Achievement goal theory is one of the most broadly accepted theoretical paradigms in educational psychology with over 35 years of influencing research and educational practice. The longstanding use of this construct has led to two consequences of importance for this research: 1) many different dimensionality representations have been debated, and 2) methods used to confirm dimensionality of the scales have been supplanted from best practice. A further issue is that goal orientations are used to inform classroom practice, whereas most measurement studies focus on the structure of the personal goal orientation scales rather than the classroom level structure. This study aims to provide an updated understanding of one classroom goal orientation scale using the modern psychometric techniques of multidimensional item response theory and bifactor analysis. The most commonly used scale with K-12 students is the Patterns of Adaptive Learning Scales (PALS); thus, the PALS classroom goal orientation scales will be the subject of this study.

The purpose of this article is make connections between two content areas, reading and writing, which have traditionally been separated and consider the relationship between their theoretical underpinnings. Based on their reciprocal nature, the authors posit that students could greatly benefit by reading and writing being taught simultaneously. Relying on this premise, this article provides the reader with three practical strategies that could be applied in the literacy classroom to intertwine reading and writing. These practical strategies include: classroom blogs, graphic depictions, and pen pal responses to literature.

The present review examined the effectiveness of three peer tutoring programs: cross-age peer tutoring, Classwide Peer Tutoring (CWPT), and Peer-Assisted Learning Strategies (PALS), for elementary students in the academic areas of math and reading. The research reviewed indicates students who participated in cross-age peer tutoring and CWPT had improved test scores on basic math facts as well as increased math scores on standardized assessments. Students also showed improvement in reading fluency, reading comprehension, spelling, and reading level after participating in cross-age peer tutoring and CWPT. High-, average-, and low-achieving students as well as students in special Ill education benefitted from these peer tutoring programs. In addition, both tutors and tutees received benefits from the tutoring programs, although fewer studies examined outcomes for tutors. Although cross-age peer tutoring, and CWPT resulted in mostly positive outcomes, this was not the case for the PALS program. Students participating in this program demonstrated little change from pre- to post-assessment. Since the PALS studies were better designed with tighter experimental control, it is less likely results were due to another variable. The cross-age and CWPT studies lacked the tight experimental control of the PALS studies.

Utvecklingsprojektet bygger på aktionsforskning som har skapats med målet att öka samlärandet i olika typer av gruppsammansättningar när elever skapar digitala animeringar med hjälp av appen Puppet Pals. Projektet har utförts på ett fritidshem med elever från förskoleklass upp till årskurs 3. Syftet med projektet var att utveckla arbetssätt på fritidshemmet med digitala verktyg som främjar elevers samlärande. Metoder som har använts är intervjuer med artefakter och direkt observation tillsammans med videoinspelning av aktionerna. Aktionerna har analyserats utifrån ett teoretiskt ramverk för att studera barns lärande på digitala lekplatser. Socialt lärande och multimodalt arbetssätt är centrala begrepp för projektets pedagogiska positionering. Resultatet visar hur gruppsammansättningar kan ha inverkan på vilket samlärande som sker och att yngre elever behöver mer stöttning av lärare vid undervisning med digitala verktyg. Resultatet visar även hur undervisning med digitala verktyg inte behöver innebära stillasittande elever. Utvecklingsprojektet syftade till att introducera ett nytt arbetssätt med digitala verktyg eftersom det saknades i det aktuella fritidshemmet. Efter avslutade aktioner visade fritidshemmets elever ett intresse för att hålla det nya arbetssättet igång. Avslutningsvis kan vi konstatera att det är eleverna som har spunnit vidare på att fortsätta hålla arbetssättet med digitala verktyg vid liv utan personalens inverkan.

Nonlinear parametric inverse problems appear in many applications in science and engineering. We focus on diffuse optical tomography (DOT) in medical imaging. DOT aims to recover an unknown image of interest, such as the absorption coefficient in tissue to locate tumors in the body. Using a mathematical (forward) model to predict measurements given a parametrization of the tissue, we minimize the misfit between predicted and actual measurements up to a given noise level. The main computational bottleneck in such inverse problems is the repeated evaluation of this large-scale forward model, which corresponds to solving large linear systems for each source and frequency at each optimization step. Moreover, to efficiently compute derivative information, we need to solve, repeatedly, linear systems with the adjoint for each detector and frequency. As rapid advances in technology allow for large numbers of sources and detectors, these problems become computationally prohibitive. In this thesis, we introduce two methods to drastically reduce this cost. To efficiently implement Newton methods, we extend the use of simultaneous random sources to reduce the number of linear system solves to include simultaneous random detectors. Moreover, we combine simultaneous random sources and detectors with optimized ones that lead to faster convergence and more accurate solutions. We can use reduced order models (ROM) to drastically reduce the size of the linear systems to be solved in each optimization step while still solving the inverse problem accurately. However, the construction of the ROM bases still incurs a substantial cost. We propose to use randomization to drastically reduce the number of large linear solves needed for constructing the global ROM bases without degrading the accuracy of the solution to the inversion problem. We demonstrate the efficiency of these approaches with 2-dimensional and 3-dimensional examples from DOT; however, our methods have the potential to be useful for other applications as well. / Ph. D.

Les verres de chalcogénures sont utilisés en tant qu'optiques pour les caméras IR grâce à leur transparence dans les deux fenêtres atmosphériques [3 – 5 µm] et [8 – 12 µm]. Afin de diminuer leur prix et d'augmenter la gamme des compositions qui pourraient être produites, une nouvelle méthode de synthèse a été élaborée au laboratoire Verres et Céramiques. Les travaux présentés dans ce manuscrit ont ainsi porté sur le développement de la technique de synthèse des verres et vitrocéramiques de chalcogénures par mécanosynthèse et frittage flash, ainsi que sur l'étude de la structure et des propriétés mécaniques des vitrocéramiques. Les différents paramètres de broyage et frittage ont été étudiés et la possibilité de produire des matériaux massifs, avec une structure et des propriétés similaires à celles des verres obtenus par voie classique de fusion-trempe, a été démontrée. Egalement, il a été constaté que la génération des particules cristallines dans la matrice vitreuse permet d'améliorer les propriétés mécaniques sans altérer la transmission optique des échantillons. Finalement, une étude théorique, basée sur la méthode DFT, a été initié pour accéder à des informations plus précises concernant la structure et les propriétés mécaniques des verres et vitrocéramiques de chalcogénures. / Chalcogenide glasses are used as optics for the IR cameras thanks to their transparence in the two atmospheric windows [3 – 5 µm] and [8 – 12 µm]. In order to reduce their price and to increase the panel of compositions which may be produced, a new method of synthesis has been elaborated in the Glass and Ceramics group. Thus, this manuscript presents the development of the new way of synthesis of chalcogenide glasses and glass-ceramics by mechanical milling and SPS sintering, and the study of the structure and mechanical properties of glass-ceramics. The different milling and sintering parameters have been studied and the possibility to produce bulk samples with a structure and properties similar to those of glasses synthesized by melt-quenching method has been demonstrated. Also, it has been shown that the generation of crystalline particles in the glassy matrix increases mechanical properties of the samples without spoiling their optical transmission. Finally, a theoretical study, based on the DFT method, has been initiated in order to access more precise information concerning glass and glass-ceramic structure and mechanical properties.

The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between prekindergarten classroom quality indicators and student achievement at the prekindergarten level. Pre-existing data on prekindergarten classroom quality measures and student achievement was utilized. Quality indicators were assessed using the Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS) (Pianta, La Paro, & Hamre, 2008) and student achievement was measured by the end of year results on the Phonological Awareness Literacy Screening (PALS) (Invernizzi, Meier, Swank, & Juel, 2004) and the Bracken School Readiness Assessment end of year results (Bracken, 2007). A quantitative ex post facto correlational research design was employed to identify relationships between program quality and student achievement among the prekindergarten classrooms. An ex post facto design was chosen because the circumstances of conducting the research did not allow for an experiment. The classrooms in this study site were rated overall as high in quality. The findings indicate that quality in classrooms established by high scores in the Emotional Support and Classroom Organizational domains, paired with scores in the middle to high range in the Instructional Support domain have no statistical correlation between high achievement related to PALS and Bracken scores, with the exception of one subgroup. For students that receive Public Assistance, there was a statistical significance in their end results for PALS and Bracken, indicating a positive relationship between classroom quality and student achievement. It is vitally important to develop prekindergarten programs that can be easily replicated. Replicating successful programs would save time, money, and effort. Practitioners can increase and standardize structural quality factors such as length of day, credentialing requirements of staff, and the maintenance of an organized system of in-service training and systematic curriculum oversight, while ensuring the presence of process quality, This focus will create prekindergarten programs that offer the most at risk students the highest quality possible.

Thesis (Ed. S.)--Miami University, Dept. of Educational Psychology, 2009. / Title from first page of PDF document. Includes bibliographical references (p. 22-25).

The use of video games for teaching children different subjects is commonly believed to be a good  approach. In  general  has  learning  theme  for  these  games  focused  on  traditionally subject, such as math or biology. Important as they can be for education, other softer aspects can also be considered important for the children and education. One such aspect is emotions and the role it has on a social level. However, it is not much research showing how to use emotions  in  a  learning  game. In  this  thesis, I  examine  how  children  perceive  and  use emotions as they play a game specially designed for teaching emotions. The game utilises emotions  in  a  new  design  that  let  the  player  interact  with  cartoon  animals  in  different scenarios. I report findings based on a sample of thirty-three (33) preschool children, and six (6) parents who took part in the study. Data was collected using a qualitative method in a two step procedure with observation of play and follow up interviews in the first step, followed by video recordings of play and demonstrations using cuddly pets in the second step. Using an ecological framework for analysis and theory from the field of emotional intelligence, I show that children playing this game can perceive emotions expressed in the game. I also show that it is possible to play this particular game without the need to involve emotions. Children do not learn emotions from playing the game. These results carries important implication for the design of learning games as it illuminates that learning can come from possible sources other than the gameplay. / Det finns en spridd uppfattning att videospel kan fungera som lärandespel för barn. Generelltsätt har denna uppfattning stöd i skolan och det finns därför även en önskan att producera spel som kan användas till att undervisa traditionella kärnämnen, exempelvis matematik eller biologi.  Dessa ämnen är betydelsefulla att bemästra, dock finns även andra mer mjuka aspekter som kan ha en avgörande betydelse för barnets lärande. En sådan aspekt gäller den viktiga betydelse som känslor har i ett socialt sammanhang. I denna uppsats undersöker jag hur barn uppfattar och använder känslor då barnen spelar ett spel som är designat enkom för detta syfte. Spelet utnyttjar en design som låter spelaren interagera med tecknade djur i skilda scenarion. Jag redovisar resultat som baseras på ett urval av trettiotre (33) förskolebarn och sex (6) föräldrar. De material som samlades in bygger på en kvalitativ datainsamlingsmetod som är uppbyggd i två steg. I steg ett samlades data in genom observationer samt uppföljande intervjuer. I steg två genomfördes sedan observationer följt av demonstrationer då barnen använde gosedjur. Jag visar, genom att applicera ett ekologiskt ramverk samt teori kring emotionell intelligens, att barnen kan uppfatta känslor som manifesteras i ett videospel. Jag visar också att spe- let kan spelas genom en slumpmässig interaktion där barnen inte behöver använda känslor för att föra spelet framåt, och jag konkluderar därför att det är möjligt att barnen inte lär sig känslor som en följd av själva spelandet.

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