Critical thinking for 21st-century education: A cyber-tooth curriculum?

It is often assumed that the advent of digital technologies requires fundamental change to the curriculum and to the teaching and learning approaches used in schools around the world to educate this generation of “digital natives” or the “net generation”. This article analyses the concepts of 21st-century skills and critical thinking, to understand how these aspects of learning might contribute to a 21st-century education. The author argues that, although both critical thinking and 21st-century skills are indeed necessary in a curriculum for a 21st-century education, they are not sufficient, even in combination. The role of knowledge and an understanding of differing cultural perspectives and values indicate that education should also fit local contexts in a global world and meet the specific needs of students in diverse cultures. It should also fit the particular technical and historical demands of the 21st century in relation to digital skills

Performance improvement of silicon solar cells by nanoporous silicon coating

In the present paper the method is shown to improve the photovoltaic parameters of screenprinted silicon solar cells by nanoporous silicon film formation on the frontal surface of the cell using the electrochemical etching. The possible mechanisms responsible for observed improvement of silicon solar cell performance are discussed.Исследовано улучшение фотоэлектрических параметров кремниевых солнечных элементов, полученных методом трафаретной печати, за счет образования слоя пористого кремния на фронтальной поверхности элемента. Рассмотрены возможные механизмы, ответственные за улучшение производительности кремниевой солнечной ячейки.Досліджено поліпшення фотоелектричних параметрів кремнієвих сонячних елементів, отриманих методом трафаретного друку, за рахунок утворення шару пористого кремнію на фронтальній поверхні елемента. Розглянуто можливі механізми, відповідальні за поліпшення продуктивності кремнієвого сонячного елемента

New Learning and the Classification of Learning Environments in Secondary Education

Contains fulltext : 64692.pdf (publisher's version ) (Closed access)This article presents a new classification scheme for learning environments in secondary education, based on a review of recent literature on new learning and a review of existing classification schemes. This new classification scheme emphasizes new forms of learning and is organized around three main aspects of learning environments that may be assumed to influence such learning: (a) learning goals, (b) the division of teacher and learner roles, and (c) the roles of the learners in relation to each other. It is then argued that teachers might use this classification scheme to design and evaluate their own learning environments. In addition, the scheme provides a clear framework for a next generation of process–product research