Seeing and Exploring the Universe Resource Guide

This guide provides an overview of 16 NASA missions studying the structure and evolution of the Universe. A description of the science and educational programs for each mission is provided, along with a list of other relevant resources and websites. The following missions are described in the guide: Advanced Composition Explorer (ACE), Astro-E2, Chandra, Cosmic Hot Interstellar Plasma Spectrometer (CHIPS), Constellation X-ray Mission (CON-X), Galaxy Evolution Explorer (GALEX) Gamma-Ray Large Area Space Telescope (GLAST) Gravity Probe-B (GP-B), High Energy Transient Explorer 2 (HETE-2), International Gamma-Ray Astrophysics Laboratory (INTEGRAL), Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA), Microwave Anisotropy Probe (MAP), Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer (RXTE), Submillimeter Wave Astronomy Satellite (SWAS), Swift, and X-ray Multi-Mirror-Newton Mission (XMM-Newton). Educational levels: Primary elementary, Intermediate elementary, Middle school, High school

Languages learning at Key Stage 2: a longitudinal study

This is the final report of a 3 year longitudinal study of the teaching of French, German and Spanish at Key Stage 2, funded from 2006-2009 by the Department for Children Schools and Families. The report covers the attitudes of teachers and children towards languages; the organisation and administration of languages within primary schools; current practice in the teaching of languages; the development of children's intercultural understanding; children's attainment in target language oracy and literacy; and concludes with a discussion of the future sustainability of languages in the primary curriculum and steps needed to secure this

Learning from Physics Education Research: Lessons for Economics Education

We believe that economists have much to learn from educational research practices and related pedagogical innovations in other disciplines, in particular physics education. In this paper we identify three key features of physics education research that distinguish it from economics education research - (1) the intentional grounding of physics education research in learning science principles, (2) a shared conceptual research framework focused on how students learn physics concepts, and (3) a cumulative process of knowledge-building in the discipline - and describe their influence on new teaching pedagogies, instructional activities, and curricular design in physics education. In addition, we highlight four specific examples of successful pedagogical innovations drawn from physics education - context-rich problems, concept tests, just-in-time teaching, and interactive lecture demonstrations - and illustrate how these practices can be adapted for economic education.Comment: 19 pages, 3 figures, submitted to Journal of Economic Education, also available from Social Science Research Network <http://ssrn.com/abstract=1151430

Integrated assessment : new assessment methods literature review

The assessment of students in higher education performs a number of functions, some of which may not always be compatible with each other. Traditionally, the role of the assessor has involved determining the level of competence displayed in undertaking the task, and ideally, offering feedback on future learning needs (Rowntree, 1987). Assessment also provides grading for students’ work, allowing comparison of performance across a class, and across the curriculum for individual students. The subsequent gaining of a degree or professional qualification depends on students successfully completing a set of specified assessment tasks across the prescribed curriculum. As such, there may be stakeholders beyond the higher education institution, such as employers, regulatory bodies or clients, who believe the assessment process as being akin to certification or professional gatekeeping (Younes,1998). In professional courses such as social work, passing certain assessment tasks may be associated with notions such as fitness to practice and eligibility for professional registration as a social worker with the Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) or similar bodies in England, Northern Ireland and Wales, and beyond the United Kingdom. In terms of gatekeeping, assessment tasks may not only restrict who gains certification on exiting an educational programme, but also who is admitted in the first place. For example, requirements by registration authorities that students admitted to social work programmes have achieved specified levels of literacy and numeracy will require appropriate assessment tasks to determine equivalence for those entrants who have not achieved formal qualifications in these areas. Entry point assessments may also be used to determine whether credit should be granted on the basis of prior learning or experience (Slater, 2000) or to identify areas in which additional training may be required (Shera, 2001) In addition to gatekeeping, assessment clearly has a vital role to play in the ongoing development of learning and teaching strategies. It can be crucial in determining what, why and how students learn (Brown, Bull and Pendlebury, 1997) and there is increasing recognition of the necessity to align learning and assessment tasks, so that learning and assessment become aligned rather than being somewhat independent of each other (Biggs, 2003). Furthermore, in an era when evaluation of teaching is often reduced to student satisfaction surveys, critical reflection on work submitted for assessment can serve as an alternative method of evaluating the success of teaching. The nature of assessment has changed considerably since the 1970s, and is ongoing. The key changes have included moves from written examinations to coursework assignments and more emphasis on student participation in assessment (self and peer assessments), processes rather than products, and on competencies rather than content (Brown et al., 1997). Even the more traditional forms of assessment such as essays and examinations have undergone considerable innovations. Yet, in practice these seemingly radical changes may be more a wish list than a statement of fact. In actuality, some new forms of assessment, such as self and peer assessment may simply have been added onto rather than replaced more traditional modes of assessment (Cree, 2000). Changes to assessment in social work tend to reflect changes in higher education more widely such as the emergence of competency based and modular approaches to learning, as well more proceduralised assessment processes necessary to cope with higher numbers of students (Cree, 2000). There is considerable divergence of opinion amongst the social work education community in the United Kingdom as to whether such changes actually benefit social work students and their learning (eg Clark, 1997; Ford and Hayes, 1996; O’Hagan, 1997; Shardlow and Doel, 1996). There have also been concerns expressed as to whether some new forms of assessment are actually capable of achieving the learning they claim to facilitate Boud, 1999; Entwistle, 1990; Taylor, 1993). This report was commissioned by the Scottish Institute for Excellence in Social Work Education (SIESWE) as a resource on assessment for the development of the new social work degree in Scotland and provides an overview of the current literature on assessment methods being utilised in social work education both in the United Kingdom and beyond. This report begins by reviewing the various methods of assessment in social work education which were found in the literature. We then go on to explore the developing literature on the involvement of persons other than social work academics, such as students and service users, in the assessment process. Finally, we consider the importance of developing and assessment strategy which might incorporate these various different forms of assessmen

Learning from physics education research: Lessons for economics education

We believe that economists have much to learn from educational research practices and related pedagogical innovations in other disciplines, in particular physics education. In this paper we identify three key features of physics education research that distinguish it from economics education research - (1) the intentional grounding of physics education research in learning science principles, (2) a shared conceptual research framework focused on how students learn physics concepts, and (3) a cumulative process of knowledge-building in the discipline - and describe their influence on new teaching pedagogies, instructional activities, and curricular design in physics education. In addition, we highlight four specific examples of successful pedagogical innovations drawn from physics education - context-rich problems, concept tests, just-in-time teaching, and interactive lecture demonstrations - and illustrate how these practices can be adapted for economic education.economic education; physics education research (PER); research-based teaching; preconceptions; metacognition; transfer; context-rich problems; peer instruction; just-in-time teaching; interactive lecture demonstration

Development of E-learning Teaching Materials Graphic Media Development Course for Students’ Educational Curriculum and Technology

This study aims at identifying the feasibility and efficacy of e-learning material for graphic media development subject by using the e-learning material provided by Universitas Negeri Surabaya. The study takes place in The Department of Technology of Education, Universitas Negeri Surabaya. The subject involves students who have participated in media  graphic course. The samples are selected through simple random sampling with the amount of samples in experiment and control class is 30 students each. This development research is carried out using the development model of Four-D Model with the stages of Define, Design, Develop, Disseminate. The validation test on each unit of test proved that all of them are considered valid at Sig. 5%, while the reliability coefficient of the test is = 0.83. Feasibility test on the material and media each gains 88.5%  and 87.7%, which means very feasible to apply. The effectiveness test on the e-learning material is conducted using quasi experimental group analysis technique. Based on the Independent sample t test, it was gained that (p < 0.05). N-Gain from the experiment class is 0.6 which categorized as fairly effective, while the N-Gain of the control class is 0.45 and perceived as less effective. The findings presented that e-learning material is deemed feasible and fairly effective to be used during the teaching and learning activity and could improve the students’ learning outcome

PICES Press, Vol. 15, No. 2, July 2007

Contents [Individual sections are downloadable from the official URL link listed below]: PICES Science in 2007 (pdf, 0.1 Mb) 2007 Wooster Award (pdf, 0.1 Mb) FUTURE - A milestone reached but our task is not done (pdf, < 0.1 Mb) International symposium on "Reproductive and Recruitment Processes of Exploited Marine Fish Stocks" (pdf, 0.1 Mb) Recent results of the micronekton sampling inter-calibration experiment (pdf, 0.1 Mb) 2007 PICES workshop on "Measuring and monitoring primary productivity in the North Pacific" (pdf, 0.1 Mb) 2007 Harmful Algal Bloom Section annual workshop events (pdf, 0.1 Mb) A global approach for recovery and sustainability of marine resources in Large Marine Ecosystems (pdf, 0.3 Mb) Highlights of the PICES Sixteenth Annual Meeting (pdf, 0.4 Mb) Ocean acidification of the North Pacific Ocean (pdf, 0.3 Mb) Workshop on NE Pacific Coastal Ecosystems (2008 Call for Salmon Survival Forecasts) (pdf, 0.1 Mb) The state of the western North Pacific in the first half of 2007 (pdf, 0.4 Mb) PICES Calendar (pdf, 0.4 Mb) The Bering Sea: Current status and recent events (pdf, 0.3 Mb) PICES Interns (pdf, 0.3 Mb) Recent trends in waters of the subarctic NE Pacific (pdf, 0.3 Mb) Election results at PICES (pdf, 0.2 Mb) A new PICES award for monitoring and data management activities (pdf, < 0.1 Mb

The Impact of Technology on the Implementation of Formative Assessment Lessons in Eighth Grade Math Classrooms

Technology use has become commonplace in some mathematics classrooms, often being used for formative assessment. Research supports the use of technology to engage students, but not as much research exists to investigate the impact on student learning. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether a statistical relationship exists between the post-lesson assessment results of students engaging in a formative assessment lesson where the teacher delivers the lesson with technology and students engaging in a formative assessment lesson where the teacher delivers the lesson without technology. The teachers administered pre- and post-lesson assessments to the students after the formative assessment lesson enactments. The whole class introduction and whole class discussion took place with the teacher using technology to deliver the lesson for the control groups. The whole class introduction and whole class discussion took place without the teacher using technology to deliver the lesson for the experimental groups. This study also investigated teacher and student perceptions of the use of technology in the teaching and learning of mathematics. The teachers were intervieto gather their perception of any implications resulting from their use of technology in the formative assessment lesson. Students completed a survey to express their views on the use of technology in a formative assessment lesson delivery. Observations of one experimental class and one control class took place during the formative assessment lessons for each teacher

POD Network News, Fall 2004

President\u27s Column POD\u27s Strategic Planning Activities POD Core Committee Self-Nomination TIA Call for Manuscripts Bright Idea Awards 2004 Call for Submissions POD Represented at Two International Conferences POD Conference Corner An Invitation for POD Members to Participate in a National R & D Project Other Conferences Why Professors Don\u27t Change POD Network Grant Program 2004-2005 Call for Proposals New Faces and Places Books by POD Members Newsletter Deadline Connecting with POD POD Core Committee Self-Nomination Instructions Contacting the POD Office 29th Annual Conference: The POD Network To Improve the Academy Reviewer Self-Nomination Form POD Bright Idea Award 2004 Application Instructions Manuscript Cover Sheet 2004-To Improve the Academ