Differential Item Functioning Resulting From The Use of Different Solution Strategies

The present study investigates the degree to which item "bias" techniques can lead to interpretable results when groups are defined in terms of specified differences in the cognitive processes involved in students' problem-solving strategies. A large group of junior high school students who took a test on subtraction of fractions was divided into two subgroups judged by the rule-space model to be using different problem-solving strategies. It was confirmed by use of Mantel-Haenszel (MH) statistics that these subgroups showed different performances on items with different underlying cognitive tasks. We note that, in our case, we are far from faulting items that show differential item functioning (D1F) between two groups defined in terms of different solution strategies. Indeed, they are "desirable" items, as explained in the discussion section     

Significance of the rhetorical and humanistic tradition for education today

This article intends to illuminate the educational significance of the rhetorical and humanistic tradition. This tradition exerted a great influence upon Western education in the past, but its significance has been largely overlooked by the current philosophy of education. This is probably owing to the centuries-old prejudice against rhetoric and “pedantry” espoused since Plato. Against such criticism, this article intends to defend the educational value of the rhetorical and humanistic tradition by retrieving three essential features as noted by its major theorists—Protagoras (ca. 490–420 B.C.), Cicero (106–43 B.C.), and Leonardo Bruni (1370–1444). These features include public spiritedness, a broader understanding of language, and multi-perspective knowledge. Protagoras, Cicero, and Bruni (each in their own historical context) criticized the closed attitude of philosophers toward monopolizing truth and stood in favor of the public sphere where important matters could be openly discussed. Second, they criticized the philosophical understanding of language as a mirror that represents truth and presented a wider understanding of language that considers the speaker–listener relationship. Third, they developed their concept of multi-perspective knowledge, which was opposed to the philosophical knowledge directed toward a special object, as seen in the Platonic Ideas. The re-evaluation of these three features is absolutely necessary if we wish to rescue the rhetorical and humanistic tradition from the blame of parochial chauvinism. By retrieving these features, the rhetorical and humanistic tradition can help to make contemporary education more publicly open (less closed to specialists), more sensitive to the power of language, and more appropriate within the multi-cultural and multi-lingual experience of the modern world.     

Lipid peroxidation and antioxidant vitamins in urolithasis

The present, study was conducted to determine the level of malondialdehyde (MDA) as an index of free radial induced lipid peroxidation and antioxidant vitamins-vitamins A, vitamin C and vitamin E in 75 confirmed cases of urolithiasis. Significantly high level of MDA (p<0.001) with significantly low levels of vitamin E (p<0.001) and vitamin A (p<0.001) with no significant decrease in vitamin C (p>0.05) were observed in the plasma of urolithiasis cases as compared to normal controls. In conclusion, it appears that a role of lipid peroxidation and oxidative function exists in the pathogenesis of urolithiasis. But, the exact mechanism how this occurs remains to be elucidated.     

Evaluating item response theory linking and model fit for data from PISA 2000–2012

ABSTRACT

Based on concerns about the item response theory (IRT) linking approach used in the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) until 2012 as well as the desire to include new, more complex, interactive items with the introduction of computer-based assessments, alternative IRT linking methods were implemented in the 2015 PISA round. The new linking method represents a concurrent calibration using all available data, enabling us to find item parameters that maximize fit across all groups and allowing us to investigate measurement invariance across groups. Apart from the Rasch model that historically has been used in PISA operational analyses, we compared our method against more general IRT models that can incorporate item-by-country interactions. The results suggest that our proposed method holds promise not only to provide a strong linkage across countries and cycles but also to serve as a tool for investigating measurement invariance.     

应用两阶段二分式虚拟市场评价法消除环境价值货币评估的偏差

虚拟市场评价法（CVM）是目前环境经济价值货币评估中最为广泛应用的方法。经过几十年的发展，经济理论基础已日趋完善，但受可能发生的偏差的影响较大，其准确性受到一些学者的质疑。当前国际上最为推崇的两阶段二分式选择法可以最大限度地减少偏差。本文讨论了虚拟市场评价法以及两阶段二分式选择法的原理，推演了应用两阶段二分式选择法计算支付意愿金额（WTP）的数学模型，并应用京津风沙源治理工程环境价值评价案例，详细说明如何应用两阶段二分式虚拟市场评价模型设计调查问卷，并据此估算支付意愿金额。     

Characterization of a-Si:H/SiN multilayer waveguide polarization using an optical pumping application—LED

This paper describes the fabrication of a waveguide and the analysis of its polarization characteristics by applying light-emitting diode （LED） pumping lights to its surface. By using double tubed coaxial line （DTCL） microwave plasma chemical vapor deposition （MPCVD） equipment, an a-Si：H/SiN multilayer waveguide was fabricated whose thickness could be controlled at nanometer order. The main structural material of the waveguide sample consisted of a combination of layers of amorphous silicon hydrogen and silicon nitrate. Once the sample was ready, another major objective of the experiment was to analyze the polarization characteristics of the fabricated waveguide. The idea of the experiment was to analyze how the waveguide reacts when three types of LED （blue, yellow, and red） are radiated onto its surface. The results showed that the fabrication of the a-Si：H/SiN sample is successful. Most effective transmission results, which accord with the polarization characteristics analysis, were obtained.     

Science and engineering students’ use of diagrams during note taking versus explanation

The use of diagrams in learning and communication is generally considered efficacious and an important skill to cultivate, especially among science students. At the same time, previous research has revealed many problems in student diagram use, including a lack of spontaneity in such use, but the extent to which these problems persist into the tertiary level had not been investigated. The present study examined science and engineering university students’ use of diagrams in note taking to learn information from a written passage, and in a subsequent task of constructing an explanation of that information for another person. The results showed that the students used significantly fewer diagrams in explaining compared to when they were note taking, suggesting that many students may lack awareness of the usefulness of diagrams in effectively communicating information to others. The results also revealed that the students used significantly more diagrams in taking notes from and explaining a passage with higher imageability (i.e. easier to visually imagine) compared to one with lower imageability. Educational implications of the findings are discussed.