Economic effect of applied nuclear-agricultural science in China

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ji Xiaobing; Zhou Zhihong; Zhao Shoufeng

1998-01-01

The economic effect of applied nuclear-agricultural science for 40 years in China have been summarized, analyzed and appraised. The economic regularity and features which are followed by research-development-production in the field of applied nuclear agricultural science in China are explored according to the essential characteristics of economics for input-output ratio and the itself-features of nuclear agricultural science. Some propositions for promoting the development and the economic effect of the applied nuclear-agricultural science in China are also given

Journal of Applied Sciences and Environmental Management - Vol ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Journal of Applied Sciences and Environmental Management. ... AFRICAN JOURNALS ONLINE (AJOL) · Journals · Advanced Search · USING ... Journal of Applied Sciences and Environmental Management - Vol 22, No 5 (2018) .... Growth Performance of Five Bean (Phaseolus spp) Varieties as Influenced by Organic ...

Journal of Applied Sciences and Environmental Management - Vol ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Journal of Applied Sciences and Environmental Management. ... AFRICAN JOURNALS ONLINE (AJOL) · Journals · Advanced Search · USING ... Journal of Applied Sciences and Environmental Management - Vol 22, No 4 (2018) ... Evaluating the effect of mobility speed on the performance of three handover algorithms in ...

Bayero Journal of Pure and Applied Sciences: Submissions

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Bayero Journal of Pure and Applied Sciences (BAJOPAS) is an international journal that publishes original research and critical reviews in broad areas of ... Technology, Mathematical Sciences, Microbiology, Physics and Medical Sciences.

The Fu Foundation School of Engineering & Applied Science - Columbia

Science.gov (United States)

Engineering Mechanics Computer Science Earth and Environmental Engineering Electrical Engineering Industrial Engineering & Applied Science - Columbia University Admissions Undergraduates Graduates Distance Learning Physics and Applied Mathematics Biomedical Engineering Chemical Engineering Civil Engineering and

Does Formative Assessment Improve Student Learning and Performance in Soil Science?

Science.gov (United States)

Kopittke, Peter M.; Wehr, J. Bernhard; Menzies, Neal W.

2012-01-01

Soil science students are required to apply knowledge from a range of disciplines to unfamiliar scenarios to solve complex problems. To encourage deep learning (with student performance an indicator of learning), a formative assessment exercise was introduced to a second-year soil science subject. For the formative assessment exercise, students…

Applied Mathematics, Modelling and Computational Science

CERN Document Server

Kotsireas, Ilias; Makarov, Roman; Melnik, Roderick; Shodiev, Hasan

2015-01-01

The Applied Mathematics, Modelling, and Computational Science (AMMCS) conference aims to promote interdisciplinary research and collaboration. The contributions in this volume cover the latest research in mathematical and computational sciences, modeling, and simulation as well as their applications in natural and social sciences, engineering and technology, industry, and finance. The 2013 conference, the second in a series of AMMCS meetings, was held August 26–30 and organized in cooperation with AIMS and SIAM, with support from the Fields Institute in Toronto, and Wilfrid Laurier University. There were many young scientists at AMMCS-2013, both as presenters and as organizers. This proceedings contains refereed papers contributed by the participants of the AMMCS-2013 after the conference. This volume is suitable for researchers and graduate students, mathematicians and engineers, industrialists, and anyone who would like to delve into the interdisciplinary research of applied and computational mathematics ...

NASA'S Water Resources Element Within the Applied Sciences Program

Science.gov (United States)

Toll, David; Doorn, Bradley; Engman, Edwin

2010-01-01

The NASA Applied Sciences Program works within NASA Earth sciences to leverage investment of satellite and information systems to increase the benefits to society through the widest practical use of NASA research results. Such observations provide a huge volume of valuable data in both near-real-time and extended back nearly 50 years about the Earth's land surface conditions such as land cover type, vegetation type and health, precipitation, snow, soil moisture, and water levels and radiation. Observations of this type combined with models and analysis enable satellite-based assessment of numerous water resources management activities. The primary goal of the Earth Science Applied Science Program is to improve future and current operational systems by infusing them with scientific knowledge of the Earth system gained through space-based observation, model results, and development and deployment of enabling technologies, systems, and capabilities. Water resources is one of eight elements in the Applied Sciences Program and it addresses concerns and decision making related to water quantity and water quality. With increasing population pressure and water usage coupled with climate variability and change, water issues are being reported by numerous groups as the most critical environmental problems facing us in the 21st century. Competitive uses and the prevalence of river basins and aquifers that extend across boundaries engender political tensions between communities, stakeholders and countries. Mitigating these conflicts and meeting water demands requires using existing resources more efficiently. The potential crises and conflicts arise when water is competed among multiple uses. For example, urban areas, environmental and recreational uses, agriculture, and energy production compete for scarce resources, not only in the Western U.S. but throughout much of the U.S. but also in many parts of the world. In addition to water availability issues, water quality related

Applying Landscape Science to Natural Resource Management

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Guy M. Robinson

2013-03-01

Full Text Available This is the introduction to the Ecology and Society special feature on "Applying Landscape Science to Natural Resource Management". Primarily drawing upon examples from Australia, the nine papers in the feature illustrate how landscape science seeks to integrate information from diverse sources to generate management solutions for implementation by individual land managers, communities, and governments at different levels. This introduction refers to the genesis of the feature, briefly outlines the nature and content of landscape science, and then summarizes key features of the nine papers. These are organized into two sections: one deals with inputs from human agents in the landscape, and one with the development of models enabling different management scenarios and environmental changes to be envisaged, understood, and applied to policy development.

78 FR 77502 - NASA Applied Sciences Advisory Committee Meeting

Science.gov (United States)

2013-12-23

... NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION [Notice (13-152)] NASA Applied Sciences Advisory... Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) announces a meeting of the Applied Sciences Advisory Committee.... ADDRESSES: NASA Headquarters, Room 3P40, 300 E Street SW., Washington, DC 20546. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION...

78 FR 57178 - NASA Applied Sciences Advisory Committee Meeting

Science.gov (United States)

2013-09-17

... NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION [Notice 13-115] NASA Applied Sciences Advisory... Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) announces a meeting of the Applied Sciences Advisory Committee.... ADDRESSES: NASA Headquarters, Room 1Q39, 300 E Street SW., Washington, DC 20546. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION...

Toward an Applied Administrative Science.

Science.gov (United States)

Dunbar, Roger L. M.

1983-01-01

A study of 65 articles from the 1981 volumes of "Administrative Science Quarterly" and "Harvard Business Review," using smallest space analysis, found that the few studies adopting subjective (instead of objective) approaches to analyzing organizational change were most likely to provide a basis for an applied administrative…

Office of Research Support | College of Engineering & Applied Science

Science.gov (United States)

Professor and Associate Dean for Research College of Engineering and Applied Sciences Director, Center for Academics Admission Student Life Research Schools & Colleges Libraries Athletics Centers & ; Applied Science Powerful Ideas. Proven Results. Search for: Go This site All UWM Search Site Menu Skip to

Assessment in Science Education

Science.gov (United States)

Rustaman, N. Y.

2017-09-01

An analyses study focusing on scientific reasoning literacy was conducted to strengthen the stressing on assessment in science by combining the important of the nature of science and assessment as references, higher order thinking and scientific skills in assessing science learning as well. Having background in developing science process skills test items, inquiry in its many form, scientific and STEM literacy, it is believed that inquiry based learning should first be implemented among science educators and science learners before STEM education can successfully be developed among science teachers, prospective teachers, and students at all levels. After studying thoroughly a number of science researchers through their works, a model of scientific reasoning was proposed, and also simple rubrics and some examples of the test items were introduced in this article. As it is only the beginning, further studies will still be needed in the future with the involvement of prospective science teachers who have interests in assessment, either on authentic assessment or in test items development. In balance usage of alternative assessment rubrics, as well as valid and reliable test items (standard) will be needed in accelerating STEM education in Indonesia.

Concepts in critical thinking applied to caries risk assessment in dental education.

Science.gov (United States)

Guzman-Armstrong, Sandra; Warren, John J; Cunningham-Ford, Marsha A; von Bergmann, HsingChi; Johnsen, David C

2014-06-01

Much progress has been made in the science of caries risk assessment and ways to analyze caries risk, yet dental education has seen little movement toward the development of frameworks to guide learning and assess critical thinking in caries risk assessment. In the absence of previous proactive implementation of a learning framework that takes the knowledge of caries risk and critically applies it to the patient with the succinctness demanded in the clinical setting, the purpose of this study was to develop a model learning framework that combines the science of caries risk assessment with principles of critical thinking from the education literature. This article also describes the implementation of that model at one dental school and presents some preliminary assessment data.

Applied Computational Mathematics in Social Sciences

CERN Document Server

Damaceanu, Romulus-Catalin

2010-01-01

Applied Computational Mathematics in Social Sciences adopts a modern scientific approach that combines knowledge from mathematical modeling with various aspects of social science. Special algorithms can be created to simulate an artificial society and a detailed analysis can subsequently be used to project social realities. This Ebook specifically deals with computations using the NetLogo platform, and is intended for researchers interested in advanced human geography and mathematical modeling studies.

Applying Item Response Theory methods to design a learning progression-based science assessment

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Jing

Learning progressions are used to describe how students' understanding of a topic progresses over time and to classify the progress of students into steps or levels. This study applies Item Response Theory (IRT) based methods to investigate how to design learning progression-based science assessments. The research questions of this study are: (1) how to use items in different formats to classify students into levels on the learning progression, (2) how to design a test to give good information about students' progress through the learning progression of a particular construct and (3) what characteristics of test items support their use for assessing students' levels. Data used for this study were collected from 1500 elementary and secondary school students during 2009--2010. The written assessment was developed in several formats such as the Constructed Response (CR) items, Ordered Multiple Choice (OMC) and Multiple True or False (MTF) items. The followings are the main findings from this study. The OMC, MTF and CR items might measure different components of the construct. A single construct explained most of the variance in students' performances. However, additional dimensions in terms of item format can explain certain amount of the variance in student performance. So additional dimensions need to be considered when we want to capture the differences in students' performances on different types of items targeting the understanding of the same underlying progression. Items in each item format need to be improved in certain ways to classify students more accurately into the learning progression levels. This study establishes some general steps that can be followed to design other learning progression-based tests as well. For example, first, the boundaries between levels on the IRT scale can be defined by using the means of the item thresholds across a set of good items. Second, items in multiple formats can be selected to achieve the information criterion at all

Hormesis in Regulatory risk assessment - Science and Science Policy.

Science.gov (United States)

Gray, George

2011-01-01

This brief commentary will argue that whether hormesis is considered in regulatory risk assessment is a matter less of science than of science policy. I will first discuss the distinction between science and science policy and their roles in regulatory risk assessment. Then I will focus on factors that influence science policy, especially as it relates to the conduct of risk assessments to inform regulatory decisions, with a focus on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The key questions will then be how does hormesis interact with current concepts of science and science policy for risk assessment? Finally, I look ahead to factors that may increase, or decrease, the likelihood of hormesis being incorporated into regulatory risk assessment.

Research in progress in applied mathematics, numerical analysis, and computer science

Science.gov (United States)

1990-01-01

Research conducted at the Institute in Science and Engineering in applied mathematics, numerical analysis, and computer science is summarized. The Institute conducts unclassified basic research in applied mathematics in order to extend and improve problem solving capabilities in science and engineering, particularly in aeronautics and space.

Identification of multiple intelligences for high school students in theoretical and applied science courses

Science.gov (United States)

Wiseman, D. Kim

Historically educators in the United States have used the Stanford-Binet intelligence test to measure a students' ability in logical/mathematical and linguistic domains. This measurement is being used by a society that has evolved from agrarian and industrial-based economies to what is presently labeled a technological society. As society has changed so have the educational needs of the students who will live in this technological society. This study assessed the multiple intelligences of high school students enrolled in theoretical and applied science (physics and applied physics) courses. Studies have verified that performance and outcomes of students enrolled in these courses are similar in standardized testing but instructional methodology and processes are dissimilar. Analysis of multiple intelligence profiles collected from this study found significant differences in logical/mathematical, bodily/kinesthetic and intrapersonal multiple intelligences of students in theoretical science courses compared to students in applied science courses. Those differences clearly illustrate why it is imperative for educators to expand the definition of intelligence for students entering the new millennium.

Art or Science: Operational Logistics as Applied to Op Art

Science.gov (United States)

2006-02-13

FINAL 3. DATES COVERED (From - To) 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE Art or Science : Operational Logistics as Applied to Op Art 5a. CONTRACT... Art or Science ? Operational Logistics as applied to Operational Art By Milo L. Shank Major, USMC A paper submitted to the...than just a science . Keeping Thorpe’s work in context, it was written circa World War One, before Operational Art was an established and accepted

Journal of Applied Science, Engineering and Technology: Editorial ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Focus and Scope. Journal of Applied Science Engineering and Technology accepts and publishes articles on Engineering, Physical Sciences and all fields of Technology and Biotechnology. It is published twice a year by the FACULTY OF TECHNOLOGY, UNIVERSITY OF IBADAN, IBADAN, NIGERIA. The journal covers ...

International Journal of Natural and Applied Sciences

African Journals Online (AJOL)

International Journal of Natural and Applied Sciences. ... PROMOTING ACCESS TO AFRICAN RESEARCH. AFRICAN JOURNALS ONLINE ... The journal is designed for academics, scholars, advanced students and reflective practitioners.

JASSA: Journal of Applied Science in Southern Africa

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The Journal of Applied Science in Southern Africa (JASSA), aims to publish each issue six to ten original research papers. It is multi-disciplinary in approach specializing in publishing results of applied research considered important to the region.

Metrics and Agricultural Science - measuring Multidisciplinary and Applied Research

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Holt, I.

2016-07-01

If we focus on the agricultural field, we see a kaleidoscopic picture. Agriculture includes a wide variety of economic activities, ranging from crop husbandry to cattle breeding and industrial processing of non-food products. It is often used in a broad sense to include for example forestry, aquaculture and fisheries. Agricultural sciences use methods from a wide variety of disciplines ranging from sociology to genomics. Although agricultural sciences are applied sciences there is a gamut from more fundamental studies to understand underlying processes to applied work to produce results that can be used directly in agricultural practice. (Author)

Research Centers & Consortia | College of Engineering & Applied Science

Science.gov (United States)

Academics Admission Student Life Research Schools & Colleges Libraries Athletics Centers & ; Applied Science Powerful Ideas. Proven Results. Search for: Go This site All UWM Search Site Menu Skip to content Academics Undergraduate Programs Majors Minors Integrated Bachelor/Master Degree Applied Computing

Journal of Applied Sciences and Environmental Management ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Journal of Applied Sciences and Environmental Management. ... Types Of Contributions. Original research papers; review articles; case studies and short communications. 3. Copyright ... Example: Chukwu, M; Olusegun, AW; Mohammed, SSD.

Speaking of food: connecting basic and applied plant science.

Science.gov (United States)

Gross, Briana L; Kellogg, Elizabeth A; Miller, Allison J

2014-10-01

The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) predicts that food production must rise 70% over the next 40 years to meet the demands of a growing population that is expected to reach nine billion by the year 2050. Many facets of basic plant science promoted by the Botanical Society of America are important for agriculture; however, more explicit connections are needed to bridge the gap between basic and applied plant research. This special issue, Speaking of Food: Connecting Basic and Applied Plant Science, was conceived to showcase productive overlaps of basic and applied research to address the challenges posed by feeding billions of people and to stimulate more research, fresh connections, and new paradigms. Contributions to this special issue thus illustrate some interactive areas of study in plant science-historical and modern plant-human interaction, crop and weed origins and evolution, and the effects of natural and artificial selection on crops and their wild relatives. These papers provide examples of how research integrating the basic and applied aspects of plant science benefits the pursuit of knowledge and the translation of that knowledge into actions toward sustainable production of crops and conservation of diversity in a changing climate. © 2014 Botanical Society of America, Inc.

Research in Applied Mathematics, Fluid Mechanics and Computer Science

Science.gov (United States)

1999-01-01

This report summarizes research conducted at the Institute for Computer Applications in Science and Engineering in applied mathematics, fluid mechanics, and computer science during the period October 1, 1998 through March 31, 1999.

Nigerian Journal of Basic and Applied Sciences: Editorial Policies

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The Nigerian Journal of Basic and Applied Sciences is a biannual journal ... S.A. Isezuo, College of Health Sciences, UsmanuDanfodiyo University, Sokoto, ... of Mathematics, Statistics Unit, UsmanuDanfodiyo University, Sokoto, Nigeria. 7.

Basic and Applied Science Research at the Los Alamos Neutron Science Center

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lisowski, Paul W.

2005-01-01

The Los Alamos Neutron Science Center, or LANSCE, is an accelerator-based national user facility for research in basic and applied science using four experimental areas. LANSCE has two areas that provide neutrons generated by the 800-MeV proton beam striking tungsten target systems. A third area uses the proton beam for radiography. The fourth area uses 100 MeV protons to produce medical radioisotopes. This paper describes the four LANSCE experimental areas, gives nuclear science highlights of the past operating period, and discusses plans for the future

Journal of Applied Sciences and Environmental Management

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Journal of Applied Sciences and Environmental Management. ... Impacts of Organic Wastes on Water Quality of Woji Creek in Port Harcourt, Nigeria ... of Old Netim Village in Akamkpa Local Government Area of Cross River State, Nigeria ...

Power to the People! Meta-algorithmic modelling in applied data science

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Spruit, M.; Jagesar, R.

2016-01-01

This position paper first defines the research field of applied data science at the intersection of domain expertise, data mining, and engineering capabilities, with particular attention to analytical applications. We then propose a meta-algorithmic approach for applied data science with societal

Assessing Ethics in Secondary Science

Science.gov (United States)

Reiss, Michael J.

2011-01-01

An increasing number of science courses now include consideration of the ethical implications of science. However, there is little agreement about how ethical reasoning in science should be assessed. This article highlights the conclusions of a seminar on the assessment of ethics in science that was organized by the Nuffield Foundation Curriculum…

“Which Child Left Behind”: Historical Issues Regarding Equity in Science Assessment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

J. Joy Cumming

2013-08-01

Full Text Available Assessment of learning plays a dominant role in formal education in the forms of determining features of curriculum that are emphasized, pedagogic methods that teachers use with their students, and parents’ and employers’ understanding of how well students have performed. A common perception is that fair assessment applies the same mode of assessment and content focus for all students—the approach of assessments in international comparative studies of science achievement. This article examines research evidence demonstrating that the act of assessment is not neutral—different forms of assessment advantage or disadvantage groups of students on the basis of family backgrounds, gender, race, or disability. Assessment that implicitly or explicitly captures the social capital of the child serves to consolidate, not address, educational equity. The article provides an overview of ways that science curriculum focus and assessment can introduce bias in the identification of student achievement. It examines the effect of changes to curriculum and assessment approaches in science, and relationships between assessment of science and the cultural context of the student. Recommendations are provided for science–assessment research to address bias for different groups of students.

Physical sciences and engineering advances in life sciences and oncology a WTEC global assessment

CERN Document Server

Fletcher, Daniel; Gerecht, Sharon; Levine, Ross; Mallick, Parag; McCarty, Owen; Munn, Lance; Reinhart-King, Cynthia

2016-01-01

This book presents an Assessment of Physical Sciences and Engineering Advances in Life Sciences and Oncology (APHELION) by a panel of experts. It covers the status and trends of applying physical sciences and engineering principles to oncology research in leading laboratories and organizations in Europe and Asia. The book elaborates on the six topics identified by the panel that have the greatest potential to advance understanding and treatment of cancer, each covered by a chapter in the book. The study was sponsored by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) at the National Institute of Health (NIH), the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering at the NIH in the US under a cooperative agreement with the World Technology Evaluation Center (WTEC).

Applied Statistics for the Social and Health Sciences

CERN Document Server

Gordon, Rachel A A

2012-01-01

Applied Statistics for the Social and Health Sciences provides graduate students in the social and health sciences with the basic skills that they need to estimate, interpret, present, and publish statistical models using contemporary standards. The book targets the social and health science branches such as human development, public health, sociology, psychology, education, and social work in which students bring a wide range of mathematical skills and have a wide range of methodological affinities. For these students, a successful course in statistics will not only offer statistical content

Valid and Reliable Science Content Assessments for Science Teachers

Science.gov (United States)

Tretter, Thomas R.; Brown, Sherri L.; Bush, William S.; Saderholm, Jon C.; Holmes, Vicki-Lynn

2013-01-01

Science teachers' content knowledge is an important influence on student learning, highlighting an ongoing need for programs, and assessments of those programs, designed to support teacher learning of science. Valid and reliable assessments of teacher science knowledge are needed for direct measurement of this crucial variable. This paper…

Applied Behavior Analysis Is a Science And, Therefore, Progressive

Science.gov (United States)

Leaf, Justin B.; Leaf, Ronald; McEachin, John; Taubman, Mitchell; Ala'i-Rosales, Shahla; Ross, Robert K.; Smith, Tristram; Weiss, Mary Jane

2016-01-01

Applied behavior analysis (ABA) is a science and, therefore, involves progressive approaches and outcomes. In this commentary we argue that the spirit and the method of science should be maintained in order to avoid reductionist procedures, stifled innovation, and rote, unresponsive protocols that become increasingly removed from meaningful…

[Research activities in applied mathematics, fluid mechanics, and computer science

Science.gov (United States)

1995-01-01

This report summarizes research conducted at the Institute for Computer Applications in Science and Engineering in applied mathematics, fluid mechanics, and computer science during the period April 1, 1995 through September 30, 1995.

Journal of Applied Sciences and Environmental Management - Vol ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Journal of Applied Sciences and Environmental Management. ... PROMOTING ACCESS TO AFRICAN RESEARCH .... microbiological examination of hand-dug wells, boreholes and public water sources in selected areas of Ibadan, Nigeria ...

Journal of Applied Sciences and Environmental Management - Vol ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Journal of Applied Sciences and Environmental Management. ... Mercury in Aquatic Systems of the Gulf Islands National Seashore, Southeastern ... and Chemical Remediation on Agricultural Soil Properties and Crop Growth · EMAIL FREE ...

The Lived Experience of Applied Science Graduates Who Complete the Applied Baccalaureate

Science.gov (United States)

Kujawa, Tricia A.

2012-01-01

The enrollment and transfer behaviors of college students are diverse. As a result college students travel various pathways to the baccalaureate degree. The purpose of this qualitative study was to better understand the lived experience of students who entered higher education through an associate of applied science (AAS) program and then…

Implementing an Applied Science Program

Science.gov (United States)

Rickman, Doug; Presson, Joan

2007-01-01

The work implied in the NASA Applied Science Program requires a delicate balancing act for the those doing it. At the implementation level there are multiple tensions intrinsic to the program. For example each application of an existing product to a decision support process requires deep knowledge about the data and deep knowledge about the decision making process. It is highly probable no one person has this range of knowledge. Otherwise the decision making process would already be using the data. Therefore, a team is required. But building a team usually requires time, especially across agencies. Yet the program mandates efforts of relatively short duration. Further, those who know the data are scientists, which makes them essential to the program. But scientists are evaluated on their publication record. Anything which diverts a scientist from the research for his next publication is an anathema to him and potential death to their career. Trying to get another agency to use NASA data does not strike most scientists as material inherently suitable for publication. Also, NASA wishes to rapidly implement often substantial changes to another agency's process. For many reasons, such as budget and program constraints, speed is important. But the owner of a decision making process is tightly constrained, usually by law, regulation, organization and custom. Changes when made are slow, cautious, even hesitant, and always done according a process specific to the situation. To manage this work MSFC must balance these and other tensions. Some things we have relatively little control over, such as budget. These we try to handle by structural techniques. For example by insisting all of our people work on multiple projects simultaneously we inherently have diversification of funding for all of our people. In many cases we explicitly use some elements of tension to be productive. For example the need for the scientists to constantly publish is motivation to keep tasks short and

Applying behavior-analytic methodology to the science and practice of environmental enrichment in zoos and aquariums.

Science.gov (United States)

Alligood, Christina A; Dorey, Nicole R; Mehrkam, Lindsay R; Leighty, Katherine A

2017-05-01

Environmental enrichment in zoos and aquariums is often evaluated at two overlapping levels: published research and day-to-day institutional record keeping. Several authors have discussed ongoing challenges with small sample sizes in between-groups zoological research and have cautioned against the inappropriate use of inferential statistics (Shepherdson, , International Zoo Yearbook, 38, 118-124; Shepherdson, Lewis, Carlstead, Bauman, & Perrin, Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 147, 298-277; Swaisgood, , Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 102, 139-162; Swaisgood & Shepherdson, , Zoo Biology, 24, 499-518). Multi-institutional studies are the typically-prescribed solution, but these are expensive and difficult to carry out. Kuhar ( Zoo Biology, 25, 339-352) provided a reminder that inferential statistics are only necessary when one wishes to draw general conclusions at the population level. Because welfare is assessed at the level of the individual animal, we argue that evaluations of enrichment efficacy are often instances in which inferential statistics may be neither necessary nor appropriate. In recent years, there have been calls for the application of behavior-analytic techniques to zoo animal behavior management, including environmental enrichment (e.g., Bloomsmith, Marr, & Maple, , Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 102, 205-222; Tarou & Bashaw, , Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 102, 189-204). Single-subject (also called single-case, or small-n) designs provide a means of designing evaluations of enrichment efficacy based on an individual's behavior. We discuss how these designs might apply to research and practice goals at zoos and aquariums, contrast them with standard practices in the field, and give examples of how each could be successfully applied in a zoo or aquarium setting. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Promoting Prospective Elementary Teachers' Learning to Use Formative Assessment for Life Science Instruction

Science.gov (United States)

Sabel, Jaime L.; Forbes, Cory T.; Zangori, Laura

2015-06-01

To support elementary students' learning of core, standards-based life science concepts highlighted in the Next Generation Science Standards, prospective elementary teachers should develop an understanding of life science concepts and learn to apply their content knowledge in instructional practice to craft elementary science learning environments grounded in students' thinking. To do so, teachers must learn to use high-leverage instructional practices, such as formative assessment, to engage students in scientific practices and connect instruction to students' ideas. However, teachers may not understand formative assessment or possess sufficient science content knowledge to effectively engage in related instructional practices. To address these needs, we developed and conducted research within an innovative course for preservice elementary teachers built upon two pillars—life science concepts and formative assessment. An embedded mixed methods study was used to evaluate the effect of the intervention on preservice teachers' (n = 49) content knowledge and ability to engage in formative assessment practices for science. Findings showed that increased life content knowledge over the semester helped preservice teachers engage more productively in anticipating and evaluating students' ideas, but not in identifying effective instructional strategies to respond to those ideas.

Students Explaining Science--Assessment of Science Communication Competence

Science.gov (United States)

Kulgemeyer, Christoph; Schecker, Horst

2013-01-01

Science communication competence (SCC) is an important educational goal in the school science curricula of several countries. However, there is a lack of research about the structure and the assessment of SCC. This paper specifies the theoretical framework of SCC by a competence model. We developed a qualitative assessment method for SCC that is…

Global Conference on Applied Computing in Science and Engineering

CERN Document Server

2016-01-01

The Global Conference on Applied Computing in Science and Engineering is organized by academics and researchers belonging to different scientific areas of the C3i/Polytechnic Institute of Portalegre (Portugal) and the University of Extremadura (Spain) with the technical support of ScienceKnow Conferences. The event has the objective of creating an international forum for academics, researchers and scientists from worldwide to discuss worldwide results and proposals regarding to the soundest issues related to Applied Computing in Science and Engineering. This event will include the participation of renowned keynote speakers, oral presentations, posters sessions and technical conferences related to the topics dealt with in the Scientific Program as well as an attractive social and cultural program. The papers will be published in the Proceedings e-books. The proceedings of the conference will be sent to possible indexing on Thomson Reuters (selective by Thomson Reuters, not all-inclusive) and Google Scholar...

Research in applied mathematics, numerical analysis, and computer science

Science.gov (United States)

1984-01-01

Research conducted at the Institute for Computer Applications in Science and Engineering (ICASE) in applied mathematics, numerical analysis, and computer science is summarized and abstracts of published reports are presented. The major categories of the ICASE research program are: (1) numerical methods, with particular emphasis on the development and analysis of basic numerical algorithms; (2) control and parameter identification; (3) computational problems in engineering and the physical sciences, particularly fluid dynamics, acoustics, and structural analysis; and (4) computer systems and software, especially vector and parallel computers.

Welding As Science: Applying Basic Engineering Principles to the Discipline

Science.gov (United States)

Nunes, A. C., Jr.

2010-01-01

This Technical Memorandum provides sample problems illustrating ways in which basic engineering science has been applied to the discipline of welding. Perhaps inferences may be drawn regarding optimal approaches to particular welding problems, as well as for the optimal education for welding engineers. Perhaps also some readers may be attracted to the science(s) of welding and may make worthwhile contributions to the discipline.

International Conference on Applied Mathematics, Modeling and Computational Science & Annual meeting of the Canadian Applied and Industrial Mathematics

CERN Document Server

Bélair, Jacques; Kunze, Herb; Makarov, Roman; Melnik, Roderick; Spiteri, Raymond J

2016-01-01

Focusing on five main groups of interdisciplinary problems, this book covers a wide range of topics in mathematical modeling, computational science and applied mathematics. It presents a wealth of new results in the development of modeling theories and methods, advancing diverse areas of applications and promoting interdisciplinary interactions between mathematicians, scientists, engineers and representatives from other disciplines. The book offers a valuable source of methods, ideas, and tools developed for a variety of disciplines, including the natural and social sciences, medicine, engineering, and technology. Original results are presented on both the fundamental and applied level, accompanied by an ample number of real-world problems and examples emphasizing the interdisciplinary nature and universality of mathematical modeling, and providing an excellent outline of today’s challenges. Mathematical modeling, with applied and computational methods and tools, plays a fundamental role in modern science a...

Students' Perceptions of an Applied Research Experience in an Undergraduate Exercise Science Course.

Science.gov (United States)

Pearson, Regis C; Crandall, K Jason; Dispennette, Kathryn; Maples, Jill M

2017-01-01

Applied research experiences can provide numerous benefits to undergraduate students, however few studies have assessed the perceptions of Exercise Science (EXS) students to an applied research experience. The purpose of this study was two-fold: 1) to describe the rationale and implementation of an applied research experience into an EXS curriculum and 2) to evaluate EXS undergraduate students' perceptions of an applied research experience. An EXS measurement course was chosen for implementation of an applied research experience. The applied research experience required groups of students to design, implement, and evaluate a student-led research project. Fourteen questions were constructed, tailored to EXS undergraduate students, to assess students' perceptions of the experience. Qualitative analysis was used for all applicable data, with repeated trends noted; quantitative data were collapsed to determine frequencies. There was an overall positive student perception of the experience and 85.7% of students agreed an applied research experience should be continued. 84.7% of students perceived the experience as educationally enriching, while 92.8% reported the experience was academically challenging. This experience allowed students to develop comprehensive solutions to problems that arose throughout the semester; while facilitating communication, collaboration, and problem solving. Students believed research experiences were beneficial, but could be time consuming when paired with other responsibilities. Results suggest an applied research experience has the potential to help further the development of EXS undergraduate students. Understanding student perceptions of an applied research experience may prove useful to faculty interested in engaging students in the research process.

Ciencia básica y ciencia aplicada Basic science and applied science

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ruy Pérez-Tamayo

2001-08-01

://www.insp.mx/salud/index.htmlA lecture was presented by the author at the Democratic Opinion Forum on Health Teaching and Research, organized by Mexico´s National Health Institutes Coordinating Office, at National Cardiology Institute "Ignacio Chavez", where he presented a critical review of the conventional classification of basic and applied science, as well as his personal view on health science teaching and research. According to the author, "well-conducted science" is that "generating reality-checked knowledge" and "mis-conducted science" is that "unproductive or producing 'just lies' and 'non-fundable'. To support his views, the author reviews utilitarian and pejorative definitions of science, as well as those of committed and pure science, useful and useless science, and practical and esoterical science, as synonyms of applied and basic science. He also asserts that, in Mexico, "this classification has been used in the past to justify federal funding cutbacks to basic science, allegedly because it is not targeted at solving 'national problems' or because it was not relevant to priorities set in a given six-year political administration period". Regarding health education and research, the author asserts that the current academic programs are inefficient and ineffective; his proposal to tackle these problems is to carry out a solid scientific study, conducted by a multidisciplinary team of experts, "to design the scientific researcher curricula from recruitment of intelligent young people to retirement or death". Performance assessment of researchers would not be restricted to publication of papers, since "the quality of scientific work and contribution to the development of science is not reflected by the number of published papers". The English version of this paper is available at: http://www.insp.mx/salud/index.html

Recent progress and modern challenges in applied mathematics, modeling and computational science

CERN Document Server

Makarov, Roman; Belair, Jacques

2017-01-01

This volume is an excellent resource for professionals in various areas of applications of mathematics, modeling, and computational science. It focuses on recent progress and modern challenges in these areas. The volume provides a balance between fundamental theoretical and applied developments, emphasizing the interdisciplinary nature of modern trends and detailing state-of-the-art achievements in Applied Mathematics, Modeling, and Computational Science.  The chapters have been authored by international experts in their respective fields, making this book ideal for researchers in academia, practitioners, and graduate students. It can also serve as a reference in the diverse selected areas of applied mathematics, modelling, and computational sciences, and is ideal for interdisciplinary collaborations.

Teaching and Learning Methodologies Supported by ICT Applied in Computer Science

Science.gov (United States)

Capacho, Jose

2016-01-01

The main objective of this paper is to show a set of new methodologies applied in the teaching of Computer Science using ICT. The methodologies are framed in the conceptual basis of the following sciences: Psychology, Education and Computer Science. The theoretical framework of the research is supported by Behavioral Theory, Gestalt Theory.…

Reinforcement of qualitative risk assessment proposals from computer science

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Friedlhuber, T.; Hibti, M.; Rauzy, A.

2013-01-01

During the last decade a lot of research has been made to evaluate concepts and methos of quantitative risk assessment in order to predict hazards more precisely. Nevertheless, the occurrence of new catastrophes like the Indonesian Tsunami in 2004, the Deepwater Horizon accident in 2010 or recently the Fukushima accidents in 2011 raise the question whether we may underestimate some natural limits of annotative risk assessment or even mistake its significance. Especially in the case of very unlikely events, in combination with uncertainty and severe consequences, may be we would do better to concentrate more on understanding risk than on calculating probability values. In this paper we apply progresses, made in the field of computer science, to tools and modelling concepts used in risk assessment. Regarding computer science, we point out now concepts, that may improve the quality of risk models and the process of model engineering. The goal is to reinforce the importance of qualitative risk assessment with the help of sophisticated tools and modelling. Qualitative risk assessment aims to understand risk and therefore reflects the initial idea of risk assessment. Risk understanding requires understanding systems and relations of components. It is fundamental to comprehend the meaning of components in fault- and event trees, to retrace all applied modifications and to highlight critical aspects. It is important how PSA models are visualized, documented, navigated, how results are presented and how model maintenance, integration and version control are performed. Also, the conjoint usage of different type of models (for example PSA models together with event sequence diagrams) can contribute to quality assurance. We present new concepts for various kind of problems. (author)

Applying principles from safety science to improve child protection.

Science.gov (United States)

Cull, Michael J; Rzepnicki, Tina L; O'Day, Kathryn; Epstein, Richard A

2013-01-01

Child Protective Services Agencies (CPSAs) share many characteristics with other organizations operating in high-risk, high-profile industries. Over the past 50 years, industries as diverse as aviation, nuclear power, and healthcare have applied principles from safety science to improve practice. The current paper describes the rationale, characteristics, and challenges of applying concepts from the safety culture literature to CPSAs. Preliminary efforts to apply key principles aimed at improving child safety and well-being in two states are also presented.

Instrumentation for Scientific Computing in Neural Networks, Information Science, Artificial Intelligence, and Applied Mathematics.

Science.gov (United States)

1987-10-01

include Security Classification) Instrumentation for scientific computing in neural networks, information science, artificial intelligence, and...instrumentation grant to purchase equipment for support of research in neural networks, information science, artificail intellignece , and applied mathematics...in Neural Networks, Information Science, Artificial Intelligence, and Applied Mathematics Contract AFOSR 86-0282 Principal Investigator: Stephen

Assessment Strategies for Implementing Ngss in K12 Earth System Science Classrooms

Science.gov (United States)

McAuliffe, C.

2016-12-01

Several science education researchers have led assessment efforts that provide strategies particularly useful for evaluating the threedimensional learning that is central to NGSS (DeBarger, A. H., Penuel, W. R., Harris, C. J., Kennedy, C. K., 2016; Knight, A. M. & McNeill, K. L., 2015; McNeill, K. L., KatshSinger, R. & Pelletier, P., 2015; McNeill K.L., et.al., 2015; McNeill, K.L., & Krajcik, J.S., 2011; Penuel, W., 2016). One of the basic premises of these researchers is that, "Assessment is a practice of argument from evidence based on what students say, do, and write" and that "the classroom is the richest place to gather evidence of what students know (Penuel, W., 2016). The implementation of the NGSS in Earth System Science provides a unique opportunity for geoscience education researchers to study student learning and contribute to the development of this research as well as for geoscience educators to apply these approaches and strategies in their own work with K12 inservice and preservice educators. DeBarger, A. H., Penuel, W. R., Harris, C. J., Kennedy, C. K. (2016). Building an Assessment Argument to Design and Use Next Generation Science Assessments in Efficacy Studies of Curriculum Interventions. American†Journal†of†Evaluation†37(2) 174192Æ Knight, A. M. & McNeill, K. L. (2015). Comparing students' individual written and collaborative oral socioscientific arguments. International Journal of Environmental and Science Education.10(5), 23647. McNeill, K. L., KatshSinger, R. & Pelletier, P. (2015). Assessing science practices-Moving your class along a continuum. Science Scope. McNeill, K.L., & Krajcik, J.S. (2011). Supporting Grade 5-8 Students in Constructing Explanations in Science: The Claim, Evidence, and Reasoning Framework for Talk and Writing. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Pearson. Penuel, W. (2016). Classroom Assessment Strategies for NGSS Earth and Space Sciences. Implementing†the†NGSS†Webinar†Series, February 11, 2016.

Students Explaining Science—Assessment of Science Communication Competence

Science.gov (United States)

Kulgemeyer, Christoph; Schecker, Horst

2013-12-01

Science communication competence (SCC) is an important educational goal in the school science curricula of several countries. However, there is a lack of research about the structure and the assessment of SCC. This paper specifies the theoretical framework of SCC by a competence model. We developed a qualitative assessment method for SCC that is based on an expert-novice dialog: an older student (explainer, expert) explains a physics phenomenon to a younger peer (addressee, novice) in a controlled test setting. The explanations are video-recorded and analysed by qualitative content analysis. The method was applied in a study with 46 secondary school students as explainers. Our aims were (a) to evaluate whether our model covers the relevant features of SCC, (b) to validate the assessment method and (c) to find characteristics of addressee-adequate explanations. A performance index was calculated to quantify the explainers' levels of competence on an ordinal scale. We present qualitative and quantitative evidence that the index is adequate for assessment purposes. It correlates with results from a written SCC test and a perspective taking test (convergent validity). Addressee-adequate explanations can be characterized by use of graphical representations and deliberate switches between scientific and everyday language.

Behaviour Centred Design: towards an applied science of behaviour change.

Science.gov (United States)

Aunger, Robert; Curtis, Valerie

2016-12-01

Behaviour change has become a hot topic. We describe a new approach, Behaviour Centred Design (BCD), which encompasses a theory of change, a suite of behavioural determinants and a programme design process. The theory of change is generic, assuming that successful interventions must create a cascade of effects via environments, through brains, to behaviour and hence to the desired impact, such as improved health. Changes in behaviour are viewed as the consequence of a reinforcement learning process involving the targeting of evolved motives and changes to behaviour settings, and are produced by three types of behavioural control mechanism (automatic, motivated and executive). The implications are that interventions must create surprise, revalue behaviour and disrupt performance in target behaviour settings. We then describe a sequence of five steps required to design an intervention to change specific behaviours: Assess, Build, Create, Deliver and Evaluate. The BCD approach has been shown to change hygiene, nutrition and exercise-related behaviours and has the advantages of being applicable to product, service or institutional design, as well as being able to incorporate future developments in behaviour science. We therefore argue that BCD can become the foundation for an applied science of behaviour change.

PREFACE: International Conference on Applied Sciences 2015 (ICAS2015)

Science.gov (United States)

Lemle, Ludovic Dan; Jiang, Yiwen

2016-02-01

The International Conference on Applied Sciences ICAS2015 took place in Wuhan, China on June 3-5, 2015 at the Military Economics Academy of Wuhan. The conference is regularly organized, alternatively in Romania and in P.R. China, by Politehnica University of Timişoara, Romania, and Military Economics Academy of Wuhan, P.R. China, with the joint aims to serve as a platform for exchange of information between various areas of applied sciences, and to promote the communication between the scientists of different nations, countries and continents. The topics of the conference cover a comprehensive spectrum of issues from: >Economical Sciences and Defense: Management Sciences, Business Management, Financial Management, Logistics, Human Resources, Crisis Management, Risk Management, Quality Control, Analysis and Prediction, Government Expenditure, Computational Methods in Economics, Military Sciences, National Security, and others... >Fundamental Sciences and Engineering: Interdisciplinary applications of physics, Numerical approximation and analysis, Computational Methods in Engineering, Metallic Materials, Composite Materials, Metal Alloys, Metallurgy, Heat Transfer, Mechanical Engineering, Mechatronics, Reliability, Electrical Engineering, Circuits and Systems, Signal Processing, Software Engineering, Data Bases, Modeling and Simulation, and others... The conference gathered qualified researchers whose expertise can be used to develop new engineering knowledge that has applicability potential in Engineering, Economics, Defense, etc. The number of participants was 120 from 11 countries (China, Romania, Taiwan, Korea, Denmark, France, Italy, Spain, USA, Jamaica, and Bosnia and Herzegovina). During the three days of the conference four invited and 67 oral talks were delivered. Based on the work presented at the conference, 38 selected papers have been included in this volume of IOP Conference Series: Materials Science and Engineering. These papers present new research

Applying Computational Scoring Functions to Assess Biomolecular Interactions in Food Science: Applications to the Estrogen Receptors

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Francesca Spyrakis

2016-10-01

Thus, key computational medicinal chemistry methods like molecular dynamics can be used to decipher protein flexibility and to obtain stable models for docking and scoring in food-related studies, and virtual screening is increasingly being applied to identify molecules with potential to act as endocrine disruptors, food mycotoxins, and new nutraceuticals [3,4,5]. All of these methods and simulations are based on protein-ligand interaction phenomena, and represent the basis for any subsequent modification of the targeted receptor's or enzyme's physiological activity. We describe here the energetics of binding of biological complexes, providing a survey of the most common and successful algorithms used in evaluating these energetics, and we report case studies in which computational techniques have been applied to food science issues. In particular, we explore a handful of studies involving the estrogen receptors for which we have a long-term interest.

Life Science Start-up Activities at the Universities of Applied Sciences (UAS).

Science.gov (United States)

Huber, Gerda

2014-12-01

The universities of applied sciences (UAS) provide several values for the society and economy of a country. Besides education of high level professionals, transfer of knowledge from research to applications in industry or as new start-up companies is an important task. This is done in different ways in the various disciplines. In Life Sciences, a key industry branch in Switzerland, innovation is a competitive success factor and research findings from UAS/Life Sciences contribute to the valorization of new technologies to products, services and to business performance. In order to foster awareness for the innovation need of industry, UAS install processes and support for transfer of research and technology results to marketable applications. Furthermore they may facilitate contacts of researchers and students with entrepreneurs in order to animate start-up founding as a true alternative to being employed. Access to coaching and entrepreneurial training completes the essential basis.

Exploring alternative assessment strategies in science classrooms

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Michèle Stears

2010-01-01

Full Text Available The knowledge children bring to the classroom or construct in the classroom may find expression in a variety of activities and is often not measurable with the traditional assessment instruments used in science classrooms. Different approaches to assessment are required to accommodate the various ways in which learners construct knowledge in social settings. In our research we attempted to determine the types of outcomes achieved in a Grade 6 classroom where alternative strategies such as interactive assessments were implemented. Analyses of these outcomes show that the learners learned much more than the tests indicate, although what they learnt was not necessarily science. The implications for assessment are clear: strategies that assess knowledge of science concepts, as well as assessment of outcomes other than science outcomes, are required if we wish to gain a holistic understanding of the learning that occurs in science classrooms.

View of Nature of Science (VNOS Form B: An Instrument for Assessing Preservice Teachers View of Nature of Science at Borneo University Tarakan

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Listiani Listiani

2017-03-01

Full Text Available NOS form B is an instrument that has been developed and revised to assess the view of nature of science of preservice science teachers through nature of science aspects.Indeed, students and teachers have to have the view of nature of science to avoid misconceptions of science concepts. Unfortunately, research on the view of Nature of Science is less conducted in Indonesia. This is a qualitative research that was conducted in Borneo University Tarakan. Respondents are preservice biology teachers in the sixth semester. The first step of this research is translating and adapting the VNOS form B into Bahasa Indonesia to make sure that the instrument is culturally fit to Indonesian and the transadapted instrument then given to the respondents. The result shows that the VNOS form B can be applied to assess the view of nature of science of preservice biology teachers. However, the result also shows that most of preservice biology teachers have few understanding on aspects of nature of scince.

34 CFR 637.4 - What definitions apply to the Minority Science and Engineering Improvement Program?

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 34 Education 3 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false What definitions apply to the Minority Science and... Education (Continued) OFFICE OF POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION, DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION MINORITY SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM General § 637.4 What definitions apply to the Minority Science and Engineering...

34 CFR 637.3 - What regulations apply to the Minority Science and Engineering Improvement Program?

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 34 Education 3 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false What regulations apply to the Minority Science and... Education (Continued) OFFICE OF POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION, DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION MINORITY SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM General § 637.3 What regulations apply to the Minority Science and Engineering...

International Conference on Applied Sciences (ICAS2013)

Science.gov (United States)

Lemle, Ludovic Dan; Jiang, Yiwen

2014-03-01

The International Conference on Applied Sciences (ICAS2013) took place in Wuhan, P R China from 26-27 October 2013 at the Military Economics Academy. The conference is regularly organized, alternately in Romania and in P R China, by ''Politehnica'' University of Timişoara, Romania, and Military Economics Academy of Wuhan, P R China, with the aim to serve as a platform for the exchange of information between various areas of applied sciences, and to promote the communication between the scientists of different nations, countries and continents. The conference has been organized for the first time in 15-16 June 2012 at the Engineering Faculty of Hunedoara, Romania. The topics of the conference covered a comprehensive spectrum of issues: Economical sciences Engineering sciences Fundamental sciences Medical sciences The conference gathered qualified researchers whose expertise can be used to develop new engineering knowledge that has applicability potential in economics, defense, medicine, etc. The number of registered participants was nearly 90 from 5 countries. During the two days of the conference 4 invited and 36 oral talks were delivered. A few of the speakers deserve a special mention: Mircea Octavian Popoviciu, Academy of Romanian Scientist — Timişoara Branch, Correlations between mechanical properties and cavitation erosion resistance for stainless steels with 12% chromium and variable contents of nickel; Carmen Eleonora Hărău, ''Politehnica'' University of Timişoara, SWOT analysis of Romania's integration in EU; Ding Hui, Military Economics Academy of Wuhan, Design and engineering analysis of material procurement mobile operation platform; Serban Rosu, University of Medicine and Pharmacy ''Victor Babeş'' Timişoara, Cervical and facial infections — a real life threat, among others. Based on the work presented at the conference, 14 selected papers are included in this volume of IOP Conference Series: Materials Science and Engineering. These papers

International Conference on Applied Sciences (ICAS2013)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lemle, Ludovic Dan; Jiang, Yiwen

2014-01-01

The International Conference on Applied Sciences (ICAS2013) took place in Wuhan, P R China from 26–27 October 2013 at the Military Economics Academy. The conference is regularly organized, alternately in Romania and in P R China, by ''Politehnica'' University of Timişoara, Romania, and Military Economics Academy of Wuhan, P R China, with the aim to serve as a platform for the exchange of information between various areas of applied sciences, and to promote the communication between the scientists of different nations, countries and continents. The conference has been organized for the first time in 15–16 June 2012 at the Engineering Faculty of Hunedoara, Romania. The topics of the conference covered a comprehensive spectrum of issues: 1. Economical sciences; 2. Engineering sciences; 3. Fundamental sciences; 4. Medical sciences; The conference gathered qualified researchers whose expertise can be used to develop new engineering knowledge that has applicability potential in economics, defense, medicine, etc. The number of registered participants was nearly 90 from 5 countries. During the two days of the conference 4 invited and 36 oral talks were delivered. A few of the speakers deserve a special mention: Mircea Octavian Popoviciu, Academy of Romanian Scientist — Timişoara Branch, Correlations between mechanical properties and cavitation erosion resistance for stainless steels with 12% chromium and variable contents of nickel; Carmen Eleonora Hărău, ''Politehnica'' University of Timişoara, SWOT analysis of Romania's integration in EU; Ding Hui, Military Economics Academy of Wuhan, Design and engineering analysis of material procurement mobile operation platform; Serban Rosu, University of Medicine and Pharmacy ''Victor Babeş'' Timişoara, Cervical and facial infections — a real life threat, among others. Based on the work presented at the conference, 14 selected papers are included in this

Need Assessment of Enhancing the Weightage of Applied Biochemistry in the Undergraduate Curriculum at MGIMS, Sevagram

Science.gov (United States)

Kumar, Satish; Jena, Lingaraja; Vagha, Jayant

2016-01-01

In order to review the need assessment of enhancing the weightage of Applied Biochemistry in the undergraduate curriculum at Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences (MGIMS), Sevagram, a validated questionnaire was sent to 453 participants which include 387 undergraduate students, 11 interns, 23 postgraduate students, and 32 faculty members. A…

Research in progress in applied mathematics, numerical analysis, fluid mechanics, and computer science

Science.gov (United States)

1994-01-01

This report summarizes research conducted at the Institute for Computer Applications in Science and Engineering in applied mathematics, fluid mechanics, and computer science during the period October 1, 1993 through March 31, 1994. The major categories of the current ICASE research program are: (1) applied and numerical mathematics, including numerical analysis and algorithm development; (2) theoretical and computational research in fluid mechanics in selected areas of interest to LaRC, including acoustics and combustion; (3) experimental research in transition and turbulence and aerodynamics involving LaRC facilities and scientists; and (4) computer science.

NASA Applied Sciences' DEVELOP National Program: Training the Next Generation of Remote Sensing Scientists

Science.gov (United States)

Childs, Lauren; Brozen, Madeline; Hillyer, Nelson

2010-01-01

Since its inception over a decade ago, the DEVELOP National Program has provided students with experience in utilizing and integrating satellite remote sensing data into real world-applications. In 1998, DEVELOP began with three students and has evolved into a nationwide internship program with over 200 students participating each year. DEVELOP is a NASA Applied Sciences training and development program extending NASA Earth science research and technology to society. Part of the NASA Science Mission Directorate s Earth Science Division, the Applied Sciences Program focuses on bridging the gap between NASA technology and the public by conducting projects that innovatively use NASA Earth science resources to research environmental issues. Project outcomes focus on assisting communities to better understand environmental change over time. This is accomplished through research with global, national, and regional partners to identify the widest array of practical uses of NASA data. DEVELOP students conduct research in areas that examine how NASA science can better serve society. Projects focus on practical applications of NASA s Earth science research results. Each project is designed to address at least one of the Applied Sciences focus areas, use NASA s Earth observation sources and meet partners needs. DEVELOP research teams partner with end-users and organizations who use project results for policy analysis and decision support, thereby extending the benefits of NASA science and technology to the public.

Behaviour Centred Design: towards an applied science of behaviour change

Science.gov (United States)

Aunger, Robert; Curtis, Valerie

2016-01-01

ABSTRACT Behaviour change has become a hot topic. We describe a new approach, Behaviour Centred Design (BCD), which encompasses a theory of change, a suite of behavioural determinants and a programme design process. The theory of change is generic, assuming that successful interventions must create a cascade of effects via environments, through brains, to behaviour and hence to the desired impact, such as improved health. Changes in behaviour are viewed as the consequence of a reinforcement learning process involving the targeting of evolved motives and changes to behaviour settings, and are produced by three types of behavioural control mechanism (automatic, motivated and executive). The implications are that interventions must create surprise, revalue behaviour and disrupt performance in target behaviour settings. We then describe a sequence of five steps required to design an intervention to change specific behaviours: Assess, Build, Create, Deliver and Evaluate. The BCD approach has been shown to change hygiene, nutrition and exercise-related behaviours and has the advantages of being applicable to product, service or institutional design, as well as being able to incorporate future developments in behaviour science. We therefore argue that BCD can become the foundation for an applied science of behaviour change. PMID:27535821

Comparison of Science-Technology-Society Approach and Textbook Oriented Instruction on Students' Abilities to Apply Science Concepts

Science.gov (United States)

Kapici, Hasan Ozgur; Akcay, Hakan; Yager, Robert E.

2017-01-01

It is important for students to learn concepts and using them for solving problems and further learning. Within this respect, the purpose of this study is to investigate students' abilities to apply science concepts that they have learned from Science-Technology-Society based approach or textbook oriented instruction. Current study is based on…

Characterizing College Science Assessments: The Three-Dimensional Learning Assessment Protocol

Science.gov (United States)

Underwood, Sonia M.; Matz, Rebecca L.; Posey, Lynmarie A.; Carmel, Justin H.; Caballero, Marcos D.; Fata-Hartley, Cori L.; Ebert-May, Diane; Jardeleza, Sarah E.; Cooper, Melanie M.

2016-01-01

Many calls to improve science education in college and university settings have focused on improving instructor pedagogy. Meanwhile, science education at the K-12 level is undergoing significant changes as a result of the emphasis on scientific and engineering practices, crosscutting concepts, and disciplinary core ideas. This framework of “three-dimensional learning” is based on the literature about how people learn science and how we can help students put their knowledge to use. Recently, similar changes are underway in higher education by incorporating three-dimensional learning into college science courses. As these transformations move forward, it will become important to assess three-dimensional learning both to align assessments with the learning environment, and to assess the extent of the transformations. In this paper we introduce the Three-Dimensional Learning Assessment Protocol (3D-LAP), which is designed to characterize and support the development of assessment tasks in biology, chemistry, and physics that align with transformation efforts. We describe the development process used by our interdisciplinary team, discuss the validity and reliability of the protocol, and provide evidence that the protocol can distinguish between assessments that have the potential to elicit evidence of three-dimensional learning and those that do not. PMID:27606671

Characterizing College Science Assessments: The Three-Dimensional Learning Assessment Protocol.

Science.gov (United States)

Laverty, James T; Underwood, Sonia M; Matz, Rebecca L; Posey, Lynmarie A; Carmel, Justin H; Caballero, Marcos D; Fata-Hartley, Cori L; Ebert-May, Diane; Jardeleza, Sarah E; Cooper, Melanie M

2016-01-01

Many calls to improve science education in college and university settings have focused on improving instructor pedagogy. Meanwhile, science education at the K-12 level is undergoing significant changes as a result of the emphasis on scientific and engineering practices, crosscutting concepts, and disciplinary core ideas. This framework of "three-dimensional learning" is based on the literature about how people learn science and how we can help students put their knowledge to use. Recently, similar changes are underway in higher education by incorporating three-dimensional learning into college science courses. As these transformations move forward, it will become important to assess three-dimensional learning both to align assessments with the learning environment, and to assess the extent of the transformations. In this paper we introduce the Three-Dimensional Learning Assessment Protocol (3D-LAP), which is designed to characterize and support the development of assessment tasks in biology, chemistry, and physics that align with transformation efforts. We describe the development process used by our interdisciplinary team, discuss the validity and reliability of the protocol, and provide evidence that the protocol can distinguish between assessments that have the potential to elicit evidence of three-dimensional learning and those that do not.

Measuring and Maximising Research Impact in Applied Social Science Research Settings. Good Practice Guide

Science.gov (United States)

Stanwick, John; Hargreaves, Jo

2012-01-01

This guide describes the National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER) approach to measuring impact using examples from its own case studies, as well as showing how to maximise the impact of applied social science research. Applied social science research needs to demonstrate that it is relevant and useful both to public policy and…

Virus–Bacteria Interactions: Implications and Potential for the Applied and Agricultural Sciences

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Matthew D. Moore

2018-02-01

Full Text Available Eukaryotic virus–bacteria interactions have recently become an emerging topic of study due to multiple significant examples related to human pathogens of clinical interest. However, such omnipresent and likely important interactions for viruses and bacteria relevant to the applied and agricultural sciences have not been reviewed or compiled. The fundamental basis of this review is that these interactions have importance and deserve more investigation, as numerous potential consequences and applications arising from their discovery are relevant to the applied sciences. The purpose of this review is to highlight and summarize eukaryotic virus–bacteria findings in the food/water, horticultural, and animal sciences. In many cases in the agricultural sciences, mechanistic understandings of the effects of virus–bacteria interactions remain unstudied, and many studies solely focus on co-infections of bacterial and viral pathogens. Given recent findings relative to human viral pathogens, further research related to virus–bacteria interactions would likely result in numerous discoveries and beneficial applications.

Virus-Bacteria Interactions: Implications and Potential for the Applied and Agricultural Sciences.

Science.gov (United States)

Moore, Matthew D; Jaykus, Lee-Ann

2018-02-02

Eukaryotic virus-bacteria interactions have recently become an emerging topic of study due to multiple significant examples related to human pathogens of clinical interest. However, such omnipresent and likely important interactions for viruses and bacteria relevant to the applied and agricultural sciences have not been reviewed or compiled. The fundamental basis of this review is that these interactions have importance and deserve more investigation, as numerous potential consequences and applications arising from their discovery are relevant to the applied sciences. The purpose of this review is to highlight and summarize eukaryotic virus-bacteria findings in the food/water, horticultural, and animal sciences. In many cases in the agricultural sciences, mechanistic understandings of the effects of virus-bacteria interactions remain unstudied, and many studies solely focus on co-infections of bacterial and viral pathogens. Given recent findings relative to human viral pathogens, further research related to virus-bacteria interactions would likely result in numerous discoveries and beneficial applications.

A Short Course in Problems in Applied Science and Engineering.

Science.gov (United States)

Nicholson, H. W.

1987-01-01

Provides a description of a concentrated four-week term course that provided students with opportunities of association with applied science and engineering professionals. Reviews the program's organizational structure, project requirements, and summarizes students reactions to the course. (ML)

Towson University's Professional Science Master's Program in Applied Physics: The first 5 years

Science.gov (United States)

Kolagani, Rajeswari

It is a well-established fact that the scientific knowledge and skills acquired in the process of obtaining a degree in physics meet the needs of a variety of positions in multiple science and technology sectors. However, in addition to scientific competence, challenging careers often call for skills in advanced communication, leadership and team functions. The professional science master's degree, which has been nick-named as the `Science MBA', aims at providing science graduates an edge both in terms of employability and earning levels by imparting such skills. Our Professional Science Master's Program in Applied Physics is designed to develop these `plus' skills through multiple avenues. In addition to advanced courses in Applied Physics, the curriculum includes graduate courses in project management, business and technical writing, together with research and internship components. I will discuss our experience and lessons learned over the 5 years since the inception of the program in 2010. The author acknowledges support from the Elkins Professorship of the University System of Maryland.

THE CASE STUDY TASKS AS A BASIS FOR THE FUND OF THE ASSESSMENT TOOLS AT THE MATHEMATICAL ANALYSIS FOR THE DIRECTION 01.03.02 APPLIED MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTER SCIENCE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dina Aleksandrovna Kirillova

2015-12-01

Full Text Available The modern reform of the Russian higher education involves the implementation of competence-based approach, the main idea of which is the practical orientation of education. Mathematics is a universal language of description, modeling and studies of phenomena and processes of different nature. Therefore creating the fund of assessment tools for mathematical disciplines based on the applied problems is actual. The case method is the most appropriate mean of monitoring the learning outcomes, it is aimed at bridging the gap between theory and practice.The aim of the research is the development of methodical materials for the creating the fund of assessment tools that are based on the case-study for the mathematical analisis for direction «Applied Mathematics and Computer Science». The aim follows from the contradiction between the need for the introduction of case-method in the educational process in high school and the lack of study of the theoretical foundations of using of this method as applied to mathematical disciplines, insufficient theoretical basis and the description of the process of creating case-problems for use their in the monitoring of the learning outcomes.

Assessing mathematics within advanced school science qualifications

OpenAIRE

McAlinden, Mary; Noyes, Andrew

2017-01-01

Following sustained discussion regarding the relationship between advanced mathematics and science learning in England, the government has pursued a reform agenda in which mathematics is embedded in national, high stakes A-level science qualifications and their assessments for 18-year-olds. For example, A-level Chemistry must incorporate the assessment of relevant mathematics for at least 20% of the qualification. Other sciences have different mandated percentages. This embedding policy is ru...

The Stewardship Science Academic Alliance: A Model of Education for Fundamental and Applied Low-energy Nuclear Science

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cizewski, J.A., E-mail: cizewski@rutgers.edu

2014-06-15

The Stewardship Science Academic Alliances (SSAA) were inaugurated in 2002 by the National Nuclear Security Administration of the U. S. Department of Energy. The purpose is to enhance connections between NNSA laboratories and the activities of university scientists and their students in research areas important to NNSA, including low-energy nuclear science. This paper highlights some of the ways that the SSAA fosters education and training of graduate students and postdoctoral scholars in low-energy nuclear science, preparing them for careers in fundamental and applied research and development.

Intentional research design in implementation science: implications for the use of nomothetic and idiographic assessment.

Science.gov (United States)

Lyon, Aaron R; Connors, Elizabeth; Jensen-Doss, Amanda; Landes, Sara J; Lewis, Cara C; McLeod, Bryce D; Rutt, Christopher; Stanick, Cameo; Weiner, Bryan J

2017-09-01

The advancement of implementation science is dependent on identifying assessment strategies that can address implementation and clinical outcome variables in ways that are valid, relevant to stakeholders, and scalable. This paper presents a measurement agenda for implementation science that integrates the previously disparate assessment traditions of idiographic and nomothetic approaches. Although idiographic and nomothetic approaches are both used in implementation science, a review of the literature on this topic suggests that their selection can be indiscriminate, driven by convenience, and not explicitly tied to research study design. As a result, they are not typically combined deliberately or effectively. Thoughtful integration may simultaneously enhance both the rigor and relevance of assessments across multiple levels within health service systems. Background on nomothetic and idiographic assessment is provided as well as their potential to support research in implementation science. Drawing from an existing framework, seven structures (of various sequencing and weighting options) and five functions (Convergence, Complementarity, Expansion, Development, Sampling) for integrating conceptually distinct research methods are articulated as they apply to the deliberate, design-driven integration of nomothetic and idiographic assessment approaches. Specific examples and practical guidance are provided to inform research consistent with this framework. Selection and integration of idiographic and nomothetic assessments for implementation science research designs can be improved. The current paper argues for the deliberate application of a clear framework to improve the rigor and relevance of contemporary assessment strategies.

Investigation of science production in Iran’s type I universities of medical sciences, a 6-year assessment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M Yadollahi

2014-07-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Science production is one of the main dimensions of sustainable development in any country. Thus, universities as the major centers for science production play a key role in development. The present study aimed to assess the trend of science production in Iran’s type I universities of medical sciences from 2007 to 2012. Method: In this study, the universities’ scores of empowering, governance and leadership, science production, student researches, and number of published articles were computed based on the evaluations of universities of medical sciences by the Ministry of Health, Treatment, and Medical Education from 2007 to 2012. Then, the data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and the figures were drawn by Excel software. Results: This study assessed science production in Iran’s type I universities of medical sciences and analyzed each university’s proportion in publication of articles. According to the results, most of the published articles were affiliated to Tehran University of Medical Sciences. However, considering the role of number of faculty members, different results were obtained. With respect to the evaluation raw scores, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences showed a considerable reduction of scores in 2012, while other universities had a constant or ascending trend. Besides, indexed articles followed an ascending trend in all the universities and most of the articles had been published in index 1. Conclusion: Similar to other studies, the findings of this study revealed an increase in science productions in Iran through the recent years. Yet, the highest scores of the studied indexes, except for student researches, were related to Tehran University of Medical Sciences. This great difference between this university and other universities might be due to accumulation of specific potentials and forces in this region. Overall, science productions followed an ascending trend in all type I universities of

Engineering success: Persistence factors of African American doctoral recipients in engineering and applied science

Science.gov (United States)

Simon, Tiffany Monique

The purpose of this qualitative study was to identify factors that influence African Americans to pursue and complete doctoral degrees in engineering and applied science disciplines. Critical race theory (CRT), two models of doctoral student persistence, and graduate student persistence literature guided the conceptual framework of this study. In-depth and focus group interviews were conducted to learn the key factors that positively impacted the persistence of 19 African Americans who earned doctoral degrees in engineering and applied science. The following two factors were found to significantly contribute to the decision to pursue the doctorate: encouragement from others and participation in a research or internship program. Key factors impacting doctoral degree completion included: peer support, faculty adviser support, support from university administrators, and family support. In addition to identifying factors that influenced 19 African Americans to pursue and complete doctoral degrees in engineering and applied science, this study was about the importance of diversity and inclusion of multiple perspectives in education research and scholarship. To this end, the study served to promote and include the expert knowledge of African American doctoral degree recipients in engineering and applied science in the scholarly discourse on the issue of low participation rates of African Americans in engineering and applied science disciplines. Such knowledge will challenge traditional views on this issue and hopefully inspire new ways of addressing and remedying this issue. With African Americans and other minority populations growing at an exponential rate, people of color are quickly becoming the majority in key states across the nation. Therefore, it is imperative that all Americans have an opportunity to develop skills necessary to compete for professional positions in the science and engineering workforce. This mandate is required for the United States to maintain

Student explanations of their science teachers' assessments, grading practices and how they learn science

Science.gov (United States)

del Carmen Gomez, María

2018-03-01

The current paper draws on data generated through group interviews with students who were involved in a larger ethnographic research project performed in three science classrooms. The purpose of the study from which this data was generated, was to understand science teachers' assessment practices in an upper-secondary school in Sweden. During group interviews students were asked about their conceptions of what were the assessment priority of teachers, why the students were silent during lecturing and their experiences regarding peer- and self-assessments. The research design and analysis of the findings derives from what students told us about their assessments and learning sciences experiences. Students related that besides the results of the written test, they do not know what else teachers assessed and used to determine their grades. It was also found that students did not participate in the discussion on science because of peer-pressure and a fear of disappointing their peers. Student silence is also linked with student conceptions of science learning and student experiences with methodologies of teaching and learning sciences.

TEACHING AND LEARNING METHODOLOGIES SUPPORTED BY ICT APPLIED IN COMPUTER SCIENCE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jose CAPACHO

2016-04-01

Full Text Available The main objective of this paper is to show a set of new methodologies applied in the teaching of Computer Science using ICT. The methodologies are framed in the conceptual basis of the following sciences: Psychology, Education and Computer Science. The theoretical framework of the research is supported by Behavioral Theory, Gestalt Theory. Genetic-Cognitive Psychology Theory and Dialectics Psychology. Based on the theoretical framework the following methodologies were developed: Game Theory, Constructivist Approach, Personalized Teaching, Problem Solving, Cooperative Collaborative learning, Learning projects using ICT. These methodologies were applied to the teaching learning process during the Algorithms and Complexity – A&C course, which belongs to the area of ​​Computer Science. The course develops the concepts of Computers, Complexity and Intractability, Recurrence Equations, Divide and Conquer, Greedy Algorithms, Dynamic Programming, Shortest Path Problem and Graph Theory. The main value of the research is the theoretical support of the methodologies and their application supported by ICT using learning objects. The course aforementioned was built on the Blackboard platform evaluating the operation of methodologies. The results of the evaluation are presented for each of them, showing the learning outcomes achieved by students, which verifies that methodologies are functional.

Making Sense of New Science Assessments

Science.gov (United States)

Pellegrino, James W.

2016-01-01

What we choose to assess in science is what will end up being the focus of instruction. US science standards once treated content and inquiry as fairly separate strands of science learning, with content standards stating what students should know and inquiry standards stating what they should be able to do. In its content coverage, these standards…

Basic and Applied Research at the Los Alamos Neutron Science Center

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lisowski, P.W.

2003-01-01

The Los Alamos Neutron Science Center, or LANSCE, is an accelerator-based national user facility for research in basic and applied science. At present LANSCE has two experimental areas primarily using neutrons generated by 800-MeV protons striking tungsten target systems. A third area uses the proton beam for radiography. This paper describes the three LANSCE experimental areas, gives highlights of the past operating period, and discusses plans for the future

Science Process Skills in Science Curricula Applied in Turkey

Science.gov (United States)

Yumusak, Güngör Keskinkiliç

2016-01-01

One of the most important objectives of the science curricula is to bring in science process skills. The science process skills are skills that lie under scientific thinking and decision-making. Thus it is important for a science curricula to be rationalized in such a way that it brings in science process skills. New science curricula were…

Advanced Science for Kids: Multicultural Assessment and Programming.

Science.gov (United States)

Bettac, Teresa; Huckabee, Colleen; Musser, Louise; Patton, Paulette; Yates, Joyce

1997-01-01

Describes Advanced Science for Kids (ASK), a multicultural approach to assessment and programming for a middle school advanced science program. ASK is designed to provide alternative approaches to identification and assessment, facilitate authentic instruction and assessment, and provide minority students with academic and social support as they…

Summary of research in applied mathematics, numerical analysis and computer science at the Institute for Computer Applications in Science and Engineering

Science.gov (United States)

1984-01-01

Research conducted at the Institute for Computer Applications in Science and Engineering in applied mathematics, numerical analysis and computer science during the period October 1, 1983 through March 31, 1984 is summarized.

International Journal of Natural and Applied Sciences - Vol 5, No 2 ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

International Journal of Natural and Applied Sciences - Vol 5, No 2 (2009) ... Illustration of decimation in digital signal processing (DSP) systems using ... of diesel polluted soils on hydrocarbon-utilizing microbial counts and oil degradation ...

Applied Developmental Science, Social Justice, and Socio-Political Well-Being

Science.gov (United States)

Fisher, Celia B.; Busch-Rossnagel, Nancy A.; Jopp, Daniela S.; Brown, Joshua L.

2012-01-01

In this article we present a vision of applied developmental science (ADS) as a means of promoting social justice and socio-political well-being. This vision draws upon the field's significant accomplishments in identifying and strengthening developmental assets in marginalized youth communities, understanding the effects of poverty and racial…

Assessment of the Fusion Energy Sciences Program. Final Report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2001-01-01

An assessment of the Office of Fusion Energy Sciences (OFES) program with guidance for future program strategy. The overall objective of this study is to prepare an independent assessment of the scientific quality of the Office of Fusion Energy Sciences program at the Department of Energy. The Fusion Science Assessment Committee (FuSAC) has been appointed to conduct this study

Applying the Science of Learning: Evidence-Based Principles for the Design of Multimedia Instruction

Science.gov (United States)

Mayer, Richard E.

2008-01-01

During the last 100 years, a major accomplishment of psychology has been the development of a science of learning aimed at understanding how people learn. In attempting to apply the science of learning, a central challenge of psychology and education is the development of a science of instruction aimed at understanding how to present material in…

Contextual assessment in science education: Background, issues, and policy

Science.gov (United States)

Klassen, Stephen

2006-09-01

Contemporary assessment practices in science education have undergone significant changes in recent decades. The basis for these changes and the resulting new assessment practices are the subject of this two-part paper. Part 1 considers the basis of assessment that, more than 25 years ago, was driven by the assumptions of decomposability and decontextualization of knowledge, resulting in a low-inference testing system, often described as traditional. This assessment model was replaced not on account of direct criticism, but rather on account of a larger revolution - the change from behavioral to cognitive psychology, developments in the philosophy of science, and the rise of constructivism. Most notably, the study of the active cognitive processes of the individual resulted in a major emphasis on context in learning and assessment. These changes gave rise to the development of various contextual assessment methodologies in science education, for example, concept mapping assessment, performance assessment, and portfolio assessment. In Part 2, the literature relating to the assessment methods identified in Part 1 is reviewed, revealing that there is not much research that supports their validity and reliability. However, encouraging new work on selected-response tests is forming the basis for reconsideration of past criticisms of this technique. Despite the major developments in contextual assessment methodologies in science education, two important questions remain unanswered, namely, whether grades can be considered as genuine numeric quantities and whether the individual student is the appropriate unit of assessment in public accountability. Given these issues and the requirement for science assessment to satisfy the goals of the individual, the classroom, and the society, tentative recommendations are put forward addressing these parallel needs in the assessment of science learning.

Summary of research conducted at the Institute for Computer Applications in Science and Engineering in applied mathematics, numerical analysis and computer science

Science.gov (United States)

1989-01-01

Research conducted at the Institute for Computer Applications in Science and Engineering in applied mathematics, numerical analysis, and computer science during the period October 1, 1988 through March 31, 1989 is summarized.

The Workshop Program on Authentic Assessment for Science Teachers

Science.gov (United States)

Rustaman, N. Y.; Rusdiana, D.; Efendi, R.; Liliawati, W.

2017-02-01

A study on implementing authentic assessment program through workshop was conducted to investigate the improvement of the competence of science teachers in designing performance assessment in real life situation at school level context. A number of junior high school science teachers and students as participants were involved in this study. Data was collected through questionnaire, observation sheets, and pre-and post-test during 4 day workshop. This workshop had facilitated them direct experience with seventh grade junior high school students during try out. Science teachers worked in group of four and communicated each other by think-pair share in cooperative learning approach. Research findings show that generally the science teachers’ involvement and their competence in authentic assessment improved. Their knowledge about the nature of assessment in relation to the nature of science and its instruction was improved, but still have problem in integrating their design performance assessment to be implemented in their lesson plan. The 7th grade students enjoyed participating in the science activities, and performed well the scientific processes planned by group of science teachers. The response of science teachers towards the workshop was positive. They could design the task and rubrics for science activities, and revised them after the implementation towards the students. By participating in this workshop they have direct experience in designing and trying out their ability within their professional community in real situation towards their real students in junior high school.

Applied mathematical sciences research at Argonne, April 1, 1981-March 31, 1982

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pieper, G.W.

1982-01-01

This report reviews the research activities in Applied Mathematical Sciences at Argonne National Laboratory for the period April 1, 1981, through March 31, 1982. The body of the report discusses various projects carried out in three major areas of research: applied analysis, computational mathematics, and software engineering. Information on section staff, visitors, workshops, and seminars is found in the appendices

International Conference of Applied Science and Technology for Infrastructure Engineering

Science.gov (United States)

Elvina Santoso, Shelvy; Hardianto, Ekky

2017-11-01

Preface: International Conference of Applied Science and Technology for Infrastructure Engineering (ICASIE) 2017. The International Conference of Applied Science and Technology for Infrastructure Engineering (ICASIE) 2017 has been scheduled and successfully taken place at Swiss-Bell Inn Hotel, Surabaya, Indonesia, on August 5th 2017 organized by Department of Civil Infrastructure Engineering, Faculty of Vocation, Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember (ITS). This annual event aims to create synergies between government, private sectors; employers; practitioners; and academics. This conference has different theme each year and “MATERIAL FOR INFRASTUCTURE ENGINEERING” will be taken for this year’s main theme. In addition, we also provide a platform for various other sub-theme topic including but not limited to Geopolymer Concrete and Materials Technology, Structural Dynamics, Engineering, and Sustainability, Seismic Design and Control of Structural Vibrations, Innovative and Green Buildings, Project Management, Transportation and Highway Engineering, Geotechnical Engineering, Water Engineering and Resources Management, Surveying and Geospatial Engineering, Coastal Engineering, Geophysics, Energy, Electronic and Mechatronic, Industrial Process, and Data Mining. List of Organizers, Journal Editors, Steering Committee, International Scientific Committee, Chairman, Keynote Speakers are available in this pdf.

NASA Applied Sciences Program. Overview Presentation; Discovering and Demonstrating Innovative and Practical Applications of Earth Science

Science.gov (United States)

Irwin, Daniel

2010-01-01

Goal 1: Enhance Applications Research Advance the use of NASA Earth science in policy making, resource management and planning, and disaster response. Key Actions: Identify priority needs, conduct applied research to generate innovative applications, and support projects that demonstrate uses of NASA Earth science. Goal 2: Increase Collaboration Establish a flexible program structure to meet diverse partner needs and applications objectives. Key Actions: Pursue partnerships to leverage resources and risks and extend the program s reach and impact. Goal 3:Accelerate Applications Ensure that NASA s flight missions plan for and support applications goals in conjunction with their science goals, starting with mission planning and extending through the mission life cycle. Key Actions: Enable identification of applications early in satellite mission lifecycle and facilitate effective ways to integrate end-user needs into satellite mission planning

PREFACE: 1st International Conference in Applied Physics and Materials Science

Science.gov (United States)

2015-06-01

We are delighted to come up with thirty two (32) contributed research papers in these proceedings, focusing on Materials Science and Applied Physics as an output of the 2013 International Conference in Applied Physics and Materials Science (ICAMS2013) held on October 22-24, 2013 at the Ateneo de Davao University, Davao City, Philippines. The conference was set to provide a high level of international forum and had brought together leading academic scientists, industry professionals, researchers and scholars from universities, industries and government agencies who have shared their experiences, research results and discussed the practical challenges encountered and the solutions adopted as well as the advances in the fields of Applied Physics and Materials Science. This conference has provided a wide opportunity to establish multidisciplinary collaborations with local and foreign experts. ICAMS2013, held concurrently with 15th Samahang Pisika ng Visayas at Mindanao (SPVM) National Physics Conference and 2013 International Meeting for Complex Systems, was organized by the Samahang Pisika ng Visayas at Mindanao (Physics Society of Visayas and Mindanao) based in MSU-Iligan Institute of Technology, Iligan City, Philippines. The international flavor of converging budding researchers and experts on Materials Science and Applied Physics was the first to be organized in the 19 years of SPVM operation in the Philippines. We highlighted ICAMS2013 gathering by the motivating presence of Dr. Stuart Parkin, a British Physicist, as one of our conference's plenary speakers. Equal measures of gratitude were also due to all other plenary speakers, Dr. Elizabeth Taylor of Institute of Physics (IOP) in London, Dr. Surya Raghu of Advanced Fluidics in Maryland, USA and Prof. Hitoshi Miyata of Niigata University, Japan, Prof. Djulia Onggo of Institut Teknologi Bandung, Indonesia, and Dr. Hironori Katagiri of Nagaoka National College of Technology, Japan. The warm hospitality of the host

Advancing Evidence-Based Assessment in School Mental Health: Key Priorities for an Applied Research Agenda.

Science.gov (United States)

Arora, Prerna G; Connors, Elizabeth H; George, Melissa W; Lyon, Aaron R; Wolk, Courtney B; Weist, Mark D

2016-12-01

Evidence-based assessment (EBA) is a critically important aspect of delivering high-quality, school-based mental health care for youth. However, research in this area is limited and additional applied research on how best to support the implementation of EBA in school mental health (SMH) is needed. Accordingly, this manuscript seeks to facilitate the advancement of research on EBA in SMH by reviewing relevant literature on EBA implementation in schools and providing recommendations for key research priorities. Given the limited number of published studies available, findings from child and adolescent mental health and implementation science research are also included to inform a robust and comprehensive research agenda on this topic. Based on this literature review, five priorities for research on EBA in SMH are outlined: (1) effective identification of assessment targets, (2) appropriate selection of assessment measures, (3) investigation of organizational readiness for EBA, (4) study of implementation support for EBA, and (5) promotion of EBA data integration and use. Each priority area includes recommended directions for future research. A comprehensive and robust research agenda is warranted to build the science and practice of implementing EBA in SMH. Specific directions for this agenda are offered.

Applying science and mathematics to big data for smarter buildings.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Young M; An, Lianjun; Liu, Fei; Horesh, Raya; Chae, Young Tae; Zhang, Rui

2013-08-01

Many buildings are now collecting a large amount of data on operations, energy consumption, and activities through systems such as a building management system (BMS), sensors, and meters (e.g., submeters and smart meters). However, the majority of data are not utilized and are thrown away. Science and mathematics can play an important role in utilizing these big data and accurately assessing how energy is consumed in buildings and what can be done to save energy, make buildings energy efficient, and reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. This paper discusses an analytical tool that has been developed to assist building owners, facility managers, operators, and tenants of buildings in assessing, benchmarking, diagnosing, tracking, forecasting, and simulating energy consumption in building portfolios. © 2013 New York Academy of Sciences.

Life Sciences Centrifuge Facility assessment

Science.gov (United States)

Benson, Robert H.

1994-01-01

This report provides an assessment of the status of the Centrifuge Facility being developed by ARC for flight on the International Space Station Alpha. The assessment includes technical status, schedules, budgets, project management, performance of facility relative to science requirements, and identifies risks and issues that need to be considered in future development activities.

A systematic review of concept mapping-based formative assessment processes in primary and secondary science education

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hartmeyer, Rikke; Stevenson, Matt P.; Bentsen, Peter

2017-01-01

assessment: firstly, concept mapping should be constructed in teaching, preferably on repeated occasions. Secondly, concept mapping should be carried out individually if personal understanding is to be elicited; however, collaborative concept mapping might foster discussions valuable for developing students......’ understanding and for activating them as instructional resources and owners of their own learning. Thirdly, low-directed mapping seems most suitable for formative assessment. Fourthly, technology-based or peer assessments are useful strategies likely to reduce the load of interpretation for the educator......In this paper, we present and discuss the results of a systematic review of concept mapping-based interventions in primary and secondary science education. We identified the following recommendations for science educators on how to successfully apply concept mapping as a method for formative...

Upholding science in health, safety and environmental risk assessments and regulations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aschner, Michael; Autrup, Herman N.; Berry, Sir Colin L.; Boobis, Alan R.; Cohen, Samuel M.; Creppy, Edmond E.; Dekant, Wolfgang; Doull, John; Galli, Corrado L.; Goodman, Jay I.; Gori, Gio B.; Greim, Helmut A.; Joudrier, Philippe

2016-01-01

A public appeal has been advanced by a large group of scientists, concerned that science has been misused in attempting to quantify and regulate unmeasurable hazards and risks. The appeal recalls that science is unable to evaluate hazards that cannot be measured, and that science in such cases should not be invoked to justify risk assessments in health, safety and environmental regulations. The appeal also notes that most national and international statutes delineating the discretion of regulators are ambiguous about what rules of evidence ought to apply. Those statutes should be revised to ensure that the evidence for regulatory action is grounded on the standards of the scientific method, whenever feasible. When independent scientific evidence is not possible, policies and regulations should be informed by publicly debated trade-offs between socially desirable uses and social perceptions of affordable precaution. This article explores the premises, implications and actions supporting the appeal and its objectives.

78 FR 38318 - Integrated Science Assessment for Lead

Science.gov (United States)

2013-06-26

... ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY [FRL-9827-4] Integrated Science Assessment for Lead AGENCY... availability of a final document titled, ``Integrated Science Assessment for Lead'' (EPA/600/R-10/075F). The... lead (Pb). DATES: The document will be available on or around June 26, 2013. ADDRESSES: The...

Does the modality principle for multimedia learning apply to science classrooms?

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Harskamp, Egbert G.; Mayer, Richard E.; Suhre, Cor

2007-01-01

This study demonstrated that the modality principle applies to multimedia learning of regular science lessons in school settings. In the first field experiment, 27 Dutch secondary school students (age 16-17) received a self-paced, web-based multimedia lesson in biology. Students who received lessons

Methods for model selection in applied science and engineering.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Field, Richard V., Jr.

2004-10-01

Mathematical models are developed and used to study the properties of complex systems and/or modify these systems to satisfy some performance requirements in just about every area of applied science and engineering. A particular reason for developing a model, e.g., performance assessment or design, is referred to as the model use. Our objective is the development of a methodology for selecting a model that is sufficiently accurate for an intended use. Information on the system being modeled is, in general, incomplete, so that there may be two or more models consistent with the available information. The collection of these models is called the class of candidate models. Methods are developed for selecting the optimal member from a class of candidate models for the system. The optimal model depends on the available information, the selected class of candidate models, and the model use. Classical methods for model selection, including the method of maximum likelihood and Bayesian methods, as well as a method employing a decision-theoretic approach, are formulated to select the optimal model for numerous applications. There is no requirement that the candidate models be random. Classical methods for model selection ignore model use and require data to be available. Examples are used to show that these methods can be unreliable when data is limited. The decision-theoretic approach to model selection does not have these limitations, and model use is included through an appropriate utility function. This is especially important when modeling high risk systems, where the consequences of using an inappropriate model for the system can be disastrous. The decision-theoretic method for model selection is developed and applied for a series of complex and diverse applications. These include the selection of the: (1) optimal order of the polynomial chaos approximation for non-Gaussian random variables and stationary stochastic processes, (2) optimal pressure load model to be

The Effectiveness of an Educational Game for Teaching Optometry Students Basic and Applied Science.

Science.gov (United States)

Trevino, Richard; Majcher, Carolyn; Rabin, Jeff; Kent, Theresa; Maki, Yutaka; Wingert, Timothy

2016-01-01

To compare the effectiveness of an educational board game with interactive didactic instruction for teaching optometry students elements of the core optometric curriculum. Forty-two optometry students were divided into two GPA-matched groups and assigned to either 12 hours of game play (game group) or 12 hours of interactive didactic instruction (lecture group). The same material from the core optometric curriculum was delivered to both groups. Game play was accomplished via an original board game. Written examinations assessed change in knowledge level. A post-intervention opinion survey assessed student attitudes. There was no significant difference in pre- or post-intervention test scores between the lecture and game groups (Pre-test: p = 0.9; Post-test: p = 0.5). Post-intervention test scores increased significantly from baseline (Game group: 29.3% gain, Didactic group: 31.5% gain; poptometry students basic and applied science. Furthermore, both modes of instruction have the potential to be equally engaging and enjoyable experiences.

77 FR 26292 - Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy Assessments: Social Science Methodologies to Assess Goals...

Science.gov (United States)

2012-05-03

...] Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy Assessments: Social Science Methodologies to Assess Goals... announcing a public workshop entitled ``Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy Assessments: Social Science... constructive dialogue and information-sharing among regulators, researchers, the pharmaceutical industry...

Relationships Between the Way Students Are Assessed in Science Classrooms and Science Achievement Across Canada

Science.gov (United States)

Chu, Man-Wai; Fung, Karen

2018-04-01

Canadian students experience many different assessments throughout their schooling (O'Connor 2011). There are many benefits to using a variety of assessment types, item formats, and science-based performance tasks in the classroom to measure the many dimensions of science education. Although using a variety of assessments is beneficial, it is unclear exactly what types, format, and tasks are used in Canadian science classrooms. Additionally, since assessments are often administered to help improve student learning, this study identified assessments that may improve student learning as measured using achievement scores on a standardized test. Secondary analyses of the students' and teachers' responses to the questionnaire items asked in the Pan-Canadian Assessment Program were performed. The results of the hierarchical linear modeling analyses indicated that both students and teachers identified teacher-developed classroom tests or quizzes as the most common types of assessments used. Although this ranking was similar across the country, statistically significant differences in terms of the assessments that are used in science classrooms among the provinces were also identified. The investigation of which assessment best predicted student achievement scores indicated that minds-on science performance-based tasks significantly explained 4.21% of the variance in student scores. However, mixed results were observed between the student and teacher responses towards tasks that required students to choose their own investigation and design their own experience or investigation. Additionally, teachers that indicated that they conducted more demonstrations of an experiment or investigation resulted in students with lower scores.

Applied data-centric social sciences concepts, data, computation, and theory

CERN Document Server

Sato, Aki-Hiro

2014-01-01

Applied data-centric social sciences aim to develop both methodology and practical applications of various fields of social sciences and businesses with rich data. Specifically, in the social sciences, a vast amount of data on human activities may be useful for understanding collective human nature. In this book, the author introduces several mathematical techniques for handling a huge volume of data and analysing collective human behaviour. The book is constructed from data-oriented investigation, with mathematical methods and expressions used for dealing with data for several specific problems. The fundamental philosophy underlying the book is that both mathematical and physical concepts are determined by the purposes of data analysis. This philosophy is shown throughout exemplar studies of several fields in socio-economic systems. From a data-centric point of view, the author proposes a concept that may change people’s minds and cause them to start thinking from the basis of data. Several goals underlie ...

Taking Stock: Implications of a New Vision of Science Learning for State Science Assessment

Science.gov (United States)

Wertheim, Jill

2016-01-01

This article presents the author's response to the article "Taking Stock: Existing Resources for Assessing a New Vision of Science Learning" by Alonzo and Ke (this issue), which identifies numerous challenges that the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) pose for large-scale assessment. Jill Werthem comments that among those…

Applied Mathematical Sciences research at Argonne, October 1, 1978-March 31, 1980

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pieper, G. W. [ed.

1980-01-01

This report reviews the research activities of the Applied Mathematical Sciences Section for the period October 1, 1978, through March 31, 1980. The body of the report discusses various projects carried out in four major areas of research: applied analysis, computational mathematics, software engineering, and software clinics. Information on section staff, visitors, workshops, and seminars is found in the appendices. Descriptions of individual research topics are very brief.

Applied spectroscopy and the science of nanomaterials

CERN Document Server

2015-01-01

This book focuses on several areas of intense topical interest related to applied spectroscopy and the science of nanomaterials. The eleven chapters in the book cover the following areas of interest relating to applied spectroscopy and nanoscience: ·         Raman spectroscopic characterization, modeling and simulation studies of carbon nanotubes, ·         Characterization of plasma discharges using laser optogalvanic spectroscopy, ·         Fluorescence anisotropy in understanding protein conformational disorder and aggregation, ·         Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy in nanomedicine, ·         Calculation of Van der Waals interactions at the nanoscale, ·         Theory and simulation associated with adsorption of gases in nanomaterials, ·         Atom-precise metal nanoclusters, ·         Plasmonic properties of metallic nanostructures, two-dimensional materials, and their composites, ·         Applications of graphe...

Journal of Applied Science and Technology - Vol 15, No 1-2 (2010)

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Journal of Applied Science and Technology. ... to maximize the weighted number of just-in-time jobs · EMAIL FULL TEXT EMAIL FULL TEXT ... Controlling electrical power losses in transmission and distribution networks in Nigeria · EMAIL ...

Pedagogy of Science Teaching Tests: Formative assessments of science teaching orientations

Science.gov (United States)

Cobern, William W.; Schuster, David; Adams, Betty; Skjold, Brandy Ann; Zeynep Muğaloğlu, Ebru; Bentz, Amy; Sparks, Kelly

2014-09-01

A critical aspect of teacher education is gaining pedagogical content knowledge of how to teach science for conceptual understanding. Given the time limitations of college methods courses, it is difficult to touch on more than a fraction of the science topics potentially taught across grades K-8, particularly in the context of relevant pedagogies. This research and development work centers on constructing a formative assessment resource to help expose pre-service teachers to a greater number of science topics within teaching episodes using various modes of instruction. To this end, 100 problem-based, science pedagogy assessment items were developed via expert group discussions and pilot testing. Each item contains a classroom vignette followed by response choices carefully crafted to include four basic pedagogies (didactic direct, active direct, guided inquiry, and open inquiry). The brief but numerous items allow a substantial increase in the number of science topics that pre-service students may consider. The intention is that students and teachers will be able to share and discuss particular responses to individual items, or else record their responses to collections of items and thereby create a snapshot profile of their teaching orientations. Subsets of items were piloted with students in pre-service science methods courses, and the quantitative results of student responses were spread sufficiently to suggest that the items can be effective for their intended purpose.

Integrating Hands-On Undergraduate Research in an Applied Spatial Science Senior Level Capstone Course

Science.gov (United States)

Kulhavy, David L.; Unger, Daniel R.; Hung, I-Kuai; Douglass, David

2015-01-01

A senior within a spatial science Ecological Planning capstone course designed an undergraduate research project to increase his spatial science expertise and to assess the hands-on instruction methodology employed within the Bachelor of Science in Spatial Science program at Stephen F Austin State University. The height of 30 building features…

The policy chicken and the science egg. Has applied ecology failed the transgenic crops debate?

Science.gov (United States)

Gray, A J

2014-12-01

Ecology has a long history of research relevant to and impacting on real-world issues. Nonetheless problems of communication remain between policy-makers and scientists because they tend to work at different levels of generality (policy deals with broad issues, science prefers specific questions), and complexity (policy-makers want simple answers, ecologists tend to offer multi-factorial solutions) and to different timescales (policy-makers want answers tomorrow, ecologists always seem to want more time). These differences are not unique to the debate about the cultivation of transgenic crops. Research on gene flow is used to illustrate how science and policy are intimately bound together in a value-laden, iterative and messy process unlike that characterised by the 'encounter problem-do science-make policy' model. It also demonstrates how the gap between science and policy is often characterised by value-laden language. Scientists involved in ERA for transgenic crops may find their engagement with policy- and decision-makers clouded by misunderstanding about what one should expect from the other. Not the least of these, that science can define harm, is explored in a discussion of the U.K. Farm Scale Evaluations of herbicide-tolerant GM crops. The varied responses to these extensive trials highlight the problems of linking specific scientific experiments with broad policy objectives. The problems of applied ecology in the transgenic crops debate are not unique but may differ from other areas of environmental policy in the intense politicisation of the debate, the emphasis on assessment of risk and the particularly broad policy objectives.

Science assessment of fusion power plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nagai, Toru; Shimazu, Yasuo

1984-01-01

A concept of SCIENCE ASSESSMENT (SA) is proposed to support a research program of the so-called big science. The SA System should be established before the demonstration reactor is realized, and the system is classified into four categories: (1) Resource Economy Assessment (REA) (cost evaluation and availability of rare resource materials), (2) Risk Assessment (RA) (structural safety during operation and accident), (3) Environmental Assessment (EA) (adaptability to environments), and (4) Socio-Political Assessment (SPA) (from local public acceptance to national policy acceptance). Here, REA to the published conceptual designs of commercial fusion power plants (most of them are TOKAMAK) is carried out as the first step. The energy analysis method is imployed because the final goal of fusion plant is to supply energy. The evaluation index is the energy ratio (= output/input). Computer code for energy analysis was developed, to which the material inventory table from the conceptual design and the database for the energy intensity (= energy required to obtain a unit amount of materials) were prepared. (Nogami, K.)

Supporting Staff to Develop a Shared Understanding of Science Assessment

Science.gov (United States)

Sampey, Carol

2018-01-01

Assessment is not something that stands alone and teachers need support to develop their understanding of both assessment practices and the subject being assessed. Teachers at Shaw Primary School were fortunate to take part in the Teacher Assessment in Primary Science (TAPS) project and, in this article, the outlines how science and assessment can…

Engaging youth of color in applied science education and public health promotion

Science.gov (United States)

Sprague Martinez, Linda; Bowers, Edmond; Reich, Amanda J.; Ndulue, Uchenna J.; Le, Albert An; Peréa, Flavia C.

2016-03-01

Participation in inquiry-based science education, which focuses on student-constructed learning, has been linked to academic success. Whereas the benefits of this type of science education are evident, access to such high-quality science curriculum and programming is not equitable. Black and Latino students in particular have less access to supplementary science programming, and fewer opportunities to engage in inquiry-based education. This paper describes outcomes associated with an inquiry-based out-of-school time science education program, Nuestro Futuro: Applied Science Education to Engage Black and Latino Youth (NFASE), which sought to build the capacity of middle school students of color to 'think' like health scientists from diverse disciplinary perspectives. The program was designed with the intent of (1) improving student attitudes toward and motivation for science and (2) increasing active and engaged citizenship (AEC). NFASE students explored health inequity and the social determinants of health locally and engaged in developing health promotion, outreach and education efforts targeted to their peers, parents/families, and community. Interest in the program was high overall, but implementation was not without challenges. Although evaluation outcomes indicate that there were no statistically significant changes in science-related attitudes or motivation, students reported significant increases in neighborhood social connection, as well as overall AEC.

Practice-Oriented Research: The Extended Function of Dutch Universities of Applied Sciences

NARCIS (Netherlands)

de Weert, Egbert; Leijnse, Frans; Kyvik, Svein; Lepori, Benedetto

2010-01-01

This chapter seeks to analyse the legitimate research claims of Dutch universities of applied sciences. It subsequently analyses how the research function has been conceived in national policies, the emerging funding schemes for research, strategies developed by these institutions regarding

Symbolic Interaction and Applied Social Research: A FOCUS ON TRANSLATIONAL SCIENCE RESEARCH1.

Science.gov (United States)

Kotarba, Joseph A

2014-08-01

In symbolic interaction, a traditional yet unfortunate and unnecessary distinction has been made between basic and applied research. The argument has been made that basic research is intended to generate new knowledge, whereas applied research is intended to apply knowledge to the solution of practical (social and organizational) problems. I will argue that the distinction between basic and applied research in symbolic interaction is outdated and dysfunctional. The masters of symbolic interactionist thought have left us a proud legacy of shaping their scholarly thinking and inquiry in response to and in light of practical issues of the day (e.g., Znaniecki, and Blumer). Current interactionist work continues this tradition in topical areas such as social justice studies. Applied research, especially in term of evaluation and needs assessment studies, can be designed to serve both basic and applied goals. Symbolic interaction provides three great resources to do this. The first is its orientation to dynamic sensitizing concepts that direct research and ask questions instead of supplying a priori and often impractical answers. The second is its orientation to qualitative methods, and appreciation for the logic of grounded theory. The third is interactionism's overall holistic approach to interfacing with the everyday life world. The primary illustrative case here is the qualitative component of the evaluation of an NIH-funded, translational medical research program. The qualitative component has provided interactionist-inspired insights into translational research, such as examining cultural change in medical research in terms of changes in the form and content of formal and informal discourse among scientists; delineating the impact of significant symbols such as "my lab" on the social organization of science; and appreciating the essence of the self-concept "scientist" on the increasingly bureaucratic and administrative identities of medical researchers. This

FY 1990 Applied Sciences Branch annual report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Keyes, B.M.; Dippo, P.C. (eds.)

1991-11-01

The Applied Sciences Branch actively supports the advancement of DOE/SERI goals for the development and implementation of the solar photovoltaic technology. The primary focus of the laboratories is to provide state-of-the-art analytical capabilities for materials and device characterization and fabrication. The branch houses a comprehensive facility which is capable of providing information on the full range of photovoltaic components. A major objective of the branch is to aggressively pursue collaborative research with other government laboratories, universities, and industrial firms for the advancement of photovoltaic technologies. Members of the branch disseminate research findings to the technical community in publications and presentations. This report contains information on surface and interface analysis, materials characterization, development, electro-optical characterization module testing and performance, surface interactions and FTIR spectroscopy.

Applied statistics for social and management sciences

CERN Document Server

Miah, Abdul Quader

2016-01-01

This book addresses the application of statistical techniques and methods across a wide range of disciplines. While its main focus is on the application of statistical methods, theoretical aspects are also provided as fundamental background information. It offers a systematic interpretation of results often discovered in general descriptions of methods and techniques such as linear and non-linear regression. SPSS is also used in all the application aspects. The presentation of data in the form of tables and graphs throughout the book not only guides users, but also explains the statistical application and assists readers in interpreting important features. The analysis of statistical data is presented consistently throughout the text. Academic researchers, practitioners and other users who work with statistical data will benefit from reading Applied Statistics for Social and Management Sciences. .

Business | College of Engineering & Applied Science

Science.gov (United States)

& Environmental Engineering TA Online Application Civil & Environmental Engineering Research in Computer Science - FAQ's Computer Science TA Online Application Ph.D. Program in Computer Science Electrical Engineering Electrical Engineering TA Online Application Electrical Engineering Research

Application of expert-notice dialogue (END) method to assess students’ science communication ability on biology

Science.gov (United States)

Sriyati, S.; Amelia, D. N.; Soniyana, G. T.

2018-05-01

Student’s science communication ability can be assessed by the Expert-Notice Dialogue (END) method which focusing on verbal explanations using graphs or images as a tool. This study aims to apply the END method to assess students’ science communication ability. The study was conducted in two high schools with each sample of one class at each school (A and B). The number of experts in class A is 8 students and 7 in class B, the number of notice in class A 24 students and 30 in class B. The material chosen for explanation by expert is Ecosystem in class A and plant classification in class B. Research instruments are rubric of science communication ability, observation rubric, notice concept test and notice questionnaire. The implementation recorded with a video camera and then transcribed based on rubric science communication ability. The results showed that the average of science communication ability in class A and B was 60% and 61.8%, respectively, in enough categories. Mastery of the notice concept is in good category with 79.10 averages in class A and 94.64 in class B. Through the questionnaire notice it is known that the END method generally helps notice in understanding the concept.

[The sugar cane blight of the 1860s: science applied to agriculture].

Science.gov (United States)

Bediaga, Begonha

2012-12-01

The Imperial Instituto Fluminense de Cultura (Fluminense Imperial Institute of Agriculture) encouraged debate with a view to eradicating the blight that devastated sugar cane plantations in the State of Bahia. Rural landowners, government officials and men of science participated in the discussions. The article presents the context of the sciences applied to agriculture, especially agricultural chemistry and the repercussions of the 'discoveries' of Justus Liebig in Brazil. The debate at the Imperial Instituto about the sugar cane blight was analyzed, together with the ideas espoused there and the characters involved in the issue. The procedures and solutions presented are studied, as well as the formation of knowledge networks around the agricultural sciences, which was in the process of institutionalization at the time.

Assessing Prinary School; Second Cycle Social Science Textbooks ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Assessing Prinary School; Second Cycle Social Science Textbooks in ... second cycle primary level social science textbooks vis-à-vis the principles of multiculturalism. ... Biases were disclosed in gender, economic and occupational roles.

Computer Labs | College of Engineering & Applied Science

Science.gov (United States)

Engineering Concentration on Ergonomics M.S. Program in Computer Science Interdisciplinary Concentration on Structural Engineering Laboratory Water Resources Laboratory Computer Science Department Computer Science Academic Programs Computer Science Undergraduate Programs Computer Science Major Computer Science Tracks

Computer Resources | College of Engineering & Applied Science

Science.gov (United States)

Engineering Concentration on Ergonomics M.S. Program in Computer Science Interdisciplinary Concentration on Structural Engineering Laboratory Water Resources Laboratory Computer Science Department Computer Science Academic Programs Computer Science Undergraduate Programs Computer Science Major Computer Science Tracks

Computer Science | Classification | College of Engineering & Applied

Science.gov (United States)

Engineering Concentration on Ergonomics M.S. Program in Computer Science Interdisciplinary Concentration on Structural Engineering Laboratory Water Resources Laboratory Computer Science Department Computer Science Academic Programs Computer Science Undergraduate Programs Computer Science Major Computer Science Tracks

Thinking science with thinking machines: The multiple realities of basic and applied knowledge in a research border zone.

Science.gov (United States)

Hoffman, Steve G

2015-04-01

Some scholars dismiss the distinction between basic and applied science as passé, yet substantive assumptions about this boundary remain obdurate in research policy, popular rhetoric, the sociology and philosophy of science, and, indeed, at the level of bench practice. In this article, I draw on a multiple ontology framework to provide a more stable affirmation of a constructivist position in science and technology studies that cannot be reduced to a matter of competing perspectives on a single reality. The analysis is grounded in ethnographic research in the border zone of Artificial Intelligence science. I translate in-situ moments in which members of neighboring but differently situated labs engage in three distinct repertoires that render the reality of basic and applied science: partitioning, flipping, and collapsing. While the essences of scientific objects are nowhere to be found, the boundary between basic and applied is neither illusion nor mere propaganda. Instead, distinctions among scientific knowledge are made real as a matter of course.

Development and Validation of the Life Sciences Assessment: A Measure of Preschool Children's Conceptions of Basic Life Sciences

Science.gov (United States)

Maherally, Uzma Nooreen

2014-01-01

The purpose of this study was to develop and validate a science assessment tool termed the Life Sciences Assessment (LSA) in order to assess preschool children's conceptions of basic life sciences. The hypothesis was that the four sub-constructs, each of which can be measured through a series of questions on the LSA, will make a significant…

Needs Assessment Study in Science Education: Sample of Turkey

OpenAIRE

Z. Ozdilek; M. Ozkan

2008-01-01

A needs assessment process was conducted to determine the difficulties and requirements of a science unit as an example how needs assessment process can be used in science education in Turkey. A 40-item teacher questionnaire containing four dimensions related to a chemistry unit named “Travel to the Inner Structure of Matter” as presented in the current curriculum materials was administered. The questionnaire was completed by 130 elementary school science teachers in order to get their views ...

Beginning science teachers' performances: Assessment in times of reform

Science.gov (United States)

Budzinsky, Fie K.

2000-10-01

The current reform in science education and the research on effective teaching and student learning have reinforced the importance of teacher competency. To better measure performances in the teaching of science, performance assessment has been added to Connecticut's licensure process for beginning science teachers. Teaching portfolios are used to document teaching and learning over time. Portfolios, however, are not without problems. One of the major concerns with the portfolio assessment process is its subjectivity. Assessors may not have opportunities to ask clarifying or follow-up questions to enhance the interpretation of a teacher's performance. In addition, portfolios often contain components based on self-documentation, which are subjective. Furthermore, the use of portfolios raises test equity issues. These concerns present challenges for persons in charge of establishing the validity of a portfolio-based licensure process. In high-stakes decision processes, such as teaching licensure, the validity of the assessment instruments must be studied. The primary purpose of this study was to explore the criterion-related validity of the Connecticut State Department of Education's Beginning Science Teaching Portfolio by comparing the interpretations of performances from science teaching portfolios to those derived from another assessment method, the Expert Science Teaching Educational and Evaluation Model, (ESTEEM). The analysis of correlations between the Beginning Science Teaching Portfolio and ESTEEM instrument scores was the primary method for establishing support for validity. The results indicated moderate correlations between all Beginning Science Teaching Portfolio and ESTEEM category and total variables. Multiple regression was used to examine whether differences existed in beginning science teachers' performances based on gender, poverty group, school level, and science discipline taught. None of these variables significantly contributed to the

Values and limitations of applied science in the real world [book review

Science.gov (United States)

Christel C. Kern

2012-01-01

How can the applied scientist provide timely, useful results to the land manager whose job is to save and sustain our complex ecosystems under the scrutiny of the profession, public, and policymakers? Author Robert J. Cabin tells his story in Intelligent Tinkering: Bridging the Gap between Science and Practice.

Applied solid state science advances in materials and device research

CERN Document Server

Wolfe, Raymond

2013-01-01

Applied Solid State Science: Advances in Materials and Device Research, Volume 4 covers articles on single crystal compound semiconductors and complex polycrystalline materials. The book discusses narrow gap semiconductors and solid state batteries. The text then describes the advantages of hot-pressed microcrystalline compacts of oxygen-octahedra ferroelectrics over single crystal materials, as well as heterostructure junction lasers. Solid state physicists, materials scientists, electrical engineers, and graduate students studying the subjects being discussed will find the book invaluable.

Applied solid state science advances in materials and device research

CERN Document Server

Wolfe, Raymond

2013-01-01

Applied Solid State Science: Advances in Materials and Device Research, Volume 1 presents articles about junction electroluminescence; metal-insulator-semiconductor (MIS) physics; ion implantation in semiconductors; and electron transport through insulating thin films. The book describes the basic physics of carrier injection; energy transfer and recombination mechanisms; state of the art efficiencies; and future prospects for light emitting diodes. The text then discusses solid state spectroscopy, which is the pair spectra observed in gallium phosphide photoluminescence. The extensive studies

Managing change : Case study: HAMK University of Applied Sciences, Valkeakoski

OpenAIRE

Chau Thi Tra, Mi

2012-01-01

In response to changes imposed by the Finnish government on the Univer-sities of Applied Sciences system in the near future, HAMK has proactive-ly adopted several programmes to prepare for future challenges and rein-force the organization’s competitiveness. However, organizational change has never been an easy, straightforward issue and how to manage change effectively has become an interest to the organization. The study aims at providing suggestions for a more successful change im-pleme...

Enacting the Common Script: Management Ideas at Finnish Universities of Applied Sciences

Science.gov (United States)

Vuori, Johanna

2015-01-01

This article discusses the work of mid-level management at Finnish universities of applied sciences. Based on in-depth interviews with 15 line managers, this study investigates how the standardized management ideas of rational management and employee empowerment are used in the leadership of lecturers at these institutions. The findings indicate…

Forensic Science Research and Development at the National Institute of Justice: Opportunities in Applied Physics

Science.gov (United States)

Dutton, Gregory

Forensic science is a collection of applied disciplines that draws from all branches of science. A key question in forensic analysis is: to what degree do a piece of evidence and a known reference sample share characteristics? Quantification of similarity, estimation of uncertainty, and determination of relevant population statistics are of current concern. A 2016 PCAST report questioned the foundational validity and the validity in practice of several forensic disciplines, including latent fingerprints, firearms comparisons and DNA mixture interpretation. One recommendation was the advancement of objective, automated comparison methods based on image analysis and machine learning. These concerns parallel the National Institute of Justice's ongoing R&D investments in applied chemistry, biology and physics. NIJ maintains a funding program spanning fundamental research with potential for forensic application to the validation of novel instruments and methods. Since 2009, NIJ has funded over 179M in external research to support the advancement of accuracy, validity and efficiency in the forensic sciences. An overview of NIJ's programs will be presented, with examples of relevant projects from fluid dynamics, 3D imaging, acoustics, and materials science.

Formative and summative assessment of science in English primary schools: evidence from the Primary Science Quality Mark

Science.gov (United States)

Earle, Sarah

2014-05-01

Background:Since the discontinuation of Standard Attainment Tests (SATs) in science at age 11 in England, pupil performance data in science reported to the UK government by each primary school has relied largely on teacher assessment undertaken in the classroom. Purpose:The process by which teachers are making these judgements has been unclear, so this study made use of the extensive Primary Science Quality Mark (PSQM) database to obtain a 'snapshot' (as of March 2013) of the approaches taken by 91 English primary schools to the formative and summative assessment of pupils' learning in science. PSQM is an award scheme for UK primary schools. It requires the science subject leader (co-ordinator) in each school to reflect upon and develop practice over the course of one year, then upload a set of reflections and supporting evidence to the database to support their application. One of the criteria requires the subject leader to explain how science is assessed within the school. Sample:The data set consists of the electronic text in the assessment section of all 91 PSQM primary schools which worked towards the Quality Mark in the year April 2012 to March 2013. Design and methods:Content analysis of a pre-existing qualitative data set. Text in the assessment section of each submission was first coded as describing formative or summative processes, then sub-coded into different strategies used. Results:A wide range of formative and summative approaches were reported, which tended to be described separately, with few links between them. Talk-based strategies are widely used for formative assessment, with some evidence of feedback to pupils. Whilst the use of tests or tracking grids for summative assessment is widespread, few schools rely on one system alone. Enquiry skills and conceptual knowledge were often assessed separately. Conclusions:There is little consistency in the approaches being used by teachers to assess science in English primary schools. Nevertheless

The science of epidemiology and the methods needed for public health assessments: a review of epidemiology textbooks.

Science.gov (United States)

Gouda, Hebe N; Powles, John W

2014-02-10

Epidemiology is often described as 'the science of public health'. Here we aim to assess the extent that epidemiological methods, as covered in contemporary standard textbooks, provide tools that can assess the relative magnitude of public health problems and can be used to help rank and assess public health priorities. Narrative literature review. Thirty textbooks were grouped into three categories; pure, extended or applied epidemiology, were reviewed with attention to the ways the discipline is characterised and the nature of the analytical methods described. Pure texts tend to present a strict hierarchy of methods with those metrics deemed to best serve aetiological inquiry at the top. Extended and applied texts employ broader definitions of epidemiology but in most cases, the metrics described are also those used in aetiological inquiry and may not be optimal for capturing the consequences and social importance of injuries and disease onsets. The primary scientific purpose of epidemiology, even amongst 'applied' textbooks, is aetiological inquiry. Authors do not readily extend to methods suitable for assessing public health problems and priorities.

Taking Stock: Existing Resources for Assessing a New Vision of Science Learning

Science.gov (United States)

Alonzo, Alicia C.; Ke, Li

2016-01-01

A new vision of science learning described in the "Next Generation Science Standards"--particularly the science and engineering practices and their integration with content--pose significant challenges for large-scale assessment. This article explores what might be learned from advances in large-scale science assessment and…

Opportunities and challenges in applying the compressive sensing framework to nuclear science and engineering

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mille, Matthew; Su, Lin; Yazici, Birsen; Xu, X. George

2011-01-01

Compressive sensing is a 5-year old theory that has already resulted in an extremely large number of publications in the literature and that has the potential to impact every field of engineering and applied science that has to do with data acquisition and processing. This paper introduces the mathematics, presents a simple demonstration of radiation dose reduction in x-ray CT imaging, and discusses potential application in nuclear science and engineering. (author)

Development of Integrated Natural Science Teaching Materials Webbed Type with Applying Discourse Analysis on Students Grade VIII in Physics Class

Science.gov (United States)

Sukariasih, Luh

2017-05-01

This study aims to produce teaching materials integrated natural science (IPA) webbed type of handout types are eligible for use in integrated science teaching. This type of research IS a kind of research and development / Research and Development (R & D) with reference to the 4D development model that is (define, design, develop, and disseminate). Data analysis techniques used to process data from the results of the assessment by the validator expert, and the results of the assessment by teachers and learners while testing is limited (12 students of class VIII SMPN 10 Kendari) using quantitative descriptive data analysis techniques disclosed in the distribution of scores on the scale of five categories grading scale that has been determined. The results of due diligence material gain votes validator material in the category of “very good” and “good”, of the data generated in the feasibility test presentation obtained the category of “good” and “excellent”, from the data generated in the feasibility of graphic test obtained the category of “very good “and” good “, as well as of the data generated in the test the feasibility of using words and language obtained the category of“very good “and” good “, so with qualifications gained the teaching materials IPA integrated type webbed by applying discourse analysis on the theme of energy and food for Junior High School (SMP) grade VIII suitable as teaching materials. In limited testing, data generated in response to a science teacher at SMPN 10 Kendari to product instructional materials as “excellent”, and from the data generated while testing is limited by the 12 students of class VIII SMPN 10 Kendari are more students who score indicates category “very good”, so that the qualification obtained by the natural science (IPA) teaching material integrated type webbed by applying discourse analysis on the theme of energy and food for SMP / class VIII fit for use as teaching material.

MINING OPERATIONS'' SAFETY PROVISION - FUNDAMENTAL AND APPLIED SCIENCE TASK

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zakharov V.N.

2017-12-01

Full Text Available The stages of the modern Russian scientiic school of comprehensive exploitation of mineral resourcesformation, the main directions of which were concentrated in the Institute of Comprehensive Exploitation of Mineral Resources are considered. The main directions of ICEMR scientiic activity and the most important results of fundamental and applied research are presented, which are the scientiic Ьasis of modern research related to the safety of mineral reserves use provision. The importance of studying the coal and methane interaction, gas dynamic phenomena in coal mines, coal seam degassing technologies and mine methane utilization, mathematical modeling and solving proЬlems in the ield of stressed-deformed state, strength, fracturing mechanics, thermal conductivity, hydromechanics, forced viЬration, etc. are outlined.The effectiveness analysis of the state, academic and industrial Ьranch scientiic centers, university science, design organizations and mining companies joint efforts to reduce industrial injuries in the mining sector of the Russian economy is conducted. The need for targeted measures to move to new technical-technological and regulatory levels of mining, allowing to prevent the accidents with massive fatal injuries, was determined. The solution of these tasks is possiЬle only Ьy comЬining the efforts of the specialized institutes of the Russian Academy of Sciences, of the Ьranch science, of universities and mining companies through the implementation of the "Mining Safety" Scientiic Research Comprehensive Plan, coordinated Ьy ICEMR RAS.

Development Module Oriented Science Technology Society Indue Science Literacy Assessment for 7th-Grade Junior High School Students in 2nd -Semester

Science.gov (United States)

Arbi, Y. R.; Sumarmin, R.; Putri, D. H.

2018-04-01

The problem in the science learning process is the application of the scientific approach takes a long time in order to provide conceptual understanding to the students, there is no teaching materials that can measure students reasoning and thinking ability, and the assessment has not measured students reasoning and literacy skills.The effort can be done is to develop science technology society module indue science literacy assessment. The purpose of the research was to produce a module oriented society indue science science technology literacy assessment. The research is development research using Plomp model, consist of preliminary, prototyping, and assessment phase. Data collect by questionnare and documantion. The result there is science technology society module indue science literacy assessment is very valid.

Control of Chaos: New Perspectives in Experimental and Theoretical Science. International Journal of Bifurcation and Chaos in Applied Sciences and Engineering. Theme Issue. Part 1. Volume 8, Number 8, August 1998

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Arecchi, F

1998-01-01

.... In every field of the applied sciences (astronomy, atmospheric sciences, biology, chemistry, economics, geophysics, life and medical sciences, physics, social sciences, zoology, etc.) and engTheenng...

Modeling in applied sciences a kinetic theory approach

CERN Document Server

Pulvirenti, Mario

2000-01-01

Modeling complex biological, chemical, and physical systems, in the context of spatially heterogeneous mediums, is a challenging task for scientists and engineers using traditional methods of analysis Modeling in Applied Sciences is a comprehensive survey of modeling large systems using kinetic equations, and in particular the Boltzmann equation and its generalizations An interdisciplinary group of leading authorities carefully develop the foundations of kinetic models and discuss the connections and interactions between model theories, qualitative and computational analysis and real-world applications This book provides a thoroughly accessible and lucid overview of the different aspects, models, computations, and methodology for the kinetic-theory modeling process Topics and Features * Integrated modeling perspective utilized in all chapters * Fluid dynamics of reacting gases * Self-contained introduction to kinetic models * Becker–Doring equations * Nonlinear kinetic models with chemical reactions * Kinet...

BAYERO JOURNAL OF PURE AND APPLIED SCIENCES (BAJOPAS)

African Journals Online (AJOL)

User

sciences, namely: Agricultural Sciences, Botany, Biochemistry, Chemistry, Computer Science,. Engineering, Environmental Sciences and Geography. Also, areas of Laboratory Science, Technology,. Mathematical Sciences, Microbiology, Physics, Medical Sciences and Zoology form part of the contents of the Journal.

Consultation Needs Assessment in Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences: Viewpoints of Medical Students

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cyrus Jalili

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Consultation can play an effective role in accommodating students to conditions and can be followed by academic achievement. This study was aimed to determine the consultation needs assessment among medical students in Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences (KUMS. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted among 300 students from undergraduate basic sciences of medical faculty of KUMS during 2016. Two structured questionnaires were applied for collecting data: demographics and consultation needs assessment. Data were analyzed by SPSS version 16 using bivariate correlations, t-test, and ANOVA test. Results: The age range of participants was 19 to 31 with the average of 22.78±2.30. Gender was associated significantly and statistically with the areas of individual growth and promotion needs, educational needs, employment needs and emotional needs; girls in these areas acquired a higher score compared to boys (P<0.05. Furthermore, the domain of individual growth and promotion needs acquired the highest score. Conclusion: Our findings indicated that most of the students' needs were in the field of individual and educational growth and promotion. Furthermore, the average scores of guidance and consultation needs assessment of the female students was higher, with the necessity of paying more attention to the consultation problems among them.

Applying innovative approach “Nature of Science (NoS) within inquiry” for developing scientific literacy in the student worksheet

Science.gov (United States)

Widowati, A.; Anjarsari, P.; Zuhdan, K. P.; Dita, A.

2018-03-01

The challenges of the 21st century require innovative solutions. Education must able to make an understanding of science learning that leads to the formation of scientific literacy learners. This research was conducted to produce the prototype as science worksheet based on Nature of Science (NoS) within inquiry approach and to know the effectiveness its product for developing scientific literacy. This research was the development and research design, by pointing to Four D models and Borg & Gall Model. There were 4 main phases (define, design, develop, disseminate) and additional phases (preliminary field testing, main product revision, main field testing, and operational product revision). Research subjects were students of the junior high school in Yogyakarta. The instruments used included questionnaire sheet product validation and scientific literacy test. For the validation data were analyzed descriptively. The test result was analyzed by an N-gain score. The results showed that the appropriateness of worksheet applying NoS within inquiry-based learning approach is eligible based on the assessment from excellent by experts and teachers, students’ scientific literacy can improve high category of the N-gain score at 0.71 by using student worksheet with Nature of Science (NoS) within inquiry approach.

Performance Assessment as a Diagnostic Tool for Science Teachers

Science.gov (United States)

Kruit, Patricia; Oostdam, Ron; van den Berg, Ed; Schuitema, Jaap

2018-04-01

Information on students' development of science skills is essential for teachers to evaluate and improve their own education, as well as to provide adequate support and feedback to the learning process of individual students. The present study explores and discusses the use of performance assessments as a diagnostic tool for formative assessment to inform teachers and guide instruction of science skills in primary education. Three performance assessments were administered to more than 400 students in grades 5 and 6 of primary education. Students performed small experiments using real materials while following the different steps of the empirical cycle. The mutual relationship between the three performance assessments is examined to provide evidence for the value of performance assessments as useful tools for formative evaluation. Differences in response patterns are discussed, and the diagnostic value of performance assessments is illustrated with examples of individual student performances. Findings show that the performance assessments were difficult for grades 5 and 6 students but that much individual variation exists regarding the different steps of the empirical cycle. Evaluation of scores as well as a more substantive analysis of students' responses provided insight into typical errors that students make. It is concluded that performance assessments can be used as a diagnostic tool for monitoring students' skill performance as well as to support teachers in evaluating and improving their science lessons.

Promoting Prospective Elementary Teachers' Learning to Use Formative Assessment for Life Science Instruction

Science.gov (United States)

Sabel, Jaime L.; Forbes, Cory T.; Zangori, Laura

2015-01-01

To support elementary students' learning of core, standards-based life science concepts highlighted in the "Next Generation Science Standards," prospective elementary teachers should develop an understanding of life science concepts and learn to apply their content knowledge in instructional practice to craft elementary science learning…

Evaluating design-based formative assessment practices in outdoor science teaching

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hartmeyer, Rikke; Stevenson, Matthew Peter; Bentsen, Peter

2016-01-01

Background and purpose: Research in formative assessment often pays close attention to the strategies which can be used by teachers. However, less emphasis in the literature seems to have been paid to study the application of formative assessment designs in practice. In this paper, we argue...... that a formative assessment design that we call Eva-Mapping, which is developed on the principles of design-based research, can be a productive starting point for disseminating and further developing formative assessment practices in outdoor science teaching. Sample, design and methods: We conducted an evaluation...... of the design, based on video-elicited focus group interviews with two groups of experienced science teachers. Both groups consisted of teachers who taught science outside the classroom on a regular basis. These groups watched identical video sequences which were recorded during lessons in which teachers...

Everyday classroom assessment practices in science classrooms in Sweden

Science.gov (United States)

Gómez, María del Carmen; Jakobsson, Anders

2014-12-01

The focus of this study is to examine to what extent and in what ways science teachers practice assessment during classroom interactions in everyday activities in an upper-secondary school in Sweden. We are science teachers working now with a larger research project on assessment in science education that seeks to examine teachers' assessment practices in the upper-secondary school. Framing questions include: are teachers performing an integrated assessment of students' skills as the national curriculum mandates? If so, what do the instructional discourses look like in those situations and what are students' experiences regarding their agency on learning and assessment? We emphasize the social, cultural and historic character of assessment and sustain a situated character of learning instead of the notion that learning is "stored inside the head". Teacher led lessons in three science classrooms were video-recorded and analyzed by combining ethnographic and discourse methods of analysis. Both methods are appropriate to the theoretical foundation of our approach on learning and can give some answers to questions about how individuals interact socially, how their experience is passed on to next generations through language and how language use may reveal cultural changes in the studied context. Making the study of action in a classroom the focal point of sociocultural analysis supports the examination of assessment processes and identification of the social roles in which teachers and students are immersed. Such an approach requires observations of how teachers act in authentic teaching situations when they interact with their students in classroom making possible to observe negotiation processes, agencies when both teachers and students are involved in every-day activities. Our study showed that teachers mostly ignored students' questions and that students solved their own problems by helping each other. Teachers did not provide opportunities for students to discuss

Applied Math & Science Levels Utilized in Selected Trade & Industrial Vocational Education. Final Report.

Science.gov (United States)

Gray, James R.

Research identified and evaluated the level of applied mathematics and science used in selected trade and industrial (T&I) subjects taught in the Kentucky Vocational Education System. The random sample was composed of 52 programs: 21 carpentry, 20 electricity/electronics, and 11 machine shop. The 96 math content items that were identified as…

Latent class analysis of diagnostic science assessment data using Bayesian networks

Science.gov (United States)

Steedle, Jeffrey Thomas

2008-10-01

Diagnostic science assessments seek to draw inferences about student understanding by eliciting evidence about the mental models that underlie students' reasoning about physical systems. Measurement techniques for analyzing data from such assessments embody one of two contrasting assessment programs: learning progressions and facet-based assessments. Learning progressions assume that students have coherent theories that they apply systematically across different problem contexts. In contrast, the facet approach makes no such assumption, so students should not be expected to reason systematically across different problem contexts. A systematic comparison of these two approaches is of great practical value to assessment programs such as the National Assessment of Educational Progress as they seek to incorporate small clusters of related items in their tests for the purpose of measuring depth of understanding. This dissertation describes an investigation comparing learning progression and facet models. Data comprised student responses to small clusters of multiple-choice diagnostic science items focusing on narrow aspects of understanding of Newtonian mechanics. Latent class analysis was employed using Bayesian networks in order to model the relationship between students' science understanding and item responses. Separate models reflecting the assumptions of the learning progression and facet approaches were fit to the data. The technical qualities of inferences about student understanding resulting from the two models were compared in order to determine if either modeling approach was more appropriate. Specifically, models were compared on model-data fit, diagnostic reliability, diagnostic certainty, and predictive accuracy. In addition, the effects of test length were evaluated for both models in order to inform the number of items required to obtain adequately reliable latent class diagnoses. Lastly, changes in student understanding over time were studied with a

A Framework Applied Three Ways: Responsive Methods of Co-Developing and Implementing Community Science Solutions for Local Impact

Science.gov (United States)

Goodwin, M.; Pandya, R.; Udu-gama, N.; Wilkins, S.

2017-12-01

While one-size-fits all may work for most hats, it rarely does for communities. Research products, methods and knowledge may be usable at a local scale, but applying them often presents a challenge due to issues like availability, accessibility, awareness, lack of trust, and time. However, in an environment with diminishing federal investment in issues related climate change, natural hazards, and natural resource use and management, the ability of communities to access and leverage science has never been more urgent. Established, yet responsive frameworks and methods can help scientists and communities work together to identify and address specific challenges and leverage science to make a local impact. Through the launch of over 50 community science projects since 2013, the Thriving Earth Exchange (TEX) has created a living framework consisting of a set of milestones by which teams of scientists and community leaders navigate the challenges of working together. Central to the framework are context, trust, project planning and refinement, relationship management and community impact. We find that careful and respectful partnership management results in trust and an open exchange of information. Community science partnerships grounded in local priorities result in the development and exchange of stronger decision-relevant tools, resources and knowledge. This presentation will explore three methods TEX uses to apply its framework to community science partnerships: cohort-based collaboration, online dialogues, and one-on-one consultation. The choice of method should be responsive to a community's needs and working style. For example, a community may require customized support, desire the input and support of peers, or require consultation with multiple experts before deciding on a course of action. Knowing and applying the method of engagement best suited to achieve the community's objectives will ensure that the science is most effectively translated and applied.

THE INFLUENCE OF THE ASSESSMENT MODEL AND METHOD TOWARD THE SCIENCE LEARNING ACHIEVEMENT BY CONTROLLING THE STUDENTS? PREVIOUS KNOWLEDGE OF MATHEMATICS.

OpenAIRE

Adam rumbalifar; I. g. n. Agung; Burhanuddin tola.

2018-01-01

This research aims to study the influence of the assessment model and method toward the science learning achievement by controlling the students? previous knowledge of mathematics. This study was conducted at SMP East Seram district with the population of 295 students. This study applied a quasi-experimental method with 2 X 2 factorial design using the ANCOVA model. The findings after controlling the students\\' previous knowledge of mathematics show that the science learning achievement of th...

Development and Exemplification of a Model for Teacher Assessment in Primary Science

Science.gov (United States)

Davies, D. J.; Earle, S.; McMahon, K.; Howe, A.; Collier, C.

2017-01-01

The Teacher Assessment in Primary Science project is funded by the Primary Science Teaching Trust and based at Bath Spa University. The study aims to develop a whole-school model of valid, reliable and manageable teacher assessment to inform practice and make a positive impact on primary-aged children's learning in science. The model is based on a…

Quality Assessment of Collection 6 MODIS Atmospheric Science Products

Science.gov (United States)

Manoharan, V. S.; Ridgway, B.; Platnick, S. E.; Devadiga, S.; Mauoka, E.

2015-12-01

Since the launch of the NASA Terra and Aqua satellites in December 1999 and May 2002, respectively, atmosphere and land data acquired by the MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) sensor on-board these satellites have been reprocessed five times at the MODAPS (MODIS Adaptive Processing System) located at NASA GSFC. The global land and atmosphere products use science algorithms developed by the NASA MODIS science team investigators. MODAPS completed Collection 6 reprocessing of MODIS Atmosphere science data products in April 2015 and is currently generating the Collection 6 products using the latest version of the science algorithms. This reprocessing has generated one of the longest time series of consistent data records for understanding cloud, aerosol, and other constituents in the earth's atmosphere. It is important to carefully evaluate and assess the quality of this data and remove any artifacts to maintain a useful climate data record. Quality Assessment (QA) is an integral part of the processing chain at MODAPS. This presentation will describe the QA approaches and tools adopted by the MODIS Land/Atmosphere Operational Product Evaluation (LDOPE) team to assess the quality of MODIS operational Atmospheric products produced at MODAPS. Some of the tools include global high resolution images, time series analysis and statistical QA metrics. The new high resolution global browse images with pan and zoom have provided the ability to perform QA of products in real time through synoptic QA on the web. This global browse generation has been useful in identifying production error, data loss, and data quality issues from calibration error, geolocation error and algorithm performance. A time series analysis for various science datasets in the Level-3 monthly product was recently developed for assessing any long term drifts in the data arising from instrument errors or other artifacts. This presentation will describe and discuss some test cases from the

A Series of MATLAB Learning Modules to Enhance Numerical Competency in Applied Marine Sciences

Science.gov (United States)

Fischer, A. M.; Lucieer, V.; Burke, C.

2016-12-01

Enhanced numerical competency to navigate the massive data landscapes are critical skills students need to effectively explore, analyse and visualize complex patterns in high-dimensional data for addressing the complexity of many of the world's problems. This is especially the case for interdisciplinary, undergraduate applied marine science programs, where students are required to demonstrate competency in methods and ideas across multiple disciplines. In response to this challenge, we have developed a series of repository-based data exploration, analysis and visualization modules in MATLAB for integration across various attending and online classes within the University of Tasmania. The primary focus of these modules is to teach students to collect, aggregate and interpret data from large on-line marine scientific data repositories to, 1) gain technical skills in discovering, accessing, managing and visualising large, numerous data sources, 2) interpret, analyse and design approaches to visualise these data, and 3) to address, through numerical approaches, complex, real-world problems, that the traditional scientific methods cannot address. All modules, implemented through a MATLAB live script, include a short recorded lecture to introduce the topic, a handout that gives an overview of the activities, an instructor's manual with a detailed methodology and discussion points, a student assessment (quiz and level-specific challenge task), and a survey. The marine science themes addressed through these modules include biodiversity, habitat mapping, algal blooms and sea surface temperature change and utilize a series of marine science and oceanographic data portals. Through these modules students, with minimal experience in MATLAB or numerical methods are introduced to array indexing, concatenation, sorting, and reshaping, principal component analysis, spectral analysis and unsupervised classification within the context of oceanographic processes, marine geology and

Investigation of Science Inquiry Items for Use on an Alternate Assessment Based on Modified Achievement Standards Using Cognitive Lab Methodology

Science.gov (United States)

Dickenson, Tammiee S.; Gilmore, Joanna A.; Price, Karen J.; Bennett, Heather L.

2013-01-01

This study evaluated the benefits of item enhancements applied to science-inquiry items for incorporation into an alternate assessment based on modified achievement standards for high school students. Six items were included in the cognitive lab sessions involving both students with and without disabilities. The enhancements (e.g., use of visuals,…

Student Self-Assessment in HOCS Science Examinations: Is There a Problem?

Science.gov (United States)

Zoller, Uri; Ben-Chaim, David

1998-06-01

A specially-designed self-assessment questionnaire (SAQHOCS), containing higher-order cognitive skills (HOCS)-type questions, was administered to 71 biology majors, enrolled in a four-year college program. The gap between students' self-assessment marking, and that of their HOCS-biased teachers (the authors), is accounted for by the prevailing LOCS-orientation and the "testing culture"—a total separation between testing and learning—in contemporary science teaching. The majority of the students in the study evaluated themselves as capable of self-assessment, and felt reasonably confident in doing so. They were quite reserved as far as the applicability of the self-assessment method to nonalgorithmic ("correct/incorrect") questions is concerned. The results of this study suggest that the potential for student self-assessment within college science teaching and learning exists. However, still a great purposed effort in HOCS-oriented teaching and learning is required in order for the student self-assessment practice to become a routine integral component of HOCS science examinations.

Risk assessment of topically applied products

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Søborg, Tue; Basse, Line Hollesen; Halling-Sørensen, Bent

2007-01-01

The human risk of harmful substances in semisolid topical dosage forms applied topically to normal skin and broken skin, respectively, was assessed. Bisphenol A diglycidyl ether (BADGE) and three derivatives of BADGE previously quantified in aqueous cream and the UV filters 3-BC and 4-MBC were used...... as model compounds. Tolerable daily intake (TDI) values have been established for BADGE and derivatives. Endocrine disruption was chosen as endpoint for 3-BC and 4-MBC. Skin permeation of the model compounds was investigated in vitro using pig skin membranes. Tape stripping was applied to simulate broken...... parameters for estimating the risk. The immediate human risk of BADGE and derivatives in topical dosage forms was found to be low. However, local treatment of broken skin may lead to higher exposure of BADGE and derivatives compared to application to normal skin. 3-BC permeated skin at higher flux than 4-MBC...

Interim research assessment 2003-2005 - Computer Science

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Mouthaan, A.J.; Hartel, Pieter H.

This report primarily serves as a source of information for the 2007 Interim Research Assessment Committee for Computer Science at the three technical universities in the Netherlands. The report also provides information for others interested in our research activities.

Using Educative Assessments to Support Science Teaching for Middle School English-language Learners

Science.gov (United States)

Buxton, Cory A.; Allexsaht-Snider, Martha; Suriel, Regina; Kayumova, Shakhnoza; Choi, Youn-jeng; Bouton, Bobette; Baker, Melissa

2013-03-01

Grounded in Hallidayan perspectives on academic language, we report on our development of an educative science assessment as one component of the language-rich inquiry science for English-language learners teacher professional learning project for middle school science teachers. The project emphasizes the role of content-area writing to support teachers in diagnosing their students' emergent understandings of science inquiry practices, science content knowledge, and the academic language of science, with a particular focus on the needs of English-language learners. In our current school policy context, writing for meaningful purposes has received decreased attention as teachers struggle to cover large numbers of discrete content standards. Additionally, high-stakes assessments presented in multiple-choice format have become the definitive measure of student science learning, further de-emphasizing the value of academic writing for developing and expressing understanding. To counter these trends, we examine the implementation of educative assessment materials—writing-rich assessments designed to support teachers' instructional decision making. We report on the qualities of our educative assessment that supported teachers in diagnosing their students' emergent understandings, and how teacher-researcher collaborative scoring sessions and interpretation of assessment results led to changes in teachers' instructional decision making to better support students in expressing their scientific understandings. We conclude with implications of this work for theory, research, and practice.

Multiscale science for science-based stockpile stewardship

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Margolin, L.; Sharp, D.

2000-12-01

This is the final report of a three-year, Laboratory-Directed Research and Development (LDRD) project at the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL). The goal of this project has been to develop and apply the methods of multi scale science to the problems of fluid and material mixing due to instability and turbulence, and of materials characterization. Our specific focus has been on the SBSS (science-based stockpile stewardship) issue of assessing the performance of a weapons with off-design, aged, or remanufactured components in the absence of full-scale testing. Our products are physics models, based on microphysical principles and parameters, and suitable for implementation in the large scale design and assessment codes used in the nuclear weapons program.

Development and exemplification of a model for Teacher Assessment in Primary Science

Science.gov (United States)

Davies, D. J.; Earle, S.; McMahon, K.; Howe, A.; Collier, C.

2017-09-01

The Teacher Assessment in Primary Science project is funded by the Primary Science Teaching Trust and based at Bath Spa University. The study aims to develop a whole-school model of valid, reliable and manageable teacher assessment to inform practice and make a positive impact on primary-aged children's learning in science. The model is based on a data-flow 'pyramid' (analogous to the flow of energy through an ecosystem), whereby the rich formative assessment evidence gathered in the classroom is summarised for monitoring, reporting and evaluation purposes [Nuffield Foundation. (2012). Developing policy, principles and practice in primary school science assessment. London: Nuffield Foundation]. Using a design-based research (DBR) methodology, the authors worked in collaboration with teachers from project schools and other expert groups to refine, elaborate, validate and operationalise the data-flow 'pyramid' model, resulting in the development of a whole-school self-evaluation tool. In this paper, we argue that a DBR approach to theory-building and school improvement drawing upon teacher expertise has led to the identification, adaptation and successful scaling up of a promising approach to school self-evaluation in relation to assessment in science.

College of Engineering & Applied Science

Science.gov (United States)

Computational Mechanics Laboratory Environmental Engineering Laboratory Geotechnical Engineering Laboratory Engineering Concentration on Ergonomics M.S. Program in Computer Science Interdisciplinary Concentration on Energy Doctoral Programs in Engineering Non-Degree Candidate Departments Biomedical Engineering

Student Explanations of Their Science Teachers' Assessments, Grading Practices and How They Learn Science

Science.gov (United States)

del Carmen Gomez, María

2018-01-01

The current paper draws on data generated through group interviews with students who were involved in a larger ethnographic research project performed in three science classrooms. The purpose of the study from which this data was generated, was to understand science teachers' assessment practices in an upper-secondary school in Sweden. During…

3rd International Conference on Computer Science, Applied Mathematics and Applications

CERN Document Server

Nguyen, Ngoc; Do, Tien

2015-01-01

This volume contains the extended versions of papers presented at the 3rd International Conference on Computer Science, Applied Mathematics and Applications (ICCSAMA 2015) held on 11-13 May, 2015 in Metz, France. The book contains 5 parts: 1. Mathematical programming and optimization: theory, methods and software, Operational research and decision making, Machine learning, data security, and bioinformatics, Knowledge information system, Software engineering. All chapters in the book discuss theoretical and algorithmic as well as practical issues connected with computation methods & optimization methods for knowledge engineering and machine learning techniques.  

Advances in Molecular Rotational Spectroscopy for Applied Science

Science.gov (United States)

Harris, Brent; Fields, Shelby S.; Pulliam, Robin; Muckle, Matt; Neill, Justin L.

2017-06-01

Advances in chemical sensitivity and robust, solid-state designs for microwave/millimeter-wave instrumentation compel the expansion of molecular rotational spectroscopy as research tool into applied science. It is familiar to consider molecular rotational spectroscopy for air analysis. Those techniques for molecular rotational spectroscopy are included in our presentation of a more broad application space for materials analysis using Fourier Transform Molecular Rotational Resonance (FT-MRR) spectrometers. There are potentially transformative advantages for direct gas analysis of complex mixtures, determination of unknown evolved gases with parts per trillion detection limits in solid materials, and unambiguous chiral determination. The introduction of FT-MRR as an alternative detection principle for analytical chemistry has created a ripe research space for the development of new analytical methods and sampling equipment to fully enable FT-MRR. We present the current state of purpose-built FT-MRR instrumentation and the latest application measurements that make use of new sampling methods.

The role of assessment infrastructures in crafting project-based science classrooms

Science.gov (United States)

D'Amico, Laura Marie

In project-based science teaching, teachers engage students in the practice of conducting meaningful investigations and explanations of natural phenomena, often in collaboration with fellow students or adults. Reformers suggest that this approach can provide students with more profitable learning experiences; but for many teachers, a shift to such instruction can be difficult to manage. As some reform-minded teachers have discovered, classroom assessment can serve as a vital tool for meeting the challenges associated with project science activity. In this research, classroom assessment was viewed as an infrastructure that both students and teachers rely upon as a mediational tool for classroom activity and communications. The study explored the classroom assessment infrastructures created by three teachers involved in the Learning through Collaborative Visualization (CoVis) Project from 1993--94 to 1995--96. Each of the three teachers under study either created a new course or radically reformulated an old one in an effort to incorporate project-based science pedagogy and supporting technologies. Data in the form of interviews, classroom observations, surveys, student work, and teacher records was collected. From these data, an interpretive case study was developed for each course and its accompanying assessment infrastructure. A set of cross-case analyses was also constructed, based upon common themes that emerged from all three cases. These themes included: the assessment challenges based on the nature of project activity, the role of technology in the teachers' assessment infrastructure designs, and the influence of the wider assessment infrastructure on their course and assessment designs. In combination, the case studies and cross-case analyses describe the synergistic relationship between the design of pedagogical reforms and classroom assessment infrastructures, as well as the effectiveness of all three assessment designs. This work contributes to research

Applying Catastrophe Theory to an Information-Processing Model of Problem Solving in Science Education

Science.gov (United States)

Stamovlasis, Dimitrios; Tsaparlis, Georgios

2012-01-01

In this study, we test an information-processing model (IPM) of problem solving in science education, namely the working memory overload model, by applying catastrophe theory. Changes in students' achievement were modeled as discontinuities within a cusp catastrophe model, where working memory capacity was implemented as asymmetry and the degree…

Responsible research and innovation indicators for science education assessment: how to measure the impact?

Science.gov (United States)

Heras, Maria; Ruiz-Mallén, Isabel

2017-12-01

The emerging paradigm of responsible research and innovation (RRI) in the European Commission policy discourse identifies science education as a key agenda for better equipping students with skills and knowledge to tackle complex societal challenges and foster active citizenship in democratic societies. The operationalisation of this broad approach in science education demands, however, the identification of assessment frameworks able to grasp the complexity of RRI process requirements and learning outcomes within science education practice. This article aims to shed light over the application of the RRI approach in science education by proposing a RRI-based analytical framework for science education assessment. We use such framework to review a sample of empirical studies of science education assessments and critically analyse it under the lenses of RRI criteria. As a result, we identify a set of 86 key RRI assessment indicators in science education related to RRI values, transversal competences and experiential and cognitive aspects of learning. We argue that looking at science education through the lenses of RRI can potentially contribute to the integration of metacognitive skills, emotional aspects and procedural dimensions within impact assessments so as to address the complexity of learning.

[Applied ecology: retrospect and prospect].

Science.gov (United States)

He, Xingyuan; Zeng, Dehui

2004-10-01

Applied ecology is evolved into a principal part of modern ecology that rapidly develops. The major stimulus for the development of applied ecology roots in seeking the solutions for the problems of human populations, resources and environments. Through four decades, the science of applied ecology has been becoming a huge group of disciplines. The future for the applied ecology should concern more with human-influenced and managed ecosystems, and acknowledge humans as the components of ecosystems. Nowadays and in future, the top-priorities in applied ecology should include following fields: sustainable ecosystems and biosphere, ecosystem services and ecological design, ecological assessment of genetically modified organisms, ecology of biological invasions, epidemical ecology, ecological forecasting, ecological process and its control. The authors believe that the comprehensive and active research hotspots coupled some new traits would occur around these fields in foreseeable future.

Current research activities: Applied and numerical mathematics, fluid mechanics, experiments in transition and turbulence and aerodynamics, and computer science

Science.gov (United States)

1992-01-01

Research conducted at the Institute for Computer Applications in Science and Engineering in applied mathematics, numerical analysis, fluid mechanics including fluid dynamics, acoustics, and combustion, aerodynamics, and computer science during the period 1 Apr. 1992 - 30 Sep. 1992 is summarized.

Research Labs | College of Engineering & Applied Science

Science.gov (United States)

Engineering Multimedia Software Laboratory Computer Science Nanotechnology for Sustainable Energy and Engineering Concentration on Ergonomics M.S. Program in Computer Science Interdisciplinary Concentration on Energy Doctoral Programs in Engineering Non-Degree Candidate Departments Biomedical Engineering

A Delphi Study on Technology Enhanced Learning (TEL) Applied on Computer Science (CS) Skills

Science.gov (United States)

Porta, Marcela; Mas-Machuca, Marta; Martinez-Costa, Carme; Maillet, Katherine

2012-01-01

Technology Enhanced Learning (TEL) is a new pedagogical domain aiming to study the usage of information and communication technologies to support teaching and learning. The following study investigated how this domain is used to increase technical skills in Computer Science (CS). A Delphi method was applied, using three-rounds of online survey…

SUSTAINABILITY LOGISTICS BASING SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY OBJECTIVE DEMONSTRATION; SELECTED TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT

Science.gov (United States)

2018-03-22

BASING SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY OBJECTIVE – DEMONSTRATION; SELECTED TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT by Gregg J. Gildea Paul D. Carpenter Benjamin J...Campbell William F. Harris* Michael A. McCluskey** and José A. Miletti*** *General Dynamics Information Technology Fairfax, VA 22030 **Maneuver...SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY OBJECTIVE – DEMONSTRATION; SELECTED TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT 5a. CONTRACT NUMBER 5b. GRANT NUMBER 5c. PROGRAM ELEMENT

An Argument for Formative Assessment with Science Learning Progressions

Science.gov (United States)

Alonzo, Alicia C.

2018-01-01

Learning progressions--particularly as defined and operationalized in science education--have significant potential to inform teachers' formative assessment practices. In this overview article, I lay out an argument for this potential, starting from definitions for "formative assessment practices" and "learning progressions"…

The Potential of Qualitative Research for Applied Developmental Science in Sub-Saharan Africa

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Demuth, Carolin

2017-01-01

The present chapter addresses how qualitative research can fruitfully contribute to applied developmental science in Sub-Saharan Africa. It starts out by arguing that most research in developmental psychology has been fundamentally flawed by its neglect of the role of culture for our understanding...... procedures to be studied. Qualitative methodologies, particularly ethnographically informed discourse analysis, provide such empirical procedures and allow for a culture-sensitive developmental science. Examples from a recent study on mother-infant interactions among Cameroonian farming Nso families serve...... of healthy child development and biased by a Western notion thereof. It suggests that research in the field needs to be able to provide insights into how children’s experiences are constructed within the bounds of geographical, societal and ideological dispositions and constraints, family structures...

Improving Assessment Methods in University Science Education with Negotiated Self- and Peer-Assessment

Science.gov (United States)

Poon, Wai-Yin; McNaught, Carmel; Lam, Paul; Kwan, H. S.

2009-01-01

The aim of this study was to investigate whether, in the Hong Kong context, self- and peer-assessment promote students' self-reflection and enable students to understand their own strengths and weaknesses better. A three-stage assessment strategy was employed in three Science courses at The Chinese University of Hong Kong: (1) students developing…

76 FR 57762 - Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed New Collection-Social Science Assessment and...

Science.gov (United States)

2011-09-16

... Information Collection Activities: Proposed New Collection--Social Science Assessment and Geographic Analysis...: OMB Control Number: 1024-NEW. Title: Social Science Assessment and Geographic Analysis of Marine... for Coastal Science and Policy, Mail Stop 250, Flanagan, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC...

Applying science and technology to combat WMD terrorism

Science.gov (United States)

Wuest, Craig R.; Werne, Roger W.; Colston, Billy W.; Hartmann-Siantar, Christine L.

2006-05-01

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) is developing and fielding advanced strategies that dramatically improve the nation's capabilities to prevent, prepare for, detect, and respond to terrorist use of chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, and explosive (CBRNE) weapons. The science, technology, and integrated systems we provide are informed by and developed with key partners and end users. LLNL's long-standing role as one of the two principle U.S. nuclear weapons design laboratories has led to significant resident expertise for health effects of exposure to radiation, radiation detection technologies, characterization of radioisotopes, and assessment and response capabilities for terrorist nuclear weapons use. This paper provides brief overviews of a number of technologies developed at LLNL that are being used to address national security needs to confront the growing threats of CBRNE terrorism.

Applying Science and Technology to Combat WMD Terrorism

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wuest, C R; Werne, R W; Colston, B W; Hartmann-Siantar, C L

2006-01-01

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) is developing and fielding advanced strategies that dramatically improve the nation's capabilities to prevent, prepare for, detect, and respond to terrorist use of chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, and explosive (CBRNE) weapons. The science, technology, and integrated systems we provide are informed by and developed with key partners and end users. LLNL's long-standing role as one of the two principle U.S. nuclear weapons design laboratories has led to significant resident expertise for health effects of exposure to radiation, radiation detection technologies, characterization of radioisotopes, and assessment and response capabilities for terrorist nuclear weapons use. This paper provides brief overviews of a number of technologies developed at LLNL that are being used to address national security needs to confront the growing threats of CBRNE terrorism

Risk assessment and food allergy: the probabilistic model applied to allergens

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Spanjersberg, M.Q.I.; Kruizinga, A.G.; Rennen, M.A.J.; Houben, G.F.

2007-01-01

In order to assess the risk of unintended exposure to food allergens, traditional deterministic risk assessment is usually applied, leading to inconsequential conclusions as 'an allergic reaction cannot be excluded'. TNO therefore developed a quantitative risk assessment model for allergens based on

Differential Performance by English Language Learners on an Inquiry-Based Science Assessment

Science.gov (United States)

Turkan, Sultan; Liu, Ou Lydia

2012-10-01

The performance of English language learners (ELLs) has been a concern given the rapidly changing demographics in US K-12 education. This study aimed to examine whether students' English language status has an impact on their inquiry science performance. Differential item functioning (DIF) analysis was conducted with regard to ELL status on an inquiry-based science assessment, using a multifaceted Rasch DIF model. A total of 1,396 seventh- and eighth-grade students took the science test, including 313 ELL students. The results showed that, overall, non-ELLs significantly outperformed ELLs. Of the four items that showed DIF, three favored non-ELLs while one favored ELLs. The item that favored ELLs provided a graphic representation of a science concept within a family context. There is some evidence that constructed-response items may help ELLs articulate scientific reasoning using their own words. Assessment developers and teachers should pay attention to the possible interaction between linguistic challenges and science content when designing assessment for and providing instruction to ELLs.

Enabling Wide-Scale Computer Science Education through Improved Automated Assessment Tools

Science.gov (United States)

Boe, Bryce A.

There is a proliferating demand for newly trained computer scientists as the number of computer science related jobs continues to increase. University programs will only be able to train enough new computer scientists to meet this demand when two things happen: when there are more primary and secondary school students interested in computer science, and when university departments have the resources to handle the resulting increase in enrollment. To meet these goals, significant effort is being made to both incorporate computational thinking into existing primary school education, and to support larger university computer science class sizes. We contribute to this effort through the creation and use of improved automated assessment tools. To enable wide-scale computer science education we do two things. First, we create a framework called Hairball to support the static analysis of Scratch programs targeted for fourth, fifth, and sixth grade students. Scratch is a popular building-block language utilized to pique interest in and teach the basics of computer science. We observe that Hairball allows for rapid curriculum alterations and thus contributes to wide-scale deployment of computer science curriculum. Second, we create a real-time feedback and assessment system utilized in university computer science classes to provide better feedback to students while reducing assessment time. Insights from our analysis of student submission data show that modifications to the system configuration support the way students learn and progress through course material, making it possible for instructors to tailor assignments to optimize learning in growing computer science classes.

Views of nature of science questionnaire: Toward valid and meaningful assessment of learners' conceptions of nature of science

Science.gov (United States)

Lederman, Norm G.; Abd-El-Khalick, Fouad; Bell, Randy L.; Schwartz, Renée S.

2002-08-01

Helping students develop informed views of nature of science (NOS) has been and continues to be a central goal for kindergarten through Grade 12 (K-12) science education. Since the early 1960s, major efforts have been undertaken to enhance K-12 students and science teachers' NOS views. However, the crucial component of assessing learners' NOS views remains an issue in research on NOS. This article aims to (a) trace the development of a new open-ended instrument, the Views of Nature of Science Questionnaire (VNOS), which in conjunction with individual interviews aims to provide meaningful assessments of learners' NOS views; (b) outline the NOS framework that underlies the development of the VNOS; (c) present evidence regarding the validity of the VNOS; (d) elucidate the use of the VNOS and associated interviews, and the range of NOS aspects that it aims to assess; and (e) discuss the usefulness of rich descriptive NOS profiles that the VNOS provides in research related to teaching and learning about NOS. The VNOS comes in response to some calls within the science education community to go back to developing standardized forced-choice paper and pencil NOS assessment instruments designed for mass administrations to large samples. We believe that these calls ignore much of what was learned from research on teaching and learning about NOS over the past 30 years. The present state of this line of research necessitates a focus on individual classroom interventions aimed at enhancing learners' NOS views, rather than on mass assessments aimed at describing or evaluating students' beliefs.

The Cooperation between Savonia University of Applied Sciences and West Anhui University

OpenAIRE

Tang, Guangjing; Xie, Jiajuan

2016-01-01

The aim of this thesis was to find out how to renew the double degree of Savonia University of Ap-plied Sciences and West Anhui University and listed some advantages and disadvantages of a cooperation project. Also the relevant responsible people were interviewed to get the reasons for the termination of this cooperation. The two universities signed the agreement of university cooperation projects in 2005 and the first group students went to Savonia in 2008. The contents of cooperation were a...

The status of applying stable isotope in the studies of environmental science

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bai Zhipeng; Zhang Liwen; Zhu Tan; Feng Yinchang

2007-01-01

The stable isotope composition is characteristic in the pollution source, and it is relatively fixed in the process of transferring and reaction. At present the precise analysis result of stable isotope ratio can be obtained easily. So the stable isotopes can be applied to the pollution affair arbitration and source study. The concept and analytical method of stable isotopes are introduced. The research status of the stable isotopes in the field of environmental science and the isotope fractionation is reviewed. (authors)

Teaching Scientists to Communicate: Evidence-based assessment for undergraduate science education

Science.gov (United States)

Mercer-Mapstone, Lucy; Kuchel, Louise

2015-07-01

Communication skills are one of five nationally recognised learning outcomes for an Australian Bachelor of Science (BSc) degree. Previous evidence indicates that communication skills taught in Australian undergraduate science degrees are not developed sufficiently to meet the requirements of the modern-day workplace-a problem faced in the UK and USA also. Curriculum development in this area, however, hinges on first evaluating how communication skills are taught currently as a base from which to make effective changes. This study aimed to quantify the current standard of communication education within BSc degrees at Australian research-intensive universities. A detailed evidential baseline for not only what but also how communication skills are being taught was established. We quantified which communication skills were taught and assessed explicitly, implicitly, or were absent in a range of undergraduate science assessment tasks (n = 35) from four research-intensive Australian universities. Results indicate that 10 of the 12 core science communication skills used for evaluation were absent from more than 50% of assessment tasks and 77.14% of all assessment tasks taught less than 5 core communication skills explicitly. The design of assessment tasks significantly affected whether communication skills were taught explicitly. Prominent trends were that communication skills in tasks aimed at non-scientific audiences were taught more explicitly than in tasks aimed at scientific audiences, and the majority of group and multimedia tasks taught communication elements more explicitly than individual, or written and oral tasks. Implications for science communication in the BSc and further research are discussed.

Family and Consumer Sciences Teacher Needs Assessment of a STEM-Enhanced Food and Nutrition Sciences Curriculum

OpenAIRE

Merrill, Cathy A.

2016-01-01

Science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education concepts are naturally contextualized in the study of food and nutrition. In 2014 a pilot group of Utah high school Career and Technical Education Family and Consumer Sciences teachers rewrote the Food and Nutrition Sciences curriculum to add and enhance the STEM-related content. This study is an online needs assessment by Utah Food and Nutrition 1 teachers on the implementation of the STEM-enhanced curriculum after its first y...

Sustained Assessment Metadata as a Pathway to Trustworthiness of Climate Science Information

Science.gov (United States)

Champion, S. M.; Kunkel, K.

2017-12-01

The Sustained Assessment process has produced a suite of climate change reports: The Third National Climate Assessment (NCA3), Regional Surface Climate Conditions in CMIP3 and CMIP5 for the United States: Differences, Similarities, and Implications for the U.S. National Climate Assessment, Impacts of Climate Change on Human Health in the United States: A Scientific Assessment, The State Climate Summaries, as well as the anticipated Climate Science Special Report and Fourth National Climate Assessment. Not only are these groundbreaking reports of climate change science, they are also the first suite of climate science reports to provide access to complex metadata directly connected to the report figures and graphics products. While the basic metadata documentation requirement is federally mandated through a series of federal guidelines as a part of the Information Quality Act, Sustained Assessment products are also deemed Highly Influential Scientific Assessments, which further requires demonstration of the transparency and reproducibility of the content. To meet these requirements, the Technical Support Unit (TSU) for the Sustained Assessment embarked on building a system for not only collecting and documenting metadata to the required standards, but one that also provides consumers unprecedented access to the underlying data and methods. As our process and documentation have evolved, the value of both continue to grow in parallel with the consumer expectation of quality, accessible climate science information. This presentation will detail the how the TSU accomplishes the mandated requirements with their metadata collection and documentation process, as well as the technical solution designed to demonstrate compliance while also providing access to the content for the general public. We will also illustrate how our accessibility platforms guide consumers through the Assessment science at a level of transparency that builds trust and confidence in the report

Assessment of the Forensic Sciences Profession: A Legal Study Concerning the Forensic Sciences Personnel. Volume III.

Science.gov (United States)

Schroeder, Oliver, Jr.

The place and function of forensic sciences personnel in American criminal law and court procedure, and the criteria used by criminal trial judges and lawyers to assess the value of forensic sciences personnel were investigated. Federal, state, Virgin Island, and Puerto Rican laws were examined, and a search of the medical and legal literature…

Social Science Boot Camp: Development and Assessment of a Foundational Course on Academic Literacy in the Social Sciences

Science.gov (United States)

Eaton, Judy; Long, Jennifer; Morris, David

2018-01-01

We developed a course, as part of our institution's core program, which provides students with a foundation in academic literacy in the social sciences: how to find, read, critically assess, and communicate about social science research. It is not a research methods course; rather, it is intended to introduce students to the social sciences and be…

Towards Strategic Actorhood? The Execution of Institutional Positioning Strategies at Finnish Universities of Applied Sciences

Science.gov (United States)

Vuori, Johanna

2016-01-01

Given the emerging interest in institutional positioning and to augment the small number of empirical studies in this field, this paper presents discussion about how Finnish universities of applied sciences implement their profiling strategies. The analysis is based on an examination of documents recently submitted by these institutions when…

Assessing clinical competency in the health sciences

Science.gov (United States)

Panzarella, Karen Joanne

To test the success of integrated curricula in schools of health sciences, meaningful measurements of student performance are required to assess clinical competency. This research project analyzed a new performance assessment tool, the Integrated Standardized Patient Examination (ISPE), for assessing clinical competency: specifically, to assess Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) students' clinical competence as the ability to integrate basic science knowledge with clinical communication skills. Thirty-four DPT students performed two ISPE cases, one of a patient who sustained a stroke and the other a patient with a herniated lumbar disc. Cases were portrayed by standardized patients (SPs) in a simulated clinical setting. Each case was scored by an expert evaluator in the exam room and then by one investigator and the students themselves via videotape. The SPs scored each student on an overall encounter rubric. Written feedback was obtained from all participants in the study. Acceptable reliability was demonstrated via inter-rater agreement as well as inter-rater correlations on items that used a dichotomous scale, whereas the items requiring the use of the 4-point rubric were somewhat less reliable. For the entire scale both cases had a significant correlation between the Expert-Investigator pair of raters, for the CVA case r = .547, p performances on the ISPE with other independent estimates of students' competence. The unique integration questions of the ISPE were judged to have good content validity from experts and students, suggestive that integration, a most crucial element of clinical competence, while done in the mind of the student, can be practiced, learned and assessed.

Assessment for Learning in Inquiry Based Science Education

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Fornaguera, Cristina Carulla

The study looks at assessment for learning and Inquiry Based Science Education —IBSE— as concepts established in a diversity of geographical areas, where the traditional summative assessment shapes what most individuals share as being experienced as assessment. Based on Leontiev and Radford...... the analytical process. The main contribution was the analysis and the results of researcher movement from a view of assessment considering learning as a psychological process in the mind, independent of the everyday life of individuals, towards one considering the inseparability of collective and individual...... as identifying and differentiating forms of researching assessment, changing the researcher’s perspective on research, and imagining a new theoretical approach to assessment for learning....

NASA and the National Climate Assessment: Promoting awareness of NASA Earth science

Science.gov (United States)

Leidner, A. K.

2014-12-01

NASA Earth science observations, models, analyses, and applications made significant contributions to numerous aspects of the Third National Climate Assessment (NCA) report and are contributing to sustained climate assessment activities. The agency's goal in participating in the NCA was to ensure that NASA scientific resources were made available to understand the current state of climate change science and climate change impacts. By working with federal agency partners and stakeholder communities to develop and write the report, the agency was able to raise awareness of NASA climate science with audiences beyond the traditional NASA community. To support assessment activities within the NASA community, the agency sponsored two competitive programs that not only funded research and tools for current and future assessments, but also increased capacity within our community to conduct assessment-relevant science and to participate in writing assessments. Such activities fostered the ability of graduate students, post-docs, and senior researchers to learn about the science needs of climate assessors and end-users, which can guide future research activities. NASA also contributed to developing the Global Change Information System, which deploys information from the NCA to scientists, decision makers, and the public, and thus contributes to climate literacy. Finally, NASA satellite imagery and animations used in the Third NCA helped the pubic and decision makers visualize climate changes and were frequently used in social media to communicate report key findings. These resources are also key for developing educational materials that help teachers and students explore regional climate change impacts and opportunities for responses.

PSYCHOANALYSIS AS APPLIED AESTHETICS.

Science.gov (United States)

Richmond, Stephen H

2016-07-01

The question of how to place psychoanalysis in relation to science has been debated since the beginning of psychoanalysis and continues to this day. The author argues that psychoanalysis is best viewed as a form of applied art (also termed applied aesthetics) in parallel to medicine as applied science. This postulate draws on a functional definition of modernity as involving the differentiation of the value spheres of science, art, and religion. The validity criteria for each of the value spheres are discussed. Freud is examined, drawing on Habermas, and seen to have erred by claiming that the psychoanalytic method is a form of science. Implications for clinical and metapsychological issues in psychoanalysis are discussed. © 2016 The Psychoanalytic Quarterly, Inc.

Finding the Right Fit: Helping Students Apply Theory to Service-Learning Contexts

Science.gov (United States)

Ricke, Audrey

2018-01-01

Background: Although past studies of service-learning focus on assessing student growth, few studies address how to support students in applying theory to their service-learning experiences. Yet, the task of applying theory is a central component of critical reflections within the social sciences in higher education and often causes anxiety among…

Science for education: a new model of translational research applied to education

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Roberto Lent

2017-07-01

Full Text Available A great advance in the last transition of centuries has been the consolidation of the concept of translational research, applied with success in Health and Engineering in practically all countries of medium/high GDP. Intriguingly, this has not occurred with Education. It is yet not perceived that Science can already understand how people learn, which are the mechanisms that accelerate learning and teaching, and how this would impact on the economy and the social progress of nations. It is also not perceived that innovations can be validated with populational studies to rationalize and scale novel teaching initiatives, nor which socioemotional competences should future citizens possess to work in companies more and more automatized and informatized. Perhaps because of this omission, the progress of Brazilian educational indicators has been so modest. In Health, public policies not only invest in material improvements (sanitation, hospital attendance, nutritional coverture, etc, but also on Science and Innovation capable of creating new options in the international scenario (therapies for degenerative diseases, vaccines for infectious diseases, etc. Differently, on Education investment has focused exclusively on material improvements (more schools, better salaries for teachers, etc, necessary but insufficient to accelerate growth of our indicators at faster and more competitive rates. This scenario opens to us a window of opportunity to create a new Science policy aiming at Education. To give concreteness to this possibility, the proposal on discussion is that the new initiatives of support and funding by public and private agencies should have Science for Education as its structurant axis.

Radiation environmental impact assessment of the radioisotope's application on nuclear medical science

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu Hongshi

2004-01-01

The radiation environmental impact assessment of the radioisotope's application on nuclear medical science is introduced, including the assessment criteria, the assessment methods and the environmental impact assessment of three wastes emission. (authors)

Integrated Science Assessment (ISA) of Ozone and Related ...

Science.gov (United States)

EPA announced the availability of the final report, Integrated Science Assessment of Ozone and Related Photochemical Oxidants. This document represents a concise synthesis and evaluation of the most policy-relevant science and will ultimately provide the scientific bases for EPA’s decision regarding the adequacy of the current national ambient air quality standards for ozone to protect human health, public welfare, and the environment. Critical evaluation and integration of the evidence on health and environmental effects of ozone to provide scientific support for the review of the NAAQS for ozone.

Implementing Curriculum-Embedded Formative Assessment in Primary School Science Classrooms

Science.gov (United States)

Hondrich, Annika Lena; Hertel, Silke; Adl-Amini, Katja; Klieme, Eckhard

2016-01-01

The implementation of formative assessment strategies is challenging for teachers. We evaluated teachers' implementation fidelity of a curriculum-embedded formative assessment programme for primary school science education, investigating both material-supported, direct application and subsequent transfer. Furthermore, the relationship between…

Terrain Safety Assessment in Support of the Mars Science Laboratory Mission

Science.gov (United States)

Kipp, Devin

2012-01-01

In August 2012, the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) mission will pioneer the next generation of robotic Entry, Descent, and Landing (EDL) systems by delivering the largest and most capable rover to date to the surface of Mars. The process to select the MSL landing site took over five years and began with over 50 initial candidate sites from which four finalist sites were chosen. The four finalist sites were examined in detail to assess overall science merit, EDL safety, and rover traversability on the surface. Ultimately, the engineering assessments demonstrated a high level of safety and robustness at all four finalist sites and differences in the assessment across those sites were small enough that neither EDL safety nor rover traversability considerations could significantly discriminate among the final four sites. Thus the MSL landing site at Gale Crater was selected from among the four finalists primarily on the basis of science considerations.

Washback Effect of University Entrance exams in Applied Mathematics to Social Sciences.

Science.gov (United States)

Rodríguez-Muñiz, Luis J; Díaz, Patricia; Mier, Verónica; Alonso, Pedro

2016-01-01

Curricular issues of subject Applied Mathematics to Social Sciences are studied in relation to university entrance exams performed in several Spanish regions between 2009-2014. By using quantitative and qualitative analyses, it has been studied how these exams align with curriculum and how they produce a washback on curriculum and teachers' work. Additionally, one questionnaire about teachers' practices has been performed, in order to find out how the exams are influencing teaching methodology development. Main results obtained show that evaluation is producing a bias on the official curriculum, substantially simplifying the specific orientation that should guide applied mathematics. Furthermore, teachers' practices are influenced by the exams, and they usually approach their teaching methodology to the frequent types of exams. Also, slight differences among the teachers lead to distinguish two behavioral subgroups. Results can also be useful in an international context, because of the importance of standardized exit exams in OECD countries.

Visual Representations on High School Biology, Chemistry, Earth Science, and Physics Assessments

Science.gov (United States)

LaDue, Nicole D.; Libarkin, Julie C.; Thomas, Stephen R.

2015-01-01

The pervasive use of visual representations in textbooks, curricula, and assessments underscores their importance in K-12 science education. For example, visual representations figure prominently in the recent publication of the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS Lead States in Next generation science standards: for states, by states.…

A Citizen Science Approach: A Detailed Ecological Assessment of Subtropical Reefs at Point Lookout, Australia.

Science.gov (United States)

Roelfsema, Chris; Thurstan, Ruth; Beger, Maria; Dudgeon, Christine; Loder, Jennifer; Kovacs, Eva; Gallo, Michele; Flower, Jason; Gomez Cabrera, K-le; Ortiz, Juan; Lea, Alexandra; Kleine, Diana

2016-01-01

Subtropical reefs provide an important habitat for flora and fauna, and proper monitoring is required for conservation. Monitoring these exposed and submerged reefs is challenging and available resources are limited. Citizen science is increasing in momentum, as an applied research tool and in the variety of monitoring approaches adopted. This paper aims to demonstrate an ecological assessment and mapping approach that incorporates both top-down (volunteer marine scientists) and bottom-up (divers/community) engagement aspects of citizen science, applied at a subtropical reef at Point Lookout, Southeast Queensland, Australia. Marine scientists trained fifty citizen scientists in survey techniques that included mapping of habitat features, recording of substrate, fish and invertebrate composition, and quantifying impacts (e.g., occurrence of substrate damage, presence of litter). In 2014 these volunteers conducted four seasonal surveys along semi-permanent transects, at five sites, across three reefs. The project presented is a model on how citizen science can be conducted in a marine environment through collaboration of volunteer researchers, non-researchers and local marine authorities. Significant differences in coral and algal cover were observed among the three sites, while fluctuations in algal cover were also observed seasonally. Differences in fish assemblages were apparent among sites and seasons, with subtropical fish groups observed more commonly in colder seasons. The least physical damage occurred in the most exposed sites (Flat Rock) within the highly protected marine park zones. The broad range of data collected through this top-down/bottom-up approach to citizen science exemplifies the projects' value and application for identifying ecosystem trends or patterns. The results of the project support natural resource and marine park management, providing a valuable contribution to existing scientific knowledge and the conservation of local reefs.

B. F. Skinner's Contributions to Applied Behavior Analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Morris, Edward K.; Smith, Nathaniel G.; Altus, Deborah E.

2005-01-01

Our paper reviews and analyzes B. F. Skinner's contributions to applied behavior analysis in order to assess his role as the field's originator and founder. We found, first, that his contributions fall into five categorizes: the style and content of his science, his interpretations of typical and atypical human behavior, the implications he drew…

Overall welfare assessment of laying hens: Comparing science-based, environmental-based and animal-based assessments

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Shimmura, T.; Bracke, M.B.M.; Mol, de R.M.; Hirahara, S.; Tanaka, T.

2011-01-01

To increase the validity of evaluations and facilitate expansion and maintenance of assessment systems, we constructed a database of studies on the welfare of laying hens around the world. On the basis of this database, we devised a science-based welfare assessment model. Our model includes

Safari Science: Assessing the reliability of citizen science data for wildlife surveys

Science.gov (United States)

Steger, Cara; Butt, Bilal; Hooten, Mevin B.

2017-01-01

Protected areas are the cornerstone of global conservation, yet financial support for basic monitoring infrastructure is lacking in 60% of them. Citizen science holds potential to address these shortcomings in wildlife monitoring, particularly for resource-limited conservation initiatives in developing countries – if we can account for the reliability of data produced by volunteer citizen scientists (VCS).This study tests the reliability of VCS data vs. data produced by trained ecologists, presenting a hierarchical framework for integrating diverse datasets to assess extra variability from VCS data.Our results show that while VCS data are likely to be overdispersed for our system, the overdispersion varies widely by species. We contend that citizen science methods, within the context of East African drylands, may be more appropriate for species with large body sizes, which are relatively rare, or those that form small herds. VCS perceptions of the charisma of a species may also influence their enthusiasm for recording it.Tailored programme design (such as incentives for VCS) may mitigate the biases in citizen science data and improve overall participation. However, the cost of designing and implementing high-quality citizen science programmes may be prohibitive for the small protected areas that would most benefit from these approaches.Synthesis and applications. As citizen science methods continue to gain momentum, it is critical that managers remain cautious in their implementation of these programmes while working to ensure methods match data purpose. Context-specific tests of citizen science data quality can improve programme implementation, and separate data models should be used when volunteer citizen scientists' variability differs from trained ecologists' data. Partnerships across protected areas and between protected areas and other conservation institutions could help to cover the costs of citizen science programme design and implementation.

Standing at the crossroads: Identity and recognition of the Applied Science Technologist in British Columbia

Science.gov (United States)

Roemer, Thomas

Modern technical education in British Columbia has been affected by two societal trends: in industry, engineering technology evolved as a discipline to bridge the increasing chasm between the process-oriented skill sets of tradespersons/technicians, and the declarative knowledge focus of engineering; in education, the provincial college and institute system was created to address the need for a new post-secondary credential situated between trades certificates and university degrees. The Applied Science Technologist arguably forms the intersection of these two concepts. Almost forty years after its inception, it is timely to ask if the original model has matured into a distinct occupational category in industry, education, and in the public mind. The thesis proposes three environments, the Formative, Market and Public Domain, respectively. Interviews, surveys and personal experience afforded insights into the dynamics of these domains with respect to a fledgling occupational category, while the socio-philosophical concepts of culture, habitus and social imaginary provide the tools to interpret the findings. The thesis postulates that an emerging occupational category will not only challenge existing cultures and habitus, but that over time it will influence the imaginaries of each domain and society as a whole. Ultimately, the occupational category will be truly successful only when the general public is able to distinguish it from related disciplines. Charles Taylor's writings on multiculturalism are used to discuss identity and recognition of the Applied Science Technologist in each domain while Pierre Bourdieu's perspectives on the existence of habitus and self-proliferating elites form the framework to examine the relationships between technologists and engineers. Taylor's theory of multiple concurrent social imaginaries guides the comparison of divergent expectations among academic, career and vocational instructors at British Columbia's colleges. The thesis

Addressing dependability by applying an approach for model-based risk assessment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gran, Bjorn Axel; Fredriksen, Rune; Thunem, Atoosa P.-J.

2007-01-01

This paper describes how an approach for model-based risk assessment (MBRA) can be applied for addressing different dependability factors in a critical application. Dependability factors, such as availability, reliability, safety and security, are important when assessing the dependability degree of total systems involving digital instrumentation and control (I and C) sub-systems. In order to identify risk sources their roles with regard to intentional system aspects such as system functions, component behaviours and intercommunications must be clarified. Traditional risk assessment is based on fault or risk models of the system. In contrast to this, MBRA utilizes success-oriented models describing all intended system aspects, including functional, operational and organizational aspects of the target. The EU-funded CORAS project developed a tool-supported methodology for the application of MBRA in security-critical systems. The methodology has been tried out within the telemedicine and e-commerce areas, and provided through a series of seven trials a sound basis for risk assessments. In this paper the results from the CORAS project are presented, and it is discussed how the approach for applying MBRA meets the needs of a risk-informed Man-Technology-Organization (MTO) model, and how methodology can be applied as a part of a trust case development

Addressing dependability by applying an approach for model-based risk assessment

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gran, Bjorn Axel [Institutt for energiteknikk, OECD Halden Reactor Project, NO-1751 Halden (Norway)]. E-mail: bjorn.axel.gran@hrp.no; Fredriksen, Rune [Institutt for energiteknikk, OECD Halden Reactor Project, NO-1751 Halden (Norway)]. E-mail: rune.fredriksen@hrp.no; Thunem, Atoosa P.-J. [Institutt for energiteknikk, OECD Halden Reactor Project, NO-1751 Halden (Norway)]. E-mail: atoosa.p-j.thunem@hrp.no

2007-11-15

This paper describes how an approach for model-based risk assessment (MBRA) can be applied for addressing different dependability factors in a critical application. Dependability factors, such as availability, reliability, safety and security, are important when assessing the dependability degree of total systems involving digital instrumentation and control (I and C) sub-systems. In order to identify risk sources their roles with regard to intentional system aspects such as system functions, component behaviours and intercommunications must be clarified. Traditional risk assessment is based on fault or risk models of the system. In contrast to this, MBRA utilizes success-oriented models describing all intended system aspects, including functional, operational and organizational aspects of the target. The EU-funded CORAS project developed a tool-supported methodology for the application of MBRA in security-critical systems. The methodology has been tried out within the telemedicine and e-commerce areas, and provided through a series of seven trials a sound basis for risk assessments. In this paper the results from the CORAS project are presented, and it is discussed how the approach for applying MBRA meets the needs of a risk-informed Man-Technology-Organization (MTO) model, and how methodology can be applied as a part of a trust case development.

From applied microbiology to biotechnology: science, medicine and industrial renewal.

Science.gov (United States)

Bud, Robert

2010-09-20

In the late 1970s politicians and civil servants were acutely aware of the chronic decline of the manufacturing sector as a source of employment in Britain. At a time of fear of mass unemployment, sources of new work were urgently sought. Biotechnology had been promoted by visionaries since the early twentieth century. With oil prices soaring, its potential to produce substitutes for petroleum derivatives seemed newly attractive. At the beginning of 1976, John Bu'Lock at Manchester brought the attention of the new President of the Royal Society, Lord Todd, to the developments in enzyme and fermentation technologies. Both the Society and government began to take biotechnology seriously. In 1979 the Society organized a groundbreaking meeting, 'New horizons in industrial microbiology'. In parallel, John Ashworth, the chief scientist of the government think-tank the Central Policy Review Staff, prompted by American developments in genetic engineering, its commercial exploitation and regional development, led thinking among government officials. The Spinks enquiry into biotechnology was consequently formed in 1979 as a collaborative enterprise of the Advisory Council for Applied Research and Development, the Advisory Board for the Research Councils and the Royal Society. The recommendations for far-reaching collaboration between research councils, government and industry were not fully implemented. However, even the limited implementation led to new models of science that would be significant in the emergence of a reconstruction of science.

A novel safety assessment strategy applied to non-selective extracts.

Science.gov (United States)

Koster, Sander; Leeman, Winfried; Verheij, Elwin; Dutman, Ellen; van Stee, Leo; Nielsen, Lene Munch; Ronsmans, Stefan; Noteborn, Hub; Krul, Lisette

2015-06-01

A main challenge in food safety research is to demonstrate that processing of foodstuffs does not lead to the formation of substances for which the safety upon consumption might be questioned. This is especially so since food is a complex matrix in which the analytical detection of substances, and consequent risk assessment thereof, is difficult to determine. Here, a pragmatic novel safety assessment strategy is applied to the production of non-selective extracts (NSEs), used for different purposes in food such as for colouring purposes, which are complex food mixtures prepared from reference juices. The Complex Mixture Safety Assessment Strategy (CoMSAS) is an exposure driven approach enabling to efficiently assess the safety of the NSE by focussing on newly formed substances or substances that may increase in exposure during the processing of the NSE. CoMSAS enables to distinguish toxicologically relevant from toxicologically less relevant substances, when related to their respective levels of exposure. This will reduce the amount of work needed for identification, characterisation and safety assessment of unknown substances detected at low concentration, without the need for toxicity testing using animal studies. In this paper, the CoMSAS approach has been applied for elderberry and pumpkin NSEs used for food colouring purposes. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Applied modelling and computing in social science

CERN Document Server

Povh, Janez

2015-01-01

In social science outstanding results are yielded by advanced simulation methods, based on state of the art software technologies and an appropriate combination of qualitative and quantitative methods. This book presents examples of successful applications of modelling and computing in social science: business and logistic process simulation and optimization, deeper knowledge extractions from big data, better understanding and predicting of social behaviour and modelling health and environment changes.

Bayero Journal of Pure and Applied Sciences: Editorial Policies

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Also, areas of Laboratory Science, Technology, Mathematical Sciences, Microbiology, Physics, Medical Sciences and Zoology form part of the contents ... BUSINESS/CIRCULATION EDITOR ... Environment, Bayero University, Kano, Nigerian.

A quantitative model to assess Social Responsibility in Environmental Science and Technology.

Science.gov (United States)

Valcárcel, M; Lucena, R

2014-01-01

The awareness of the impact of human activities in society and environment is known as "Social Responsibility" (SR). It has been a topic of growing interest in many enterprises since the fifties of the past Century, and its implementation/assessment is nowadays supported by international standards. There is a tendency to amplify its scope of application to other areas of the human activities, such as Research, Development and Innovation (R + D + I). In this paper, a model of quantitative assessment of Social Responsibility in Environmental Science and Technology (SR EST) is described in detail. This model is based on well established written standards as the EFQM Excellence model and the ISO 26000:2010 Guidance on SR. The definition of five hierarchies of indicators, the transformation of qualitative information into quantitative data and the dual procedure of self-evaluation and external evaluation are the milestones of the proposed model, which can be applied to Environmental Research Centres and institutions. In addition, a simplified model that facilitates its implementation is presented in the article. © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Assessing does not mean threatening: the purpose of assessment as a key determinant of girls' and boys' performance in a science class.

Science.gov (United States)

Souchal, Carine; Toczek, Marie-Christine; Darnon, Céline; Smeding, Annique; Butera, Fabrizio; Martinot, Delphine

2014-03-01

Is it possible to reach performance equality between boys and girls in a science class? Given the stereotypes targeting their groups in scientific domains, diagnostic contexts generally lower girls' performance and non-diagnostic contexts may harm boys' performance. The present study tested the effectiveness of a mastery-oriented assessment, allowing both boys and girls to perform at an optimal level in a science class. Participants were 120 boys and 72 girls (all high-school students). Participants attended a science lesson while expecting a performance-oriented assessment (i.e., an assessment designed to compare and select students), a mastery-oriented assessment (i.e., an assessment designed to help students in their learning), or no assessment of this lesson. In the mastery-oriented assessment condition, both boys and girls performed at a similarly high level, whereas the performance-oriented assessment condition reduced girls' performance and the no-assessment condition reduced boys' performance. One way to increase girls' performance on a science test without harming boys' performance is to present assessment as a tool for improving mastery rather than as a tool for comparing performances. © 2013 The British Psychological Society.

Ecological Forecasting in the Applied Sciences Program and Input to the Decadal Survey

Science.gov (United States)

Skiles, Joseph

2015-01-01

Ecological forecasting uses knowledge of physics, ecology and physiology to predict how ecosystems will change in the future in response to environmental factors. Further, Ecological Forecasting employs observations and models to predict the effects of environmental change on ecosystems. In doing so, it applies information from the physical, biological, and social sciences and promotes a scientific synthesis across the domains of physics, geology, chemistry, biology, and psychology. The goal is reliable forecasts that allow decision makers access to science-based tools in order to project changes in living systems. The next decadal survey will direct the development Earth Observation sensors and satellites for the next ten years. It is important that these new sensors and satellites address the requirements for ecosystem models, imagery, and other data for resource management. This presentation will give examples of these model inputs and some resources needed for NASA to continue effective Ecological Forecasting.

What's Wrong with Talking about the Scientific Revolution? Applying Lessons from History of Science to Applied Fields of Science Studies

Science.gov (United States)

Orthia, Lindy A.

2016-01-01

Since the mid-twentieth century, the 'Scientific Revolution' has arguably occupied centre stage in most Westerners', and many non-Westerners', conceptions of science history. Yet among history of science specialists that position has been profoundly contested. Most radically, historians Andrew Cunningham and Perry Williams in 1993 proposed to…

Washback Effect of University Entrance exams in Applied Mathematics to Social Sciences

Science.gov (United States)

Díaz, Patricia; Mier, Verónica; Alonso, Pedro

2016-01-01

Curricular issues of subject Applied Mathematics to Social Sciences are studied in relation to university entrance exams performed in several Spanish regions between 2009–2014. By using quantitative and qualitative analyses, it has been studied how these exams align with curriculum and how they produce a washback on curriculum and teachers’ work. Additionally, one questionnaire about teachers’ practices has been performed, in order to find out how the exams are influencing teaching methodology development. Main results obtained show that evaluation is producing a bias on the official curriculum, substantially simplifying the specific orientation that should guide applied mathematics. Furthermore, teachers’ practices are influenced by the exams, and they usually approach their teaching methodology to the frequent types of exams. Also, slight differences among the teachers lead to distinguish two behavioral subgroups. Results can also be useful in an international context, because of the importance of standardized exit exams in OECD countries. PMID:27936103

Integrated Science Assessment (ISA) for Sulfur Oxides – Health Criteria (Final Report, Sep 2008)

Science.gov (United States)

EPA announced the availability of the final report, Integrated Science Assessment (ISA) for Sulfur Oxides – Health Criteria final assessment. This report represents a concise synthesis and evaluation of the most policy-relevant science and will ultimately provide the scien...

Information sources in biomedical science and medical journalism: methodological approaches and assessment.

Science.gov (United States)

Miranda, Giovanna F; Vercellesi, Luisa; Bruno, Flavia

2004-09-01

Throughout the world the public is showing increasing interest in medical and scientific subjects and journalists largely spread this information, with an important impact on knowledge and health. Clearly, therefore, the relationship between the journalist and his sources is delicate: freedom and independence of information depend on the independence and truthfulness of the sources. The new "precision journalism" holds that scientific methods should be applied to journalism, so authoritative sources are a common need for journalists and scientists. We therefore compared the individual classifications and methods of assessing of sources in biomedical science and medical journalism to try to extrapolate scientific methods of evaluation to journalism. In journalism and science terms used to classify sources of information show some similarities, but their meanings are different. In science primary and secondary classes of information, for instance, refer to the levels of processing, but in journalism to the official nature of the source itself. Scientists and journalists must both always consult as many sources as possible and check their authoritativeness, reliability, completeness, up-to-dateness and balance. In journalism, however, there are some important differences and limits: too many sources can sometimes diminish the quality of the information. The sources serve a first filter between the event and the journalist, who is not providing the reader with the fact, but with its projection. Journalists have time constraints and lack the objective criteria for searching, the specific background knowledge, and the expertise to fully assess sources. To assist in understanding the wealth of sources of information in journalism, we have prepared a checklist of items and questions. There are at least four fundamental points that a good journalist, like any scientist, should know: how to find the latest information (the sources), how to assess it (the quality and

How to Systematically Assess Serious Games Applied to Health Care

Science.gov (United States)

Graafland, Maurits; Dankbaar, Mary; Mert, Agali; Lagro, Joep; De Wit-Zuurendonk, Laura; Schuit, Stephanie; Schaafstal, Alma

2014-01-01

The usefulness and effectiveness of specific serious games in the medical domain is often unclear. This is caused by a lack of supporting evidence on validity of individual games, as well as a lack of publicly available information. Moreover, insufficient understanding of design principles among the individuals and institutions that develop or apply a medical serious game compromises their use. This article provides the first consensus-based framework for the assessment of specific medical serious games. The framework provides 62 items in 5 main themes, aimed at assessing a serious game’s rationale, functionality, validity, and data safety. This will allow caregivers and educators to make balanced choices when applying a serious game for healthcare purposes. Furthermore, the framework provides game manufacturers with standards for the development of new, valid serious games. PMID:25654163

Applied Energy Program

Science.gov (United States)

Science Programs Applied Energy Programs Civilian Nuclear Energy Programs Laboratory Directed Research » Applied Energy Program Applied Energy Program Los Alamos is using its world-class scientific capabilities to enhance national energy security by developing energy sources with limited environmental impact

Assessment report on research and development activities. Activity: 'Advanced science research' (Interim report)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2012-11-15

Japan Atomic Energy Agency (hereinafter referred to as 'JAEA') consulted an assessment committee, 'Evaluation Committee of Research Activities for Advanced Science Research' (hereinafter referred to as 'Committee') for interim assessment of 'Advanced Science Research,' in accordance with 'General Guideline for the Evaluation of Government Research and Development (R and D) Activities' by Cabinet Office, Government of Japan, 'Guideline for Evaluation of R and D in Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology' and 'Regulation on Conduct for Evaluation of R and D Activities' by JAEA. In response to the JAEA's request, the Committee assessed the research programs and activities of the Advanced Science Research Center (hereinafter referred to as 'ASRC') for the period of two years from April 2010. The Committee evaluated the management and the research programs of the ASRC based on the explanatory documents prepared by the ASRC and the oral presentations with questions-and-answers by the Director and the research group leaders. This report summarizes the result of the assessment by the Committee with the Committee report attached from page 7. (author)

Integrated Science Assessment (ISA) for Sulfur Oxides ...

Science.gov (United States)

This draft document provides EPA’s evaluation and synthesis of the most policy-relevant science related to the health effects of sulfur oxides. When final, it will provide a critical part of the scientific foundation for EPA’s decision regarding the adequacy of the current primary (health-based) National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) for sulfur dioxide. The references considered for inclusion in or cited in the external review draft ISA are available at https://hero.epa.gov/hero/sulfur-oxides. The intent of the ISA, according to the CAA, is to “accurately reflect the latest scientific knowledge expected from the presence of [a] pollutant in ambient air” (U.S. Code, 1970a, 1970b). It includes an assessment of scientific research from atmospheric sciences, exposure sciences, dosimetry, mode of action, animal and human toxicology, and epidemiology. Key information and judgments formerly found in the Air Quality Criteria Documents (AQCDs) for sulfur oxides (SOx) are included; Annexes provide additional details supporting the ISA. Together, the ISA and Annexes serve to update and revise the last SOx ISA which was published in 2008.

Efficacy of applying self-assessment of larviciding operation, Chabahar, Iran

Science.gov (United States)

2012-01-01

Background Appropriate supervision, along with availability of an effective system for monitoring and evaluation, is a crucial requirement to guarantee sufficient coverage and quality of malaria vector control procedures. This study evaluated the efficacy of self-assessment practice as a possible innovative method towards achieving high coverage and excellent quality of larviciding operation in Iran. Methods The research was conducted on the randomly selected rural health centre of Kanmbel Soliman with 10 staff and 30 villages, in three main steps: (i) assessment of effectiveness of larviciding operations in the study areas before intervention through external assessment by a research team; (ii) self-assessment of larviciding operations (intervention) by staff every quarter for three rounds; and, (iii) determining the effectiveness of applying self-assessment of larviciding operations in the study areas. Two toolkits were used for self-assessment and external evaluation. The impact of self-assessment of larviciding operations was measured by two indicators: percentage of missed breeding habitats and cleaned breeding habitats among randomly selected breeding sites. Moreover, the correlation coefficients were measured between self-assessment measures and scores from external evaluation. The correlation coefficient and Mann Whitney test were used to analyse data. Results Following the utilization of self-assessment, the percentage of missed breeding habitats decreased significantly from 14.23% to 1.91% (P self-assessment in performance of vector control; the maximum effect of intervention were seen in an action plan for monitoring and evaluation of larviciding operations at field level, geographical reconnaissance for the registration of breeding habitats and worker skills related to larviciding. Before intervention, the results of self-assessment practice were compatible with external evaluation in 76.3% of 139 reviewed reports of self-assessment. After intervention

The Role of Content and Context in PISA Interest Scales: A study of the embedded interest items in the PISA 2006 science assessment

Science.gov (United States)

Drechsel, Barbara; Carstensen, Claus; Prenzel, Manfred

2011-01-01

This paper focuses interest in science as one of the attitudinal aspects of scientific literacy. Large-scale data from the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2006 are analysed in order to describe student interest more precisely. So far the analyses have provided a general indicator of interest, aggregated over all contexts and contents in the science test. With its innovative approach PISA embeds interest items within the cognitive test unit and its contents and contexts. The main difference from conventional interest measures is that in most questionnaires, a relatively small number of interest items cover broad fields of contents and contexts. The science units represent a number of systematically differentiated scientific contexts and contents. The units' stimulus texts allow for concrete descriptions of relevant content aspects, applications, and contexts. In the analyses, multidimensional item response models are applied in order to disentangle student interest. The results indicate that multidimensional models fit the data. A two-dimensional model separating interest into two different knowledge of science dimensions described in the PISA science framework is further analysed with respect to gender, performance differences, and country. The findings give a comprehensive description of students' interest in science. The paper deals with methodological problems and describes requirements of the test construction for further assessments. The results are discussed with regard to their significance for science education.

78 FR 66892 - BASF Plant Science LP; Availability of Plant Pest Risk Assessment and Environmental Assessment...

Science.gov (United States)

2013-11-07

.... Kevin Shea, Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. [FR Doc. 2013-26701 Filed 11-6-13... DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service [Docket No. APHIS-2012-0028] BASF Plant Science LP; Availability of Plant Pest Risk Assessment and Environmental Assessment for...

Footprint of Sandia's August 15 2016 Informal Idea Exploration Session on "Towards an Engineering and Applied Science of Research".

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tsao, Jeffrey Y. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Fleming Lindsley, Elizabeth S. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Heffelfinger, Grant S. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Narayanamurti, Venkatesh [Harvard Univ., Cambridge, MA (United States); Schneider, Rick [glo USA, Sunnyvale, CA (United States); Starkweather, Lynne M. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Ting, Christina [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Yajima, Rieko [Stanford Univ., CA (United States); Bauer, Travis L. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Coltrin, Michael E. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Guy, Donald W. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Jones, Wendell [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Mareda, John F. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Nenoff, Tina M. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Turnley, Jessica Glicken [Galisteo Consulting Group, Albuquerque, NM (United States)

2017-02-01

On August 15, 2016, Sandia hosted a visit by Professor Venkatesh Narayanamurti. Prof Narayanamurti (Benjamin Peirce Research Professor of Technology and Public Policy at Harvard, Board Member of the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, former Dean of the School of Engineering and Applied Science at Harvard, former Dean of Engineering at UC Santa Barbara, and former Vice President of Division 1000 at Sandia). During the visit, a small, informal, all-day idea exploration session on "Towards an Engineering and Applied Science of Research" was conducted. This document is a brief synopsis or "footprint" of the presentations and discussions at this Idea Exploration Session. The intent of this document is to stimulate further discussion about pathways Sandia can take to improve its Research practices.

Seeking Missing Pieces in Science Concept Assessments: Reevaluating the Brief Electricity and Magnetism Assessment through Rasch Analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Ding, Lin

2014-01-01

Discipline-based science concept assessments are powerful tools to measure learners' disciplinary core ideas. Among many such assessments, the Brief Electricity and Magnetism Assessment (BEMA) has been broadly used to gauge student conceptions of key electricity and magnetism (E&M) topics in college-level introductory physics courses.…

Assessment of power output in jump tests for applicants to a sports sciences degree.

Science.gov (United States)

Lara, A J; Abián, J; Alegre, L M; Jiménez, L; Aguado, X

2006-09-01

Our study aimed: 1) to describe the jump performance in a population of male applicants to a Faculty of Sports Sciences, 2) to apply different power equations from the literature to assess their accuracy, and 3) to develop a new regression equation from this population. The push off phases of the counter-movement jumps (CMJ) on a force platform of 161 applicants (age: 19+/-2.9 years; weight: 70.4+/-8.3 kg) to a Spanish Faculty of Sports Sciences were recorded and subsequently analyzed. Their hands had to be placed on the hips and the knee angle during the counter movement was not controlled. Each subject had 2 trials to reach a minimum of 29 cm of jump height, and when 2 jumps were performed the best trial was analyzed. Multiple regression analysis was performed to develop a new regression equation. Mean jump height was 34.6+/-4.3 cm, peak vertical force 1 663.9+/-291.1 N and peak power 3524.4+/-562 W. All the equations underestimated power, from 74% (Lewis) to 8% (Sayers). However, there were high and significant correlations between peak power measured on the force platform, and those assessed by the equations. The results of the present study support the development of power equations for specific populations, to achieve more accurate assessments. The power equation from this study [Power = (62.5 x jump height (cm)) + (50.3 x body mass (kg)) 2184.7] can be used accurately in populations of male physical education students.

A Scale to Assess Science Activity Videos (SASAV): The Study of Validity and Reliability

Science.gov (United States)

Kara, Yilmaz; Bakirci, Hasan

2018-01-01

The purpose of the study was to develop an assessment scale for science activity videos that can be used to determine qualified science activity videos that can fulfill the objectives of activity based science education, help teachers to evaluate any science activity videos and decide whether to include into science learning process. The subjects…

Results of Needs Assessments Related to Citizen Science Projects

Science.gov (United States)

Buxner, Sanlyn; Bracey, Georgia; Glushko, Anna; Bakerman, Maya; Gay, Pamela L.; CosmoQuest Team

2017-01-01

The CosmoQuest Virtual Research Facility invites the public and classrooms to participate in NASA Science Mission Directorate related research that leads to publishable results and data catalogues. One of the main goals of the project is to support professional scientists in doing science and the general public--including parents, children, teachers, and students--in learning and doing science. Through the effort, the CosmoQuest team is developing a variety of supports and opportunities to support the doing and teaching of science. To inform our efforts, we have implemented a set of needs surveys to assess the needs of our different audiences. These surveys are being used to understand the interests, motivations, resources, challenges and demographics of our growing CosmoQuest community and others interested in engaging in citizen science projects. The surveys include those for teachers, parents, adult learners, planetarium professionals, subject matter experts (SMEs), and the general public. We will share the results of these surveys and discuss the implications of the results for broader education and outreach programs.

The Use of Clinical Interviews to Develop Inservice Secondary Science Teachers' Nature of Science Knowledge and Assessment of Student Nature of Science Knowledge

Science.gov (United States)

Peters-Burton, Erin E.

2013-01-01

To fully incorporate nature of science knowledge into classrooms, teachers must be both proficient in their own nature of science knowledge, but also skillful in translating their knowledge into a learning environment which assesses student knowledge. Twenty-eight inservice teachers enrolled in a graduate course which in part required a clinical…

The effects of formative assessment on student self-regulation, motivational beliefs, and achievement in elementary science

Science.gov (United States)

King, Melissa Digennaro

Goals 2000 set forth a bold vision for U.S. students: they would be "first in the world in science and mathematics" by the year 2000. Performance indicators such as the TIMSS-R (1999) and NAEP (2000) reports suggest that U.S. students have not yet reached that goal. This study intended to learn how specific assessment strategies might contribute to improved student performance in science. This quasi-experimental study investigated the effects of formative assessment with reflection on students' motivational beliefs, self-regulatory skills, and achievement in elementary science. The study aimed to find out whether and how classroom applications of formative assessment during science instruction might influence fifth-grade students' attitudes and self-perceptions about science learning, self-regulatory learning behaviors, and achievement. To explore the effects of the assessment intervention, the study utilized a mixed methods approach involving quantitative and qualitative investigations of treatment and control groups during a four-week intervention period. Quantitative measures included student self-report surveys administered pre- and post-treatment and an end-of-unit science test. Qualitative measures included classroom observations, student interviews (post-treatment), and a teacher interview (post-treatment). Findings indicated that the fifth-grade students in this study had positive attitudes toward science and high levels of self-efficacy for science. Results suggested that these elementary students employed a wide variety of cognitive and metacognitive strategies to support science learning. Findings revealed that these fifth graders believed formative assessment with reflection was beneficial for science learning outcomes. Research results did not show that the formative assessment intervention contributed to significant differences between treatment and control groups. However, the data revealed different levels of academic achievement and self

Development and Validation of an Online Dynamic Assessment for Raising Students' Comprehension of Science Text

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Jing-Ru; Chen, Shin-Feng

2016-01-01

This article reports on the development of an online dynamic approach for assessing and improving students' reading comprehension of science texts--the dynamic assessment for reading comprehension of science text (DARCST). The DARCST blended assessment and response-specific instruction into a holistic learning task for grades 5 and 6 students. The…

After the Cap: Risk Assessment, Citizen Science and Disaster Recovery

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sabrina McCormick

2012-12-01

Full Text Available I used the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill to examine how crowdsourcing is used as a new form of citizen science that provides real time assessments of health-related exposures. Assessing risks of an oil spill, or disasters more generally, is a challenge complicated by the situated nature of knowledge-generation that results in differential perceptions and responses. These processes are critical in the case of the British Petroleum spill in the Gulf Coast since the identification of risks promises to have ramifications for multiple social actors, as well as the health status and long-term resilience of communities in the area. Qualitative interviews, ethnographic observations, and video data were collected with local social movement organizations, grassroots groups, spill workers, fisherman, local residents, scientists, and government representatives within five months of the spill. Findings suggest that crowdsourcing is a new form of citizen science reflecting a transition from lay mapping to an online data gathering system that allows a broader range of participation and the detection of a broader range of impacts. Outcomes of this research promise to help demonstrate and theorize how citizen science relates to risk assessment processes and affects disaster recovery and long-term response.

THE FLAG: A Web Resource of Innovative Assessment Tools for Faculty in College Science, Mathematics, Engineering, and Technology

Science.gov (United States)

Zeilik, M.; Mathieu, R. D.; National InstituteScience Education; College Level-One Team

2000-12-01

Even the most dedicated college faculty often discover that their students fail to learn what was taught in their courses and that much of what students do learn is quickly forgotten after the final exam. To help college faculty improve student learning in college Science, Mathematics, Engineering and Technology (SMET), the College Level - One Team of the National Institute for Science Education has created the "FLAG" a Field-tested Learning Assessment Guide for SMET faculty. Developed with funding from the National Science Foundation, the FLAG presents in guidebook format a diverse and robust collection of field-tested classroom assessment techniques (CATs), with supporting information on how to apply them in the classroom. Faculty can download the tools and techniques from the website, which also provides a goals clarifier, an assessment primer, a searchable database, and links to additional resources. The CATs and tools have been reviewed by an expert editorial board and the NISE team. These assessment strategies can help faculty improve the learning environments in their SMET courses especially the crucial introductory courses that most strongly shape students' college learning experiences. In addition, the FLAG includes the web-based Student Assessment of Learning Gains. The SALG offers a convenient way to evaluate the impact of your courses on students. It is based on findings that students' estimates of what they gained are more reliable and informative than their observations of what they liked about the course or teacher. It offers accurate feedback on how well the different aspects of teaching helped the students to learn. Students complete the SALG online after a generic template has been modified to fit the learning objectives and activities of your course. The results are presented to the teacher as summary statistics automatically. The FLAG can be found at the NISE "Innovations in SMET Education" website at www.wcer.wisc.edu/nise/cl1

Guiding web-based self-study in accounting basics : Case: Lahti University of Applied Sciences

OpenAIRE

Rohrweck, Johanna

2017-01-01

Accounting, and work life in general, is going through rapid changes. The political and financial environment forces the educational system to adapt to the new circumstances. How can Lahti University of Applied Sciences (LUAS) meet these challenges in the field of accounting? E-learning has been one answer to the new requirements in education, and developing web-based solutions is one of the institutions’ aims. This study begins with the intention of finding out the present situation of t...

Dire necessity and transformation: entry-points for modern science in Islamic bioethical assessment of porcine products in vaccines.

Science.gov (United States)

Padela, Aasim I; Furber, Steven W; Kholwadia, Mohammad A; Moosa, Ebrahim

2014-02-01

The field of medicine provides an important window through which to examine the encounters between religion and science, and between modernity and tradition. While both religion and science consider health to be a 'good' that is to be preserved, and promoted, religious and science-based teachings may differ in their conception of what constitutes good health, and how that health is to be achieved. This paper analyzes the way the Islamic ethico-legal tradition assesses the permissibility of using vaccines that contain porcine-derived components by referencing opinions of several Islamic authorities. In the Islamic ethico-legal tradition controversy surrounds the use of proteins from an animal (pig) that is considered to be impure by Islamic law. As we discuss the Islamic ethico-legal constructs used to argue for or against the use of porcine-based vaccines we will call attention to areas where modern medical data may make the arguments more precise. By highlighting areas where science can buttress and clarify the ethico-legal arguments we hope to spur an enhanced applied Islamic bioethics discourse where religious scholars and medical experts use modern science in a way that remains faithful to the epistemology of Islamic ethics to clarify what Islam requires of Muslim patients and healthcare workers. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Assessment report on research and development activities. Activity: 'Advanced science research' (Interim report)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2012-11-01

Japan Atomic Energy Agency (hereinafter referred to as “JAEA”) consulted an assessment committee, “Evaluation Committee of Research Activities for Advanced Science Research” (hereinafter referred to as “Committee”) for interim assessment of “Advanced Science Research,” in accordance with “General Guideline for the Evaluation of Government Research and Development (R and D) Activities” by Cabinet Office, Government of Japan, “Guideline for Evaluation of R and D in Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology” and “Regulation on Conduct for Evaluation of R and D Activities” by JAEA. In response to the JAEA's request, the Committee assessed the research programs and activities of the Advanced Science Research Center (hereinafter referred to as “ASRC”) for the period of two years from April 2010. The Committee evaluated the management and the research programs of the ASRC based on the explanatory documents prepared by the ASRC and the oral presentations with questions-and-answers by the Director and the research group leaders. This report summarizes the result of the assessment by the Committee with the Committee report attached from page 7. (author)

The National Climate Assessment as a Resource for Science Communication

Science.gov (United States)

Somerville, R. C. J.

2014-12-01

The 2014 Third National Climate Assessment (NCA3) is scientifically authoritative and features major advances, relative to other assessments produced by several organizations. NCA3 is a valuable resource for communicating climate science to a wide variety of audiences. Other assessments were often overly detailed and laden with scientific jargon that made them appear too complex and technical to many in their intended audiences, especially policymakers, the media, and the broad public. Some other assessments emphasized extensive scientific caveats, quantitative uncertainty estimates and broad consensus support. All these attributes, while valuable in research, carry the risk of impeding science communication to non-specialists. Without compromising scientific accuracy and integrity, NCA3 is written in exceptionally clear and vivid English. It includes outstanding graphics and employs powerful techniques aimed at conveying key results unambiguously to a wide range of audiences. I have used NCA3 as a resource in speaking about climate change in three very different settings: classroom teaching for undergraduate university students, presenting in academia to historians and other non-scientists, and briefing corporate executives working on renewable energy. NCA3 proved the value of developing a climate assessment with communication goals and strategies given a high priority throughout the process, not added on as an afterthought. I draw several lessons. First, producing an outstanding scientific assessment is too complex and demanding a task to be carried out by scientists alone. Many types of specialized expertise are also needed. Second, speaking about science to a variety of audiences requires an assortment of communication skills and tools, all tailored to specific groups of listeners. Third, NCA3 is scientifically impeccable and is also an outstanding example of effective communication as well as a valuable resource for communicators.

The role of science in environmental impact assessment: process and procedure versus purpose in the development of theory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cashmore, Matthew

2004-01-01

Increasing emphasis has been placed in recent years on development of the theory of Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), primarily as a consequence of increasing recognition that the theoretical basis of 'state-of-the-art' EIA is inadequately developed and detailed. This study reviews consideration given in the research literature to the role of science in EIA in order to identify implicit theories. It is suggested that there are two main interpretations of the role of science in EIA (EIA as applied science and EIA as civic science) and five distinct models are identified within these paradigms. These models appear to be based predominantly on existing philosophies of science (such as positivism or relativism) and simplistic and ill-defined conceptions of the purposes of EIA. A broad model is proposed for the advancement of theory regarding the role of science in EIA which emphasises conceptual consideration and empirical investigation of the purposes, and hence outcomes, of EIA and the causal processes utilised to achieve these purposes. The model necessitates a reorientation of the research agenda, away from process and procedure to focus on substantive purposes, and this will require more integrative and connective research than has been commonplace in the past. The EIA research agenda must evolve and mature if this globally significant decision tool is to fulfil its potential

Integrated Science Assessment (ISA) for Oxides of Nitrogen ...

Science.gov (United States)

This draft ISA document represents a concise synthesis and evaluation of the most policy-relevant science and will ultimately provide the scientific bases for EPA’s decision on retaining or revising the current secondary standards for NO2, SO2, PM 2.5 and PM 10 since the prior release of the assessment. The intent of the ISA, according to the CAA, is to “accurately reflect the latest scientific knowledge expected from the presence of [a] pollutant in ambient air” (U.S. Code, 1970a, 1970b). It includes scientific research from atmospheric sciences, exposure and deposition, biogeochemistry, hydrology, soil science, marine science, plant physiology, animal physiology, and ecology conducted at multiple scales (e.g., population, community, ecosystem, landscape levels). Key information and judgments formerly found in the Air Quality Criteria Documents (AQCDs) for oxides of nitrogen, oxides of nitrogen and particulate matter for ecological effects are included; Appendixes provide additional details supporting the ISA. Together, the ISA and Appendixes serve to update and revise the last oxides of nitrogen and oxides of sulfur ISA which was published in 2008 and the ecological portion of the last particulate matter ISA, which was published in 2009.

Simulation-Based Performance Assessment: An Innovative Approach to Exploring Understanding of Physical Science Concepts

Science.gov (United States)

Gale, Jessica; Wind, Stefanie; Koval, Jayma; Dagosta, Joseph; Ryan, Mike; Usselman, Marion

2016-01-01

This paper illustrates the use of simulation-based performance assessment (PA) methodology in a recent study of eighth-grade students' understanding of physical science concepts. A set of four simulation-based PA tasks were iteratively developed to assess student understanding of an array of physical science concepts, including net force,…

Problems of applied geochemistry

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ovchinnikov, L N

1983-01-01

The concept of applied geochemistry was introduced for the first time by A. Ye. Fersman. He linked the branched and complicated questions of geochemistry with specific problems of developing the mineral and raw material base of our country. Geochemical prospecting and geochemistry of mineral raw materials are the most important sections of applied geochemistry. This now allows us the right to view applied geochemistry as a sector of science which applies geochemical methodology, set of geochemical methods of analysis, synthesis, geological interpretation of data based on laws governing theoretical geochemistry to the solution of different tasks of geology, petrology, tectonics, stratigraphy, science of minerals and other geological sciences, and also the technology of mineral raw materials, interrelationships of man and nature (ecogeochemistry, technogeochemistry, agrogeochemistry). The main problem of applied geochemistry, geochemistry of ore fields is the prehistory of ore formation. This is especially important for metallogenic and forecasting constructions, for an understanding of the reasons for the development of fields and the detection of laws governing their distribution, their genetic links with the general geological processes and the products of these processes.

Missouri Assessment Program (MAP), Spring 2000: Secondary Science, Released Items, Grade 10.

Science.gov (United States)

Missouri State Dept. of Elementary and Secondary Education, Jefferson City.

This assessment sample provides information on the Missouri Assessment Program (MAP) for grade 10 science. The sample consists of six items taken from the test booklet and scoring guides for the six items. The items assess ecosystems, mechanics, and data analysis. (MM)

Hurricane Sandy science plan: coastal impact assessments

Science.gov (United States)

Stronko, Jakob M.

2013-01-01

Hurricane Sandy devastated some of the most heavily populated eastern coastal areas of the Nation. With a storm surge peaking at more than 19 feet, the powerful landscape-altering destruction of Hurricane Sandy is a stark reminder of why the Nation must become more resilient to coastal hazards. In response to this natural disaster, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) received a total of $41.2 million in supplemental appropriations from the Department of the Interior (DOI) to support response, recovery, and rebuilding efforts. These funds support a science plan that will provide critical scientific information necessary to inform management decisions for recovery of coastal communities, and aid in preparation for future natural hazards. This science plan is designed to coordinate continuing USGS activities with stakeholders and other agencies to improve data collection and analysis that will guide recovery and restoration efforts. The science plan is split into five distinct themes: coastal topography and bathymetry, impacts to coastal beaches and barriers, impacts of storm surge, including disturbed estuarine and bay hydrology, impacts on environmental quality and persisting contaminant exposures, impacts to coastal ecosystems, habitats, and fish and wildlife. This fact sheet focuses assessing impacts to coastal beaches and barriers.

Cyanobacteria Assessment Network (CyAN) - 2017 NASA ...

Science.gov (United States)

Presentation on the Cyanobacteria Assessment Network (CYAN) and how is supports the environmental management and public use of the U.S. lakes and estuaries by providing a capability of detecting and quantifying algal blooms and related water quality using satellite data records. To be presented to the NASA Science Mission Directorate Earth Science Division Applied Sciences Program at the NASA Water Resources PI Meeting. The meeting had over 65 attendees, including currently funded PIs, participants from Western States Water Council, UCAR, California Department of Water Resources, and Navajo Nation. Some highlights from the meeting included discussions around impact assessment, with a session moderated by VALUABLES as well as a water manager needs panel, lead by WWAO. Each PI presentation also included lessons learned about how to work in applied sciences, ensure partner engagement, and pave the path towards transition.

Challenges and Opportunities for Integrating Social Science Perspectives into Climate and Global Change Assessments

Science.gov (United States)

Larson, E. K.; Li, J.; Zycherman, A.

2017-12-01

Integration of social science into climate and global change assessments is fundamental for improving understanding of the drivers, impacts and vulnerability of climate change, and the social, cultural and behavioral challenges related to climate change responses. This requires disciplinary and interdisciplinary knowledge as well as integrational and translational tools for linking this knowledge with the natural and physical sciences. The USGCRP's Social Science Coordinating Committee (SSCC) is tasked with this challenge and is working to integrate relevant social, economic and behavioral knowledge into processes like sustained assessments. This presentation will discuss outcomes from a recent SSCC workshop, "Social Science Perspectives on Climate Change" and their applications to sustained assessments. The workshop brought academic social scientists from four disciplines - anthropology, sociology, geography and archaeology - together with federal scientists and program managers to discuss three major research areas relevant to the USGCRP and climate assessments: (1) innovative tools, methods, and analyses to clarify the interactions of human and natural systems under climate change, (2) understanding of factors contributing to differences in social vulnerability between and within communities under climate change, and (3) social science perspectives on drivers of global climate change. These disciplines, collectively, emphasize the need to consider socio-cultural, political, economic, geographic, and historic factors, and their dynamic interactions, to understand climate change drivers, social vulnerability, and mitigation and adaptation responses. They also highlight the importance of mixed quantitative and qualitative methods to explain impacts, vulnerability, and responses at different time and spatial scales. This presentation will focus on major contributions of the social sciences to climate and global change research. We will discuss future directions for

Applying programmatic risk assessment to nuclear materials stabilization R and D planning

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kenley, C.R.; Brown-van Hoozer, S.A.

1997-01-01

A systems engineering approach to programmatic risk assessment, derived from the aerospace industry, was applied to various stabilization technologies to assess their relative maturity and availability for use in stabilizing nuclear materials. The assessment provided valuable information for trading off available technologies and identified the at-risk technologies that will require close tracking by the Department of Energy (DOE) to mitigate programmatic risks

Assessment report of research and development activities. Activity: 'Advanced science research' (Pre-review report)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2010-11-01

Japan Atomic Energy Agency (hereinafter referred to as 'JAEA') consulted an assessment committee, 'Evaluation Committee of Research Activities for Advanced Science Research' (hereinafter referred to as 'Committee') for prior assessment of 'Advanced Science Research,' in accordance with 'General Guideline for the Evaluation of Government Research and Development (R and D) Activities' by Cabinet Office, Government of Japan, 'Guideline for Evaluation of R and D in Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology' and 'Regulation on Conduct for Evaluation of R and D Activities' by JAEA. In response to the JAEA's request, the Committee assessed the research program and activities of the Advanced Science Research Center (hereinafter referred to as 'ASRC') for the period of five years from April 2010. The Committee evaluated the management and the research program of the ASRC based on the explanatory documents prepared by the ASRC and the oral presentations with questions-and-answers by the Director and the research group leaders. This report summarizes the result of the assessment by the Committee with the Committee report attached from page 7. (author)

SCIENTIFIC METHODOLOGY FOR THE APPLIED SOCIAL SCIENCES: CRITICAL ANALYSES ABOUT RESEARCH METHODS, TYPOLOGIES AND CONTRIBUTIONS FROM MARX, WEBER AND DURKHEIM

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mauricio Corrêa da Silva

2015-06-01

Full Text Available This study aims to discuss the importance of the scientific method to conduct and advertise research in applied social sciences and research typologies, as well as to highlight contributions from Marx, Weber and Durkheim to the scientific methodology. To reach this objective, we conducted a review of the literature on the term research, the scientific method,the research techniques and the scientific methodologies. The results of the investigation revealed that it is fundamental that the academic investigator uses a scientific method to conduct and advertise his/her academic works in applied social sciences in comparison with the biochemical or computer sciences and in the indicated literature. Regarding the contributions to the scientific methodology, we have Marx, dialogued, the dialectical, striking analysis, explicative of social phenomenon, the need to understand the phenomena as historical and concrete totalities; Weber, the distinction between “facts” and “value judgments” to provide objectivity to the social sciences and Durkheim, the need to conceptualize very well its object of study, reject sensible data and imbue with the spirit of discovery and of being surprised with the results.

Assessment report of research and development activities. Activity: advanced science research' (Interim report)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2008-08-01

Japan Atomic Energy Agency (hereinafter referred to as 'JAEA') consults an assessment committee, 'Evaluation Committee of Research Activities for Advanced Science Research' (hereinafter referred to as 'Committee') for interim assessment of 'Advanced Science Research,' in accordance with General Guideline for the Evaluation of Government Research and Development (R and D) Activities' by Cabinet Office, Government of Japan, 'Guideline for Evaluation of R and D in Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology' and 'Regulation on Conduct for Evaluation of R and D Activities' by JAEA. In response to the JAEA's request, the Committee assessed the research program of the Advanced Science Research Center (hereinafter referred to as 'ASRC') during the period of two years from October 2005 to September 2007. The Committee evaluated the management and research activities of the ASRC based on the explanatory documents prepared by the ASRC, the oral presentations with questions-and-answers by the Director and the research group leaders, and interviews from group members through on-site visits by the Committee members. One CD-ROM is attached as an appendix. (J.P.N.)

Teachers’ Shared Expertise at a Multidisciplinary University of Applied Sciences

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Arto O. Salonen

2015-07-01

Full Text Available Shared expertise, team teaching, and cooperation among lecturers from different fields have become more and more important in promoting learning and achieving more innovative learning outcomes in multidisciplinary universities. To increase and improve sharing expertise between teachers from different faculties and disciplines, we wanted, on one hand, to identify skills and competences that teachers have in common and, on the other hand, to find areas in which they identify that they need complementation. As a framework for this research, we applied Lee Shulman’s (1986 seven categories of teachers’ knowledge base including the theory of pedagogical content knowledge (PCK. The data were collected by group discussions. The teachers (N = 22 represented all seven faculties of Helsinki Metropolia University of Applied Sciences (UAS, that is, Business School, Civil Engineering and Building Services, Culture and Creative Industries, Health Care and Nursing, School of Information and Communication Technology (ICT, Industrial Engineering, and Welfare and Human Functioning. The data were analyzed using theory-based content analysis. According to our data, the mutual core competence of a teacher is the capacity to interact effectively. It is a basis for shared expertise. Interaction skills are necessary in collaborative construction of knowledge as students, teachers of different fields, and their partners inside and outside the organization co-operate. Multidisciplinary co-operation among colleagues also helps to maintain subject matter knowledge, as it supports peer learning and encourages everyone to move out of their comfort zones.

Assessing the Genetics Content in the Next Generation Science Standards.

Science.gov (United States)

Lontok, Katherine S; Zhang, Hubert; Dougherty, Michael J

2015-01-01

Science standards have a long history in the United States and currently form the backbone of efforts to improve primary and secondary education in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). Although there has been much political controversy over the influence of standards on teacher autonomy and student performance, little light has been shed on how well standards cover science content. We assessed the coverage of genetics content in the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) using a consensus list of American Society of Human Genetics (ASHG) core concepts. We also compared the NGSS against state science standards. Our goals were to assess the potential of the new standards to support genetic literacy and to determine if they improve the coverage of genetics concepts relative to state standards. We found that expert reviewers cannot identify ASHG core concepts within the new standards with high reliability, suggesting that the scope of content addressed by the standards may be inconsistently interpreted. Given results that indicate that the disciplinary core ideas (DCIs) included in the NGSS documents produced by Achieve, Inc. clarify the content covered by the standards statements themselves, we recommend that the NGSS standards statements always be viewed alongside their supporting disciplinary core ideas. In addition, gaps exist in the coverage of essential genetics concepts, most worryingly concepts dealing with patterns of inheritance, both Mendelian and complex. Finally, state standards vary widely in their coverage of genetics concepts when compared with the NGSS. On average, however, the NGSS support genetic literacy better than extant state standards.

Assessing the Genetics Content in the Next Generation Science Standards.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Katherine S Lontok

Full Text Available Science standards have a long history in the United States and currently form the backbone of efforts to improve primary and secondary education in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM. Although there has been much political controversy over the influence of standards on teacher autonomy and student performance, little light has been shed on how well standards cover science content. We assessed the coverage of genetics content in the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS using a consensus list of American Society of Human Genetics (ASHG core concepts. We also compared the NGSS against state science standards. Our goals were to assess the potential of the new standards to support genetic literacy and to determine if they improve the coverage of genetics concepts relative to state standards. We found that expert reviewers cannot identify ASHG core concepts within the new standards with high reliability, suggesting that the scope of content addressed by the standards may be inconsistently interpreted. Given results that indicate that the disciplinary core ideas (DCIs included in the NGSS documents produced by Achieve, Inc. clarify the content covered by the standards statements themselves, we recommend that the NGSS standards statements always be viewed alongside their supporting disciplinary core ideas. In addition, gaps exist in the coverage of essential genetics concepts, most worryingly concepts dealing with patterns of inheritance, both Mendelian and complex. Finally, state standards vary widely in their coverage of genetics concepts when compared with the NGSS. On average, however, the NGSS support genetic literacy better than extant state standards.

Assessment that Matters: Integrating the "Chore" of Department-Based Assessment with Real Improvements in Political Science Education

Science.gov (United States)

Deardorff, Michelle D.; Folger, Paul J.

2005-01-01

Assessment requirements often raise great concerns among departments and faculty: fear of loss of autonomy, distraction from primary departmental goals, and the creation of alien and artificial external standards. This article demonstrates how one political science department directly responded to their own unique circumstances in assessing their…

Isotope hydrology: applied discipline in earth sciences

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Froehlich, K.; Rozanski, K.; Araguas Araguas, L.

1998-01-01

The discipline 'isotope hydrology' is being reviewed from the perspective of the Isotope Hydrology Section of the International Atomic Energy Agency in Vienna. The Section was created in the late fifties and is activities involved int the scientific progress of the discipline. The role of the IAEA in the development of isotope hydrology has always been of a dual nature: on one hand, the Section has been and still is heavily engaged in supporting and coordinating further development of isotope methodologies, on the other hand, it serves as an interface between the methodological development in research institutes and the applied work using proven techniques in field projects on water resources assessment and management. The paper provides a brief overview of applications of isotope-based methodologies in hydrology, with emphasis on new trends and challenges related to man's growing impact on the water cycle. This contribution is a tribute to the memory of the former Head of the Isotope Hydrology Section, Jean-Charles Fontes, to whom we owe so much. (authors)

76 FR 38650 - Draft Integrated Science Assessment for Lead

Science.gov (United States)

2011-07-01

... Science Assessment for Lead AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency. ACTION: Notice of extension of public... Lead'' (EPA/600/R-10/075A). The original Federal Register notice announcing the public comment period... review of the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for Lead. DATES: The public comment period...

Developing international alumni activities in Mikkeli University of Applied Sciences : Case Business Management degree programme

OpenAIRE

Honkaniemi, Meri

2014-01-01

My thesis focuses on international alumni activities in Mikkeli University of Applied Sciences. My aim was to find development ideas and recommendations for the international side of the alumni activities. I intended to offer realistic suggestions enough in order to make them work in practice too. I put also my effort on finding recommendations for Business Management programme, because I wanted to make sure that international alumni activities get attention in degree programme level too. ...

The Use of Illustrations in Large-Scale Science Assessment: A Comparative Study

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Chao

2012-01-01

This dissertation addresses the complexity of test illustrations design across cultures. More specifically, it examines how the characteristics of illustrations used in science test items vary across content areas, assessment programs, and cultural origins. It compares a total of 416 Grade 8 illustrated items from the areas of earth science, life…

Applying Cognitive Science Principles to Improve Retention of Science Vocabulary

Science.gov (United States)

Shore, Rebecca; Ray, Jenna; Gooklasian, Paula

2015-01-01

We investigated whether three student-centred strategies influenced retention of science vocabulary words among 7th grade students. Two of the strategies (drawing pictures and talking about the definition of the terms) were developed to involve the students in more constructive and interactive exercises when compared to the technique that was in…

An Assessment of Factors Relating to High School Students' Science Self-Efficacy

Science.gov (United States)

Gibson, Jakeisha Jamice

This mixed-methods case study examined two out-of-school (OST) Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) programs at a science-oriented high school on students' Self-Efficacy. Because STEM is a key for future innovation and economic growth, Americans have been developing a variety of approaches to increase student interest in science within the school curriculum and in OST programs. Nationwide, many OST programs are offered for students but few have engaged in an in-depth assessment. This study included an assessment of two different types of OST programs and direct observations by the researcher. This study involved two advisors (one male, one female), 111 students, and their parents during 2016. Student participants completed two standardized surveys, one to determine their Science Self-Efficacy and another to assess their engagement in science during their OST programs. Parents described their parental involvement and their child's interest in the OST program(s). The OST program advisors participated in lengthy interviews. Additionally, the advisors rated their perceived interest level of the enrolled students and recorded attendance data. Bandura's Social Cognitive Theory (1997a) provided the theoretical framework. This theory describes the multidirectional influence of behavioral factors, personal factors, and environmental factors have on a student's Self-Efficacy. Compiled data from the teachers, students, and parents were used to determine the relationship of selected variables on Science Self-Efficacy of students. A correlational analysis revealed that students who participated in these OST programs possessed a high Mindset for the Enjoyment of science and that teacher ratings were also positively correlated to Mindset and Enjoyment of Science. Descriptive analyses showed that (a) girls who chose to participate in these OST programs possessed higher school grades in their in-school coursework than boys, (b) that parents of girls participated in more

A Trip from a Tube to a Chip Applied Micro and Nanotechnology in Biotechnology, Veterinary and Life Sciences

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bang, Dang Duong; Dhumpa, Raghuram; Cao, Cuong

2010-01-01

of such pathogens. Microchipfabrication has had a major impact on electronics and is expected to have an equally pronounced effect on life sciences. By combining micro-fluidics with micromechanics, micro-optics, and microelectronics, systems can be realized to perform complete chemical or biochemical analyses......-nanotechnology in life sciences will be given. In addition, examples of DNA micro arrays, micro fabricated integrated PCR chips and total integrated lab-on-chip systems from different National and EU research projects being carried out at the Laboratory of Applied Micro-Nanotechnology (LAMINATE) group at the National...

Documenting Matured Science: The BACC-Type Assessment Reports

Science.gov (United States)

Reckermann, M.; Omstedt, A. T.

2016-12-01

The BACC-type reports (BALTEX and Baltic Earth Assessment of Climate Change for the Baltic Sea region, BACC 2008 and BACC II 2015) represent an approach to assessing and making available current knowledge on regional climate change and its regional impacts on the physical, biogeochemical and biological environment (ecosystems, socio-economic sphere). The BACC assessments have originated in the BALTEX scientific research community (now Baltic Earth) and are coordinated by the International Baltic Earth Secretariat. The assessments are produced by teams of scientists from the region, led by lead authors who recruit experts from relevant topics to contribute. The report of 2015 was compiled by a different group of authors as 2008 to warrant independence of personal opinions and bias. The process is not externally funded and completely based on published scientific evidence, and not biased by political or economic interest groups. The BACC-type reports aim to bring together consolidated knowledge that has broad consensus in the scientific community, but also acknowledging issues for which contradicting opinions are found in the literature, so that no consensus can be reached ("consensus on dissensus"). An international steering committee is responsible for overlooking the process, and all manuscripts are anonymously peer-reviewed by independent international experts. Outreach to stakeholders and the public is an inherent aspect of this approach to document mature science. For the Baltic Sea, there is a close collaboration with HELCOM, the intergovernmental Baltic Marine Environment Protection Commission and the major regional science-policy interface in the Baltic Sea region. A summary for non-scientists was produced for the first BACC report and is in preparation for the second. Other BACC-type reports published are the climate report for the greater Hamburg area (published in 2011), and the NOSCCA report (North Sea Climate Change Assessment), published in 2016.

Gender differences in national assessment of educational progress science items: What does i don't know really mean?

Science.gov (United States)

Linn, Marcia C.; de Benedictis, Tina; Delucchi, Kevin; Harris, Abigail; Stage, Elizabeth

The National Assessment of Educational Progress Science Assessment has consistently revealed small gender differences on science content items but not on science inquiry items. This assessment differs from others in that respondents can choose I don't know rather than guessing. This paper examines explanations for the gender differences including (a) differential prior instruction, (b) differential response to uncertainty and use of the I don't know response, (c) differential response to figurally presented items, and (d) different attitudes towards science. Of these possible explanations, the first two received support. Females are more likely to use the I don't know response, especially for items with physical science content or masculine themes such as football. To ameliorate this situation we need more effective science instruction and more gender-neutral assessment items.

Science Programs

Science.gov (United States)

Laboratory Delivering science and technology to protect our nation and promote world stability Science & ; Innovation Collaboration Careers Community Environment Science & Innovation Facilities Science Pillars Research Library Science Briefs Science News Science Highlights Lab Organizations Science Programs Applied

SUPPORTING TEACHERS IN IMPLEMENTING FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT PRACTICES IN EARTH SYSTEMS SCIENCE

Science.gov (United States)

Harris, C. J.; Penuel, W. R.; Haydel Debarger, A.; Blank, J. G.

2009-12-01

An important purpose of formative assessment is to elicit student thinking to use in instruction to help all students learn and inform next steps in teaching. However, formative assessment practices are difficult to implement and thus present a formidable challenge for many science teachers. A critical need in geoscience education is a framework for providing teachers with real-time assessment tools as well as professional development to learn how to use formative assessment to improve instruction. Here, we describe a comprehensive support system, developed for our NSF-funded Contingent Pedagogies project, for addressing the challenge of helping teachers to use formative assessment to enhance student learning in middle school Earth Systems science. Our support system is designed to improve student understanding about the geosphere by integrating classroom network technology, interactive formative assessments, and contingent curricular activities to guide teachers from formative assessment to instructional decision-making and improved student learning. To accomplish this, we are using a new classroom network technology, Group Scribbles, in the context of an innovative middle-grades Earth Science curriculum called Investigating Earth Systems (IES). Group Scribbles, developed at SRI International, is a collaborative software tool that allows individual students to compose “scribbles” (i.e., drawings and notes), on “post-it” notes in a private workspace (a notebook computer) in response to a public task. They can post these notes anonymously to a shared, public workspace (a teacher-controlled large screen monitor) that becomes the centerpiece of group and class discussion. To help teachers implement formative assessment practices, we have introduced a key resource, called a teaching routine, to help teachers take advantage of Group Scribbles for more interactive assessments. Routine refers to a sequence of repeatable interactions that, over time, become

Science teachers' mission impossible?: a qualitative study of obstacles in assessing students' practical abilities

Science.gov (United States)

Sund, Per

2016-09-01

Science teachers regard practical work as important and many claim that it helps students to learn science. Besides theoretical knowledge, such as concepts and formulas, practical work is considered to be an integral and basic part of science education. As practical work is perceived and understood in different ways, comparing the results between classes and schools is difficult. One way of making the results comparable is to develop systematic inquiries to be assessed in national large-scale tests. However, introducing similar testing conditions in a laboratory environment is not always possible. Although the instructions and assessment guides for such tests are detailed, many obstacles need to be overcome if equality in the overall test situation is to be achieved. This empirical case study investigates two secondary school science teachers' assessments of 15-16 years old students in three separate groups in the practical part of a Swedish national test in chemistry. Data are gathered using two video cameras and three pairs of spy camera glasses. The results show that individual and independent assessments are difficult due to the social interactions that take place and the physical sources of errors that occur in this type of setting.

Does Structural Development Matter? The Third Mission through Teaching and R&D at Finnish Universities of Applied Sciences

Science.gov (United States)

Kohtamäki, Vuokko

2015-01-01

The latest policy trends of higher education institutions (HEIs) have increasingly highlighted the importance of external stakeholders' expertise and resources. This paper investigated how the third mission through teaching and research and development (R&D) at Finnish universities of applied sciences (UASs) is influenced by the structural…

Interfacial and Surface Science | Materials Science | NREL

Science.gov (United States)

Science group within the Material Science Center. He oversees research studies of surfaces and interfaces Interfacial and Surface Science Interfacial and Surface Science Image of irregular-outlined, light address a broad range of fundamental and applied issues in surface and interfacial science that are

Career Fairs | College of Engineering & Applied Science

Science.gov (United States)

Engineering Concentration on Ergonomics M.S. Program in Computer Science Interdisciplinary Concentration on Energy Doctoral Programs in Engineering Non-Degree Candidate Departments Biomedical Engineering Biomedical Engineering Industry Advisory Council Civil & Environmental Engineering Civil &

Applying programmatic risk assessment to nuclear materials stabilization R and D planning

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brown-Van Hoozer, S.A.; Kenley, C.R.

1997-01-01

A systems engineering approach to programmatic risk assessment, derived from the aerospace industry, was applied to various stabilization technologies to assess their relative maturity and availability for use in stabilizing nuclear materials. The assessment provided valuable information for trading off available technologies and identified the at-risk technologies that will require close tracking by the Department of Energy (DOE) to mitigate programmatic risks. This paper presents the programmatic risk assessment methodology developed for the 1995 R and D Plan and updated for the 1996 R and D Plan. Results of the 1996 assessment also are presented (DOE/ID-10561, 1996)

Assessment for Effective Intervention: Enrichment Science Academic Program

Science.gov (United States)

Sasson, Irit; Cohen, Donita

2013-10-01

Israel suffers from a growing problem of socio-economic gaps between those who live in the center of the country and residents of outlying areas. As a result, there is a low level of accessibility to higher education among the peripheral population. The goal of the Sidney Warren Science Education Center for Youth at Tel-Hai College is to strengthen the potential of middle and high school students and encourage them to pursue higher education, with an emphasis on majoring in science and technology. This study investigated the implementation and evaluation of the enrichment science academic program, as an example of informal learning environment, with an emphasis on physics studies. About 500 students conducted feedback survey after participating in science activities in four domains: biology, chemistry, physics, and computer science. Results indicated high level of satisfaction among the students. No differences were found with respect to gender excluding in physics with a positive attitudes advantage among boys. In order to get a deeper understanding of this finding, about 70 additional students conducted special questionnaires, both 1 week before the physics enrichment day and at the end of that day. Questionnaires were intended to assess both their attitudes toward physics and their knowledge and conceptions of the physical concept "pressure." We found that the activity moderately improved boys' attitudes toward physics, but that girls displayed decreased interest in and lower self-efficacy toward physics. Research results were used to the improvement of the instructional design of the physics activity demonstrating internal evaluation process for effective intervention.

Breathing life into fisheries stock assessments with citizen science.

Science.gov (United States)

Fairclough, D V; Brown, J I; Carlish, B J; Crisafulli, B M; Keay, I S

2014-11-28

Citizen science offers a potentially cost-effective way for researchers to obtain large data sets over large spatial scales. However, it is not used widely to support biological data collection for fisheries stock assessments. Overfishing of demersal fishes along 1,000 km of the west Australian coast led to restrictive management to recover stocks. This diminished opportunities for scientists to cost-effectively monitor stock recovery via fishery-dependent sampling, particularly of the recreational fishing sector. As fishery-independent methods would be too expensive and logistically-challenging to implement, a citizen science program, Send us your skeletons (SUYS), was developed. SUYS asks recreational fishers to voluntarily donate fish skeletons of important species from their catch to allow biological data extraction by scientists to produce age structures and conduct stock assessment analyses. During SUYS, recreational fisher involvement, sample sizes and spatial and temporal coverage of samples have dramatically increased, while the collection cost per skeleton has declined substantially. SUYS is ensuring sampling objectives for stock assessments are achieved via fishery-dependent collection and reliable and timely scientific advice can be provided to managers. The program is also encouraging public ownership through involvement in the monitoring process, which can lead to greater acceptance of management decisions.

Future Students | College of Engineering & Applied Science

Science.gov (United States)

race car with the Society of Automotive Engineers. Members of the American Society of Mechanical . icons_100x100_Engage Over 20 engineering and computer science organizations await! Race a Baja car or concrete canoe

SERS as an analytical tool in environmental science: The detection of sulfamethoxazole in the nanomolar range by applying a microfluidic cartridge setup.

Science.gov (United States)

Patze, Sophie; Huebner, Uwe; Liebold, Falk; Weber, Karina; Cialla-May, Dana; Popp, Juergen

2017-01-01

Sulfamethoxazole (SMX) is a commonly applied antibiotic for treating urinary tract infections; however, allergic reactions and skin eczema are known side effects that are observed for all sulfonamides. Today, this molecule is present in drinking and surface water sources. The allowed concentration in tap water is 2·10 -7  mol L -1 . SMX could unintentionally be ingested by healthy people when drinking contaminated tap water, representing unnecessary drug intake. To assess the quality of tap water, fast, specific and sensitive detection methods are required, in which consequence measures for improving the purification of water might be initiated in the short term. Herein, the quantitative detection of SMX down to environmentally and physiologically relevant concentrations in the nanomolar range by employing surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) and a microfluidic cartridge system is presented. By applying surface-water samples as matrices, the detection of SMX down to 2.2·10 -9  mol L -1 is achieved, which illustrates the great potential of our proposed method in environmental science. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Measuring relative efficiency of applied science and technology universities in province of Semnan, Iran and providing suggestions for merging units

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Abolfazl Danaei

2013-03-01

Full Text Available University of applied science and technology has been designed to create a platform for multilateral activities such as industrial, military and academic in developing countries to promote science and scientific research applications. These universities are responsible to promote practical training in quantitative and qualitative indicators and they provide appropriate infrastructure to implement theoretical graduates to solve practical problems to build necessary infrastructure to transfer modern technology into developing countries. During the past few years, there have been tremendous development on these units but some of them have not been efficient. In this paper, we present an empirical study to measure the relative efficiencies of various units of applied science and technology universities using data envelopment analysis. The proposed model of this paper uses two inputs including human resources as well as total assets and two outputs including the number of graduate students as well as operating profit. The results of the study have indicated that some of the units are inefficient and need to be merged with other units to increase the relative efficiency of these universities.

Distance learning in the Applied Sciences of Oncology

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Barton, Michael B., E-mail: Michael.Barton@swsahs.nsw.gov.a [CCORE and the South Western Clinical School, Liverpool Hospital, University of NSW (Australia); Thode, Richard J [CCORE and the South Western Clinical School, Liverpool Hospital, University of NSW (Australia)

2010-04-15

Background: The major impediment to the expansion of oncology services is a shortage of personnel. Purpose: To develop a distance learning course for radiation oncology trainees. Materials: Under the sponsorship of the Asia Pacific Regional Cooperative Agreement administered by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), a CD ROM-based Applied Sciences of Oncology (ASOC) distance learning course of 71 modules was created. The course covers communications, critical appraisal, functional anatomy, molecular biology, pathology. The materials include interactive text and illustrations that require students to answer questions before they can progress. The course aims to supplement existing oncology curricula and does not provide a qualification. It aims to assist students in acquiring their own profession's qualification. The course was piloted in seven countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America during 2004. After feedback from the pilot course, a further nine modules were added to cover imaging physics (three modules), informed consent, burnout and coping with death and dying, Economic analysis and cancer care, Nutrition, cachexia and fatigue, radiation-induced second cancers and mathematical tools and background for radiation oncology. The course was widely distributed and can be downloaded from (http://www.iaea.org/Publications/Training/Aso/register.html). ASOC has been downloaded over 1100 times in the first year after it was posted. There is a huge demand for educational materials but the interactive approach is labour-intensive and expensive to compile. The course must be maintained to remain relevant.

Distance learning in the Applied Sciences of Oncology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barton, Michael B.; Thode, Richard J.

2010-01-01

Background: The major impediment to the expansion of oncology services is a shortage of personnel. Purpose: To develop a distance learning course for radiation oncology trainees. Materials: Under the sponsorship of the Asia Pacific Regional Cooperative Agreement administered by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), a CD ROM-based Applied Sciences of Oncology (ASOC) distance learning course of 71 modules was created. The course covers communications, critical appraisal, functional anatomy, molecular biology, pathology. The materials include interactive text and illustrations that require students to answer questions before they can progress. The course aims to supplement existing oncology curricula and does not provide a qualification. It aims to assist students in acquiring their own profession's qualification. The course was piloted in seven countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America during 2004. After feedback from the pilot course, a further nine modules were added to cover imaging physics (three modules), informed consent, burnout and coping with death and dying, Economic analysis and cancer care, Nutrition, cachexia and fatigue, radiation-induced second cancers and mathematical tools and background for radiation oncology. The course was widely distributed and can be downloaded from (http://www.iaea.org/Publications/Training/Aso/register.html). ASOC has been downloaded over 1100 times in the first year after it was posted. There is a huge demand for educational materials but the interactive approach is labour-intensive and expensive to compile. The course must be maintained to remain relevant.

Validity of "Hi_Science" as instructional media based-android refer to experiential learning model

Science.gov (United States)

Qamariah, Jumadi, Senam, Wilujeng, Insih

2017-08-01

Hi_Science is instructional media based-android in learning science on material environmental pollution and global warming. This study is aimed: (a) to show the display of Hi_Science that will be applied in Junior High School, and (b) to describe the validity of Hi_Science. Hi_Science as instructional media created with colaboration of innovative learning model and development of technology at the current time. Learning media selected is based-android and collaborated with experiential learning model as an innovative learning model. Hi_Science had adapted student worksheet by Taufiq (2015). Student worksheet had very good category by two expert lecturers and two science teachers (Taufik, 2015). This student worksheet is refined and redeveloped in android as an instructional media which can be used by students for learning science not only in the classroom, but also at home. Therefore, student worksheet which has become instructional media based-android must be validated again. Hi_Science has been validated by two experts. The validation is based on assessment of meterials aspects and media aspects. The data collection was done by media assessment instrument. The result showed the assessment of material aspects has obtained the average value 4,72 with percentage of agreement 96,47%, that means Hi_Science on the material aspects is in excellent category or very valid category. The assessment of media aspects has obtained the average value 4,53 with percentage of agreement 98,70%, that means Hi_Science on the media aspects is in excellent category or very valid category. It was concluded that Hi_Science as instructional media can be applied in the junior high school.

Applied mathematics for science and engineering

CERN Document Server

Glasgow, Larry A

2014-01-01

Prepare students for success in using applied mathematics for engineering practice and post-graduate studies moves from one mathematical method to the next sustaining reader interest and easing the application of the techniques Uses different examples from chemical, civil, mechanical and various other engineering fields Based on a decade's worth of the authors lecture notes detailing the topic of applied mathematics for scientists and engineers Concisely writing with numerous examples provided including historical perspectives as well as a solutions manual for academic adopters

Vertically and Horizontally Mounted Wind Mills : Wind Energy Production in Tampere University of Applied Sciences

OpenAIRE

Evdokimova, Ekaterina

2013-01-01

The purpose of this thesis was to gather information about vertical and horizontal wind mills and to complete a research on wind power production by wind mills which were installed in Tampere University of Applied Sciences. The horizontally mounted wind mill Windspot 3.5 and vertically mounted wind mill Cypress were installed in summer 2011 but they started functioning and supplying energy only during 2012. In the theoretical part of this thesis wind speed and wind power production is dis...

Designing Interdisciplinary Assessments in Sciences for College Students: An Example on Osmosis

Science.gov (United States)

Shen, Ji; Liu, Ou Lydia; Sung, Shannon

2014-01-01

College science education needs to foster students' habit of mind beyond disciplinary constraints. However, little research has been devoted to assessing students' interdisciplinary understanding. To address this problem, we formed a team of experts from different disciplines to develop interdisciplinary assessments that target…

Journal of Applied Sciences and Environmental Management ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

NARP) of the Nationally Coordinated Research Projects (NCRP), Faculty of Science, University of Port Harcourt, Nigeria. ISSN: 1119-8362. AJOL African Journals Online. HOW TO USE AJOL... for Researchers · for Librarians · for Authors · FAQ's ...

Current Methods Applied to Biomaterials - Characterization Approaches, Safety Assessment and Biological International Standards.

Science.gov (United States)

Oliveira, Justine P R; Ortiz, H Ivan Melendez; Bucio, Emilio; Alves, Patricia Terra; Lima, Mayara Ingrid Sousa; Goulart, Luiz Ricardo; Mathor, Monica B; Varca, Gustavo H C; Lugao, Ademar B

2018-04-10

Safety and biocompatibility assessment of biomaterials are themes of constant concern as advanced materials enter the market as well as products manufactured by new techniques emerge. Within this context, this review provides an up-to-date approach on current methods for the characterization and safety assessment of biomaterials and biomedical devices from a physicalchemical to a biological perspective, including a description of the alternative methods in accordance with current and established international standards. Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.org.

The implications of English-medium instruction on teaching practice and learning outcomes at The Hague University of Applied Sciences

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Joyce den Heijer

2015-01-01

In response to globalisation and internationalisation of both higher education and the job market, The Hague University of Applied Sciences (THUAS) has seen a considerable increase in English-medium courses, i.e. non-language subjects taught through English. Internationally, the rise of

Career Services | College of Engineering & Applied Science

Science.gov (United States)

@ 10:00 am - 2:00 pm Wisconsin Room, UWM Student Union Register today! Engineering Careers Careers in Engineering Concentration on Ergonomics M.S. Program in Computer Science Interdisciplinary Concentration on Energy Doctoral Programs in Engineering Non-Degree Candidate Departments Biomedical Engineering

Bayero Journal of Pure and Applied Sciences

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The Journal's scope is wide in that it reported findings in the areas of pure and ... Physics, Medical Sciences and Zoology form part of the contents of the Journal. Scientists in the academia, research institutes and industries are therefore ...

Assessing Motivations and Use of Online Citizen Science Astronomy Projects

Science.gov (United States)

Nona Bakerman, Maya; Buxner, Sanlyn; Bracey, Georgia; Gugliucci, Nicole

2018-01-01

The exponential proliferation of astronomy data has resulted in the need to develop new ways to analyze data. Recent efforts to engage the public in the discussion of the importance of science has led to projects that are aimed at letting them have hands-on experiences. Citizen science in astronomy, which has followed the model of citizen science in other scientific fields, has increased in the number and type of projects in the last few years and poses captivating ways to engage the public in science.The primary feature of this study was citizen science users’ motivations and activities related to engaging in astronomy citizen science projects. We report on participants’ interview responses related to their motivations, length and frequency of engagement, and reasons for leaving the project. From May to October 2014, 32 adults were interviewed to assess their motivations and experiences with citizen science. In particular, we looked at if and how motivations have changed for those who have engaged in the projects in order to develop support for and understandparticipants of citizen science. The predominant reasons participants took part in citizen science were: interest, helping, learning or teaching, and being part of science. Everyone interviewed demonstrated an intrinsic motivation to do citizen science projects.Participants’ reasons for ending their engagement on any given day were: having to do other things, physical effects of the computer, scheduled event that ended, attention span or tired, computer or program issues. A small fraction of the participants also indicated experiencing negative feedback. Out of the participants who no longer took part in citizen science projects, some indicated that receiving negative feedback was their primary reason and others reported the program to be frustrating.Our work is helping us to understand participants who engage in online citizen science projects so that researchers can better design projects to meet their

Climate Modeling Computing Needs Assessment

Science.gov (United States)

Petraska, K. E.; McCabe, J. D.

2011-12-01

This paper discusses early findings of an assessment of computing needs for NASA science, engineering and flight communities. The purpose of this assessment is to document a comprehensive set of computing needs that will allow us to better evaluate whether our computing assets are adequately structured to meet evolving demand. The early results are interesting, already pointing out improvements we can make today to get more out of the computing capacity we have, as well as potential game changing innovations for the future in how we apply information technology to science computing. Our objective is to learn how to leverage our resources in the best way possible to do more science for less money. Our approach in this assessment is threefold: Development of use case studies for science workflows; Creating a taxonomy and structure for describing science computing requirements; and characterizing agency computing, analysis, and visualization resources. As projects evolve, science data sets increase in a number of ways: in size, scope, timelines, complexity, and fidelity. Generating, processing, moving, and analyzing these data sets places distinct and discernable requirements on underlying computing, analysis, storage, and visualization systems. The initial focus group for this assessment is the Earth Science modeling community within NASA's Science Mission Directorate (SMD). As the assessment evolves, this focus will expand to other science communities across the agency. We will discuss our use cases, our framework for requirements and our characterizations, as well as our interview process, what we learned and how we plan to improve our materials after using them in the first round of interviews in the Earth Science Modeling community. We will describe our plans for how to expand this assessment, first into the Earth Science data analysis and remote sensing communities, and then throughout the full community of science, engineering and flight at NASA.

Perceptions and attitudes of formative assessments in middle-school science classes

Science.gov (United States)

Chauncey, Penny Denyse

No Child Left Behind mandates utilizing summative assessment to measure schools' effectiveness. The problem is that summative assessment measures students' knowledge without depth of understanding. The goal of public education, however, is to prepare students to think critically at higher levels. The purpose of this study was to examine any difference between formative assessment incorporated in instruction as opposed to the usual, more summative methods in terms of attitudes and academic achievement of middle-school science students. Maslow's theory emphasizes that individuals must have basic needs met before they can advance to higher levels. Formative assessment enables students to master one level at a time. The research questions focused on whether statistically significant differences existed between classrooms using these two types of assessments on academic tests and an attitude survey. Using a quantitative quasi-experimental control-group design, data were obtained from a sample of 430 middle-school science students in 6 classes. One control and 2 experimental classes were assigned to each teacher. Results of the independent t tests revealed academic achievement was significantly greater for groups that utilized formative assessment. No significant difference in attitudes was noted. Recommendations include incorporating formative assessment results with the summative results. Findings from this study could contribute to positive social change by prompting educational stakeholders to examine local and state policies on curriculum as well as funding based on summative scores alone. Use of formative assessment can lead to improved academic success.

The economic value of remote sensing information: a case study of agricultural production and groundwater vulnerability using applied environmental science and hydrogeospatial methods

Science.gov (United States)

Forney, W.; Bernknopf, R. L.; Mishra, S.; Raunikar, R. P.

2011-12-01

William M. Forney1*, Richard L. Bernknopf1, Shruti K. Mishra2, Ronald P. Raunikar1. 1=Western Geographic Science Center, US Geological Survey, Menlo Park, California. 2=Contractor, Western Geographic Science Center, US Geological Survey, Menlo Park, California *=Contact author, wforney@usgs.gov, 650-329-4237. Does remote sensing information provide economic benefits to society and can those benefits be valued? Can resource management and policy be better informed by coupling past and present earth observations with groundwater nitrate measurements? Using an integrated assessment approach, the USGS's research applies an established conceptual framework to answer these questions as well as estimate the value of information (VOI) for remote sensing imagery. The approach uses moderate resolution land imagery (MRLI) data from the Landsat and Advanced Wide Field Sensor satellites that has been classified by the National Agricultural Statistics Service into the Cropland Data Layer (CDL). Within the constraint of the US Environmental Protection Agency's public health threshold for potable groundwater resources, we model the relationship between a population of the CDL's land uses and the evolution of nitrate (NO3-) contamination of aquifers in a case study region in northeastern Iowa. Using source data from the Iowa Department of Natural Resources and the USGS's National Water Quality Assessment Program, the approach uses multi-scaled, environmental science models to address dynamic, biophysical process models of nitrogen fate and transport at specific sites (wells) and at landscape scale (35 counties) in order to assess groundwater vulnerability. In addition to the ecosystem service of potable groundwater, this effort focuses on particular agricultural goods and land uses: corn, soybeans and livestock manure management. Results of this four-year study will be presented, including: 1) the integrated models of the assessment approach, 2) mapping the range of vulnerabilities

EnQuest | College of Engineering & Applied Science

Science.gov (United States)

engineering camp, in which high school girls explore careers in engineering. It is held at the University of Engineering Concentration on Ergonomics M.S. Program in Computer Science Interdisciplinary Concentration on Energy Doctoral Programs in Engineering Non-Degree Candidate Departments Biomedical Engineering

75 FR 60484 - NASA Advisory Council; Science Committee; Earth Science Subcommittee; Applied Sciences Advisory...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-09-30

... Update. --Performance Measures Discussion. --Report from Earth Science Subcommittee Meeting. It is... to providing the following information no less than 10 working days prior to the meeting: full name; gender; date/ place of birth; citizenship; visa/green card information (number, type, expiration date...

Using case method to explicitly teach formative assessment in preservice teacher science education

Science.gov (United States)

Bentz, Amy Elizabeth

The process of formative assessment improves student understanding; however, the topic of formative assessment in preservice education has been severely neglected. Since a major goal of teacher education is to create reflective teaching professionals, preservice teachers should be provided an opportunity to critically reflect on the use of formative assessment in the classroom. Case method is an instructional methodology that allows learners to engage in and reflect on real-world situations. Case based pedagogy can play an important role in enhancing preservice teachers' ability to reflect on teaching and learning by encouraging alternative ways of thinking about assessment. Although the literature on formative assessment and case methodology are extensive, using case method to explore the formative assessment process is, at best, sparse. The purpose of this study is to answer the following research questions: To what extent does the implementation of formative assessment cases in methods instruction influence preservice elementary science teachers' knowledge of formative assessment? What descriptive characteristics change between the preservice teachers' pre-case and post-case written reflection that would demonstrate learning had occurred? To investigate these questions, preservice teachers in an elementary methods course were asked to reflect on and discuss five cases. Pre/post-case data was analyzed. Results indicate that the preservice teachers modified their ideas to reflect the themes that were represented within the cases and modified their reflections to include specific ideas or examples taken directly from the case discussions. Comparing pre- and post-case reflections, the data supports a noted change in how the preservice teachers interpreted the case content. The preservice teachers began to evaluate the case content, question the lack of formative assessment concepts and strategies within the case, and apply formative assessment concepts and

Plasma Science Committee (PLSC)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1990-01-01

The Plasma Science Committee (PLSC) is a standing committee under the auspices of the Board on Physics and Astronomy, Commission on Physical Sciences, Mathematics, and Applications of the National Academy of Sciences--National Research Council. Plasma sciences represent a broad and diverse field. The PLSC has accepted the responsibility of monitoring the continuing development and assessing the general health of the field as whole. Although select advisory bodies have been created to address specific issues that affect plasma science, such as the Fusion Policy Advisory Committee (FPAC), the PLSC provides a focus for the plasma science community that is unique and essential. The membership of the PLSC is drawn from research laboratories in universities, industry, and government. Areas of expertise on the committee include accelerators and beams, space physics, astrophysics, computational physics and applied mathematics, fusion plasmas, fundamental experiments and theory, radiation sources, low temperature plasmas, and plasma-surface interactions. The PLSC is well prepared to respond to requests for studies on specific issues. This report discusses ion of the PLSC work

Climate research in the former Soviet Union. FASAC: Foreign Applied Sciences Assessment Center technical assessment report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ellingson, R.G.; Baer, F.; Ellsaesser, H.W.; Harshvardhan; Hoffert, M.I.; Randall, D.A.

1993-09-01

This report assesses the state of the art in several areas of climate research in the former Soviet Union. This assessment was performed by a group of six internationally recognized US experts in related fields. The areas chosen for review are: large-scale circulation processes in the atmosphere and oceans; atmospheric radiative processes; cloud formation processes; climate effects of natural atmospheric disturbances; and the carbon cycle, paleoclimates, and general circulation model validation. The study found an active research community in each of the above areas. Overall, the quality of climate research in the former Soviet Union is mixed, although the best Soviet work is as good as the best corresponding work in the West. The best Soviet efforts have principally been in theoretical studies or data analysis. However, an apparent lack of access to modern computing facilities has severely hampered the Soviet research. Most of the issues considered in the Soviet literature are known, and have been discussed in the Western literature, although some extraordinary research in paleoclimatology was noted. Little unusual and exceptionally creative material was found in the other areas during the study period (1985 through 1992). Scientists in the former Soviet Union have closely followed the Western literature and technology. Given their strengths in theoretical and analytical methods, as well as their possession of simplified versions of detailed computer models being used in the West, researchers in the former Soviet Union have the potential to make significant contributions if supercomputers, workstations, and software become available. However, given the current state of the economy in the former Soviet Union, it is not clear that the computer gap will be bridged in the foreseeable future.

Assessment report of research and development activities. Activity: 'Nuclear science and engineering research' (Interim report)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2013-11-01

Japan Atomic Energy Agency (hereinafter referred to as 'JAEA') consults an assessment committee, 'Evaluation Committee of Research Activities for Nuclear Science and Engineering' (hereinafter referred to as 'Committee') for interim assessment of 'Nuclear Science and Engineering,' in accordance with 'General Guideline for the Evaluation of Government Research and Development (R and D) Activities' by Cabinet Office, Government of Japan, 'Guideline for Evaluation of R and D in Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology' and 'Regulation on Conduct for Evaluation of R and D Activities' by the JAEA. In response to the JAEA's request, the Committee assessed the research program of the Nuclear Science and Engineering Directorate (hereinafter referred to as 'NSED') and Center for Computational Science and e-Systems (hereinafter referred to as 'CCSE') during the period of about four years from September 2008 to September 2012. The Committee evaluated the management and research activities of the NSED and the CCSE based on explanatory documents prepared by the NSED and the CCSE, and oral presentations with questions-and-answers by unit managers etc. A CD-ROM is attached as an appendix. (J.P.N.)

International Assessment: A Rasch Model and Teachers' Evaluation of TIMSS Science Achievement Items

Science.gov (United States)

Glynn, Shawn M.

2012-01-01

The Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) is a comparative assessment of the achievement of students in many countries. In the present study, a rigorous independent evaluation was conducted of a representative sample of TIMSS science test items because item quality influences the validity of the scores used to inform…

The Figured Worlds of High School Science Teachers: Uncovering Three-Dimensional Assessment Decisions

Science.gov (United States)

Ewald, Megan

As a result of recent mandates of the Next Generation Science Standards, assessments are a "system of meaning" amidst a paradigm shift toward three-dimensional assessments. This study is motivated by two research questions: 1) how do high school science teachers describe their processes of decision-making in the development and use of three-dimensional assessments and 2) how do high school science teachers negotiate their identities as assessors in designing three-dimensional assessments. An important factor in teachers' assessment decision making is how they identify themselves as assessors. Therefore, this study investigated the teachers' roles as assessors through the Sociocultural Identity Theory. The most important contribution from this study is the emergent teacher assessment sub-identities: the modifier-recycler , the feeler-finder, and the creator. Using a qualitative phenomenological research design, focus groups, three-series interviews, think-alouds, and document analysis were utilized in this study. These qualitative methods were chosen to elicit rich conversations among teachers, make meaning of the teachers' experiences through in-depth interviews, amplify the thought processes of individual teachers while making assessment decisions, and analyze assessment documents in relation to teachers' perspectives. The findings from this study suggest that--of the 19 participants--only two teachers could consistently be identified as creators and aligned their assessment practices with NGSS. However, assessment sub-identities are not static and teachers may negotiate their identities from one moment to the next within socially constructed realms of interpretation known as figured worlds. Because teachers are positioned in less powerful figured worlds within the dominant discourse of standardization, this study raises awareness as to how the external pressures from more powerful figured worlds socially construct teachers' identities as assessors. For teachers

TIMSS 2011 Science Assessment Results: A Review of Ghana's Performance

Science.gov (United States)

Buabeng, Isaac; Owusu, Kofi Acheaw; Ntow, Forster Danso

2014-01-01

This paper reviews Ghana's performance in the TIMSS 2011 survey in comparison with other African and some high performing countries which participated in the TIMSS assessment. Students' achievement in the science content areas assessed were summarized and teacher preparation constructs of teachers of the students who took part in the assessment…

Drawing and Writing in Digital Science Notebooks: Sources of Formative Assessment Data

Science.gov (United States)

Shelton, Angi; Smith, Andrew; Wiebe, Eric; Behrle, Courtney; Sirkin, Ruth; Lester, James

2016-01-01

Formative assessment strategies are used to direct instruction by establishing where learners' understanding is, how it is developing, informing teachers and students alike as to how they might get to their next set of goals of conceptual understanding. For the science classroom, one rich source of formative assessment data about scientific…

Multi-Level Risk Assessment of a Power Plant Gas Turbine Applying ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Multi-Level Risk Assessment of a Power Plant Gas Turbine Applying the Criticality Index Model. ... Journal of the Nigerian Association of Mathematical Physics ... This study has carefully shown and expressed a step by step computation of the severity level of the Turbine component parts, using the Criticality Index model.

NASA Applied Sciences Disasters Program Support for the September 2017 Mexico Earthquakes

Science.gov (United States)

Glasscoe, M. T.; Kirschbaum, D.; Torres-Perez, J. L.; Yun, S. H.; Owen, S. E.; Hua, H.; Fielding, E. J.; Liang, C.; Bekaert, D. P.; Osmanoglu, B.; Amini, R.; Green, D. S.; Murray, J. J.; Stough, T.; Struve, J. C.; Seepersad, J.; Thompson, V.

2017-12-01

The 8 September M 8.1 Tehuantepec and 19 September M 7.1 Puebla earthquakes were among the largest earthquakes recorded in Mexico. These two events caused widespread damage, affecting several million people and causing numerous casualties. A team of event coordinators in the NASA Applied Sciences Program activated soon after these devastating earthquakes in order to support decision makers in Mexico, using NASA modeling and international remote sensing capabilities to generate decision support products to aid in response and recovery. The NASA Disasters Program promotes the use of Earth observations to improve the prediction of, preparation for, response to, and recovery from natural and technological disasters. For these two events, the Disasters Program worked with Mexico's space agency (Agencia Espacial Mexico, AEM) and the National Center for Prevention of Disasters (Centro Nacional de Prevención de Desastres, CENAPRED) to generate products to support response, decision-making, and recovery. Products were also provided to academic partners, technical institutions, and field responders to support response. In addition, the Program partnered with the US Geological Survey (USGS), Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance (OFDA), and other partners in order to provide information to federal and domestic agencies that were supporting event response. Leveraging the expertise of investigators at NASA Centers, products such as landslide susceptibility maps, precipitation models, and radar based damage assessments and surface deformation maps were generated and used by AEM, CENAPRED, and others during the event. These were used by AEM in collaboration with other government agencies in Mexico to make appropriate decisions for mapping damage, rescue and recovery, and informing the population regarding areas prone to potential risk. We will provide an overview of the response activities and data products generated in support of the earthquake response, partnerships with

Using Online Citizen Science to Assess Giant Kelp Abundances Across the Globe with Satellite Imagery

Science.gov (United States)

Byrnes, J.; Cavanaugh, K. C.; Haupt, A. J.; Trouille, L.; Rosenthal, I.; Bell, T. W.; Rassweiler, A.; Pérez-Matus, A.; Assis, J.

2017-12-01

Global scale long-term data sets that document the patterns and variability of human impacts on marine ecosystems are rare. This lack is particularly glaring for underwater species - even moreso for ecologically important ones. Here we demonstrate how online Citizen Science combined with Landsat satellite imagery can help build a picture of change in the dynamics of giant kelp, an important coastal foundation species around the globe, from the 1984 to the present. Giant kelp canopy is visible from Landsat images, but these images defy easy machine classification. To get useful data, images must be processed by hand. While academic researchers have applied this method successfully at sub-regional scales, unlocking the value of the full global dataset has not been possible until given the massive effort required. Here we present Floating Forests (http://floatingforests.org), an international collaboration between kelp forest researchers and the citizen science organization Zooniverse. Floating Forests provides an interface that allows citizen scientists to identify canopy cover of giant kelp on Landsat images, enabling us to scale up the dataset to the globe. We discuss lessons learned from the initial version of the project launched in 2014, a prototype of an image processing pipeline to bring Landsat imagery to citizen science platforms, methods of assessing accuracy of citizen scientists, and preliminary data from our relaunch of the project. Through this project we have developed generalizable tools to facilitate citizen science-based analysis of Landsat and other satellite and aerial imagery. We hope that this create a powerful dataset to unlock our understanding of how global change has altered these critically important species in the sea.

Science Alternate Assessments Based on Alternate Achievement Standards (AA-AAS) during School Year 2014-2015. Synthesis Report 99

Science.gov (United States)

Rogers, Christopher M.; Thurlow, Martha L.; Lazarus, Sheryl S.

2015-01-01

Federal law requires that all students, including students with disabilities, participate in state assessments used for accountability purposes. It also requires states to assess students in several content areas, including science. Most students with disabilities take the general science assessment with or without accommodations, but a few…

Seminar on the use of research reactors in fundamental and applied sciences. Programme and abstracts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1984-01-01

The document includes the programme and the abstracts of papers presented at the ''Seminar on the use of research reactors in fundamental and applied sciences'' organized by the Tajoura Nuclear Research Centre in cooperation with the IAEA at Tajoura, Tripoli (Libya) between 16-20 September 1984. The abstracts are grouped in seven sessions: reactor physics (five abstracts), research reactor programmes (three abstracts), solid state physics (two abstracts), nuclear physics (two abstracts), radiochemistry (eleven abstracts), activation analysis (five abstracts), diverse topics (six abstracts). Separate indexing was provided for each abstract

Full-Cycle Assessment of Critical Thinking in an Ethics and Science Course

Science.gov (United States)

Blue, Jennifer; Taylor, Beverley; Yarrison-Rice, Jan

2008-01-01

Enhancing critical thinking skills for undergraduate students is important across the curriculum and between disciplines. We report on a method of improving critical thinking skills, which was studied through an Ethics and Science First-Year Seminar course. We used full cycle assessment over a three-year period to assess students' development and…

Sunlight and shadow in applied science

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cottrell, Alan

1992-01-01

In this, the inaugural Finniston Lecture a plea is made for recognition of the vital importance of a strong scientific and technological base to the long term health of the British economy. The contributions made by Sir Monty Finniston, as Head of the Metallurgy Division at AERE Harwell from 1948 to 1958, to the UK nuclear energy programme are used as an illustration of this theme. Of particular note was his role as a champion of applied scientific research - that is, basic research aimed at a specific application - and there is today an even greater need for powerful defence of such activities against the short term financial criteria applied by government and the City. (Author)

Embedded Assessment as an Essential Method for Understanding Public Engagement in Citizen Science

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rachel Becker-Klein

2016-05-01

Full Text Available Citizen science is an important way of engaging a broad range of audiences in science inquiry by participating in research that asks novel questions and unearths new knowledge and new questioning. Though citizen science projects are quite diverse in their scientific pursuits, all projects share the common element of involving volunteers directly in some aspect of science inquiry. Thus, it is essential for citizen science projects to determine their participants’ capacity to learn and successfully perform science inquiry skills, such as making scientific observations, collecting and analyzing data, and sharing findings. Such skill gains are essential to (a ensure high quality data that can be used in meaningful scientific research, and (b achieve broader goals such as developing a participant’s identity as a contributor to science. However, we do not yet fully understand how improvement in participants’ inquiry skills through citizen science advances our knowledge of public engagement with science. In this essay, we offer embedded assessment as an effective method to capture participant skill gains, and encourage citizen science leaders, evaluators, and researchers to develop authentic methods that address the complexities of measuring skill development within the context of citizen science.

An Applied Mereology of the City: Unifying Science and Philosophy for Urban Planning.

Science.gov (United States)

Epting, Shane

2016-10-01

Based on their research showing that growing cities follow basic principles, two theoretical physicists, Luis Bettencourt and Geoffrey West, call for researchers and professionals to contribute to a grand theory of urban sustainability. In their research, they develop a 'science of the city' to help urban planners address problems that arise from population increases. Although they provide valuable insights for understanding urban sustainability issues, they do not give planners a manageable way to approach such problems. I argue that developing an applied mereology to understand the concept of 'city identity' gives planners a theoretical device for addressing urban affairs, including ethical concerns. In turn, I devise a model of city identity to show how a 'philosophy of the city' contributes to a grand theory of urban sustainability.

Assessment of stress among physiotherapy students at Riphah Centre of Rehabilitation Sciences.

Science.gov (United States)

Sabih, Fazaila; Siddiqui, Farah Rashid; Baber, Muhammad Naveed

2013-03-01

To assess stress and psychological morbidity in undergraduate students of physiotherapy at Riphah Centre of Rehabilitation Sciences (RCRS). A cross-sectional study was conducted from 2008 to 2010 at RCRS. Two hundred and thirty one students from first semester to fourth semester were included in the study. The data was collected through a semi-structured proforma and the Student Life Stress Inventory (SLSI) scale. Data was analysed by applying t-test and ANOVA with SPSS version 17. Two hundred and three respondents (88%) reported feeling stressed: 97(42%) students were mildly stressed, 92(40%) were moderately stressed, and 14 (6%) were severely stressed. Significant gender differences were found on the total score of stress, stressors and reactions. The findings revealed that females face more stressors especially pressures (pstress is higher in 4th semester RCRS students. The findings reveal the higher level of stress in undergraduate physiotherapy students. The high psychological morbidity necessitates the need for interventions like counseling and psychological support to improve the quality of life for these allied health care professionals.

A Mixed-Methods Analysis in Assessing Students' Professional Development by Applying an Assessment for Learning Approach.

Science.gov (United States)

Peeters, Michael J; Vaidya, Varun A

2016-06-25

Objective. To describe an approach for assessing the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education's (ACPE) doctor of pharmacy (PharmD) Standard 4.4, which focuses on students' professional development. Methods. This investigation used mixed methods with triangulation of qualitative and quantitative data to assess professional development. Qualitative data came from an electronic developmental portfolio of professionalism and ethics, completed by PharmD students during their didactic studies. Quantitative confirmation came from the Defining Issues Test (DIT)-an assessment of pharmacists' professional development. Results. Qualitatively, students' development reflections described growth through this course series. Quantitatively, the 2015 PharmD class's DIT N2-scores illustrated positive development overall; the lower 50% had a large initial improvement compared to the upper 50%. Subsequently, the 2016 PharmD class confirmed these average initial improvements of students and also showed further substantial development among students thereafter. Conclusion. Applying an assessment for learning approach, triangulation of qualitative and quantitative assessments confirmed that PharmD students developed professionally during this course series.

Curriculum Assessment in Social Sciences at Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris

Science.gov (United States)

Saleh, Hanifah Mahat Yazid; Hashim, Mohmadisa; Yaacob, Norazlan Hadi; Kasim, Adnan Jusoh Ahmad Yunus

2015-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to discuss the effectiveness of the curriculum implementation for undergraduate programme in the Faculty of Human Sciences, UPSI producing quality and competitive educators. Curriculum implementation has to go through an assessment process that aims to determine the problem, select relevant information and collect and…

Assessment of Service Desk Quality at an Academic Health Sciences Library.

Science.gov (United States)

Blevins, Amy E; DeBerg, Jennifer; Kiscaden, Elizabeth

2016-01-01

Due to an identified need for formal assessment, a small team of librarians designed and administered a survey to gauge the quality of customer service at their academic health sciences library. Though results did not drive major changes to services, several important improvements were implemented and a process was established to serve as a foundation for future use. This article details the assessment process used and lessons learned during the project.

Quantitative Microbial Risk Assessment in Occupational Settings Applied to the Airborne Human Adenovirus Infection

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Annalaura Carducci

2016-07-01

Full Text Available Quantitative Microbial Risk Assessment (QMRA methodology, which has already been applied to drinking water and food safety, may also be applied to risk assessment and management at the workplace. The present study developed a preliminary QMRA model to assess microbial risk that is associated with inhaling bioaerosols that are contaminated with human adenovirus (HAdV. This model has been applied to air contamination data from different occupational settings, including wastewater systems, solid waste landfills, and toilets in healthcare settings and offices, with different exposure times. Virological monitoring showed the presence of HAdVs in all the evaluated settings, thus confirming that HAdV is widespread, but with different average concentrations of the virus. The QMRA results, based on these concentrations, showed that toilets had the highest probability of viral infection, followed by wastewater treatment plants and municipal solid waste landfills. Our QMRA approach in occupational settings is novel, and certain caveats should be considered. Nonetheless, we believe it is worthy of further discussions and investigations.

Applying spatial clustering analysis to a township-level social vulnerability assessment in Taiwan

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wen-Yen Lin

2016-09-01

Full Text Available The degree of social vulnerability may vary according to the conditions and backgrounds of different locations, yet spatial clustering phenomena may exist when nearby spatial units exhibit similar characteristics. This study applied spatial autocorrelation statistics to analyze the spatial association of vulnerability among townships in Taiwan. The vulnerability was first assessed on the basis of a social vulnerability index that was constructed using Fuzzy Delphi and analytic hierarchy process methods. Subsequently, the corresponding indicator variables were applied to calculate standardized vulnerability assessment scores by using government data. According to the results of the vulnerability assessment in which T scores were normalized, the distribution of social vulnerabilities varied among the townships. The scores were further analyzed using spatial autocorrelation statistics for spatial clustering of vulnerability distribution. The Local G statistic identified 42 significant spatial association pockets, whereas the Global G statistic indicated no spatial phenomenon of clustering. This phenomenon was verified and explained by applying Moran's I statistics to examine the homogeneity and heterogeneity of spatial associations. Although both statistics were originally designed to identify the existence of spatial clustering, they serve diverse purposes, and the results can be compared to obtain additional insights into the distribution patterns of social vulnerability.

Understanding Science and Technology Interactions Through Ocean Science Exploration: A Summer Course for Science Teachers

Science.gov (United States)

Baldauf, J.; Denton, J.

2003-12-01

In order to replenish the national supply of science and mathematics educators, the National Science Foundation has supported the formation of the Center for Applications of Information Technology in the Teaching and Learning of Science (ITS) at Texas A&M University. The center staff and affiliated faculty work to change in fundamental ways the culture and relationships among scientists, educational researchers, and teachers. ITS is a partnership among the colleges of education, science, geosciences, agriculture and life science at Texas A&M University. Participants (teachers and graduate students) investigate how science is done and how science is taught and learned; how that learning is assessed, and how scholarly networks among all engaged in this work can be encouraged. While the center can offer graduate degrees most students apply as non-degree seekers. ITS participants are schooled on classroom technology applications, experience working on project teams, and access very current research work being conducted by scientists. ITS offers a certificate program consisting of two summer sessions over two years that results in 12 hours of graduate credit that can be applied to a degree. Interdisciplinary project teams spend three intense weeks connecting current research to classroom practices. During the past summer with the beginning of the two-year sequence, a course was implemented that introduced secondary teachers to Ocean Drilling Program (ODP) contributions to major earth science themes, using core and logging data, engineering (technology) tools and processes. Information Technology classroom applications were enhanced through hands-on laboratory exercises, web resources and online databases. The course was structured around the following objectives. 1. Distinguish the purpose and goals of the Ocean Drilling Program from the Integrated Ocean Drilling Program and describe the comparable science themes (ocean circulation, marine sedimentation, climate history

Implications of applying cumulative risk assessment to the workplace.

Science.gov (United States)

Fox, Mary A; Spicer, Kristen; Chosewood, L Casey; Susi, Pam; Johns, Douglas O; Dotson, G Scott

2018-06-01

Multiple changes are influencing work, workplaces and workers in the US including shifts in the main types of work and the rise of the 'gig' economy. Work and workplace changes have coincided with a decline in unions and associated advocacy for improved safety and health conditions. Risk assessment has been the primary method to inform occupational and environmental health policy and management for many types of hazards. Although often focused on one hazard at a time, risk assessment frameworks and methods have advanced toward cumulative risk assessment recognizing that exposure to a single chemical or non-chemical stressor rarely occurs in isolation. We explore how applying cumulative risk approaches may change the roles of workers and employers as they pursue improved health and safety and elucidate some of the challenges and opportunities that might arise. Application of cumulative risk assessment should result in better understanding of complex exposures and health risks with the potential to inform more effective controls and improved safety and health risk management overall. Roles and responsibilities of both employers and workers are anticipated to change with potential for a greater burden of responsibility on workers to address risk factors both inside and outside the workplace that affect health at work. A range of policies, guidance and training have helped develop cumulative risk assessment for the environmental health field and similar approaches are available to foster the practice in occupational safety and health. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Assessment of the implementation of environmental management ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Assessment of the implementation of environmental management system in the construction ... Journal of Fundamental and Applied Sciences ... The Environmental Management System (EMS) illustrates a possible solution to reduce the ...

Reshaping teacher thinking, planning and practice using embedded assessment: Case studies of three middle school science teachers

Science.gov (United States)

Jeranyama, Letina Ngwenya

At the dawn of the 21st century the science education community is seeking ways of improving science education to produce a scientific literate citizenry. They have put forth new goals. Teachers are key to all efforts to improve schools, that without their full participation, any move to reform education nor matter how well intentioned is doomed to failure. The changes in the goals of science education imply that teachers have to change the way they teach science. Some scholars have suggested that one way to help teachers attain the reform goals is by using embedded assessment. Embedded assessment is defined as a cyclical and ongoing process whereby teachers gather data about students' understanding as they teach, they analyze the data formally or informally and use the analysis to plan or adjust teaching immediately, for the next hour, day, topic, unit or year. The next day's activities also include embedded assessment and so the cycle repeats itself. This study investigates how teachers make sense of embedded assessment, how embedded assessment looks in practice, how it influences teachers and their classroom environments and the challenges teachers face as they use embedded assessment. Three middle school science teachers were involved in the study. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with open-ended questions, participant observations and professional development conversations. Data were analyzed using the qualitative method of constant comparative analysis. The findings indicate that teachers passed through different stages in conceptualizing embedded assessment. This conceptualization influenced the way embedded assessment looked in the classroom. Embedded assessment took many forms and shapes in the teachers' classrooms. Embedded assessment influenced the teachers' perspectives about the curriculum, students, teaching, assessment, planning and reflection in ways that enabled the teachers to be investigators of their students' understanding

Comparing Panelists' Understanding of Standard Setting across Multiple Levels of an Alternate Science Assessment

Science.gov (United States)

Hansen, Mary A.; Lyon, Steven R.; Heh, Peter; Zigmond, Naomi

2013-01-01

Large-scale assessment programs, including alternate assessments based on alternate achievement standards (AA-AAS), must provide evidence of technical quality and validity. This study provides information about the technical quality of one AA-AAS by evaluating the standard setting for the science component. The assessment was designed to have…

Proceedings of the 2013 International Conference on Mathematics and Computational Methods Applied to Nuclear Science and Engineering - M and C 2013

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2013-01-01

The Mathematics and Computation Division of the American Nuclear (ANS) and the Idaho Section of the ANS hosted the 2013 International Conference on Mathematics and Computational Methods Applied to Nuclear Science and Engineering (M and C 2013). This proceedings contains over 250 full papers with topics ranging from reactor physics; radiation transport; materials science; nuclear fuels; core performance and optimization; reactor systems and safety; fluid dynamics; medical applications; analytical and numerical methods; algorithms for advanced architectures; and validation verification, and uncertainty quantification

Proceedings of the 2013 International Conference on Mathematics and Computational Methods Applied to Nuclear Science and Engineering - M and C 2013

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2013-07-01

The Mathematics and Computation Division of the American Nuclear (ANS) and the Idaho Section of the ANS hosted the 2013 International Conference on Mathematics and Computational Methods Applied to Nuclear Science and Engineering (M and C 2013). This proceedings contains over 250 full papers with topics ranging from reactor physics; radiation transport; materials science; nuclear fuels; core performance and optimization; reactor systems and safety; fluid dynamics; medical applications; analytical and numerical methods; algorithms for advanced architectures; and validation verification, and uncertainty quantification.

Water security for productive economies: Applying an assessment framework in southern Africa

Science.gov (United States)

Holmatov, Bunyod; Lautze, Jonathan; Manthrithilake, Herath; Makin, Ian

2017-08-01

Achieving water security has emerged as a major objective in Africa, yet an analytical or diagnostic framework for assessing water security in African countries is not known to exist. This paper applies one key dimension of the 2016 Asian Development Bank's (ADB) Asian Water Development Outlook (AWDO) to assess levels of water security for productive economies in countries of the Southern African Development Community (SADC). Economic aspects of water security cover four areas: economic activities in the broad sense, agriculture, electricity, and industry. Water security in each area is measured through application of a set of indicators; results of indicator application are then aggregated to determine economic water security at a country-level. Results show that economic water security in SADC is greatest in the Seychelles and South Africa, and lowest in Madagascar and Malawi. Opportunities for strengthening economic water security in the majority of SADC countries exist through improving agricultural water productivity, strengthening resilience, and expanding sustainable electricity generation. More profoundly, this paper suggests that there is clear potential and utility in applying approaches used elsewhere to assess economic water security in southern Africa.

Assessing and grouping chemicals applying partial ordering Alkyl anilines as an illustrative example.

Science.gov (United States)

Carlsen, Lars; Bruggemann, Rainer

2018-06-03

In chemistry there is a long tradition in classification. Usually methods are adopted from the wide field of cluster analysis. Here, based on the example of 21 alkyl anilines we show that also concepts taken out from the mathematical discipline of partially ordered sets may also be applied. The chemical compounds are described by a multi-indicator system. For the present study four indicators, mainly taken from the field of environmental chemistry were applied and a Hasse diagram was constructed. A Hasse diagram is an acyclic, transitively reduced, triangle free graph that may have several components. The crucial question is, whether or not the Hasse diagram can be interpreted from a structural chemical point of view. This is indeed the case, but it must be clearly stated that a guarantee for meaningful results in general cannot be given. For that further theoretical work is needed. Two cluster analysis methods are applied (K-means and a hierarchical cluster method). In both cases the partitioning of the set of 21 compounds by the component structure of the Hasse diagram appears to be better interpretable. Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.org.

Development and validation of an instrument to evaluate science teachers' assessment beliefs and practices

Science.gov (United States)

Genc, Evrim

The primary purpose of this study was to develop a valid and reliable instrument to examine science teachers' assessment beliefs and practices in science classrooms. The present study also investigated the relationship between teachers' beliefs and practices in terms of assessment issues in science, their perceptions of the factors that influenced their assessment practices and their feelings towards high-stakes testing. The participants of the study were 408 science teachers teaching at middle and high school levels in the State of Florida. Data were collected through two modes of administration of the instrument as a paper-and-pencil and a web-based form. The response rate for paper-and-pencil administration was estimated as 68% whereas the response for the web administration was found to be 27%. Results from the various dimensions of validity and reliability analyses revealed that the 24 item-four-factor belief and practice measures were psychometrically sound and conceptually anchored measures of science teachers' assessment beliefs and self-reported practices. Reliability estimates for the belief measure ranged from .83 to .91 whereas alpha values for the practice measure ranged from .56 to .90. Results from the multigroup analysis supported that the instrument has the same theoretical structure across both administration groups. Therefore, future researchers may use either a paper-and-pencil or web-based format of the instrument. This study underscored a discrepancy between what teachers believe and how they act in classroom settings. It was emphasized that certain factors were mediating the dynamics between the belief and the practice. The majority of teachers reported that instruction time, class size, professional development activities, availability of school funding, and state testing mandates impact their assessment routines. Teachers reported that both the preparation process and the results of the test created unbelievable tension both on students and

Applying Machine Learning and High Performance Computing to Water Quality Assessment and Prediction

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ruijian Zhang

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Water quality assessment and prediction is a more and more important issue. Traditional ways either take lots of time or they can only do assessments. In this research, by applying machine learning algorithm to a long period time of water attributes’ data; we can generate a decision tree so that it can predict the future day’s water quality in an easy and efficient way. The idea is to combine the traditional ways and the computer algorithms together. Using machine learning algorithms, the assessment of water quality will be far more efficient, and by generating the decision tree, the prediction will be quite accurate. The drawback of the machine learning modeling is that the execution takes quite long time, especially when we employ a better accuracy but more time-consuming algorithm in clustering. Therefore, we applied the high performance computing (HPC System to deal with this problem. Up to now, the pilot experiments have achieved very promising preliminary results. The visualized water quality assessment and prediction obtained from this project would be published in an interactive website so that the public and the environmental managers could use the information for their decision making.

Assessing and Analyzing Behavior Strategies of Instructors in College Science Laboratories.

Science.gov (United States)

Kyle, William C., Jr.; And Others

1980-01-01

Analyzed are university instructor behaviors in introductory and advanced level laboratories of botany, chemistry, geology, physics and zoology. Science Laboratory Interaction Categories--Teacher (SLIC) was used to assess 15 individual categories of teacher behaviors in the areas of questioning, giving directions, transmitting information,…

Science and Biology Assessment in Hong Kong--Progress and Developments

Science.gov (United States)

Cheng, May Hung; Cheung, Wing Ming Francis

2005-01-01

A paper was published in JBE in 2001 which examined the background of the education reform launched in 2000 in Hong Kong, and reviewed existing practices as well as beliefs in science and biology assessment among secondary teachers in Hong Kong. The direction of the reform was to take the emphasis away from public examinations as the sole…

Applied programs at Brookhaven National Laboratory

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1991-09-01

This document overviews the areas of current research at Brookhaven National Laboratory. Technology transfer and the user facilities are discussed. Current topics are presented in the areas of applied physics, chemical science, material science, energy efficiency and conservation, environmental health and mathematics, biosystems and process science, oceanography, and nuclear energy. (GHH)

Science + Maths = A Better Understanding of Science!

Science.gov (United States)

Markwick, Andy; Clark, Kris

2016-01-01

Science and mathematics share a common purpose: to explore, understand and explain the pure beauty of our universe and how it works. Using mathematics in science enquiry can enhance children's understanding of science and also provide opportunities for children to apply their mathematical knowledge to "real" contexts. The authors…

Critical bioethics: beyond the social science critique of applied ethics.

Science.gov (United States)

Hedgecoe, Adam M

2004-04-01

This article attempts to show a way in which social science research can contribute in a meaningful and equitable way to philosophical bioethics. It builds on the social science critique of bioethics present in the work of authors such as Renee Fox, Barry Hoffmaster and Charles Bosk, proposing the characteristics of a critical bioethics that would take social science seriously. The social science critique claims that traditional philosophical bioethics gives a dominant role to idealised, rational thought, and tends to exclude social and cultural factors, relegating them to the status of irrelevancies. Another problem is they way in which bioethics assumes social reality divides down the same lines/categories as philosophical theories. Critical bioethics requires bioethicists to root their enquiries in empirical research, to challenge theories using evidence, to be reflexive and to be sceptical about the claims of other bioethicists, scientists and clinicians. The aim is to produce a rigorous normative analysis of lived moral experience.

Conference proceedings of the 2nd and 3rd Regional Innovation & Entrepreneurship Conference : at Saxion University of applied sciences

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bazen, J.J. (Jacques); Hammer, M.H.M. (Matthijs)

2016-01-01

DOI:https://doi.org/10.14261/postit/F20ECDBA-3106-4133-9EE0714DBAA65B51 In 2015 and 2016, Saxion University of Applied Sciences organized the 2nd and 3rd edition of the Regional Innovation and Entrepreneurship Conference (RIEC). The book that is in front of you now is the result of these two

Water security for productive economies : Applying an assessment framework in southern Africa

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Holmatov, Bunyod; Lautze, Jonathan; Manthrithilake, Herath; Makin, Ian

2017-01-01

Achieving water security has emerged as a major objective in Africa, yet an analytical or diagnostic framework for assessing water security in African countries is not known to exist. This paper applies one key dimension of the 2016 Asian Development Bank's (ADB) Asian Water Development Outlook

Nigerian Journal of Basic and Applied Sciences: Submissions

African Journals Online (AJOL)

... of the journal shall be the advancement of science in all its aspects of theory, ... Introduction: This section should include a concise background information, ... Groups of references should be cited/listed first chronologically and should be ...

Students applying their knowledge of material science in problem-solving: implications for competence based-learning at the University of Zimbabwe

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Peter Kwaira

2017-05-01

Full Text Available This study involved a class of serving teachers in their second year of a Bachelor of Education degree programme, in which one of the pre-requisite courses covered during first year was ‘Principles of Material Science (PMS. At the time of study, they were studying ‘Machine-shop Practice’ (MsP; a course based on the Design and Technology (D&T approach, in terms of teaching and learning. They were required to solve practical-technical problems through hands-on practical activities, supported by relevant ancillary theory. In practice, during such activities, students are expected to demonstrate the ability to apply their knowledge of Material Science (MS in various ways; for example, in the choice of materials for given projects aimed at solving specific problems and in the methods of working such materials. Now given this background, the problem was therefore to determine the extent to which students applied their knowledge of MS in solving selected problems under MsP. Data were gathered through interviews, discussions, observations and document analysis. Findings showed students being able to apply their knowledge of MS effectively during problem-solving under MsP; thereby, qualifying their learning as having been outcome-based in nature.

Assessment of Home-Based Nigerian Engineers on Risk ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Assessment of Home-Based Nigerian Engineers on Risk Management Approach ... Journal of Applied Sciences and Environmental Management ... The Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) and Correlation methods were adopted for statistical ...

Citizen science applied to building healthier community environments: advancing the field through shared construct and measurement development.

Science.gov (United States)

Hinckson, Erica; Schneider, Margaret; Winter, Sandra J; Stone, Emily; Puhan, Milo; Stathi, Afroditi; Porter, Michelle M; Gardiner, Paul A; Dos Santos, Daniela Lopes; Wolff, Andrea; King, Abby C

2017-09-29

Physical inactivity across the lifespan remains a public health issue for many developed countries. Inactivity has contributed considerably to the pervasiveness of lifestyle diseases. Government, national and local agencies and organizations have been unable to systematically, and in a coordinated way, translate behavioral research into practice that makes a difference at a population level. One approach for mobilizing multi-level efforts to improve the environment for physical activity is to engage in a process of citizen science. Citizen Science here is defined as a participatory research approach involving members of the public working closely with research investigators to initiate and advance scientific research projects. However, there are no common measures or protocols to guide citizen science research at the local community setting. We describe overarching categories of constructs that can be considered when designing citizen science projects expected to yield multi-level interventions, and provide an example of the citizen science approach to promoting PA. We also recommend potential measures across different levels of impact. Encouraging some consistency in measurement across studies will potentially accelerate the efficiency with which citizen science participatory research provides new insights into and solutions to the behaviorally-based public health issues that drive most of morbidity and mortality. The measures described in this paper abide by four fundamental principles specifically selected for inclusion in citizen science projects: feasibility, accuracy, propriety, and utility. The choice of measures will take into account the potential resources available for outcome and process evaluation. Our intent is to emphasize the importance for all citizen science participatory projects to follow an evidence-based approach and ensure that they incorporate an appropriate assessment protocol. We provided the rationale for and a list of contextual factors

Quality science for all: A qualitative study of professional development and assessment implementation in STEP-uP

Science.gov (United States)

Funk, Christine M.

One of the most important factors in achieving scientific literacy is for science teachers at the local level to develop a greater understanding of science education, including science content, pedagogy, and assessment. This study was designed to examine the connection between teacher learning and practice by studying the relationship between professional development and assessment implementation in the elementary science classroom. The goal was to develop a deeper understanding of the components of the STEP-uP model that served as a catalyst for change and to provide insight into how to best work with teachers in order to develop a more scientifically literate population. Four essential questions guided this research. What kinds of opportunities does STEP-uP provide for elementary school teachers to improve their assessment practices in science? In what ways did STEP-uP training affect assessment practices by teachers? How, if at all, are the assessment practices modified by teachers? What are the most salient features of the STEP-uP professional development model that allow for change and growth in assessment practices in elementary science classrooms and for education at large? The research method for this study was educational connoisseurship and criticism. I developed rich descriptions and interpretations based on observations, interviews, and artifacts from six classroom teachers which were then compared and contrasted to the goals of STEP-uP described in their literature, by the assessment coordinator, and an observation of a STEP-uP training. Key findings include: (1) collaboration and collegial support must be integral to sustain change; (2) clearly articulated goals form one, cohesive vision for professional development that must be integral to all components of the program; (3) multiple entry points help encourage participation and honor differences between teachers' personal and professional needs; and, (4) classroom structures such as time, classroom

Other Women in Science Groups | Women in Science | Initiatives ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

... Proceedings – Mathematical Sciences · Resonance – Journal of Science ... The Department of Science & Technology has set up a National Task Force on Women ... The International Union of Pure and Applied Physics (IUPAP) has set up a ... the area of Science in Society under its Research and Innovation programmes.

Developing and Applying a Set of Earth Science Literacy Principles

Science.gov (United States)

Wysession, Michael E.; LaDue, Nicole; Budd, David A.; Campbell, Karen; Conklin, Martha; Kappel, Ellen; Lewis, Gary; Raynolds, Robert; Ridky, Robert W.; Ross, Robert M.; Taber, John; Tewksbury, Barbara; Tuddenham, Peter

2012-01-01

The 21st century will be defined by challenges such as understanding and preparing for climate change and ensuring the availability of resources such as water and energy, which are issues deeply rooted in Earth science. Understanding Earth science concepts is critical for humanity to successfully respond to these challenges and thrive in the…

Life science students' attitudes, interest, and performance in introductory physics for life sciences: An exploratory study

Science.gov (United States)

Crouch, Catherine H.; Wisittanawat, Panchompoo; Cai, Ming; Renninger, K. Ann

2018-06-01

In response to national calls for improved physical sciences education for students pursuing careers in the life sciences and medicine, reformed introductory physics for life sciences (IPLS) courses are being developed. This exploratory study is among the first to assess the effect of an IPLS course on students' attitudes, interest, and performance. The IPLS course studied was the second semester of introductory physics, following a standard first semester course, allowing the outcomes of the same students in a standard course and in an IPLS course to be compared. In the IPLS course, each physics topic was introduced and elaborated in the context of a life science example, and developing students' skills in applying physics to life science situations was an explicitly stated course goal. Items from the Colorado Learning about Science Survey were used to assess change in students' attitudes toward and their interest in physics. Whereas the same students' attitudes declined during the standard first semester course, we found that students' attitudes toward physics hold steady or improve in the IPLS course. In particular, students with low initial interest in physics displayed greater increases in both attitudes and interest during the IPLS course than in the preceding standard course. We also find that in the IPLS course, students' interest in the life science examples is a better predictor of their performance than their pre-IPLS interest in physics. Our work suggests that the life science examples in the IPLS course can support the development of student interest in physics and positively influence their performance.

Life science students’ attitudes, interest, and performance in introductory physics for life sciences: An exploratory study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Catherine H. Crouch

2018-03-01

Full Text Available In response to national calls for improved physical sciences education for students pursuing careers in the life sciences and medicine, reformed introductory physics for life sciences (IPLS courses are being developed. This exploratory study is among the first to assess the effect of an IPLS course on students’ attitudes, interest, and performance. The IPLS course studied was the second semester of introductory physics, following a standard first semester course, allowing the outcomes of the same students in a standard course and in an IPLS course to be compared. In the IPLS course, each physics topic was introduced and elaborated in the context of a life science example, and developing students’ skills in applying physics to life science situations was an explicitly stated course goal. Items from the Colorado Learning about Science Survey were used to assess change in students’ attitudes toward and their interest in physics. Whereas the same students’ attitudes declined during the standard first semester course, we found that students’ attitudes toward physics hold steady or improve in the IPLS course. In particular, students with low initial interest in physics displayed greater increases in both attitudes and interest during the IPLS course than in the preceding standard course. We also find that in the IPLS course, students’ interest in the life science examples is a better predictor of their performance than their pre-IPLS interest in physics. Our work suggests that the life science examples in the IPLS course can support the development of student interest in physics and positively influence their performance.

Mathematics and Computer Science | Argonne National Laboratory

Science.gov (United States)

Extreme Computing Data-Intensive Science Applied Mathematics Science & Engineering Applications Software Extreme Computing Data-Intensive Science Applied Mathematics Science & Engineering Opportunities For Employees Staff Directory Argonne National Laboratory Mathematics and Computer Science Tools

Assessing the Attitudes and Beliefs of Preservice Middle School Science Teachers toward Biologically Diverse Animals

Science.gov (United States)

Wagler, Ron; Wagler, Amy

2015-01-01

The purpose of this study was to assess the relationship between United States (US) preservice middle school science teacher characteristics, their attitude toward a specific animal and their belief concerning the likelihood of incorporating information about that specific animal into their future science classroom. The study participants…

Assessment of Teaching Methods and Critical Thinking in a Course for Science Majors

Science.gov (United States)

Speck, Angela; Ruzhitskaya, L.; Whittington, A. G.

2014-01-01

Ability to think critically is a key ingredient to the scientific mindset. Students who take science courses may or may not be predisposed to critical thinking - the ability to evaluate information analytically. Regardless of their initial stages, students can significantly improve their critical thinking through learning and practicing their reasoning skills, critical assessments, conducting and reflecting on observations and experiments, building their questioning and communication skills, and through the use of other techniques. While, there are several of teaching methods that may help to improve critical thinking, there are only a few assessment instruments that can help in evaluating the efficacy of these methods. Critical thinking skills and improvement in those skills are notoriously difficult to measure. Assessments that are based on multiple-choice questions demonstrate students’ final decisions but not their thinking processes. In addition, during the course of studies students may develop subject-based critical thinking while not being able to extend the skills to the general critical thinking. As such, we wanted to design and conduct a study on efficacy of several teaching methods in which we would learn how students’ improve their thinking processes within a science discipline as well as in everyday life situations. We conducted a study among 20 astronomy, physics and geology majors-- both graduate and undergraduate students-- enrolled in our Solar System Science course (mostly seniors and early graduate students) at the University of Missouri. We used the Ennis-Weir Critical Thinking Essay test to assess students’ general critical thinking and, in addition, we implemented our own subject-based critical thinking assessment. Here, we present the results of this study and share our experience on designing a subject-based critical thinking assessment instrument.

A cognitive framework to inform the design of professional development supporting teachers' classroom assessment of inquiry-based science

Science.gov (United States)

Matese, Gabrielle

Inquiry-based science places new demands on teachers for assessing students' growth, both of deep conceptual understanding as well as developing inquiry skills. In addition, new ideas about classroom assessment, such as the importance of formative assessment, are gaining currency. While we have ideas about what classroom assessment consistent with inquiry-based pedagogy might look like, and why it is necessary, we have little understanding of what it takes to implement it. That teachers face a challenge in doing so is well-documented. Researchers have noted that teachers attempting changes in classroom assessment often bring with them incompatible beliefs, knowledge, and practices. However, noting general incompatibility is insufficient to support addressing these issues through professional development. In response to this need, I initiated a research project to identify and describe in more detail the categories of beliefs, knowledge and skills that play an important role in inquiry-based science assessment practices. I created an assessment framework outlining specific categories of beliefs, knowledge, and skills affecting particular classroom assessment practices. I then used the framework to examine teachers' classroom assessment practices and to create comparative cases between three middle-school science teachers, highlighting how the different cognitive factors affect four particular assessment practices. The comparative cases demonstrate the framework's utility for analyzing and explicating teacher assessment practices. As a tool for analyzing and understanding teacher practice, the framework supports the design of professional development. To demonstrate the value of the framework, I draw on the comparative cases to identify implications for the design of professional development to support teachers' classroom assessment of inquiry-based science. In this dissertation I provide a brief overview of the framework and its rationale, present an example of the

The effects of professional development related to classroom assessment on student achievement in science

Science.gov (United States)

Mazzie, Dawn Danielle

This study investigated the relationship between students' standardized test scores in science and (a) increases in teacher assessment literacy and (b) teacher participation in a Teacher Quality Research (TQR) project on classroom assessment. The samples for these studies were teachers from underperforming schools who volunteered to take part in a professional development program in classroom assessment. School groups were randomly assigned to the treatment group. For Study 1, teachers in the treatment received professional development in classroom assessment from a trained assessment coach. Teachers in the control received no professional development. For Study 2, teachers in Treatment 1 received professional development in classroom assessment from a trained assessment coach and teachers in Treatment 2 received professional development in classroom assessment from a facilitator with one day of training. Teachers in both groups completed a measure of assessment literacy, the Teacher Quality Research Test of Assessment Literacy Skills (TQR_TALS), prior to the beginning and then again at the conclusion of the four month professional development program. A hierarchical linear model (HLM) analysis was conducted to determine the relationship between students' standardized test scores in science and (a) increases in teacher assessment literacy and (b) teacher TQR status. Based upon these analyses, the professional development program increased teachers' assessment literacy skills; however, the professional development had no significant impact on students' achievement.

Advances in Applied Mechanics

OpenAIRE

2013-01-01

Advances in Applied Mechanics draws together recent significant advances in various topics in applied mechanics. Published since 1948, Advances in Applied Mechanics aims to provide authoritative review articles on topics in the mechanical sciences, primarily of interest to scientists and engineers working in the various branches of mechanics, but also of interest to the many who use the results of investigations in mechanics in various application areas, such as aerospace, chemical, civil, en...

Suburban landscape assessment applied to urban planning. Case study in Barcelona Metropolitan Region

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

David Serrano Giné

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Urban fringes set complex landscapes, in transition from rural to natural and urban, with fuzzy boundaries in mutual interdependence. The European Landscape Convention gives notorious importance to everyday landscapes, including those of suburban character. Few landscape evaluation researches are done in suburban areas, which is surprising considering its importance and abundance. This paper shows a methodology, yield on geographical information systems (GIS, for landscape assessment of suburban areas, useful in urban planning. Its main interest lies in a double assessment, which considers both landscape quality and landscape fragility, applied systematically. The procedure is applied in Muntanyes d’Ordal in the metropolitan area of Barcelona (Spain, an area with pronounced regional strengths and contrasted landscape values. Results are of important applicability and indicate a predominance of mean values, both for landscape quality and landscape fragility.

Experiences of Using Automated Assessment in Computer Science Courses

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

John English

2015-10-01

Full Text Available In this paper we discuss the use of automated assessment in a variety of computer science courses that have been taught at Israel Academic College by the authors. The course assignments were assessed entirely automatically using Checkpoint, a web-based automated assessment framework. The assignments all used free-text questions (where the students type in their own answers. Students were allowed to correct errors based on feedback provided by the system and resubmit their answers. A total of 141 students were surveyed to assess their opinions of this approach, and we analysed their responses. Analysis of the questionnaire showed a low correlation between questions, indicating the statistical independence of the individual questions. As a whole, student feedback on using Checkpoint was very positive, emphasizing the benefits of multiple attempts, impartial marking, and a quick turnaround time for submissions. Many students said that Checkpoint gave them confidence in learning and motivation to practise. Students also said that the detailed feedback that Checkpoint generated when their programs failed helped them understand their mistakes and how to correct them.

Political science, public administration, and natural hazards: contributions and connections

Science.gov (United States)

Lindquist, E.

2009-04-01

The connection between the natural and social sciences has become stronger, and has increasingly been recognized as a vital component in the area of natural hazards research. Moving applied natural hazards research into the public policy or administration realm is not often easy, or effective. An improved understanding of the connection between the natural and social sciences can assist in this process and result in better public policy, acceptance from the public for these policies, and a safer and better educated public. This paper will present initial findings from a larger data set on natural hazards and social science research. Specifically we will review the current contribution of the formal academic disciplines of political science and public administration within recent natural hazards-related scholarship. The general characteristics of the contributions (e.g. coauthored, interdisciplinary, etc.), specific theories and methods being applied, and the types of natural hazards being scrutinized by these related fields will be assessed. In conclusion we will discuss future contributions and areas for potential collaboration between the natural and social sciences in the area of natural hazards research.

Developing the STS sound pollution unit for enhancing students' applying knowledge among science technology engineering and mathematics

Science.gov (United States)

Jumpatong, Sutthaya; Yuenyong, Chokchai

2018-01-01

STEM education suggested that students should be enhanced to learn science with integration between Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. To help Thai students make sense of relationship between Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, this paper presents learning activities of STS Sound Pollution. The developing of STS Sound Pollution is a part of research that aimed to enhance students' perception of the relationship between Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics. This paper will discuss how to develop Sound Pollution through STS approach in framework of Yuenyong (2006) where learning activities were provided based on 5 stages. These included (1) identification of social issues, (2) identification of potential solutions, (3) need for knowledge, (4) decisionmaking, and (5) socialization stage. The learning activities could be highlighted as following. First stage, we use video clip of `Problem of people about Sound Pollution'. Second stage, students will need to identification of potential solutions by design Home/Factory without noisy. The need of scientific and other knowledge will be proposed for various alternative solutions. Third stage, students will gain their scientific knowledge through laboratory and demonstration of sound wave. Fourth stage, students have to make decision for the best solution of designing safety Home/Factory based on their scientific knowledge and others (e.g. mathematics, economics, art, value, and so on). Finally, students will present and share their Design Safety Home/Factory in society (e.g. social media or exhibition) in order to validate their ideas and redesigning. The paper, then, will discuss how those activities would allow students' applying knowledge of science technology engineering, mathematics and others (art, culture and value) for their possible solution of the STS issues.

Seeking missing pieces in science concept assessments: Reevaluating the Brief Electricity and Magnetism Assessment through Rasch analysis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lin Ding

2014-02-01

Full Text Available Discipline-based science concept assessments are powerful tools to measure learners’ disciplinary core ideas. Among many such assessments, the Brief Electricity and Magnetism Assessment (BEMA has been broadly used to gauge student conceptions of key electricity and magnetism (E&M topics in college-level introductory physics courses. Differing from typical concept inventories that focus only on one topic of a subject area, BEMA covers a broad range of topics in the electromagnetism domain. In spite of this fact, prior studies exclusively used a single aggregate score to represent individual students’ overall understanding of E&M without explicating the construct of this assessment. Additionally, BEMA has been used to compare traditional physics courses with a reformed course entitled Matter and Interactions (M&I. While prior findings were in favor of M&I, no empirical evidence was sought to rule out possible differential functioning of BEMA that may have inadvertently advantaged M&I students. In this study, we used Rasch analysis to seek two missing pieces regarding the construct and differential functioning of BEMA. Results suggest that although BEMA items generally can function together to measure the same construct of application and analysis of E&M concepts, several items may need further revision. Additionally, items that demonstrate differential functioning for the two courses are detected. Issues such as item contextual features and student familiarity with question settings may underlie these findings. This study highlights often overlooked threats in science concept assessments and provides an exemplar for using evidence-based reasoning to make valid inferences and arguments.

Seeking missing pieces in science concept assessments: Reevaluating the Brief Electricity and Magnetism Assessment through Rasch analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Ding, Lin

2014-02-01

Discipline-based science concept assessments are powerful tools to measure learners' disciplinary core ideas. Among many such assessments, the Brief Electricity and Magnetism Assessment (BEMA) has been broadly used to gauge student conceptions of key electricity and magnetism (E&M) topics in college-level introductory physics courses. Differing from typical concept inventories that focus only on one topic of a subject area, BEMA covers a broad range of topics in the electromagnetism domain. In spite of this fact, prior studies exclusively used a single aggregate score to represent individual students' overall understanding of E&M without explicating the construct of this assessment. Additionally, BEMA has been used to compare traditional physics courses with a reformed course entitled Matter and Interactions (M&I). While prior findings were in favor of M&I, no empirical evidence was sought to rule out possible differential functioning of BEMA that may have inadvertently advantaged M&I students. In this study, we used Rasch analysis to seek two missing pieces regarding the construct and differential functioning of BEMA. Results suggest that although BEMA items generally can function together to measure the same construct of application and analysis of E&M concepts, several items may need further revision. Additionally, items that demonstrate differential functioning for the two courses are detected. Issues such as item contextual features and student familiarity with question settings may underlie these findings. This study highlights often overlooked threats in science concept assessments and provides an exemplar for using evidence-based reasoning to make valid inferences and arguments.

Integrated Science Assessment (ISA) of Ozone and Related Photochemical Oxidants (Second External Review Draft, Sep 2011)

Science.gov (United States)

EPA has released the Integrated Science Assessment of Ozone and Related Photochemical Oxidants (Second External Review Draft) for independent peer review and public review. This draft document represents a concise synthesis and evaluation of the most policy-relevant scienc...

Advice and Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) for Citizen-Science Environmental Health Assessments.

Science.gov (United States)

Barzyk, Timothy M; Huang, Hongtai; Williams, Ronald; Kaufman, Amanda; Essoka, Jonathan

2018-05-11

Citizen science provides quantitative results to support environmental health assessments (EHAs), but standardized approaches do not currently exist to translate findings into actionable solutions. The emergence of low-cost portable sensor technologies and proliferation of publicly available datasets provides unparalleled access to supporting evidence; yet data collection, analysis, interpretation, visualization, and communication are subjective approaches that must be tailored to a decision-making audience capable of improving environmental health. A decade of collaborative efforts and two citizen science projects contributed to three lessons learned and a set of frequently asked questions (FAQs) that address the complexities of environmental health and interpersonal relations often encountered in citizen science EHAs. Each project followed a structured step-by-step process in order to compare and contrast methods and approaches. These lessons and FAQs provide advice to translate citizen science research into actionable solutions in the context of a diverse range of environmental health issues and local stakeholders.

SPSS for applied sciences basic statistical testing

CERN Document Server

Davis, Cole

2013-01-01

This book offers a quick and basic guide to using SPSS and provides a general approach to solving problems using statistical tests. It is both comprehensive in terms of the tests covered and the applied settings it refers to, and yet is short and easy to understand. Whether you are a beginner or an intermediate level test user, this book will help you to analyse different types of data in applied settings. It will also give you the confidence to use other statistical software and to extend your expertise to more specific scientific settings as required.The author does not use mathematical form

Integrated assessment, water resources, and science-policy communication

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Davies, E.G.R.; Akhtar, M.K.; McBean, G.A.; Simonovic, S.P.

2009-01-01

Traditional climate change modeling neglects the role of feedbacks between different components of society-biosphere-climate system. Yet, such interconnections are critical. This paper describes an alternative, Integrated Assessment (IA) model that focuses on feedbacks not only within individual elements of the society-biosphere-climate system, but also on their interconnections. The model replicates the relevant dynamics of nine components of the society-biosphere- climate system at the sectoral, or single-component, level: climate, carbon cycle, hydrological cycle, water demand, water quality, population, land use, energy and economy. The paper discusses the role of the model in science-policy dialogue. (author)

Spiral and Project-Based Learning with Peer Assessment in a Computer Science Project Management Course

Science.gov (United States)

Jaime, Arturo; Blanco, José Miguel; Domínguez, César; Sánchez, Ana; Heras, Jónathan; Usandizaga, Imanol

2016-01-01

Different learning methods such as project-based learning, spiral learning and peer assessment have been implemented in science disciplines with different outcomes. This paper presents a proposal for a project management course in the context of a computer science degree. Our proposal combines three well-known methods: project-based learning,…

Sharing NASA Science with Decision Makers: A Perspective from NASA's Applied Remote Sensing Training (ARSET) Program

Science.gov (United States)

Prados, A. I.; Blevins, B.; Hook, E.

2015-12-01

NASA ARSET http://arset.gsfc.nasa.gov has been providing applied remote sensing training since 2008. The goals of the program are to develop the technical and analytical skills necessary to utilize NASA resources for decision-support. The program has reached over 3500 participants, with 1600 stakeholders from 100 countries in 2015 alone. The target audience for the program are professionals engaged in environmental management in the public and private sectors, such as air quality forecasters, public utilities, water managers and non-governmental organizations engaged in conservation. Many program participants have little or no expertise in NASA remote sensing, and it's frequently their very first exposure to NASA's vast resources. One the key challenges for the program has been the evolution and refinement of its approach to communicating NASA data access, research, and ultimately its value to stakeholders. We discuss ARSET's best practices for sharing NASA science, which include 1) training ARSET staff and other NASA scientists on methods for science communication, 2) communicating the proper amount of scientific information at a level that is commensurate with the technical skills of program participants, 3) communicating the benefit of NASA resources to stakeholders, and 4) getting to know the audience and tailoring the message so that science information is conveyed within the context of agencies' unique environmental challenges.

Applied Ethics in Nowadays Society

OpenAIRE

Tomita CIULEI

2013-01-01

This special issue is dedicated to Nowadays Applied Ethics in Society, and falls in the field of social sciences and humanities, being hosted both theoretical approaches and empirical research in various areas of applied ethics. Applied ethics analyzes of a series of morally concrete situations of social or professional practice in order to make / adopt decisions. In the field of applied ethics are integrated medical ethics, legal ethics, media ethics, professional ethics, environmental ethic...

Improving Health with Science: Exploring Community-Driven Science Education in Kenya

Science.gov (United States)

Leak, Anne Emerson

This study examines the role of place-based science education in fostering student-driven health interventions. While literature shows the need to connect science with students' place and community, there is limited understanding of strategies for doing so. Making such connections is important for underrepresented students who tend to perceive learning science in school as disconnected to their experiences out of school (Aikenhead, Calabrese-Barton, & Chinn, 2006). To better understand how students can learn to connect place and community with science and engineering practices in a village in Kenya, I worked with community leaders, teachers, and students to develop and study an education program (a school-based health club) with the goal of improving knowledge of health and sanitation in a Kenyan village. While students selected the health topics and problems they hoped to address through participating in the club, the topics were taught with a focus on providing opportunities for students to learn the practices of science and health applications of these practices. Students learned chemistry, physics, environmental science, and engineering to help them address the health problems they had identified in their community. Surveys, student artifacts, ethnographic field notes, and interview data from six months of field research were used to examine the following questions: (1) In what ways were learning opportunities planned for using science and engineering practices to improve community health? (2) In what ways did students apply science and engineering practices and knowledge learned from the health club in their school, homes, and community? and (3) What factors seemed to influence whether students applied or intended to apply what they learned in the health club? Drawing on place-based science education theory and community-engagement models of health, process and structural coding (Saldana, 2013) were used to determine patterns in students' applications of their

Health Technology Assessment - science or art?

Science.gov (United States)

Hofmann, Bjørn

2013-01-01

The founding disciplines of HTA are clearly scientific, and have been firmly based among the natural sciences. However, common definitions of HTA indicate that HTA is something more than the "pure application of science". This article investigates whether this "something" also makes HTA an art. The question of whether HTA is a science or an art is pursued in two specific and historically rich directions. The first is whether HTA is an art in the same way that medicine is described as an art. It has been argued extensively that medicine is based on two different and partly incompatible cultures, i.e., the natural sciences and humanities. Medicine is based on disciplines within the natural sciences, while its value judgments have been placed in the humanities camp. This dichotomy is present in HTA as well, and the first part of the investigation illustrates how HTA is an art in terms of its inherent and constitutive value-judgments. The second part of the science/art-scrutiny leads us to the ancient (Hippocratic) concept of art, téchne, where we find an etymological and a conceptual link between HTA and art. It demonstrates HTA is not an arbitrary process, even though it involves value judgments and relates complex decision making processes. As an art (téchne) HTA has a specific subject matter, requires inquiry and mastery of general rational principles, and is oriented to a specific end. In conclusion, the science-or-art-question makes sense in two specific perspectives, illustrating that HTA is a science based art. This has implications for the practice of HTA, for its education, and for the status of its results.

Assessing Conceptual Understanding via Literacy-Infused, Inquiry-Based Science among Middle School English Learners and Economically-Challenged Students

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rafael Lara-Alecio

2018-02-01

Full Text Available The overarching purpose of our study was to compare performances of treatment and control condition students who completed a literacy-infused, inquiry-based science intervention through sixth grade as measured by a big idea assessment tool which we refer to as the Big Ideas in Science Assessment (BISA. First, we determine the concurrent validity of the BISA; second, we investigate the differences in the post-test of the BISA between treatment and control English Learners (ELs, controlling for their performance in the pre-test; third, we analyze the differences in the post-test of the BISA between treatment and control non-ELs, controlling for their performance in the pre-test; and fourth, we examine the relationship between students’ English language proficiency as measured by standardized assessment, and their performance in the BISA among ELs and non-ELs, respectively. Our findings indicate: (a literacy-infused science lessons with big ideas, implemented through the tested intervention, improved students’ language acquisition and science concept understanding for ELs and economically challenged students (ECs; (b there was a positive relationship between language and content for both ELs and non-ELs, with a similar magnitude, suggesting that students with a higher level of English proficiency score higher in science assessment; and (c the lesson plans prepared were successful for promoting a literacy-infused science curriculum via a 5E Model (Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaborate, and Evaluate that includes three to five of the Es used daily. A pedagogical approach for a literacy-infused science model with big ideas is proposed.

Fort Collins Science Center- Policy Analysis and Science Assistance Branch : Integrating social, behavioral, economic and biological sciences

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

The Fort Collins Science Center's Policy Analysis and Science Assistance (PASA) Branch is a team of approximately 22 scientists, technicians, and graduate student researchers. PASA provides unique capabilities in the U.S. Geological Survey by leading projects that integrate social, behavioral, economic, and biological analyses in the context of human-natural resource interactions. Resource planners, managers, and policymakers in the U.S. Departments of the Interior (DOI) and Agriculture (USDA), State and local agencies, as well as international agencies use information from PASA studies to make informed natural resource management and policy decisions. PASA scientists' primary functions are to conduct both theoretical and applied social science research, provide technical assistance, and offer training to advance performance in policy relevant research areas. Management and research issues associated with human-resource interactions typically occur in a unique context, involve difficult to access populations, require knowledge of both natural/biological science in addition to social science, and require the skill to integrate multiple science disciplines. In response to these difficult contexts, PASA researchers apply traditional and state-of-the-art social science methods drawing from the fields of sociology, demography, economics, political science, communications, social-psychology, and applied industrial organization psychology. Social science methods work in concert with our rangeland/agricultural management, wildlife, ecology, and biology capabilities. The goal of PASA's research is to enhance natural resource management, agency functions, policies, and decision-making. Our research is organized into four broad areas of study.

Applying Social Cognitive Theory to Academic Advising to Assess Student Learning Outcomes

Science.gov (United States)

Erlich, Richard J.; Russ-Eft, Darlene

2011-01-01

Review of social cognitive theory constructs of self-efficacy and self-regulated learning is applied to academic advising for the purposes of assessing student learning. A brief overview of the history of student learning outcomes in higher education is followed by an explanation of self-efficacy and self-regulated learning constructs and how they…

Chemistry teachers’ understanding of science process skills in relation of science process skills assessment in chemistry learning

Science.gov (United States)

Hikmah, N.; Yamtinah, S.; Ashadi; Indriyanti, N. Y.

2018-05-01

A Science process skill (SPS) is a fundamental scientific method to achieve good knowledge. SPS can be categorized into two levels: basic and integrated. Learning SPS helps children to grow as individuals who can access knowledge and know how to acquire it. The primary outcomes of the scientific process in learning are the application of scientific processes, scientific reasoning, accurate knowledge, problem-solving, and understanding of the relationship between science, technology, society, and everyday life’s events. Teachers’ understanding of SPS is central to the application of SPS in a learning process. Following this point, this study aims to investigate the high school chemistry teachers’ understanding of SPS pertains to their assessment of SPS in chemistry learning. The understanding of SPS is measured from the conceptual and operational aspects of SPS. This research uses qualitative analysis method, and the sample consists of eight chemistry teachers selected by random sampling. A semi-structured interview procedure is used to collect the data. The result of the analysis shows that teachers’ conceptual and operational understanding of SPS is weak. It affects the accuracy and appropriateness of the teacher’s selection of SPS assessment in chemistry learning.

Assessing the Impact of Gender and Race on Earnings in the Library Science Labor Market

Science.gov (United States)

Sweeper, Darren; Smith, Steven A.

2010-01-01

Using data from the 2003 National Survey of College Graduates, this paper examines earnings in the library science labor market and assesses the impact of gender on the income attainment process. We use this cross-sectional dataset to determine if there are significant income differences between male and female library science professionals. The…

Not Driven by High-Stakes Tests: Exploring Science Assessment and College Readiness of Students from an Urban Portfolio Community High School

Science.gov (United States)

Fleshman, Robin Earle

This case study seeks to explore three research questions: (1) What science teaching and learning processes, perspectives, and cultures exist within the science classroom of an urban portfolio community high school? (2) In what ways does the portfolio-based approach prepare high school students of color for college level science coursework, laboratory work, and assessment? (3) Are portfolio community high school students of color college ready? Is there a relationship between students' science and mathematics performance and college readiness? The overarching objectives of the study are to learn, understand, and describe an urban portfolio community high school as it relates to science assessment and college readiness; to understand how the administration, teachers, and alumni perceive the use of portfolios in science learning and assessment; and to understand how alumni view their preparation and readiness for college and college science coursework, laboratory work, and assessments. The theoretical framework of this study encompasses four theories: critical theory, contextual assessment, self-regulated learning, and ethic of care. Because the urban high school studied partnered with a community-based organization (CBO), it identifies as a community school. Therefore, I provide context regarding the concept, culture, and services of community schools. Case study is the research design I used to explore in-depth this urban portfolio community high school, which involved mixed methods for data collection and analysis. In total, six alumni/current college students, five school members (administrators and teachers), and three CBO members (administrators, including myself) participated in the study. In addition to school artefacts and student portfolios collected, classroom and portfolio panel presentation observations and 13 semi-structured interviews were conducted to understand the portfolio-based approach as it pertains to science learning and assessment and college

Applied logistic regression

CERN Document Server

Hosmer, David W; Sturdivant, Rodney X

2013-01-01

 A new edition of the definitive guide to logistic regression modeling for health science and other applications This thoroughly expanded Third Edition provides an easily accessible introduction to the logistic regression (LR) model and highlights the power of this model by examining the relationship between a dichotomous outcome and a set of covariables. Applied Logistic Regression, Third Edition emphasizes applications in the health sciences and handpicks topics that best suit the use of modern statistical software. The book provides readers with state-of-

Assessment of an On-Line Earth System Science Course for Teachers

Science.gov (United States)

Shuster, R. D.; Grandgenett, N.

2009-12-01

The University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO) has been offering on-line Earth System Science coursework to in-service teachers in Nebraska since 2002 through the Earth Systems Science Education Alliance (ESSEA). The goal of this course is to increase teacher content knowledge in Earth Science, introduce them to Earth System Science, and have them experience cooperative learning. We have offered three different ESSEA courses, with nearly 200 students having taken ESSEA courses at UNO for graduate credit. This effort represents a close collaboration between faculty and students from the Colleges of Arts & Sciences and Education, with periodic assistance of the local schools. In a follow-up study related to ESSEA coursework, UNO examined the perceptions of teachers who have taken the course and the potential benefits of the ESSEA courses for their own educational settings. The study was descriptive in design and included an online survey and a focus group. The results of these assessments indicated that the teachers felt very positive about what they learned in these courses, and in particular, how they could incorporate cooperative learning, inquiry based activities, and Earth System Science interconnections in their own classrooms. Problems identified by the teachers included a perceived lack of time to be able to integrate the learned material into their science curriculua and a lack of computer and/or technological resources in their educational settings. In addition, this Fall, we will conduct two teacher case studies, where we will interview two teachers, visit their classrooms, acquire work samples and talk with students. All of the results of our survey and focus group will be presented.

Enhanced science-stakeholder communication to improve ecosystem model performances for climate change impact assessments.

Science.gov (United States)

Jönsson, Anna Maria; Anderbrant, Olle; Holmér, Jennie; Johansson, Jacob; Schurgers, Guy; Svensson, Glenn P; Smith, Henrik G

2015-04-01

In recent years, climate impact assessments of relevance to the agricultural and forestry sectors have received considerable attention. Current ecosystem models commonly capture the effect of a warmer climate on biomass production, but they rarely sufficiently capture potential losses caused by pests, pathogens and extreme weather events. In addition, alternative management regimes may not be integrated in the models. A way to improve the quality of climate impact assessments is to increase the science-stakeholder collaboration, and in a two-way dialog link empirical experience and impact modelling with policy and strategies for sustainable management. In this paper we give a brief overview of different ecosystem modelling methods, discuss how to include ecological and management aspects, and highlight the importance of science-stakeholder communication. By this, we hope to stimulate a discussion among the science-stakeholder communities on how to quantify the potential for climate change adaptation by improving the realism in the models.

The Quantitative Reasoning for College Science (QuaRCS) Assessment: Emerging Themes from 5 Years of Data

Science.gov (United States)

Follette, Katherine; Dokter, Erin; Buxner, Sanlyn

2018-01-01

The Quantitative Reasoning for College Science (QuaRCS) Assessment is a validated assessment instrument that was designed to measure changes in students' quantitative reasoning skills, attitudes toward mathematics, and ability to accurately assess their own quantitative abilities. It has been administered to more than 5,000 students at a variety of institutions at the start and end of a semester of general education college science instruction. I will begin by briefly summarizing our published work surrounding validation of the instrument and identification of underlying attitudinal factors (composite variables identified via factor analysis) that predict 50% of the variation in students' scores on the assessment. I will then discuss more recent unpublished work, including: (1) Development and validation of an abbreviated version of the assessment (The QuaRCS Light), which results in marked improvements in students' ability to maintain a high effort level throughout the assessment and has broad implications for quantitative reasoning assessments in general, and (2) Our efforts to revise the attitudinal portion of the assessment to better assess math anxiety level, another key factor in student performance on numerical assessments.

An assessment of collections at the University of Wisconsin-Madison Health Sciences Libraries: drug resistance.

Science.gov (United States)

Bergen, P L; Nemec, D

1999-01-01

In December 1997, the authors completed an in-depth collection assessment project at the University of Wisconsin-Madison Health Sciences Libraries. The purpose was to develop a framework for future collection assessment projects by completing a multifaceted evaluation of the libraries' monograph and serial collections in the subject area of drug resistance. Evaluators adapted and synthesized several traditional collection assessment tools, including shelflist measurement, bibliography and standard list checking, and citation analysis. Throughout the project, evaluators explored strategies to overcome some of the problems inherent in the application of traditional collection assessment methods to the evaluation of biomedical collections. Their efforts resulted in the identification of standard monographs and core journals for the subject area, a measurement of the collections' strength relative to the collections of benchmark libraries, and a foundation for future collection development within the subject area. The project's primary outcome was a collection assessment methodology that has potential application to both internal and cooperative collection development in medical, pharmaceutical, and other health sciences libraries.

An exploratory study of the influence of national and state standards on middle school science teachers' classroom assessment practices

Science.gov (United States)

McWaters, Kathy Jean

2001-07-01

Classroom assessment practices of middle school science teachers were identified and the influence of national and state science standards on these practices was examined. In Phase I of this study a mail questionnaire was sent to 450 middle school (grades 5,6,7 and 8) science teachers in 17 parishes in Louisiana to obtain information about their classroom assessment practices. In Phase II, nine middle school teachers in eight departmentalized classrooms, two classes at each grade, participated in a qualitative study. Data were collected through questionnaires, classroom observations, interviews and document analysis. Data analysis revealed three major categories of classroom assessment targets: (a) student achievement, (b) student attitudes and, (c) student products. Results indicated that most teachers are using different assessment methods when assessing different achievement targets, as recommended by science reform documents. It was also determined that many teachers are using appropriate methods to assess student learning. While teachers reported that students spend an inordinate amount of time engaged in assessment activities, classroom observations suggested that the activities were not always written tests or graded activities. Another key finding is that there is a disconnect between the quality of teaching and the quality of assessment. Teachers who teach the material recommended by science reform documents and use recommended instructional strategies were observed to stop teaching and engage students in a "test rehearsal" geared towards rote memorization of factual information. Data suggest that the national and state science content standards are influencing the content and the format of teacher-made tests. Teachers' reported using the standards during assessment construction or selection in a wide variety of ways. The most direct use of the standards reported was to select content, format and cognitive level for test items. A more circumspect approach

NASA Applied Sciences' DEVELOP National Program: a unique model cultivating capacity in the geosciences

Science.gov (United States)

Ross, K. W.; Favors, J. E.; Childs-Gleason, L. M.; Ruiz, M. L.; Rogers, L.; Allsbrook, K. N.

2013-12-01

The NASA DEVELOP National Program takes a unique approach to cultivating the next generation of geoscientists through interdisciplinary research projects that address environmental and public policy issues through the application of NASA Earth observations. Competitively selected teams of students, recent graduates, and early career professionals take ownership of project proposals outlining basic application concepts and have ten weeks to research core scientific challenges, engage partners and end-users, demonstrate prototypical solutions, and finalize and document their results and outcomes. In this high pressure, results-driven environment emerging geoscience professionals build strong networks, hone effective communication skills, and learn how to call on the varied strengths of a multidisciplinary team to achieve difficult objectives. The DEVELOP approach to workforce development has a variety of advantages over classic apprenticeship-style internship systems. Foremost is the experiential learning of grappling with real-world applied science challenges as a primary actor instead of as an observer or minor player. DEVELOP participants gain experience that fosters personal strengths and service to others, promoting a balance of leadership and teamwork in order to successfully address community needs. The program also advances understanding of Earth science data and technology amongst participants and partner organizations to cultivate skills in managing schedules, risks and resources to best optimize outcomes. Individuals who come through the program gain experience and networking opportunities working within NASA and partner organizations that other internship and academic activities cannot replicate providing not only skill development but an introduction to future STEM-related career paths. With the competitive nature and growing societal role of science and technology in today's global community, DEVELOP fosters collaboration and advances environmental

Optical Manufacturing and Testing Requirements Identified by the NASA Science Instruments, Observatories and Sensor Systems Technology Assessment

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Stahl, H. Philip; Barney, Rich; Bauman, Jill; Feinberg, Lee; Mcleese, Dan; Singh, Upendra

2011-01-01

In August 2010, the NASA Office of Chief Technologist (OCT) commissioned an assessment of 15 different technology areas of importance to the future of NASA. Technology assessment #8 (TA8) was Science Instruments, Observatories and Sensor Systems (SIOSS). SIOSS assess the needs for optical technology ranging from detectors to lasers, x-ray mirrors to microwave antenna, in-situ spectrographs for on-surface planetary sample characterization to large space telescopes. The needs assessment looked across the entirety of NASA and not just the Science Mission Directorate. This paper reviews the optical manufacturing and testing technologies identified by SIOSS which require development in order to enable future NASA high priority missions.

A study of science leadership and science standards in exemplary standards-based science programs

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Carpenter, Wendy Renae

The purpose for conducting this qualitative study was to explore best practices of exemplary standards-based science programs and instructional leadership practices in a charter high school and in a traditional high school. The focus of this study included how twelve participants aligned practices to National Science Education Standards to describe their science programs and science instructional practices. This study used a multi-site case study qualitative design. Data were obtained through a review of literature, interviews, observations, review of educational documents, and researcher's notes collected in a field log. The methodology used was a multi-site case study because of the potential, through cross analysis, for providing greater explanation of the findings in the study (Merriam, 1988). This study discovered six characteristics about the two high school's science programs that enhance the literature found in the National Science Education Standards; (a) Culture of expectations for learning-In exemplary science programs teachers are familiar with a wide range of curricula. They have the ability to examine critically and select activities to use with their students to promote the understanding of science; (b) Culture of varied experiences-In exemplary science programs students are provided different paths to learning, which help students, take in information and make sense of concepts and skills that are set forth by the standards; (c) Culture of continuous feedback-In exemplary science programs teachers and students work together to engage students in ongoing assessments of their work and that of others as prescribed in the standards; (d) Culture of Observations-In exemplary science programs students, teachers, and principals reflect on classroom instructional practices; teachers receive ongoing evaluations about their teaching and apply feedback towards improving practices as outlined in the standards; (e) Culture of continuous learning-In exemplary

[A critical review of applied criminology].

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Vollbach, Alexander

2016-01-01

By reporting on a recent decision of the Regional Court (LG) of Marburg (Germany) calling attention to applied criminology, a concept still insufficiently considered in the administration of criminal justice, the paper argues that professional action in the execution of the sentence represents nothing else but applied criminology. Based on this assumption, the paper discusses practical diagnosis and correctional planning. Beyond that, the paper deals with the future of criminology. In the opinion of the author an important aspect for the future of criminology will be if it will be able to remain in touch with the world in which we live, as an independent empirical science. Applied criminology and its methodology constitute the link between science and practice.

INFORMATION SCIENCE--OUTLINE, ASSESSMENT, INTERDISCIPLINARY DISCUSSION. REPORT FOR JUNE, 1965-JUNE, 1966.

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IBERALL, A.S.

THIS REPORT PROVIDES AN ASSESSMENT AND INTRODUCTION TO THE INTERDISCIPLINARY LITERATURE OF THREE APSECTS OF INFORMATION SCIENCE, IN ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY FORM. THESE ARE--COMMUNICATION NETWORKS, HUMAN INFORMATION PROCESSES (PRINCIPALLY LANGUAGE AND INFORMATION RETRIEVAL), AND THE LARGE CYBERNETIC SYSTEMS SUCH AS THE HUMAN BRAIN AND CENTRAL…

78 FR 14299 - Notification of a Public Meeting of the Science Advisory Board Chemical Assessment Advisory...

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