Student learning and cognition in cooperative small groups : towards a fourth metaphor of human learning

Research into the benefits of cooperative learning has focussed most attention onto a social psychological perspective with the result that the putative cognitive benefits of these strategies have not been thoroughly researched and clearly delineated. One consequence of this research focus has been that cooperative learning strategies are not always adopted by teachers and included permanently into their regular classroom practice, thereby possibly denying some students the potential for cognitive gain. This study was conceived originally as an investigation into the claimed cognitive benefits of small-group cooperative learning from a cognitive perspective but the investigation of the cooperative learning literature also led to an investigation of the general learning literature base. Recent research suggested that human learning might not have been described adequately by the earlier perspectives. Some authors contended that a fourth metaphor of human learning may be emerging from the socio-cultural perspectives. Investigating how students learn in cooperative situations was seen as a potential vehicle for the wider investigation of a fourth metaphor. It was against this background that the present study was undertaken. Learning was not seen in terms of a dichotomy between the main cognitivist and socially based perspectives so a pluralist approach was adopted in this study in an attempt to reconcile some of the differences between the main perspectives. Process-product research has been criticised for providing a narrow view of the classroom lives of students. Additionally, critics of laboratory-based research have argued for research to regain its connection with real classroom settings. Given the contentions of several authors, this study was conceived as non-positivist, naturalistic and pluralist within the post-modernist era. Five groups of students at two schools were recruited for this qualitative case study. The students\u27 learning from five purpose-designed lessons was tracked through their transcribed discussions and their recall in learning journals . Journal data were collected as much as twelve months after the last lesson was completed, enabling the longitudinal tracking of student learning. A major finding of the research was the strong mediational effects on student learning of the classroom context and the group within the classroom. The nature of student talk also impacted strongly upon student learning. Evidence was found of both individual and social construction of knowledge. Knowledge sometimes seemed to appear initially as a group construct but was later modified significantly by the students\u27 individual minds. Although all knowledge originated in socio-cultural contexts, usually through the ultimate human social semiotic of language, the final form of the knowledge appeared highly individual and idiosyncratic. The idiosyncratic nature of the students\u27 learning led the researcher to posit that knowledge resided in the individual neural structures of the brain. This mind-as-brain proposition was advanced as a contribution towards a fourth metaphor of human learning. The findings suggested several implications for teachers about the recommended procedures for small-group cooperative learning. Implications for research included further neuroscience investigations into human learning because of the potential for this kind of research to inform practice

Teacher planning in a era of accountability for student outcomes

The focus of the study of teaching has shifted gradually away from the process-product research paradigm to one which emphasizes the role of teacher and student thought processes. Researchers have identified teacher planning as an area of study likely provide insights into the role of teacher thought processes. Since the nineteen seventies a number of important studies into teacher planning have been completed. An examination of the teacher planning literature revealed that certain types and functions of planning recur in the research. The literature also shows that the rational-linear planning models which are prevalent in teacher pre-service education do not adequately describe teacher planning in practice. Several studies have attempted to describe teacher planning in terms of models. Although these studies more closely described actual teacher planning, modelling of teacher planning is incomplete. Some research has also attempted to establish relationships between teacher planning and teacher actions and the subsequent outcomes for students. Western Australian schools are presently subject to a climate of change driven principally by economic considerations. A fundamental shift in emphasis has occurred in teacher accountability policy and as a result teachers are now accountable for the outcomes of students instead of the traditional accountability for planning programmes of work. Case study techniques were used to examine the extent to which these policy changes and the associated de-regulation have affected the planning practices of six teachers, The thought processes involved in planning were described and a naturalistic model of planning was developed. The study found that the teachers did not plan as they should in two respects. First, they only applied rational models. Then using planning formats which assisted them with the writing of objectives. In this respect the teachers did not apply the rational models from their pre-service education, Second, the teachers did not apply an outcomes approach to planning, as required by the Education Department accountability policy. The study also examined the six teachers\u27 perceptions of accountability and the accountability techniques applied in two schools. The teachers perceived accountability as a professional obligation. Teachers were not being held accountable for planning within the school management information system. Although the focus for accountability discussions had shifted to accountability for student outcomes, the teachers continued to apply an activities-first approach to planning

Micromechanical Properties of Injection-Molded Starch–Wood Particle Composites

The micromechanical properties of injection molded starch–wood particle composites were investigated as a function of particle content and humidity conditions. The composite materials were characterized by scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction methods. The microhardness of the composites was shown to increase notably with the concentration of the wood particles. In addition,creep behavior under the indenter and temperature dependence were evaluated in terms of the independent contribution of the starch matrix and the wood microparticles to the hardness value. The influence of drying time on the density and weight uptake of the injection-molded composites was highlighted. The results revealed the role of the mechanism of water evaporation, showing that the dependence of water uptake and temperature was greater for the starch–wood composites than for the pure starch sample. Experiments performed during the drying process at 70°C indicated that the wood in the starch composites did not prevent water loss from the samples.Peer reviewe

Measurement of electroweak parameters from hadronic and leptonic decays of the Z 0

We have studied the reactions e + e − →hadrons, e + e − , μ + μ − and τ + τ − , in the energy range 88.2 GeV. A total luminosity of 5.5 pb −1 , corresponding to approximately 115000 hadronic and 10000 leptonic Z 0 decays, has been recorded with the L3 detector. From a simultaneous fit to all of our measured cross section data, we obtain assuming lepton universality:Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/47890/1/10052_2005_Article_BF01475788.pd

Управление системой электрохимической защиты магистрального газопровода в условиях вечной мерзлоты

Объектом исследования подсистема коррозионного мониторинга электрохимической зашиты магистрального газопровода. Цель работы – проанализировать управление системой электрохимической зашиты магистрального газопровода в условиях вечной мерзлоты. В результате анализа установлено, что ПКМ-ТСТ-КонтКорр удовлетворяет требованиям системы управления техническим состоянием и целостностью площадных объектов организации.The object of study is the subsystem of corrosion monitoring of electrochemical protection of the main gas pipeline. The purpose of the work is to analyze the management of the system of electrochemical protection of the main gas pipeline in permafrost conditions. As a result of the analysis, it was established that PKM-TST-KontKorr satisfies the requirements of the system for managing the technical condition and integrity of the organization’s area facilities

Reducing the environmental impact of surgery on a global scale: systematic review and co-prioritization with healthcare workers in 132 countries

Background Healthcare cannot achieve net-zero carbon without addressing operating theatres. The aim of this study was to prioritize feasible interventions to reduce the environmental impact of operating theatres. Methods This study adopted a four-phase Delphi consensus co-prioritization methodology. In phase 1, a systematic review of published interventions and global consultation of perioperative healthcare professionals were used to longlist interventions. In phase 2, iterative thematic analysis consolidated comparable interventions into a shortlist. In phase 3, the shortlist was co-prioritized based on patient and clinician views on acceptability, feasibility, and safety. In phase 4, ranked lists of interventions were presented by their relevance to high-income countries and low–middle-income countries. Results In phase 1, 43 interventions were identified, which had low uptake in practice according to 3042 professionals globally. In phase 2, a shortlist of 15 intervention domains was generated. In phase 3, interventions were deemed acceptable for more than 90 per cent of patients except for reducing general anaesthesia (84 per cent) and re-sterilization of ‘single-use’ consumables (86 per cent). In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for high-income countries were: introducing recycling; reducing use of anaesthetic gases; and appropriate clinical waste processing. In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for low–middle-income countries were: introducing reusable surgical devices; reducing use of consumables; and reducing the use of general anaesthesia. Conclusion This is a step toward environmentally sustainable operating environments with actionable interventions applicable to both high– and low–middle–income countries

Reducing the environmental impact of surgery on a global scale: systematic review and co-prioritization with healthcare workers in 132 countries

Abstract Background Healthcare cannot achieve net-zero carbon without addressing operating theatres. The aim of this study was to prioritize feasible interventions to reduce the environmental impact of operating theatres. Methods This study adopted a four-phase Delphi consensus co-prioritization methodology. In phase 1, a systematic review of published interventions and global consultation of perioperative healthcare professionals were used to longlist interventions. In phase 2, iterative thematic analysis consolidated comparable interventions into a shortlist. In phase 3, the shortlist was co-prioritized based on patient and clinician views on acceptability, feasibility, and safety. In phase 4, ranked lists of interventions were presented by their relevance to high-income countries and low–middle-income countries. Results In phase 1, 43 interventions were identified, which had low uptake in practice according to 3042 professionals globally. In phase 2, a shortlist of 15 intervention domains was generated. In phase 3, interventions were deemed acceptable for more than 90 per cent of patients except for reducing general anaesthesia (84 per cent) and re-sterilization of ‘single-use’ consumables (86 per cent). In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for high-income countries were: introducing recycling; reducing use of anaesthetic gases; and appropriate clinical waste processing. In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for low–middle-income countries were: introducing reusable surgical devices; reducing use of consumables; and reducing the use of general anaesthesia. Conclusion This is a step toward environmentally sustainable operating environments with actionable interventions applicable to both high– and low–middle–income countries