Verbal Syntax in an Electronic Bilingual Icelandic Dictionary: A Preliminary Study

Denne artikkelen handler om verbbeskrivelsen i en elektronisk utgave av denenspråklige islandske standardordboken, Íslensk or›abók (2000), og hvordan den kanutnyttes i tospråklig sammenheng. Hovedforskjellen mellom en trykt og en elektroniskordbok ligger i de ulike presentasjonsmåtene, i et bokformat er det tekstens omfangsom bestemmer utformingen av beskrivelsen men i en elektronisk framstillingmå det tas hensyn til hvor mye tekst det kan vises på skjermen. Teksten må delesopp i passe store enheter. For å få det til i den elekroniske utgaven av Íslenskor›abók føres verbale konstruksjoner opp som sublemmaer under de enkelteverbene. Dette betyr at den syntagmatiske beskrivelse blir mer utførlig og systematiskenn i de eldre utgaver av ordboken. I artikkelen blir verdien av denne framstillingenvurdert, spesielt med hensyn til en tospråklig ordboksbeskrivelse

Breaking away from tradition: Linking a database of inflection to an electronic dictionary

Icelandic inflection is complex and there is an abundance of variant forms, which are very often changeable according to time and style. The choice of variants within a paradigm in some cases depends on meaning and context. The tradition in Icelandic dictionaries is to give the principal parts of words, as indicators of inflectional classes. These, however, contain insufficient information for the remainder of the paradigm to be predictable. In an online dictionary this problem can be solved by a link to a database of inflection, such as the Database of Modern Icelandic Inflection (DMII). This is the method chosen in ISLEX, the Icelandic-Scandinavian online dictionary, and as a result the information provided far exceeds the tradition in Icelandic dictionaries. Both projects are under construction at The Árni Magnússon Institute for Icelandic Studies. The breakaway from tradition also takes place in the actual production of the paradigms for the DMII. Icelandic textbooks and handbooks on morphology describe the system as a whole, i.e., they are constructed ‘top-down’, with a limited number of examples for each inflectional class. The production of DMII is, in contrast, ‘bottom-up’, as it is based on research on individual words, not inflectional classes. The aim is to provide enough information for the user to make an educated choice by himself

Landspróf miðskóla 1946-1976. Áhrif nýju stærðfræðinnar.

Landspróf miðskóla sem inntökupróf í menntaskóla og kennaraskóla og síðar fleiri skóla var haldið á árunum 1946–1976. Prófað var í átta námsgreinum þar sem íslenska vó tvöfalt. Landsprófið var upphaflega grundvallað á reglugerð nr. 3/1937 um námsefni til prófs upp úr öðrum bekk Menntaskólans í Reykjavík. Landsprófið í stærðfræði hélst að miklu leyti óbreytt á árunum 1947–1965. Prófað var í lesnum dæmum sem nemendur höfðu lært áður og í ólesnum dæmum. Frá árinu 1966 breyttist prófgerðin: lesin dæmi voru felld niður, prófið var stytt og tekið var að prófa úr svokallaðri nýrri stærðfræði. Þar var lögð aukin áhersla á tölur og eiginleika þeirra en einnig á mengi ásamt tilheyrandi rithætti og aðgerðum samkvæmt Drögum að námsskrá í landsprófsdeildum miðskóla frá árinu 1968. Markmiðið með innleiðingu nýju stærðfræðinnar var að auka skilning nemenda í stærðfræði. Fjögur landsprófsverkefni í stærðfræði frá árunum 1953, 1966, 1971 og 1975 voru greind með tilliti til inntaks og færnikrafna samkvæmt greiningarlykli TIMSS. Greiningin sýnir að inntak prófverkefnanna breyttist í samræmi við Drög að námsskrá en um leið styttust dæmin, orðadæmum fækkaði og jafnframt fjölgaði innbyrðis óskyldum prófatriðum. Færnikröfur færðust frá lausnaleit yfir í aukna beitingu rútínuaðferða en dæmum með flóknum samsettum aðferðum fækkaði. Gögn sýna að meðaleinkunn í stærðfræði, sem áður hafði verið lægri en meðaleinkunn allra átta námsgreinanna á landsprófi, færðist nær heildarmeðaleinkunn og nemendum gekk hlutfallslega betur en áður. Vonir höfðu staðið til þess að innleiðing mengjafræði yki skýrleik og skilning. Vart var þó hægt að búast við því. Nemendur þurftu á sama tíma að kynnast venjulegri algebru sem mörgum hefur reynst torskilin og námsefnið studdi samhengið milli mengjafræði og algebru aðeins að litlu leyti. Eftir sitja spurningar um hvort glíma við sundurlaus atriði stuðli fremur að vélrænum skilningi en lengri samsett dæmi, og hvort lesin dæmi eigi rétt á sér.The goal of new education legislation in Iceland in 1946 was to create a uniform education system, with eight-year compulsory education and equal access to college preparatory education. Previously, the two schools, which may be considered parallel to British grammar schools, had selected their students under strict admission control and their own entrance examinations. As a compromise, regulations for the Reykjavík Grammar School, dating from 1937, were chosen as a basis for a national entrance examination in eight school subjects, to be run in all larger towns and rural boarding schools. The examination was intended to ensure a certain and standardized minimum knowledge in a number of subjects; the selection of the fittest with respect to certain attributes considered necessary for studies in a grammar school and a university or other establishments of higher education; and to offer all students and their relatives a certain assurance of an assessment of the examination papers by impartial persons. In the national examination’s first year it became clear that examining in Euclidian geometry did not work as teachers at lower levels had no such training. The mathematics examination was divided into two parts with equal weight, seen problems and unseen problems, tested two days in a row. The content of the unseen examination became typically 6–8 problems; 4–6 story problems on area, volume and proportions, some to be solved by setting up equations; and two rather complicated fractions with algebraic denominators. The story problems either described situations in contemporary daily life, or were versions of old problems. By the mid-1960s, the examination, originally intended to provide equal opportunities to education, became considered as a hindrance on young people’s path to preparation for life. Initially, a constant rate of 20% of the cohort attempted the examination and 13-14% reached grammar school admission. By 1969 the rate had risen to 34% vs. 21%. The seen problems were dropped, the examination was shortened considerably and the number of problems rose to 50 small and often unrelated items to ease grading but also to help the less able students to show basic competences. In the midst of this demand for education for all, New Math was implemented for the purpose of facilitating understanding. The paper contains an analysis and comparison of typical examination papers before and after the implementation of New Math. The analysis was made according to TIMSS Monograph no. 1: Curriculum framework for mathematics and science by Robitaille et al. (1993). The results of an analysis of examination papers from 1953, 1966, 1971 and 1975 indicate that the content swayed towards using set-theoretical notation and number notation to various number bases and back again. The proportion of simplifying algebraic expressions and solving equations stayed around 50% with a slight increase, while new topics were introduced to statistics and probability. Performance expectations became less oriented towards independent development of notation, vocabulary, and algorithms. The expectations developed away from using complex procedures towards routine procedures, and investigating and problem solving was reduced. In general, the examination developed into a host of incoherent details of diffused focus. However, data show that the average mathematics grade, which had been about 0.5 lower on the 0–10 scale than the average grade in all eight subjects during the 1950s and 1960s, had reached other subjects in 1972 during this process of increased number of simpler problems. Some questions remain as to what kinds of syllabi and examinations enhance mathematical thinking and understanding. Richard Skemp (1978) expressed concerns that the backwash effect of examinations and overburdened syllabi promoted superficial instrumental understanding at the cost of deeper relational understanding. George Polya (1973) suggested that students think of a familiar problem in devising a plan for solving problems. Could the seen problems enhance understanding on that ground? Could multi-step word problems provide opportunities for teachers, together with their students, to delve into mathematical processes and thus create lattices of acts of understanding, as proposed by Anna Sierpinska (1994)?Publishers versio

New-math influences in Iceland. Selective entrance examinations into High Schools

The New Math was implemented in Iceland with the intention to facilitate understanding in the midst of increased demands for education for all. The article contains an analysis and comparison of typical papers in a selective entrance examination into high schools before and after the implementation period of the New Math during 1966–1968, and a discussion on the understanding it was expected to facilitate

Principals’ financial and pedagogical challenges when choosing programs and educational materials : The scope of the private education industry for preschools

Publisher Copyright: © 2023 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.The educational services industry has grown internationally, and there has been an explosion in external programmes that teach basics and behavioural control, as well as administrative data programmes. This growth has affected the governance of preschools worldwide and spurred schoolification and marketisation. In this context, this study examines how the growth of the private education industry within the education system has influenced preschool principals’ work in Iceland. Our critical theoretical perspective aims to explore how educational trends grounded in neoliberalism have shaped the work of preschool principals. The data consisted of a questionnaire distributed to all preschool principals in Iceland. The findings showed that schoolification, informed by educational authorities and the private education industry, has shaped pedagogy and preschool principals’ autonomy. However, preschool principals are relieved to have some self-monitored programmes at hand. Thus, these changes go hand in hand with the strengthening of professionalism and external marketisation.The educational services industry has grown internationally, and there has been an explosion in external programmes that teach basics and behavioural control, as well as administrative data programmes. This growth has affected the governance of preschools worldwide and spurred schoolification and marketisation. In this context, this study examines how the growth of the private education industry within the education system has influenced preschool principals’ work in Iceland. Our critical theoretical perspective aims to explore how educational trends grounded in neoliberalism have shaped the work of preschool principals. The data consisted of a questionnaire distributed to all preschool principals in Iceland. The findings showed that schoolification, informed by educational authorities and the private education industry, has shaped pedagogy and preschool principals’ autonomy. However, preschool principals are relieved to have some self-monitored programmes at hand. Thus, these changes go hand in hand with the strengthening of professionalism and external marketisation.Peer reviewe

Liver metastases of unknown origin

Neðst á síðunni er hægt að nálgast greinina í heild sinni með því að smella á hlekkinn View/OpenObjective: Approximately 5% of cancer patients are diagnosed with tumour of unknown origin (3-4% in Iceland). Of those 10-30% have . Liver metastases of unknown origin is thus not an uncommon problem. In the present study information about the origin and histology of liver metastases of unknown origin was compiled. Material and methods: Records of all biopsies from liver metastases performed in the years 1987-1996 were retrieved from the medical database of the Department of Pathology at the University of Iceland. The biopsies came from a group of 176 patients. Ninety-two cases, in which the origin of the primary tumour was suspected or known, were excluded from the study, leaving 84 cases where the primary was completely unknown. The database of the Icelandic Cancer Society was used to gather data about the final tissue diagnosis and the location of the primary tumour when known. Results: The Cancer Society data revealed the location of the primary tumour in 55 of the 84 cases of liver metastases of unknown origin. The most prevalent (75%) primary tumours were cancers of the pancreas (15), lung (13) and colon/rectum (12). The tissue diagnosis was adenocarcinoma in 33 of the 55 cases. In the male patients 83% of the adenocarcinoma metastases came from the colon/rectum or pancreas. The corresponding figure for the female patients was 67%, while 20% of the tumours in females originated in the gallbladder and biliary tree. Conclusions: In two thirds of the cases of liver metastases of unknown origin the primary tumour was later discovered. The most prevalent tumours were cancers in the pancreas, lung and colon/rectum. Adenocarcinoma was the tissue diagnosis in 60% of cases.Tilgangur: Um 5% krabbameinssjúklinga greinast með æxli af óþekktum uppruna (3-4% á Íslandi). Af þeim hafa 10-30% meinvörp í lifur. Lifrarmeinvörp af óþekktum uppruna er því ekki sjaldgæft vandamál. Meinafræðingar eru oft beðnir um að skoða sýni frá lifrarmeinvörpum og koma með tillögur um staðsetningu frumæxlis. Í þessari rannsókn eru teknar saman upplýsingar um uppruna og vefjagerð lifrarmeinvarpa af óþekktum uppruna. Efniviður og aðferðir: Leitað var í skrám Rannsóknastofu Háskólans í meinafræði að öllum skráðum grófnálarsýnum frá meinvörpum í lifur frá árunum 1987-1996. Alls fundust sýni frá 176 sjúklingum. Útilokaðir voru 92 sjúklingar sem höfðu þekkt frumæxli eða vísbendingu um upprunastað. Þeir 84 sjúklingar sem eftir voru töldust hafa meinvörp af óþekktum uppruna. Könnuð var niðurstaða vefjagreiningar í gögnum Rannsóknastofunnar. Leitað var í Krabbameinsskrá Krabbameinsfélags Íslands að upplýsingum um endanlega vefjagreiningu og staðsetningu frumæxlis. Niðurstöður: Krabbameinsskrá gaf upplýsingar um staðsetningu frumæxlis hjá 55 sjúklingum af 84 sem greindust með lifrarmeinvörp af óþekktum uppruna. Algengustu frumæxlin (75%) voru krabbamein í brisi (15), lunga (13) og ristli/endaþarmi (12). Hjá 33 sjúklingum af 55 var vefjagerðin kirtlakrabbamein (adenocarcinoma). Hjá körlum voru 83% kirtlakrabbameinsmeinvarpa upprunnin í ristli eða brisi, en 67% hjá konum, þar sem 20% komu frá gallblöðru/gallvegum. Ályktanir: Í tveimur þriðju tilfella kom upprunastaður að lokum í ljós fyrir lifrarmeinvörp af óþekktum uppruna. Algengustu frumæxlin voru krabbamein í brisi, lungum og ristli/endaþarmi. Kirtlakrabbamein var vefjagreiningin í 60% tilfella

Icelandic Language Resources and Technology: Status and Prospects

Proceedings of the NODALIDA 2009 workshop Nordic Perspectives on the CLARIN Infrastructure of Language Resources. Editors: Rickard Domeij, Kimmo Koskenniemi, Steven Krauwer, Bente Maegaard, Eiríkur Rögnvaldsson and Koenraad de Smedt. NEALT Proceedings Series, Vol. 5 (2009), 27-32. © 2009 The editors and contributors. Published by Northern European Association for Language Technology (NEALT) http://omilia.uio.no/nealt . Electronically published at Tartu University Library (Estonia) http://hdl.handle.net/10062/9207