The Effects of Attitudes Towards Homosexuality on the Ability to Reason Logically About Homosexuality

This researcher examined how participants\u27 attitudes towards homosexuality influenced their ability to reason on logic test items concerning homosexuality. A 64-item logic test was developed to measure distortion in reasoning due to prohomosexual or antihomosexual beliefs (measured by 32 items), while controlling for distortions caused by the truth or falseness of conclusions on nonhomosexual matters (also measured by 32 items). McFarlands\u27 (2000) abbreviated version of the Attitudes Towards Homosexuality Scale (ATH Scale) was administered to directly measure participants\u27 attitudes. The logic test and ATH Scale was administered to 201 undergraduate psychology students. Data analyses showed a significant amount of distortion due to the truth-value of the conclusion. Correlations between scores on the logic test and the ATH Scale, after partialing out the effects of the truth-value of the conclusions, showed that on the logically valid items where accuracy was generally high, both antihomosexual and prohomosexual attitudes produced logical distortion in the direction of those attitudes. But on the invalid items, where logical error rates were much higher, only antihomosexual attitudes led to distortion. Overall, the findings provide more support for hypothesis that people with antihomosexual attitudes distort reasoning in keeping with their attitudes about these issues than do those with prohomosexual attitude

Designing a web-based learning support system for flow-chart proving in school geometry

This is the final version of the article. Available from the publisher via the DOI in this record.As international research confirms, many secondary school students can find it difficult to construct mathematical proofs. In this article, we explain the pedagogical and technological underpinnings of a web-based learning support system for students who are just starting to tackle deductive proving in geometry. We show how the system was designed to enable students to access the study of proofs in geometry by tackling proof problems where they can ‘drag’ sides, angles and triangles from the figural diagram of the problem to on-screen cells within a flow-chart proof format. When doing so, the system automatically converts the figural elements to their symbolic form and identifies any of four kinds of errors in the learners’ proof attempts, providing relevant feedback on-screen. We use empirical examples from our pilot studies to illustrate how this combination of technological features and systematic feedback can support student understanding of the structure of proof and how to plan one. Finally, we point out some limitations to mathematical expression and the usage of the flow-chart format, and indicate the prospect of minimizing such limitations by adopting a learning progression for the introductory lessons concerning deductive proofs.This research is supported by the Daiwa Anglo-Japanese Foundation (No. 7599/8141) and the Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (No. 26590230, 15 K12375, 16H02068, 16H03057), Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology, Japan. Special thanks to Yoichi Murakami who programmed this web-based system

Designing a web-based learning support system for flow-chart proving in school geometry

This is the final version of the article. Available from the publisher via the DOI in this record.As international research confirms, many secondary school students can find it difficult to construct mathematical proofs. In this article, we explain the pedagogical and technological underpinnings of a web-based learning support system for students who are just starting to tackle deductive proving in geometry. We show how the system was designed to enable students to access the study of proofs in geometry by tackling proof problems where they can ‘drag’ sides, angles and triangles from the figural diagram of the problem to on-screen cells within a flow-chart proof format. When doing so, the system automatically converts the figural elements to their symbolic form and identifies any of four kinds of errors in the learners’ proof attempts, providing relevant feedback on-screen. We use empirical examples from our pilot studies to illustrate how this combination of technological features and systematic feedback can support student understanding of the structure of proof and how to plan one. Finally, we point out some limitations to mathematical expression and the usage of the flow-chart format, and indicate the prospect of minimizing such limitations by adopting a learning progression for the introductory lessons concerning deductive proofs.This research is supported by the Daiwa Anglo-Japanese Foundation (No. 7599/8141) and the Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (No. 26590230, 15 K12375, 16H02068, 16H03057), Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology, Japan. Special thanks to Yoichi Murakami who programmed this web-based system

Orientalism and occidentalism : two forces behind the image of the Chinese language and construction of the modern standard

This article identifies the principal myths and misconceptions surrounding the Chinese language and, by means of discourse analysis, shows how they have been expressed and become entrenched in the academic world, both in China and in the West, despite the evidence which undermines the premises on which these myths are founded. We also show how these views originated from applying a Western linguistic model to descriptions and reforms of the Chinese language, thus, reinforcing the orientalist discourse on Chinese that still persists and has permeated the Chinese language teaching. We tackle these issues from a Spanish perspective at a time when the country is experiencing important educational changes at three levels. First, there is an increase in courses on Chinese Studies.Second, European university curricula are undergoing a process of homogenisation. And, third, a new policy to standardise language learning, teaching and assessment at all stages of education is being implemented all over Europe. We are concerned about this policy because the model designed for European languages is also being applied to non-European languages. We believe that this new context is an ideal occasion to question existing discourses and bring forth new approaches towards the production and reproduction of knowledge related to the Chinese language

Variations on themes of Sato

In the first part of this article, we review a formalism of local zeta integrals attached to spherical reductive prehomogeneous vector spaces, which partially extends M. Sato's theory by incorporating the generalized matrix coefficients of admissible representations. We summarize the basic properties of these integrals such as the convergence, meromorphic continuation and an abstract functional equation. In the second part, we prove a generalization that accommodates certain non-spherical spaces. As an application, the resulting theory applies to the prehomogeneous vector space underlying Bhargava's cubes, which is also considered by F. Sato and Suzuki-Wakatsuki in their study of toric periods.Comment: 27 pages. Based on a talk given on the First JNT Biennial Conference in Cetraro, 201

A Comparative Study of the Writing Component of the Language Arts Curricula in Japan and in California\u27s Secondary Schools

Digitized thesi

Structural features in Ernst Schröder’s work. Part II

In this paper (the second of two parts) we propose a structural interpretation of Schröder’s work, pointing out his insistence on the priority of a whole in comparison with its parts. The examples are taken from the diverse areas in which Schröder was active, with a particular interest in his project of an absolute algebra

Learning Opportunities 2013/2014

The graduation requirements of the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy are in concert with those maintained by the State of Illinois with additional requirements as established by the IMSA Board of Trustees. Each semester students must take a minimum of 5 academic courses (2.5 credits) for a grade (not Pass/Fail). Fine Arts, Wellness, and Independent Study courses, or any course taken on a Pass/Fail basis do not count towards the 5 course (2.5 credits) minimum. Most students will take between 5 (2.5 credits) and 7 (3.5 credits) academic courses per semester. Only courses taken for a letter grade will count towards graduation credit. Students who take more than 5 academic courses may choose to take all courses for a grade. It who are approved to take 7 academic courses Pass/Fail