Traditional Textbook Approach Research Articles

The effectiveness of using context-based and project-based methods in inclusive biology teaching

This study investigates the effectiveness of employing context-based and project-based methods in inclusive biology education, focusing on the outcomes of contextual learning tasks for eighth-grade students at M. Gandhi Specialized Lyceum No. 92. The research evaluates the performance of inclusive children on tasks related to the topic “Structure and hygiene of the organ of vision” taken from the biology textbook. Results indicate that the traditional textbook approach yielded low levels of task completion among inclusive children, suggesting that the content complexity posed challenges. Conversely, when presented with simplified, easily understandable texts, inclusive children demonstrated significantly higher proficiency levels in addressing the same topic. Additionally, the study extends its analysis to include the results of contextual teaching tasks for inclusive children from the eighth-grade class at School No. 15, where 20 students participated, including individuals with ADHD, mild autism, and isolation. Among these students, varying levels of performance were observed across tasks. Specifically, in the first task aligned with the textbook, five students scored low, eleven scored average, and four scored high. However, when presented with the second task featuring simplified text, performance improved, with one student scoring low, twelve scoring average, and seven scoring high. These findings underscore the potential benefits of utilizing context-based and project-based methodologies in inclusive biology education, particularly in enhancing comprehension and engagement among students with diverse learning needs.

Time evolution of spin singlet in static homogeneous exchange and magnetic fields

Within the framework of an idealized theoretical model, we study the effect of external static homogeneous exchange and magnetic field on the spin part of the singlet wave function of two electrons. We begin by revising the traditional (textbook) approach to the spin singlet. Basing our own approach solely on the property of invariance under rotations of the coordinate system and using the theory of spinor invariants, we derive a generalized representation of the spin singlet whose main feature is that the spins are in mutually time-reversed states. We show that exactly this feature predetermines the actual form of the Hamiltonian of interaction with the external field and stipulates time evolution of the singlet. Some applications of these results to the theory of superconductivity and spin chemistry are presented. In particular, it is shown that the case of ferromagnetic superconductors constitutes a good illustration of the validity of our quantum-mechanical consideration.

Efficiency model of micro-course study based on cognitive psychology in the college

Micro-courses are characterized by short duration, multiple teaching methods, and ease of dissemination. With the increase in educational informatization, the micro-course has become a significant component of higher education in China. Based on cognitive psychology research, the present study divided the micro-course learning process into three stages: knowledge acquisition, search, and analysis. A comparative cognitive experiment was conducted, with students randomly assigned to micro-course or traditional textbook approach groups. This article proposes a cognitive model that enables a quantitative analysis of cognitive time, accuracy, and efficiency in both types of teaching methods. Compared with those exposed to traditional textbook learning, students exposed to micro-courses had a shorter cognitive time and improved cognitive accuracy. The experimental results indicated that micro-courses improved cognitive efficiency, with an average improvement of 157.51%. The improvement in cognitive efficiency in the micro-course group was much more striking at the higher cognitive stages. Similar additional experiments were conducted to evaluate the proposed cognitive model. The results of these experiments were consistent with the findings reported in this article, leading to the conclusion that the proposed cognitive efficiency model is accurate, relatively universal, and well-adapted. This model could be used to inform the calculation of cognitive efficiency, micro-course design, and evaluation.

Using a New Schema Approach with Primary At-Risk Students in Word Problem Solving

This comparative study of two approaches contrasts a schema-based approach to represent a solution approach to solving whole number contextual problems for Grades 2 and 3 with the traditional textbook approach. The participants are 9 to 11-year-old Afghani refugee students enrolled in non-public schools administered by NGO organization in Iran. The subjects have difficulty with grade-level mathematics and have been retained in grade at least one year. Subjects were randomly selected from four classrooms in two schools. The schema-based experimental approach is called the Problem Patterns (PP) approach. Students receiving this instructional approach were taught to break problems into data, units, and desired solution, removing irrelevant information, and make a solution model with manipulatives. Control students followed the traditional classroom approach. All classes were taught by the first researcher. Evaluation results showed the PP students had higher achievement and growth scores than the control students. The results also showed the schema building portion of instruction contributed most to the differences in performance of the experimental groups’ students.

Impact of a Simulated Game on Learning and Engagement


 
 
 Today’s students are digital natives who have grown up with computer technology and video games. Their constant exposure to the internet and other digital media has shaped the way they receive, process and learn information. Consequently, the traditional lecture and textbook approach to education is not as effective for this generation. We believe that students can benefit from reality based computer simulated games which are incorporated into the course curriculum. Games and computer simulations are no longer just for fun; they can be used as an effective pedagogical tool to enhance learning and foster an engaged learning environment. While there is a general consensus among educators that educational games are an effective method of motivating students, there is a lack of empirical studies relating to the impact of this teaching modality on students’ academic performance and engagement. This paper reports on the effectiveness of using a computer simulated game on student learning and engagement in three different business courses.
 
 

Integrating interactive computational modeling in biology curricula.

While the use of computer tools to simulate complex processes such as computer circuits is normal practice in fields like engineering, the majority of life sciences/biological sciences courses continue to rely on the traditional textbook and memorization approach. To address this issue, we explored the use of the Cell Collective platform as a novel, interactive, and evolving pedagogical tool to foster student engagement, creativity, and higher-level thinking. Cell Collective is a Web-based platform used to create and simulate dynamical models of various biological processes. Students can create models of cells, diseases, or pathways themselves or explore existing models. This technology was implemented in both undergraduate and graduate courses as a pilot study to determine the feasibility of such software at the university level. First, a new (In Silico Biology) class was developed to enable students to learn biology by “building and breaking it” via computer models and their simulations. This class and technology also provide a non-intimidating way to incorporate mathematical and computational concepts into a class with students who have a limited mathematical background. Second, we used the technology to mediate the use of simulations and modeling modules as a learning tool for traditional biological concepts, such as T cell differentiation or cell cycle regulation, in existing biology courses. Results of this pilot application suggest that there is promise in the use of computational modeling and software tools such as Cell Collective to provide new teaching methods in biology and contribute to the implementation of the “Vision and Change” call to action in undergraduate biology education by providing a hands-on approach to biology.

Statistical adequacy and the trustworthiness of empirical evidence: Statistical vs. substantive information

The paper focuses on how the traditional textbook approach to econometrics, by conflating statistical and substantive information, has contributed significantly to the mountains of untrustworthy evidence accumulated over the last century. In a nutshell, the problem is that when one's favorite theory is foisted on the data, the end result is invariably an empirical model which is both statistically and substantively misspecified, but one has no way to disentangle the two sources of error in order to draw reliable inferences. It is argued that ignoring statistical misspecification, and focusing exclusively on the evaluation of the statistical results – taken at face value – on substantive grounds, has proved a disastrous strategy for learning from data. Moreover, the traditional textbook stratagems of error-fixing designed to alleviate statistical misspecification often make matters worse. Instead, the paper proposes a number of strategies that separate the statistical and substantive sources of information, ab initio, and address the problem by replacing goodness-of-fit with statistical adequacy to secure the statistical reliability of inference, and then proceed to pose questions of substantive adequacy.

Comparing science learning among 4th-, 5th-, and 6th-Grade Students: STS versus textbook-based instruction

Fifteen 4th-, 5th-, and 6th-grade teachers from five school districts each taught two sections of science —one with a Science-Technology-Society (STS) approach and the other with a more traditional textbook approach in which basic science concepts were the major organizers. Local, current, and personally relevant issues provided the context and organizational scheme for the STS section. The two approaches were evaluated using six different domains: (1) Concept, (2) Process, (3) Application, (4) Creativity, (5) Attitude, and (6) Worldview. The results indicate no difference in results at any grade level in the Concept domain. However, significant differences in terms of learning with large effect sizes were found in the other five domains. STS provided an impressive teaching approach utilizing the features of the National Science Teachers Association’s (NSTA) (2006) position paper regarding STS in all assessment domains.

Hints, tips and clues in dermatopathology

There are a number of excellent dermatopathology texts available and a plethora of journals. However, day to day problems frequently arise for which the traditional textbook approach is lacking. In this workshop, we use cases from daily practice to illustrate diagnostic approaches and techniques and to highlight some valuable hints, tips and clues to the diagnostic process. Cases for discussion are available as virtual images on the precirculated DVD. In addition, practical details of the methods presented will be available on the post-meeting CD. Topics covered include: • Three benign processes readily misdiagnosed as malignancy. • How do you immunostain highly pigmented lesions? • Heart sink biopsies– what do you do when it all looks normal? • Why we don’t use Congo red. • When and how your dermatologist should biopsy alopecia.

A Taxonomy of Monopolistic Pricing

Textbooks present the three 'degrees' of price discrimination as a sequence of independent pricing methods. These textbook treatments consequently provide inadequate insight as to when a firm might adopt a particular pricing strategy. The paper describes an information-based taxonomy of price discrimination, which can be used to teach monopolistic price discrimination in an integrated way. The pricing strategy adopted by firms is based on the information on consumer demand available to it. When a market consists of more than one customer type a firm can maximise its profits by charging different types different prices. The paper proposes a method for ranking profit and efficiency levels under different price discrimination strategies. The information-based taxonomy is compared to the traditional textbook approach.

A predictive Bayesian approach to risk analysis in health care.

BackgroundThe Bayesian approach is now widely recognised as a proper framework for analysing risk in health care. However, the traditional text-book Bayesian approach is in many cases difficult to implement, as it is based on abstract concepts and modelling.MethodsThe essential points of the risk analyses conducted according to the predictive Bayesian approach are identification of observable quantities, prediction and uncertainty assessments of these quantities, using all the relevant information. The risk analysis summarizes the knowledge and lack of knowledge concerning critical operations and other activities, and give in this way a basis for making rational decisions.ResultsIt is shown that Bayesian risk analysis can be significantly simplified and made more accessible compared to the traditional text-book Bayesian approach by focusing on predictions of observable quantities and performing uncertainty assessments of these quantities using subjective probabilities.ConclusionThe predictive Bayesian approach provides a framework for ensuring quality of risk analysis. The approach acknowledges that risk cannot be adequately described and evaluated simply by reference to summarising probabilities. Risk is defined by the combination of possible consequences and associated uncertainties.

Revision aids for the intercollegiate MRCS parts 1 and 2

• www.123doc.com • www.clinicaltutor.com • www.onexamination.com • www.pastestonline.com • www.rcseng.ac.uk/exams/imrcs • www.surgical-tutor.org.uk As an adjunct to the traditional textbook and elbow grease approach to revision, trainees are increasingly using practice questions to improve their chances of passing exams. A variety of websites provide questions for surgical trainees sitting the intercollegiate exam for membership of the Royal College of Surgeons (MRCS). The MRCS exam has two written parts. The two parts concentrate on separate areas of the syllabus, but have plenty of overlap. The most obvious difference is the question format. Part 1, applied …

Effects of thematic‐based, hands‐on science teaching versus a textbook approach for students with disabilities

AbstractInstitutions of higher education, states, and local K–12 districts have been challenged to improve math and science education for our nation's students. In the past few years, there has been renewed interest in inquiry‐based, activity‐oriented instruction in science for students with disabilities. Yet, there still exists the need for further empirical evidence to support instructional improvements for students with more involved emotional and behavioral disabilities. This study describes a program in which 18 middle school students with serious emotional disturbances were instructed, over the course of 8 weeks, on “Matter” by two different instructional approaches. Students in one classroom received a traditional textbook approach to science content, whereas students in another classroom received science instruction by a hands‐on, thematic approach. Over the course of instruction, data were collected regarding students' behavior and achievement. Results indicate that, overall, students in the hands‐on instructional program performed significantly better than the students in the textbook program on two of three measures of science achievement, a hands‐on assessment and a short‐answer test. The students did not differ on a multiple‐choice format test. With regard to behavior, there were no significant differences in behavioral problems found between the two groups of students over the course of the study. Findings are discussed in relation to instructional implications for students with disabilities in the science classroom. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 42: 245–263, 2005

The Death of Science?: What We Risk in Our Rush toward Standardized Testing and the Three R'S

The authors raise an important question: Will standardized testing -- or, more accurately, the politicization of the standards movement -- snuff out the promise of methods for American education? FROM THE post-Sputnik panic of the 1960s to the landmark Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) of 1997, America's lackluster performance in education has served as a catalyst for education reform. For more than 30 years, teachers, administrators, researchers, and corporate leaders concerned about the future of instruction in America have contributed to significant improvements in curricula and instructional methodology. Today, a model of education exists that is founded on successful practice and validated by profound achievement gains. It has begun to attract the attention of school systems nationwide. Referred to in varying forms as or inquiry-based science, this approach is increasingly associated with a growing network of resource centers operating as part of or in tandem with school systems. Ironically, even as inquiry methods and resource centers stand poised to reinvigorate K-12 education in America, the national movement emphasizing reading, writing, and mathematics instruction, as measured by high-stakes standardized tests, threatens to suppress the effort to make truly revolutionary progress in education. Teachers and school administrators across the U.S. are facing enormous pressure to improve test scores in the basic skills areas. Consequently, they have been forced to reduce -- or in some cases eliminate -- the amount of class time devoted to instruction. Such measures will have a devastating long-term impact on education in America and, subsequently, on the medical, corporate, academic, and industrial sectors that rely on well-educated American students. How many of our scientists, researchers, graduate students, and entrepreneurs first found their interest in sparked by experiences in school? These very experiences are now jeopardized by the standards push in many states. With politicians, education critics, and the news media calling for basic skills accountability and with their attention fixated on improved standardized test scores, our nation's scientific future is at risk. Science Education That Works More than 35 years ago, Highline School District in Seattle began to experiment with a new way to teach in elementary school. Rather than have students passively observe while teachers talked about -- still the way is taught in more than 80% of America's K-8 schools1 -- this new system enabled the students themselves to perform ready-to-use experiments from prepackaged kits. Students learned by doing science, not by reading about in textbooks or by watching their teachers conduct demonstrations. In the Highline program, students began to explore and discover collaboratively, rather than just absorb and memorize in the isolation of their desks and texts. Students were allowed to learn over time -- preparing questions, designing experiments, organizing data, and developing conclusions as real scientists do -- rather than race through the mile-wide/inch-deep material covered in their textbooks. At this early date, the kit-based inquiry movement was born. The inquiry approach was founded on the premise that children learn actively, not passively. Students are introduced to methods and use them to engage in hands-on, minds-on activities that inspire them to discover scientific knowledge rather than being told answers by the teacher or textbook. In the inquiry model, teachers serve as guides and lead students through the experiments. Using the inquiry method, science content is covered in greater depth compared to a superficial traditional textbook approach. …

Using technology to bring abstract concepts into focus: A programming case study

TECHNOLOGY is a valuable instructional tool for teaching and learning fundamental concepts such as mathematics, reading, and writing. The teaching of advanced topics with abstract concepts can also benefit from instructional technology. For example, computer programming involves the design and development of problem-solving algorithms. Algorithms are inherently abstract ideas. The physical representation of algorithms can take on many forms (e.g., flowcharts, software, electronic voltages inside a computer) each of which is difficult to visualize and manipulate. This paper discusses a three-step implementation of an instructional technology tool and associated pedagogy to support teaching and learning programming concepts. The first step is to identify a valuable learning activity that clearly benefits conceptual understanding. We report a pencil-and-paper within-subjects experiment that demonstrates flowcharts to be valuable conceptual tools for novice programmers. The second step is to design an instructional technology tool that supports self-paced, reflective learning activity. We present theFlowchartInterpreter (FLINT), an instruction technology tool to support novice programmers. The third and final step is to develop and assess a teaching pedagogy that integrates the technology tool into the curriculum. We describe a between-subject experiment involving a treatment group utilizing the FLINT tool within an appropriate semester long pedagogy. The findings of the second experiment suggest a measurable advantage over the traditional textbook approach. We conclude with a discussion of the process and its implications for future efforts in other advanced topic disciplines.

Sludge pipeline design

The need for the design engineer to have a sound basis for designing sludge pumping and pipelining plant is becoming more critical. This paper examines both a traditional text-book approach and one of the latest approaches from the literature, and compares them with experimental data. The pipelining problem can be divided into the following main areas; rheological characterisation, laminar, transitional and turbulent flow and each is addressed in turn. Experimental data for a digested sludge tested in large pipes is analysed and compared with the two different theoretical approaches. Discussion is centred on the differences between the two methods and the degree of agreement with the data. It is concluded that the new approach has merit and can be used for practical design.

The interpretation of multiple dummy variable coefficients: an application to industry effects in wage equations

The traditional textbook approach to avoiding the dummy trap problem is to delete a category from each qualitative variable. This paper illustrates an alternative constraint which can be used to transform conventional dummy variable coefficients. This constraint serves to simplify their interpretation when the regression equation contains several qualitative variables and allows the computation of a coefficient for the deleted class. Using this constraint the intercept term can be written as the mean Y macron and the coefficients for the dummy variables are now interpreted as differences from the mean of the dependent variable rather than the deleted class. Computation of a standard error for the estimated coefficient of the deleted class is also discussed. An application to examine the importance of industry wage affiliation in explaining relative wages is presented.

The “Sunshine in South Africa” literacy project

In South Africa, most black students are expected to learn in English, their second or third language. READ Education Trust, a non-government organization, has introduced book-based programs in many schools, and trained thousands of black teachers in methods of using the books constructively. Several formal evaluations have been conducted to investigate the impact of the READ programs. In the “Sunshine in South Africa” Project, a New Zealand publisher, Wendy Pye Ltd. donated 4000 books from her “Sunshine” series to 22 schools, in six different provinces, and READ staff trained teachers of these schools in the Shared Reading methodology during short workshops. Students in Year 2 and 3 were tested at the beginning and end of 1997, and their progress under the new program was compared with that of matched control groups, who followed a traditional textbook approach. The findings showed that Year 2 students in the “Sunshine” programs improved their reading skills at twice the rate of control groups, and showed impressive gains in listening comprehension. Strong significant improvements were also found for Year 3 Sunshine pupils. READ staff are extending these programs to many new schools throughout the Republic.

Revisiting data mining: ‘hunting’ with or without a license

The primary objective of this paper is to revisit a number of empirical modelling activities which are often characterized as data mining, in an attempt to distinguish between the problematic and the non-problematic cases. The key for this distinction is provided by the notion of error-statistical severity. It is argued that many unwarranted data mining activities often arise because of inherent weaknesses in the Traditional Textbook (TT) methodology. Using the Probabilistic Reduction (PR) approach to empirical modelling, it is argued that the unwarranted cases of data mining can often be avoided by dealing directly with the weaknesses of the TT approach. Moreover, certain empirical modelling activities, such as diagnostic testing and data snooping, constitute legitimate procedures in the context of the PR approach.

Teaching the Cash Flows from Operations Section of the Statement of Cash Flows under the Indirect Method: A Conceptual Framework

Abstract Most instructors would probably agree that students struggle to understand the adjustments used in the operations section of the statement of cash flows. Part of the problem lies in the complexity of the procedures that they are taught. The traditional textbook approach mixes cash/noncash and operating/nonoperating considerations. As an alternative, this article presents the framework suggested by Statement of Financial Accounting Standards 95, which is less complex and therefore easier to.