In 1936, Albert Einstein wrote a brief article where he suggested the possibility that a massive object acted as a lens, amplifying the brightness of a star. As time went by, this phenomenon--known as gravitational lensing--has become a powerful research tool in astrophysics. The simplest and symmetrical expression of a gravitational lens is known…

First, I review the context for the need of new deliberative models, specifically agonistic deliberative models, for public discourse and for use in training students for public discourse. I then highlight five specific points that I trouble and enrich, principally through the work of Giroux, Arendt, Biesta, and Duarte. While I agree that there is…

Using a framework of care to design experiences in formal or informal learning does two things. It acknowledges intentions of reflective learning through open communication and meets expectations of scholars seeking knowledge within a learning community. This proposed framework was developed from programs involving popular education, community…

There is a fundamental tension in ethnographic research between trying to understand participants from within their own perspective and viewing them with greater distance. With this in mind, the aim of this article is "to describe how a reflexive communication model was developed during the study of El Sistema Gothenburg, and to discuss…

The purpose of this article is twofold. The first is to provide evaluative information on the recovery of model parameters and their standard errors for the two-parameter item response theory (IRT) model using different estimation methods by Mplus. The second is to provide easily accessible information for practitioners, instructors, and students…

This article responds to Liam Gearon's reply to my article "Misrepresenting Religious Education's Past and Present in Looking Forward: Gearon Using Kuhn's Concepts of Paradigm, Paradigm Shift and Incommensurability." In maintaining my critique of Gearon's use of Kuhn's terminology, I question his claim that 'incommensurability' does not…

In this study, it was aimed to investigate the impact of different missing data handling methods on DINA model parameter estimation and classification accuracy. In the study, simulated data were used and the data were generated by manipulating the number of items and sample size. In the generated data, two different missing data mechanisms…

The collection of very large text sources has revolutionized the study of natural language, leading to the development of several models of language learning and distributional semantics that extract sophisticated semantic representations of words based on the statistical redundancies contained within natural language (e.g., Griffiths, Steyvers,…

In this study, we use Mathematical Quality of Instruction (MQI), a content-specific observation framework, to examine the mathematical quality of instruction of three focal lessons in order to examine the instructional aspects illuminated by this framework as well as discuss those aspects not captured by MQI. While prior work provides evidence on…

Since 2009, the U.S. National Science Foundation Directorate for Biological Sciences has funded Research Coordination Networks (RCN) aimed at collaborative efforts to improve participation, learning, and assessment in undergraduate biology education (UBE). RCN-UBE projects focus on coordination and communication among scientists and educators who…

This paper presents a computational model for simulating how people learn from serious games. While avoiding the combinatorial explosion of a games micro-states, the model offers a meso-level pathfinding approach, which is guided by cognitive flow theory and various concepts from learning sciences. It extends a basic, existing model by exposing…

Higher education is facing increasing expectations on accountability, better quality, outcomes and social relevance. Recruitment of academic staff is often considered the single most important component in creating a successful university. This paper describes a model for proactive strategic recruitment that can be seen as a way to improve…

Current understanding of the development of quantity representations is based primarily on performance in the number-line task. We posit that the data from number-line tasks reflect the observer's underlying representation of quantity, together with the cognitive strategies and skills required to equate line length and quantity. Here, we specify a…

The theory of belonging as it arises in the theme of the Australian "Early Years Learning Framework" suggests a complex arrangement of philosophical concepts, which deserve rigorous explication and interrogation. In this article, the author draws out some of the most pertinent implications of 'belonging' for the theory of early learning…

An innovative approach to develop an entrepreneurial mindset in all undergraduate engineering and computer science students is being developed and implemented. The approach consists of the development of short e-learning modules on 18 entrepreneurial topics and the integration of these modules into regular courses in programs. A flipped classroom…