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This Topic in Depth explores the science behind predicting the weather. First, the United States Search and Rescue Task Force describe the basic tools and knowledge used to create weather forecasts (1). Students can find concise, clear explanations of weather, fronts and air masses, high and low pressure, precipitation, and water vapor and humidity as well. By performing the activities presented in the second website, fourth grade students can learn about weather instruments and data collection
Sequence effects in solving knowledge-rich problems: The ambiguous role of surface similarities
Sequence effects are said to occur whenever the problem solving performance varies as a function of the order in which problems are solved. We present a framework that explain sequence effects as a result of (a) learning during solving a problem and of (b) transferring the learned content on succeeding problems. In two experiments we studied the ambiguous influence of surface similarities among structurally dissimilar knowledge-rich problems on sequence effects. These experiments demonstrate tha
Intelligent support for discovery learning
Using opportunistic learner modeling and heuristics to support simulation based discovery learning.,Doctoral dissertation, University of Twente. Enschede, The Netherlands: Twente University Press.
Learning physics with a computer algebra system
To become proficient problem-solvers, physics students need to form a coherent and flexible understanding of problem situations with which they are confronted. Still, many students have only a limited representation of the problems on which they are working. Therefore, an instructional approach was devised to promote students' understanding of these problems and to support them in forming associations between problem features and solution methods. The approach was based on using the computer alg
Computer support for collaborative learning: foundations for a CSCL community
Proceedings of CSCL 2002 Boulder, Colorado, USA January 7-11, 2002
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This issue of Topic in Depth explores some of the resources available online regarding school finance. The first article from the RAND Review (1) discusses the challenges involved in meeting the ambitious goals established by the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act and the need to develop a school accountability system that can provide "the incentives and resources that the schools really need to help all students meet the state performance standards." In the second article (2), Linda Darling-Hammon
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Plagiarism.org is an "online resource for educators concerned with the growing problem of Internet plagiarism." The organization provides information on online plagiarism and explains how Turnitin.com can be used by educators "to fight plagiarism and help bring academic integrity back into our schools." The technologies behind Turnitin.com, facts about Internet plagiarism, and the growth of "cheatsites" online are also explained. Members of Turnitin.com pay for access to "a proprietary system th
A Neural Approach for Modeling the Inference of Awareness in Computer-Supported Collaboration
Individuals interacting in a computer supported collaborative learning (CSCL) environment produce a variety of information elements during their participation; these information elements usually have a complex structure and semantics, which make it rather difficult to find out the behavioral attitudes and profiles of the users involved. This work provides a model that can be used to discover awareness information lying underneath multi-user interaction. This information is initially captured in
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This outstanding website on Native Conifers of North America was created by Nearctica, an organization devoted to connecting the internet public to high quality natural sciences websites. The site offers The Complete Conifers of North America whereby site visitors can access Genera and Species from a checklist or by using a nicely organized key system based on various conifer characteristics. Species pages include beautiful illustrations, photos, and simple distribution maps as well as informati
Meanings for Fraction as Number - Measure by Exploring the Number Line
Construction of meanings for fraction as number-measure is studied during the implementation of exploratory tasks concerning comparison and ordering of fractions as well as operations with fractions. 12-year-old students were working collaboratively in groups of two with software that combines graphical and symbolic notation of fractions represented as points on the number line. Fractions as points and segments, ordering fractions as part of kinesthetic activities and abstracting the scaling of
Pour une meilleure intégration de l’utilisateur dans le processus de conception et d’évaluation
Le système TELOS intègre un ensemble dÂ’architectures, de méthodes et dÂ’outils appelés à transformer en profondeur le fonctionnement institutionnel et les pratiques professionnelles en matière de conception, de production et de diffusion de cours et dÂ’apprentissage en ligne. TELOS suppose non seulement lÂ’appropriation de nouveaux outils technologiques, mais aussi un nouveau modèle de travail qui prend appui sur une ingénierie pédagogique rigoureuse et sur lÂ’accès à des banques dÂ
Decentralized Service Deployment for Collaborative Environments
In this paper we present the design of a system which allows service deployment in a small-sized group of computers distributed through the Internet. These groups are formed by users who share a common interest, and voluntarily yield their own resources for the achievement of the collaborative activities of the group. Having enough resources contributed by the members of the group, our system guarantees service availability and the fact that the deployment and execution of the services is carrie
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The free access portion of the Atlapedia Online site, Countries A to Z, provides an attractive political and physical map of each country of the world, including basic information such as its capital, system of government, population, geography, climate, religions, languages, currency, modern history, trading partners, exports, military, and more. Giving students of any age access to interesting and fun facts, the database can be searched easily or browsed by the first letter of each country. Al
Gridifying IBM's Generic Log Adapter to Speed-Up the Processing of Log Data
Problem determination in today's computing environments consumes between 30 and 70% of an organizationÂ’s IT resources and represents from one third to one half of their total cost of ownership. The first step to cutting down costs in this area and to enable autonomic computing systems is to have all parts of the system report status in a common log data format and semantics in order to be able to exploit the status information of the system as a whole. The Generic Log Adapter (GLA) is a generic
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SourceForge, described as the most prominent repository of open source software, selects an outstanding contribution to recognize on its Project of the Month Web site. As with all open source projects, the software can be freely downloaded, used, and modified. Examples of past projects of the month include an instant messaging client, a 3D game developing kit, and a tool for porting applications from UNIX to the Macintosh OS X operating system. A description of the project and an interview with
Normalising Geometrical Constructions: A Context for the Generation of Meanings for Ratio and Propor
This paper describes aspects of 13 year-olds’ activity in mathematics as emerged during the implementation of proportional geometric tasks in the classroom. Pupils were working in pairs using a piece of software specially designed for multiple representation (symbolic and graphical) of the variation in parametric procedures with dynamic manipulation of variable. In this paper we discuss children’s use of normalising, an activity in which children ‘correct’ the geometrical figures while devel
KMsim: A Meta-Modelling Approach and Environment for Creating Process-Oriented Knowledge Management
This paper presents a new approach to modelling process-oriented knowledge management (KM) and describes a simulation environment (called
KMSIM) that embodies the approach. Since the beginning of modelling researchers have been looking for better and novel ways to model systems and to use appropriate software to create simulations. The application of the approach and KMSIM make it possible to create realistic business models (BMs) and simulate the consequences of KM interventions and events. The
Investigating human computer interaction issues in designing efficient virtual learning environments
Today, when an enormous number of computer-based systems exist, the human activities are being computer mediated. Usually, in designing the interface to those systems, the human-computer interaction is left behind without consideration. In this paper, a literature in human-computer interaction is to be reviewed and the technology aspect of human computer interaction is to be analyzed. Also, general design principles are to be reviewed. According to all these issues, recommendations to designing
Training programme for geography teachers
This paper contains a description of a Geography teacher-training program for in-service education. The program is a variant for incorporating the methodology of the Minerva- project “Innovative Didactics via Web-based Learning” (further abbreviated as IDWBL) so that the Geography teachers at work can be adequately prepared for integrating ICT in geography education at secondary schools via web-based education. The theme may seem at first glance as a variation of a known subject… But for the
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War zones and hostile environments often prevent press coverage of important events, such as the Gulf War and, more recently, the dealings with Al Qaeda in Afghanistan. A new invention, called the Afghan Explorer, could solve this problem. It is, in essence, a robotic journalist. With the capability to maneuver, record audio and video footage, and conduct interviews, the Afghan Explorer can provide coverage of military situations and off-limit areas with no risk of human casualties. The mobile "
