Journal of Advances in Education Research

5

Authors: Rolf Erhardt, M. Eng., Prof. Dr.-Ing. Ulrich Schmitt

In the year 2002 Germany ratified the Lisbon Convention which contained the recognition of prior learning. After some changes in the state law on universities and colleges regarding the access to higher education it is now possible for people with advanced vocational training to access higher education. Furthermore, professional skills may be credited toward the study course. Usually, this recognition does not lead to a shortened duration of study. Aalen University developed a model in the area of engineering sciences with a reduced duration of study lasting 7 to 5 semesters. The first group recently graduated.

6

Authors: Jane Finn, Alexandra Hutchinson

The Friendship House is an establishment where students without disabilities live with same aged individuals with intellectual disabilities. After years of this side-by-side living, a standardized assessment entitled the Transition Planning Inventory (TPI) was given to all stakeholders including roommates with and without disabilities and the parents of individuals with disabilities. Outcomes showed those adult living skills that were satisfactory as well as areas of needed improvement for those individuals with disabilities. Results gleaned from this research will help determine and identify critical transition planning areas for the individuals with intellectual disabilities whose goal is to live independently.

10

Authors: Joseph M. Furner

Getting young people excited about mathematics is critical in our high-tech world. Teachers today need to encourage students to be confident in their ability to solve problems, to think and use their imaginations, to understand mathematical concepts, to be creative, and see math as a human endeavor. The author believes that as students feel less anxious about, and more confident in their abilities to do math their performance will improve. Math anxiety has become a growing concern in the United States as well as in many other countries around the globe. Educators need to address this alarming problem and work toward developing mathematically confident young people for a world where Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields dominate the globe. Using children’s literature and fairy tales to teach math may help in addressing the improvement of attitudes toward mathematics and help students to be more creative and imaginative in a world with endless possibilities and with advancing technologies. Bibliotherapy is also discussed.

11

Authors: Maria Cecilia Mollica, Hadinei Ribeiro Batista

In this paper, we discuss new possibilities for e-learning and studies on language from a virtual tool. We emphasize the use of computational tools for the creation and treatment of data in order to elucidate and put into thesis advantages and challenges from such methodology, especially in relation to textual production. This study is an experiment with the virtual tool Sabere1, designed specifically for the purpose of the research in thesis. Sabere was thought for pedagogical purpose, supporting e-learning and setting up cybercorporaii with fine-grained control of social variables. This tool, besides providing social services in education, allows the construction of corpora for different purposes and areas of knowledge. In this study, we will focus on research conducted in the field of language (especially those regarding social variables), particularly on studies on textual production and revision in different genres and text types. As an innovative goal, we seek to point out new guidelines in sociolinguistics, cognitive linguistics and policies on education, carrying out analysis on language and mind. Beyond this, we look forward to discussing new public policy on e-learning and academic research.

22

Authors: Billie Eilam, Dorit Reisfeld

Calls for school curricula to increase students’ exposure to complex systems are clearly warranted, given the topic’s learnability and the increasing prevalence of such systems. This study deepens our understanding of 16 ninth graders’ system thinking by identifying some cognitive aspects involved in the acquisition process while studying specially designed simulation-based curriculum for a full semester. Students manipulated two simulation-types: (a) providing a top-down view of the system behavior – based on the system dynamics model, and (b) providing a bottom-up view of the same system – based on the agent-based model. Contrasting these simulation outputs scaffold students’ ability to relate the system macro and micro levels. We focused on complex system conceptual knowledge (dynamic equilibrium) and diverse system thinking modes (stochastic or dynamic thinking) by examining students’ written and computerized products and pre-posttests results. A significant improvement in most students’ system thinking abilities has been found. Implications for school science instruction are discussed.