Effects of a magnetic field on the free convective flow through a porous medium bounded by an infinite vertical porous plate with constant heat flux

This paper investigates the effects of a magnetic field on the free convective flow of a viscous, incompressible, dissipative fluid through a porous medium, occupying a semi-infinite region of the space bounded by an infinite vertical and porous plate. The plate is subjected to a normal suction velocity and the heat flux at the plate is constant. The magnetic field is of uniform strength and is applied perpendicular to the plate. An analytical solution to the problem is obtained. The influence of the magnetic parameter (M) and permeability parameter (K) is discussed for the case of air (P = 0.71) when the plate is subjected to a constant suction velocity and is being cooled by free convection currents.     

Assessing students’ learning about fundamental concepts of climate change under two different conditions

Students from three different British Columbia grade six classes were followed through two weeks of instruction on climate change. Pre, post, and follow-up surveys were used to determine the differences in knowledge gained and retained by students that received direct instruction from their science teacher, and by those who received equivalent content instruction from outside presenters. The teacher participant also completed a survey on her experience with the researcher-designed lesson plans. Students’ results on the surveys were compared to results from a control group with no intervention. The teacher-based setting resulted in significantly higher knowledge gain, although no difference was found between the groups’ rate of knowledge decline thereafter. Highest gains in knowledge were for the carbon cycle and the human impacts topic, followed by understanding the difference between climate and weather. The students and teacher alike appeared to struggle with the topic of global warming and the greenhouse effect. The research suggests that with the appropriate background information the classroom teacher is likely to be more effective at conveying the science of climate change, particularly when it is taught through an understanding of the carbon cycle and its human impacts. It also suggests that those non-governmental organizations engaged in climate change education might be better served by investing their limited resources in the development of learning materials and subsequent professional development for teachers rather than focusing on in-school presentations.     

Government’s Paper Empire: Historical Perspectives on Measuring Student Achievement in British Columbia Schools, 1872–1999

Few historical studies of government’s interest in student achievement exist and, of those that do, most concern themselves with relatively short periods of time, a decade or two in general. This discussion takes a longer view of measurement practices in one jurisdiction, British Columbia. Based on archival records, it examines testing and assessment developments in Canada’s westernmost province from the establishment of public education in 1872, to 1999, when narrow test‐based approaches to measuring achievement gave way to broader assessment practices based on formative, anecdotal, and portfolio reporting strategies. The study illustrates that government’s interest in measuring student achievement – and thereby demonstrating public accountability for educational expenditures – is anything but new and may be traced in an unbroken line of concern that stretches back to the Victorian Era and to the earliest days of public schooling in the province.     

“My job was to teach”: educators’ memories of teaching in British Columbia during World War II

Substantial historical research indicates that during World War II Canadian schools were considered optimal sites for fostering nationalistic sentiments in teachers and learners. Policymakers directed educators and students to collect scrap metals, purchase war savings certificates, salute the flag, and undertake marching drills. These wide-reaching directives give the impression that schools were considerably reshaped during the war. Nevertheless, since much of the literature has used official information sources, such as curriculum documents and government missives, it is unclear to what extent teachers implemented such directives. No Canadian scholarship has tapped the memories of former teachers to determine their compliance in promoting nationalistic sentiments and activities. Nor have existing histories categorised activities by geographic area (such as rural versus urban; coastal versus inland) or school level (elementary versus secondary). Thus, the “unity of purpose and experience” implied by some of the literature may be overemphasised. This paper challenges the suggestion that throughout Canada all children and teachers in schools fervently engaged in nationalistic behaviour during World War II. To supplement government perspectives found in newspapers, magazines, curricular documents, and other Department of Education sources, I interviewed two dozen teachers who taught in 40 schools throughout British Columbia between 1939 and 1945. Despite policymakers’ intentions, there were many factors influencing schools’ abilities to support the war effort. These included a community’s geographic proximity or access to centres of larger war-related activity, such as munitions factories or collection stations; the values and social circumstances of families and communities; and teachers’ individual preferences, often reflecting their career stage.     

Gender Differences in Introductory Atmospheric and Oceanic Science Exams: Multiple Choice Versus Constructed Response Questions

An analysis of 295 male and 194 female examinations from introductory atmospheric and oceanic science courses is conducted to determine whether or not there exists gender differences in the performance on multiple choice versus constructed response sections of the exams. The difference in the mean performance of males and females on constructed response relative to multiple choice sections of final exams, even in years where the females performed better than or worse than the males on both sections, is on average 5% that is significant at the 0.1% level. Gender differences on time-limited midterm exams are not significant. It is further shown that final exam performance is not significantly related to whether or not the exam starts with a multiple choice versus constructed response set of questions. While our analysis is unable to differentiate between the possibilities that multiple choice questions favor male students and the competing hypothesis that constructed response questions favor female students, existing literature is reviewed to suggest that a combination of both is possible. Nevertheless, from the analysis of our examination results, we can conclude that an exam of introductory atmospheric or oceanic science curricula, which is made up of 60% multiple choice questions and 40% constructed response questions, would not be skewed to favor any particular gender.     

Bilingual Authority Files at the Central Library of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki,Greece

Abstract

The creation and the maintenance of three (name, title and subject headings) authority files in the Central Library of Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece, is discussed. The reasons for establishing bilingual (Greek and English) authority files are explained, and the necessary modifications of the AACR2 Rules, which were imperative for the establishment of bilingual headings in the authority files, are represented. The benefits of an OPAC that uses bilingual authority files, which allow one to search in two languages, are described.     

Motives as predictors of argumentativeness and verbal aggressiveness of black and white adolescents

Motives of inclusion, affection, control, pleasure, escape, and relaxation (Rubin, Perse & Barbato, 1988) were investigated as predictors of adolescents' argumentativeness and verbal aggressiveness. White and black girls and boys (N = 198) completed the Adolescent Argumentativeness Scale and Adolescent Verbal Aggressiveness Scale (Roberto & Finucane, 1997). One Multiple Regression (stepwise) analysis found that control, inclusion, and affection predicted argumentativeness. A second analysis found that control predicted verbal aggressiveness. Race and sex were not significant in either model. Significantly, a positive relationship was found for argumentativeness and verbal aggressiveness for whites and blacks, girls and boys. Suggestions for future research include re‐examination of the verbal aggression scale for adolescent samples.