Conceptual Surveys Research Articles

The rewards and challenges of teaching innovation in university physics: 4 years’ reflection

This paper reports on the transition of the researcher’s teaching from before and during an innovation in teaching practice, including 1 year of traditional teaching (1996) and 3 years of teaching based on a constructivist view of learning (1999–2001), in a university physics course in Taiwan. Learning outcomes for each year were evaluated by both standardized conceptual tests and student questionnaire surveys. The results indicated a dilemma the researcher had encountered at an early stage in the teaching innovation, in contrast to the more rewarding outcomes in the longer term. This study indicated the promising yet sophisticated nature of this innovative constructivist teaching. The success of the teaching innovation may not be obtained easily, as criticisms and drawbacks are likely to arise before acceptance is achieved. Conscientious and persistent modifications, based on feedback from the classroom implementation and on understanding of learning theories, are required to achieve success from the teaching innovation.

A note from the new editor

There have been seven editors of Symbolic Interaction: Howard Becker, Peter Hall, Harvey Farberman, John Johnson, Gary Fine, David Maines, and Andrea Fontana. Their work has been inspirational, and I am honored to be in their company. Moreover, with great effort, high standards, and a visionary sense of mission, they have established Symbolic Interaction as one of the premier journals for the study of human conduct and experience. This is a remarkable achievement in light of the journal’s youth and substantive mandate. During my tenure as editor, I will be dedicated to the further advancement of the symbolic interactionist paradigm. I do not favor doctrinaire positions, and my editorship will not be deduced from a preconceived agenda. Like theory construction, good editing is an inductive process. There will be an emphasis on empirically grounded research, but essays that focus on conceptual developments or surveys of the literature will also be welcome. I am comfortable with qualitative or quantitative methods, but empirical work should have theoretical implications, and theoretical work should have empirical implications. I expect the content of the journal to grow increasingly eclectic as it reflects the interdisciplinary and international reach of the symbolic interactionist paradigm. However, I am an integrationist, not a separatist; I want other sociologists (indeed, other social scientists) to recognize and respect the work that appears in our journal. The selection of associate editors is one of the most important ways to signal a transition in editorial policy. My associate editors will be Jack Katz, Virginia Olesen, and Clint Sanders. I have the utmost admiration for their contributions to the field, and I am very grateful for the opportunity to work with them. In addition, I want to thank Andy Fontana for all of his help with making this transition go smoothly. Finally, the value of any journal depends on the quality of its submissions, so let me close by urging you to send us your best work.

Assessment of energy consumption in desalination of sea water on the basis of conceptual designs and surveys

Energy equivalent of sea water desalination are quoted as the most suitable measure in the phase discussing here from various survey reports in Japan which include conceptual designs of desalting plants such as dual purpose systems and MSF processes to utilize industrial waste heats. These systems are alloted for supplementing the shortage of drinking water from rivers which may dependent on the rainfall. Then, a diagram is proposed to indicate preferable region for construction of desalting plants or river development from view points of both energy consumption and economy These ideas were applied to the survey for introducting desalting plant in an industrial city and the necessary energy to produce fresh water from the sea was estimated for the case of 1/10 arid year. The amount of the order of a little less than 1% to the total energy consumption of the city should be evaluated from the view point of total human activities