Identifying discriminating variables between teachers who fully integrate computers and teachers with limited integration

Given the prevalence of computers in education today, it is critical to understand teachers’ perspectives regarding computer integration in their classrooms. The current study surveyed a random sample of a heterogeneous group of 185 elementary and 204 secondary teachers in order to provide a comprehensive summary of teacher characteristics and variables that best discriminate between teachers who integrate computers and those who do not. Discriminant Function Analysis indicated seven variables for elementary teachers and six for secondary teachers (accounting for 74% and 68% of the variance, respectively) that discriminated between high and low integrators. Variables included positive teaching experiences with computers; teacher’s comfort with computers; beliefs supporting the use of computers as an instructional tool; training; motivation; support; and teaching efficacy. Implications for support of computer integration in the classroom are discussed.     

A case study of computer gaming for math: Engaged learning from gameplay?

Employing mixed-method approach, this case study examined the in situ use of educational computer games in a summer math program to facilitate 4th and 5th graders’ cognitive math achievement, metacognitive awareness, and positive attitudes toward math learning. The results indicated that students developed more positive attitudes toward math learning through five-week computer math gaming, but there was no significant effect of computer gaming on students’ cognitive test performance or metacognitive awareness development. The in-field observation and students’ think-aloud protocol informed that not every computer math drill game would engage children in committed learning. The study findings have highlighted the value of situating learning activities within the game story, making games pleasantly challenging, scaffolding reflections, and designing suitable off-computer activities.     

Teaching materials to enhance the visual expression of Web pages for students not in art or design majors

The explosive growth of the Internet has made the knowledge and skills for creating Web pages into general subjects that all students should learn. It is now common to teach the technical side of the production of Web pages and many teaching materials have been developed. However teaching the aesthetic side of Web page design has been neglected, and students not in art or design majors are normally confronted with difficulties when they do expressive design of Web pages.     

Characterising effective eLearning resources

The widespread availability of digital learning resources in a variety of media formats offers the possibility to make a profound difference in education. This potential has not been fully realised for range of interrelated reasons. In this paper we study the key characteristics of learning resources that have proved effective in changing learning and teaching, and relate them to existing frameworks for understanding resources. We outline the relationships between resources, their users, and the way they are used, and explore issues that influence practitioners in choosing a particular resource. Our study is based on a review of resources for e-learning and chemistry in post-compulsory education, undertaken for the UK Joint Information Systems Committees (JISC), as part of a wider study examining ‘The Effectiveness of Resources, Tools and Support Services used by Tutors in Designing and Delivering E-Learning Activities’.     

Computer-aided measurement plan for an impeller on a coordinate measurement machine with a rotating and tilting probe

This paper presents a computer-aided measurement plan (CAMP) for an impeller on a coordinate measurement machine (CMM) with a rotating/tilting probe. The blade surfaces of a machined impeller were measured exactly to secure the machining tolerance and surface finish of the impeller. CMM with a rotating and tilting probe is commonly used for this measurement. However, it is not easy to evaluate all the points on the impeller surfaces due to the time-consuming nature of the CMM measurement. In addition, many points cannot be easily accessed by the CMM probe due to the interference between the probe and the impeller blades. Furthermore, the inherent complexity of the existing teaching operation of a probe using a joystick suggests the necessity of developing a new method for the measurement planning of an impeller. Thus, this paper proposes a CAMP for effectively gauging the inspection points based on the ruled line information of the impeller blade surfaces. The proposed plan partitions the surfaces into several measurement regions based on the ruled lines of a blade surface and the approach vectors of the probe. Finally, a case example for an impeller is presented to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed strategy.     

An autonomous educational mobile robot mediator

So far, most of the applications of robotic technology to education have mainly focused on supporting the teaching of subjects that are closely related to the Robotics field, such as robot programming, robot construction, or mechatronics. Moreover, most of the applications have used the robot as an end or a passive tool of the learning activity, where the robot has been constructed or programmed. In this paper, we present a novel application of robotic technologies to education, where we use the real world situatedness of a robot to teach non-robotic related subjects, such as math and physics. Furthermore, we also provide the robot with a suitable degree of autonomy to actively guide and mediate in the development of the educational activity. We present our approach as an educational framework based on a collaborative and constructivist learning environment, where the robot is able to act as an interaction mediator capable of managing the interactions occurring among the working students. We illustrate the use of this framework by a 4-step methodology that is used to implement two educational activities. These activities were tested at local schools with encouraging results. Accordingly, the main contributions of this work are: i) A novel use of a mobile robot to illustrate and teach relevant concepts and properties of the real world; ii) A novel use of robots as mediators that autonomously guide an educational activity using a collaborative and constructivist learning approach; iii) The implementation and testing of these ideas in a real scenario, working with students at local schools.

Food security problems in sub-Saharan Africa: Operations Research as a tool of analysis

For many years, the author has been involved in teaching and research in the use of Operations Research as a tool of analysis to study food security problems in sub‐Saharan Africa, in particular, grass root problems of poor farmers. The paper presents an introduction to the way Operations Research methods have been applied in case studies and research projects, and discusses in retrospect the author's views on the strengths and limitations of the application of Operations Research. The paper has in particular been written for people who are not familiar with applications of Operations Research in agriculture, and are interested to learn about its potential usefulness in practice. The retrospective part is largely based on food security studies in e.g. Tanzania, Burkina Faso, Bénin, Togo and Eritrea and on participation in several interdisciplinary research programmes in Africa.     

无离群数据影响的水污染离子在线监测研究

采用离子选择性电极和电位恒定的参比电极作为敏感头,与高输入阻抗、高精度的电位计组成传感器,以LabVIEW为开发平台的虚拟仪器,通过数据采集卡,实时在线监测水体中多种离子含量,并对数据进行整理,以消除离群数据的影响,为水质污染的在线监测提供了一种具有理论指导意义和实用价值的新方法.     

TCG命令验证协议的改进方法

经过分析显示可信计算联盟(TCG)命令验证协议会受到一种基于Dolev-Yao模型的中间人攻击,对系统的可信性和安全性造成影响。针对该攻击,文章提出一种协议改进方法。在改进后的协议中,可信平台模块(TPM)和访问者能对会话状态进行有效的沟通,从而抵御中间人攻击。     

基于感兴趣区的虹膜定位算法

快速虹膜定位是实现虹膜自动识别系统的基础.利用小波变换后LL频带是图像内容的抽样缩略的性质,只对LL频带的图像进行虹膜定位,基于图像光斑特性选择定位感兴趣区域,用Hough变换定位虹膜内圆,单行梯度最大值方法定位虹膜外圆,然后按比例还原所有的参数值.试验结果表明这些参数与在原始图像中进行虹膜定位得到的参数一致,定位时间大大缩短,说明了该定位算法的有效性.