise linear regression analysis, sit-to-stand transitions [standardised regression coefficient (β)= -0.14, 95%CI -0.20 to -0.09], standing bouts of 30s–5min (β= -0.21, 95%CI -0.26 to -0.15) and number of 30s-30min SB bouts (β=0.12, 95%CI 0.06 to 0.17) were most strongly associated with waist circumference. Besides assessing total SB time, future studies should assess also different bout lengths of SB and sit-to-stand transitions and standing times should be assessed separately.     

Longitudinal assessment of progress in reasoning capacity and relation with self-estimation of knowledge base

The aim of the study was to investigate progress in reasoning capacity and knowledge base appraisal in a longitudinal analysis of data from summative evaluation throughout a medical problem-based learning curriculum. The scores in multidisciplinary discussion of a clinical case and multiple choice questionnaires (MCQs) were studied longitudinally for 213 students from years 2 to 5. The capacity of core knowledge delimitation was calculated as the difference between the levels of average ascertainment degrees given for correct and incorrect answers at MCQ. For both multidisciplinary discussion of a clinical case evaluation and self-estimation of core knowledge, the capacity increases throughout the curriculum. The reasoning capacity assessed through multidisciplinary discussion of a clinical case is positively correlated with MCQ scores and the capacity to discriminate the mastered core knowledge. In conclusion, this study indicates that self-estimation of core knowledge is associated with an increase in reasoning performance through a well-organised knowledge base. Since that ability is related to success or failure, it is suggested that student awareness about delimitation of mastered core knowledge is considered as part of learning.     

Application of Think Aloud Protocols for Examining and Confirming Sources of Differential Item Functioning Identified by Expert Reviews

This paper demonstrates and discusses the use of think aloud protocols (TAPs) as an approach for examining and confirming sources of differential item functioning (DIF). The TAPs are used to investigate to what extent surface characteristics of the items that are identified by expert reviews as sources of DIF are supported by empirical evidence from examinee thinking processes in the English and French versions of a Canadian national assessment. In this research, the TAPs confirmed sources of DIF identified by expert reviews for 10 out of 20 DIF items. The moderate agreement between TAPs and expert reviews indicates that evidence from expert reviews cannot be considered sufficient in deciding whether DIF items are biased and such judgments need to include evidence from examinee thinking processes.     

The Impact of GEAR UP on College Readiness for Students in Low Income Schools

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of the Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Program (GEAR UP) on college readiness outcomes using a quasi-experimental design. GEAR UP is designed to increase the number of low-income students who are prepared to enter and succeed in postsecondary education by providing 6-year grants to states and district partnerships to provide services at high-poverty middle and high schools. Specifically, this study sought to evaluate whether 173 schools that participated in GEAR UP showed increases in the percentages of students who were prepared to enter and succeed in postsecondary education, as compared to students from similar, non-GEAR UP schools. Seven years (2003–2009) of matched cohort data were compiled to include all regular (e.g., nonspecial education) high schools with grade 12 enrollment as documented by the National Center for Educational Statistics. Participation in and performance on three College Board assessments that measure college readiness at the high school level (SAT, PSAT/NMSQT, and AP) as well as percent free/reduced-price lunch were used to identify comparable schools. Results showed that, overall, the GEAR UP program showed positive evidence of improving college readiness outcomes for low income students using a variety of college readiness measures.     

早期国家的演化

早期国家作为历史上的一种政治组织形态,最终的命运是什么呢?研究了它的三种结局:1.早期国家发展成为成熟国家;2.早期国家停滞、衰弱、或者崩溃;3.早期国家沦为其他国家的附属,被合并到更大的组织中,或者是沦为殖民地。