Design experiments in Japanese elementary science education with computer support for collaborative learning: hypothesis testing and collaborative construction

This paper reports design experiments on two Japanese elementary science lesson units in a sixth‐grade classroom supported by computer support for collaborative learning (CSCL) technology as a collaborative reflection tool. We took different approaches in the experiments depending on their instructional goals. In the unit ‘air and how things burn’, we designed the unit where groups of students engaged in building theories on ‘how a candle stops burning in a closed jar’. In the unit ‘characteristics of various solutions’, groups of students collaboratively constructed a pH scale as knowledge artefact. In both studies, the CSCL technology was implemented mainly for facilitating collaboration between groups. Results showed that: (1) students were more likely to engage in symmetric communication (i.e. between groups as well as within groups) in the second unit, and (2) they were also more idea‐centred and more frequently shared their ideas in the second unit. The results were discussed from the perspectives of the scientific practices students engaged in and task structure.     

Transformations in Japanese education policy for quality management

Summary The pursuit of heightened educational quality and equalized educational opportunities in the Japanese public school system is now losing its functional integrity. The new educational policy from the 1990’s onwards, was meant to focus on the divisional roles to be taken on by the private and public schools in trying to limit the public schools’ role to offer educational opportunities only to the general students. Behind this policy, there lies a rapid spread of despair towards the public school system based on the opinion that high quality education cannot be obtained by public schools, which base their philosophy on providing equal but uniform education. In a realistic sense, the new educational policy perhaps indicates Japan’s recognition of the present ‘at risk’ educational situation. Yet unfortunately, this shift in direction will concurrently signify the inevitable all-out dismantling of what Japan has prided as the pre-eminent feature of its school education system. This issue of improving quality standards in public schools certainly requires a divergent approach. It should be undertaken through individualized reform, school by school.

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Zusammenfassung Entwicklungen im Qualit?tsmanagement der japanischen Bildungspolitik Der Anspruch, hohe Qualit?t und gleiche Bildungschancen im ?ffentlichen Schulsystem Japans zu garantieren, ist im Begriff, seine funktionale Integrit?t zu verlieren. Die neue Bildungspolitik seit den 1990er-Jahren verfolgte das Ziel, sich auf die Rollenverteilung zwischen privaten und ?ffentlichen Schulen zu konzentrieren und dabei zu versuchen, die Rolle der ?ffentlichen Schulen auf die allgemeine Vermittlung von Bildungschancen für alle Schüler/innen zu beschr?nken. Hinter dieser Politik steht die wachsende Entt?uschung über das ?ffentliche Schulsystem, die sich aus der allgemeinen Einsch?tzung entwickelte, dass ?ffentliche Schulen, deren Philosophie in der Vermittlung ausgleichend gerechter, aber auch uniformer Bildung liegt, hochqualifizierte Ausbildung nicht leisten k?nnen. Realistisch gesehen, deutet die neue Bildungspolitik m?glicherweise darauf hin, dass Japan seine derzeit „gef?hrdete“ Bildungssituation erkennt. Doch leider deutet diese Akzentverschiebung gleichzeitig auch die unvermeidliche Demontage dessen an, was Japan bisher mit Stolz als herausragendes Element seines Bildungssystems betrachten konnte. Qualit?tsstandards in ?ffentlichen Schulen zu verbessern, bedarf sicherlich einer divergierenden Herangehensweise. Sie sollte in Form individueller Reformen, Schule für Schule, vorgenommen werden.

     

基于校际视频会议交流的PBL实践及效果

文章利用视频会议交流的优势,设计和实施了基于校际视频会议的PBL。通过与国外一所大学连续两年围绕毕业论文的有关问题所进行的共同实践,详细考察了基于校际视频会议的PBL的学习效果。实践结果表明,基于校际视频会议的PBL,可以解决传统PBL的不足,显著提高学生的相关能力和意识,同时有效促进学生的毕业论文研究。     

基于母语和视频会议促进学生发展的国际远程学习交流研究——中日两大学间2008年度实践报告

中日两大学利用简易视频会议装置,实现了基于母语的国际交流。为了深化研究,2008年,完善原有系统,添加了发表和评价活动。经过七次交流,两国学生的多种能力和意识都显著提高。由此认为,即便是用母语和简易视频会议装置与外国学生交流,也能提高相关能力和意识,并促进学生的毕业论文研究。     

Japanese female Kendo practitioners are associated with high radial bone mineral density

Osteopenia is a condition in which bone mineral density (BMD) is lower than normal. Exercise increases BMD in both the young and adults. This study aimed to compare the radial apparent BMD (aBMD) in Japanese females who are Kendo practitioners (KPs) and those with no regular exercise habits (no-REH). The analysis participants consisted of 45 KPs (mean age: 49.4 years old) and 110 no-REH (mean age: 48.8 years old). Radial aBMD was measured using an ultrasonic bone densitometry system. Radial aBMD in KPs was 196.1 ± 33.9 mg/cm³, and was 182.9 ± 45.3 mg/cm³ in no-REH participants. KPs had significantly higher BMD than no-REH participants. In KPs, left radial aBMD was 196.1 ± 33.9 mg/cm³, and right radial aBMD was 184.5 ± 37.7 mg/cm³. The left radius was also significantly higher than the right radius with respect to aBMD in KPs. After adjusting for age, body mass index, menstrual status, parous women and frequency of milk and dairy intake, the odds ratio (OR) of osteopenia associated with no-REH was 6.58 (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.72–25.1) and the prevalence ratio (PR) of osteopenia associated with no-REH was 4.12 (95% CI: 1.23–13.7). Therefore, the Kendo practice may have a protective efficacy for osteopenia in women.     

高等教育全球化与日本大学改革

在高等教育全球化的背景下,日本大学正在经历着重大变革,同时给大学教育提出了许多新课题。大学教育应高度重视评价体系的确立等战略性课题,同时对“马太效应”等新课题进行研究。在全球化的背景下,应努力做到不被潮流所淘汰,同时也要觉察到全球化的误区。     

Educational reform in Japan

Director General of the Japan Scholarship Foundation. Former Director General of the National INstutute for Educational Research (1985–89). Author of numerous publications on public education and education legislation.     

Memories in the Labyrinth

Since when has the word ‘border’ started to occupy my mind? That's I can't tell. But, once in a while, the forgotten memories are suddenly brought back to life in the vaguest fashion, and often out of the context. They come out of nowhere. Out of a labyrinth of time, it seems. I was born and grew up on a small island, some 400 kilometers east of the Okinawa Island. It was an island of immigrants who had sought a job at the sugar factory owned by a wealthy family from Japan. It was also an island of diasporas. Many islanders had some experience of crossing ‘borders’ for all sorts of reasons.     

Preparation, crystallization and preliminary X-ray diffraction analysis of PH1948, predicted RNA methyltransferase from Pyrococcus horikoshii

INTRODUCTION Methyl transfers are alkylation reactions central to cellular biochemistry, by far, S-adenosyl-L-me-thionine (AdoMet) is the most commonly used methyl donor. AdoMet-dependent methyltransferases (MTases) involved in biosynthesis, detoxification, signal transduction, protein sorting and repair, chromatin regulation and gene silencing (Armengaud et al., 2004; Schubert et al., 2003). Including DNA MTase, RNA MTase, protein MTase, phospholipids and small molecule MTase, …