35,383 research outputs found
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
A Framework for Analyzing Nonprofit Governance and Accountability Policies and Strategies
This paper presents a framework for analyzing the sprawling topic of nonprofit governance and accountability. It distinguishes various accountability-generating mechanisms and actors, including the unit-level governing board; government policies aimed at shaping the behavior of governing boards; and a broader, natural demand for accountability, generated by an organizations many stakeholders. The aims of these accountability mechanisms and actors also vary, and include the prevention of theft and fraud; the efficient use of resources; the choice of socially valuable goals; and the effective performance of an organization in service of those goals.This publication is Hauser Center Working Paper No. 33.3. Hauser Working Paper Series Nos. 33.1-33.9 were prepared as background papers for the Nonprofit Governance and Accountability Symposium October 3-4, 2006
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
Some Calculable Contributions to Entanglement Entropy
Entanglement entropy appears as a central property of quantum systems in
broad areas of physics. However, its precise value is often sensitive to
unknown microphysics, rendering it incalculable. By considering parametric
dependence on correlation length, we extract finite, calculable contributions
to the entanglement entropy for a scalar field between the interior and
exterior of a spatial domain of arbitrary shape. The leading term is
proportional to the area of the dividing boundary; we also extract finite
subleading contributions for a field defined in the bulk interior of a
waveguide in 3+1 dimensions, including terms proportional to the waveguide's
cross-sectional geometry; its area, perimeter length, and integrated curvature.
We also consider related quantities at criticality and suggest a class of
systems for which these contributions might be measurable.Comment: 4+ pages, 1 figure. v2: Some clarifications and more references;
updated to resemble version published in PR
Creating better superconductors by periodic nanopatterning
The quest to create superconductors with higher transition temperatures is as
old as superconductivity itself. One strategy, popular after the realization
that (conventional) superconductivity is mediated by phonons, is to chemically
combine different elements within the crystalline unit cell to maximize the
electron-phonon coupling. This led to the discovery of NbTi and Nb3Sn, to name
just the most technologically relevant examples. Here, we propose a radically
different approach to transform a `pristine' material into a better (meta-)
superconductor by making use of modern fabrication techniques: designing and
engineering the electronic properties of thin films via periodic patterning on
the nanoscale. We present a model calculation to explore the key effects of
different supercells that could be fabricated using nanofabrication or
deliberate lattice mismatch, and demonstrate that specific pattern will enhance
the coupling and the transition temperature. We also discuss how numerical
methods could predict the correct design parameters to improve
superconductivity in materials including Al, NbTi, and MgB
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