Comparative analysis of knowledge representation and reasoning requirements across a range of life sciences textbooks.

BackgroundUsing knowledge representation for biomedical projects is now commonplace. In previous work, we represented the knowledge found in a college-level biology textbook in a fashion useful for answering questions. We showed that embedding the knowledge representation and question-answering abilities in an electronic textbook helped to engage student interest and improve learning. A natural question that arises from this success, and this paper's primary focus, is whether a similar approach is applicable across a range of life science textbooks. To answer that question, we considered four different textbooks, ranging from a below-introductory college biology text to an advanced, graduate-level neuroscience textbook. For these textbooks, we investigated the following questions: (1) To what extent is knowledge shared between the different textbooks? (2) To what extent can the same upper ontology be used to represent the knowledge found in different textbooks? (3) To what extent can the questions of interest for a range of textbooks be answered by using the same reasoning mechanisms?ResultsOur existing modeling and reasoning methods apply especially well both to a textbook that is comparable in level to the text studied in our previous work (i.e., an introductory-level text) and to a textbook at a lower level, suggesting potential for a high degree of portability. Even for the overlapping knowledge found across the textbooks, the level of detail covered in each textbook was different, which requires that the representations must be customized for each textbook. We also found that for advanced textbooks, representing models and scientific reasoning processes was particularly important.ConclusionsWith some additional work, our representation methodology would be applicable to a range of textbooks. The requirements for knowledge representation are common across textbooks, suggesting that a shared semantic infrastructure for the life sciences is feasible. Because our representation overlaps heavily with those already being used for biomedical ontologies, this work suggests a natural pathway to include such representations as part of the life sciences curriculum at different grade levels

A Comprehensive Framework for Comparing Textbooks: Insights from the Literature and Experts

Textbooks are essential components in the learning process. They assist in achieving educational learning outcomes and developing social and cultural values. However, limited studies provide comprehensive frameworks for comparing textbooks. Most have focused on a specific textbook perspective within a particular discipline. Therefore, this study used a triangulation method to develop a comprehensive framework for textbook comparison. Through a systematic literature review and a two-round Fuzzy Delphi method with 155 textbook experts, a textbook comparison framework with four indicators (structure, content, expectations, and language) was developed. Additionally, some of the developed framework indicators and sub-indicators could be relevant for comparing textbooks in a particular discipline. For example, the page count sub-indicator was proven to be useful for comparing humanities and social science textbooks but not natural science textbooks. The findings of this study could facilitate the process of comparing textbooks, hence promoting the understanding of knowledge design and acquisition in different contexts, such as when comparing textbooks from different countries

Understanding Linear Function in Secondary School Students: A Comparative Study between England and Shanghai

How to facilitate students’ understanding of mathematics is a major concern for the mathematics education community as well as education authorities, especially in England, UK and Shanghai, China. However, research into such understanding in these two regions is still in its infancy. The aim of this thesis is to contribute to this research area by investigating how well students understand a particular mathematical concept, linear function, and describe how their understanding has been shaped. A model of understanding function is defined in terms of six levels: Variable Perspective, Dependent Relationship, Connecting Representations, Property Noticing, Object Analysis, and Inventising. These six levels are developed by examining the most prominent theories from existing Western and Eastern literature on understanding function. Using this model, three perspectives around understanding linear function are investigated: what the official documents expect; what students actually achieve; and teachers’ views of how students’ understanding of linear function develops. Mixed methods are adopted to portray a holistic view of understanding function in the two regions. The quantitative data analysis includes three curricula and seven selected textbooks to identify their characteristics and requirements. The main study also analyses student tests from 403 Year 10 Higher Level English students and 907 Grade 8 Shanghai students. Findings demonstrate that the Shanghai students have more abstract understanding than the English Higher Level students, and are more comfortable with algebraic expression, which is emphasised heavily in the Shanghai curriculum and textbook. The graphic representation dominates the Higher Level English students’ solution approaches, which is again emphasised in their textbooks. This study recommends that the more emphasis should be on algebraic expression for understanding linear function in England and graphic representation in Shanghai

A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF QUADRILATERALS TOPIC CONTENT IN MATHEMATICS TEXTBOOKS BETWEEN MALAYSIA AND SOUTH KOREA

This study compares Malaysian and Korean geometry content in mathematics textbooks to help explain the differences that have been found consistently between the achievement levels of Malaysian and South Korean students in the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS). Studies have shown that the use of textbooks can affect students’ mathematics achievements, especially in the field of geometry. Furthermore, to date, there has been no comparison of geometry content in Malaysian and Korean textbooks. Two textbooks used in the lower secondary education system in Malaysia and South Korea were referred. The topic of quadrilaterals was chosen for comparison, and the topic’s chapter in the South Korean textbook has been translated into English. The findings show four main aspects that distinguish how quadrilaterals are taught between the two countries. These aspects include the composition of quadrilaterals topics, the depth of concept exploration activities, the integration of deductive reasoning in the learning content and the difficulty level of mathematics problems given at the end of the chapter. In this regard, we recommend the Division of Curriculum Development of the Malaysian Ministry of Education reviews the geometry content of mathematics textbook used today to suit the curriculum proven to produce students who excel in international assessments

Civil rights and obligations are connected to environmental issues in the curricula?: a comparative analysis of education for sustainability content in 9 European countries

The book is a product of collaborative learning and research project involving 14 organizations and over 30 researchers from 9 European countries. The main aim of the resear4ch was to identify, collect and systematically present the existing content most relevant to sustainable development in the national curricula of the participating countries in order to provide evidence for policy change. Our findings show that most of existing ESD-knowledge in almost all the countries is about social and cultural aspects of sustainable development. Of the skills and values elements Respect, Responsibility, reflexivity and Complexity are the foundational values in the curricula. Economic and environmental cognitive elements need greater inclusion in the national curricula in some of the countries. Shaping the existing content into a unified ESD agenda is the first task of focusing educational systems on sustainability for future generations

The State of Numeracy Education in Latin America and the Caribbean

Through this review we have sought to further understanding of the state of preprimary, primary, and secondary numeracy education in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC). Research on the opportunities available to students in the region presents a troubling picture. Young people are not being properly prepared for the numeracy requirements of an increasingly interconnected world economy. Culprits include weak curricula, inadequate learning materials, and teachers¿ lack of proficiency in mathematics and the natural sciences

An analysis of grade 12 physical sciences textbooks for the inclusion of science practices

Abstract : Please refer to full text to view abstract.M.Ed. (Education

An Examination of Three-dimensional Geometry in High School Curricula in the US and China

Geometry is an essential branch in mathematics that helps students learn to grasp their environment and leverage that grasp into abstract understanding and reasoning. There has been an observable decrease in geometrical content in secondary education curricula, and particularly a “puzzling scarcity” in three-dimensional geometry, which has led to a decline in students’ geometrical abilities, spatial thinking and deductive reasoning abilities. This study addresses this issue by scrutinizing the enacted curriculum standards and the most influential textbooks related to three-dimensional geometry in two prominent countries, the US and China, both of which embrace the interplay of both conventional and innovative practices. This qualitative study used both content analysis and cross-cultural comparison methods to inquire about and to understand the current situation of three-dimensional geometry in high school. I focused on probing the communication types, objects, concepts, and spatial thinking abilities related to three-dimensional geometry in the standards and texts. To understand spatial abilities, I synthesized a spatial thinking abilities framework with six attributes and used this framework to exam the affordance of these abilities in the texts and requirements in the standards. The result and analysis reveal the details of each text and standards individually and offer an examination of the alignment between the standards and texts. The comparison of the two countries’ different approaches also sharpens the understanding of the issue. I also worked to unveil students’ multiple ways of making sense of geometry concepts by two geometry learning models, Piaget’s model and van Hiele’s model, as well as spatial thinking abilities

Bringing Nordic mathematics education into the future. Proceedings of Norma 20, The ninth Nordic Conference on Mathematics Education

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