Cognitive apprenticeship : teaching the craft of reading, writing, and mathtematics

Includes bibliographical references (p. 25-27)This research was supported by the National Institute of Education under Contract no. US-NIE-C-400-81-0030 and the Office of Naval Research under Contract No. N00014-85-C-002

The Impact of Knowledge Creation and Technology Education on New Product Development

The aim of this article is to investigate and bring to light the constructive impact of Knowledge Creation and Technology Education on the process of New Product Development. This is done under the competence-based perspective of the organization, where knowledge is the point of departure and the individual – in this case the industrial employee – is the relevant unit of analysis ten research enablers were exploited in order to evaluate how New Product Development is influenced by knowledge (tacit and explicit), Knowledge Creation (socialization, externalization, combination and internalization) and Technology Education (competence, skills, commitment and fit). Surveys collected from 486 employees, of 51 industrial companies in Spain, were analyzed in order to test the hypothesis. The results of this study allow us to draw conclusions on the significance of the impact that knowledge, Knowledge Creation and Technology Education have, each one on its own and all three combined, on New Product Development

Students’ Learning Experiences When using a Dynamic Geometry Software Tool in a Geometry Lesson at Secondary School in Ethiopia

Students learning experiences were investigated in geometry lesson when using Dynamic Geometry Software (DGS) tool in geometry learning in 25 Ethiopian secondary students.  The research data were drawn from the used worksheets, classroom observations, results of pre- and post-test, a questionnaire and interview responses.  I used GeoGebra as a DGS tool with research questions relating to the aspects of (1) motivation, (2) interactions and discussions, (3) student-centered learning, (4) conceptual understanding, and (5) Problem _solving strategies. The questions were embedded in an instructional research intervention. The intervention comprised the use of worksheets and applets we developed through GeoGebra. The results showed that the use of a DGS tool with the presence of other factors, such as group work and the use of worksheets brought about certain changes in students ‘learning experiences’ of the geometrical concepts. Students were well motivated, but discussion and interaction were limited (due to time limitations) and results on students ‘conceptual understanding’ and problem-solving strategies were only partly satisfactory, but improved during the intervention. Keywords: Dynamic Geometry Software; GeoGebra; learning experiences; Conceptual Understanding; Problem – Solving Strategies

Students’ Learning Experiences When using a Dynamic Geometry Software Tool in a Geometry Lesson at Secondary School in Ethiopia

Students learning experiences were investigated in geometry lesson when using Dynamic Geometry Software (DGS) tool in geometry learning in 25 Ethiopian secondary students.The research data were drawn from the used worksheets, classroom observations, results of pre- and post-test, a questionnaire and interview responses.  I used GeoGebra as a DGS tool with research questions relating to the aspects of (1) motivation, (2) interactions and discussions, (3) student-centered learning, (4) conceptual understanding, and (5) Problem _solving strategies. The questions were embedded in an instructional research intervention. The intervention comprised the use of worksheets and applets we developed through GeoGebra.The results showed that the use of a DGS tool with the presence of other factors, such as group work and the use of worksheets brought about certain changes in students ‘learning experiences’ of the geometrical concepts. Students were well motivated, but discussion and interaction were limited (due to time limitations) and results on students ‘conceptual understanding’ and problem-solving strategies were only partly satisfactory, but improved during the intervention. Keywords: Dynamic Geometry Software; GeoGebra; learning experiences; Conceptual Understanding; Problem – Solving Strategies

Mechanisms of embodiment

This paper is a critical review of recent studies demonstrating the mechanism of sensorimotor simulation in different cognitive domains. Empirical studies that specify conditions under which embodiment occurs in different domains will be discussed and evaluated. Examples of relevant domains are language comprehension (Tucker and Ellis, 1998), autobiographical memory (Dijkstra et al., 2007), gestures (Alibali et al., 2014), facial mimicry (Stel and Vonk, 2010), and problem solving (Wiemers et al., 2014). The focus of the review is on supporting claims regarding sensorimotor simulation as well as on factors that modulate dynamic relationships between sensorimotor components in action and cognitive domains, such as expertise (Boschker et al., 2002). This discussion takes place within the context of currently debated issues, specifically the need to specify the underlying mechanisms of embodied representations (Zwaan, 2014; Körner et al., 2015)