Mémoire numérisé par la Direction des bibliothèques de l'Université de Montréal.

Thèse numérisée par la Direction des bibliothèques de l'Université de Montréal.

TITLE: Concept maps as an assessment tool in education SUMMARY: This thesis thesis is concerned with the types of assessment of concept maps, creation on the bases of studying professional literature. It points out different views and perceptions of assessment methods and offers its own assessment methods. By way of research evaluates its own methods for assessing concept maps, and then explores the possibilities of evaluation of concept maps (in contrast with the written exam, objectivity of assessing methods) for students of upper primary school in the three selected subjects: geography, citizenship education,science. KEYWORDS: Concept map, assessment

The world is becoming more complicated; our lives develop into multiple facets. This master thesis focuses on defining a future typology in vehicle design representing a hybrid lifestyle. New technologies bring convenience to people but sometimes the amount of information exceeds our needs. Jeep Black Label is designed to escape all that in the year 2040. An unplugged lounge experience for the city and a great analogue getaway into nature. A holistic research method was used to understand the context for this vehicle. The design process followed an inside-out approach. First a dynamic interior space was generated based on users’ needs. The nal step was to ideate and choose a meaningful exterior appearance following the goal to communicate brand identity, automation and hybrid driving modes.

Problem Area With the introduction of the Bugatti Veyron in 2005, a new breed of sportscars was born: the hypercar. It was celebrated as a technological masterpiece, its todays hybrid counterparts, the McLaren P1, Ferrari LaFerrari and Porsche 918 Spyder were named the ‘holy trinity’ of sportscars. However, only a few hundreds of these cars will ever be built, and most enthusiasts will only be able to experience their performance in the virtual world in a racing simulator. The few lucky owners though face a similar problem: These machines are so fast and their traction limit is so high that they can hardly be driven flat-out on open roads, which turns many of them into a track-only toys or garage queens. Design process The design process used is fairly traditional, starting with a research phase, an ideation phase which is being followed by a refinement phase and ultimately the execution of the design in form of a physical scale model and digital renderings. However it needs to be stated that the availability of VR reviews already has a very positive impact on the design workflow. Many design solutions, ergonomics and proportions were modeled directly in 3D and immediately tested in VR, similar to a continously updated 1:1 clay model in the industry. Final result The final result is a lightweight sportscar that makes most out of its limited power resources. Not only does it use state-of-the art technologies and materials to be as efficient as possible, it also boosts the driving experience with several innovative design solutions. The styling is modern and in line with Porsche’s carefully developed current design DNA, but also links to the past. Connaisseurs of the Porsche heritage will find several references to models from the past, yet all these elements are respectfully interpreted in a contemporary yet timeless way. Other, more high-volume manufacturers also produce versions of their models with ridiculously powerful engines - similar to the era of the muscle cars in the late 60ies. In some cases, it seems that this is more of an engineers game of numbers, a marketing strategy or a method to please the ego of the companies’ board members. The fun of sportscar driving however is where the driver and or the machine reach their physical limits - in speed, revs, reaction time, grip and g-forces. Finding and riding along on this edge is the challenge of driving a sportscar, and this project claims that this can be brought back to a level that is far below that of hypercars. The challenge of this project is therefore to develop a car that can deliver an exciting, memorable driving experience with less financial, energy and material resources. At the same time, in an age of Uber, Lyft and the advent of autonomous vehicles, this car should attract younger customers to keep the following generations interested in the driving aspect of cars, a key factor in the emotionality that ultimately leads to higher profits for the manufacturer and above all, an exciting leisure time experience for the customer. Design process The design process used is fairly traditional, starting with a research phase, an ideation phase which is being followed by a refinement phase and ultimately the execution of the design in form of a physical scale model and digital renderings. However it needs to be stated that the availability of VR reviews already has a very positive impact on the design workflow. Many design solutions, ergonomics and proportions were modeled directly in 3D and immediately tested in VR, similar to a continously updated 1:1 clay model in the industry. Final result The final result is a lightweight sportscar that makes most out of its limited power resources. Not only does it use state-of-the art technologies and materials to be as efficient as possible, it also boosts the driving experience with several innovative design solutions. The styling is modern and in line with Porsche’s carefully developed current design DNA, but also links to the past. Connaisseurs of the Porsche heritage will find several references to models from the past, yet all these elements are respectfully interpreted in a contemporary yet timeless way.

The new outcomes based education (OBE) in the form of the Revised National Curriculum Statements (RNCS, 2002) advocates for the use of contexts in the teaching and learning of mathematics. The motivation for this advocacy is the expectation of the promotion of understanding of the subject. Such expectations however cannot be achievable without consideration of factors such as what contexts are appropriate for use in the teaching and learning of mathematics, how the contexts have to be used in order to promote understanding and more importantly how are teachers involved in this process. The study explores the ways in which a Grade 7 teacher selects contexts in the learning support materials or in any other source for use in order to promote understanding of the concept of variable among learners. It draws on socio-cultural theories and is underpinned by the notion that understanding of a concept presupposes and is presupposed by the formation of the concept. The research method employed was a case study and data was mainly collected through interviews as well as materials that were availed by the teacher. The following three key issues emerged from the study and were taken up for discussion: a) what does it take to make the transition from context to mathematics in terms of the promotion of the understanding of the concept of variable? b) to what extent were the materials selected by the teacher adequate to deal with issues of transition from context to mathematics in terms of the promotion of the understanding of the concept of variable? and c) what possibilities were available for the teacher to use context in order to promote understanding of the concept of variable? This study further explores the extent to which the notions of mathematisation and transition from context to mathematics may be used as the means by which the selection and use of contexts in the learning and teaching of the concept of variable may facilitate the promotion of understanding of the concept variable.

Faculty of Science School of Statistics snd Acturial Science 9907894x craig.morgan@goldfields.co.za / This dissertation presents a detailed study of geostatistics. Included in this work are details of the development of geostatistics and its usefulness both in and outside of the mining industry, a comprehensive presentation of the theory of geostatistics, and a discussion of the application of this theory to practical situations. A published debate over the validity of geostatistics is also examined. The ultimate goal of this dissertation is to provide a thorough investigation of geostatistics from both a theoretical and a practical perspective. The theory presented in this dissertation is thus tested on various spatial data sets, and from these tests it is concluded that geostatistics can be effectively used in practice provided that the practitioner fully understands the theory of geostatistics and the spatial data being analyzed. A particularly interesting conclusion to come out of this dissertation is the importance of using additive regionalized variables in all geostatistical analyses.

MSc Research Project. July 2013. / This study focuses on understanding the strategies used by a sample of high ability and low ability Grade 2 learners drawn from two government primary schools in Gauteng, with emphasis on more concrete or more abstract strategies learners use to solve early number problems. This study takes place against the backdrop of poor performance in South African schools more especially across the foundation phase and also amidst claims that learners remain largely dependent on concrete strategies for solving problems. The theoretical background for this study is drawn from Sfard’s (1992) “Dual Nature of Mathematical Conceptions” and also Sfard’s (1992) theory of reification. I used on a wide range of literature on strategies for counting, addition, subtraction within my analysis of nine videos of high ability learners and 9 videos of low ability learners with the aim of examining the strategies these learners use when dealing with early number concepts. My findings pointed to the limited use of higher levels of abstraction in solving early number problems. Whilst there is progression from the concrete to the abstract levels of conception this is not happening at a pace and depth that is required for Foundation Phase learners in order for them to effectively engage with more challenging and complicated arithmetic in the Intermediate Phase.

"This study investigated whether there is a relationship between first grade children's ability to tell a story about a dynamic picture or a sequence of three dynamic pictures and their ability to describe the picture(s) by a number sequence. The artistic variables characterizing the pictures were controlled so as to provide information concerning which types of illustrations best facilitated interpretation of the pictures and perception of mathematical relationships. An 8 x 2 design allowed analysis of the effects of the form of the drawing, the number of pictures, and the response condition. Ninety-six first grade children were individually tested using an instrument designed by the investigator. Statistical analysis revealed that neither drawing style nor the number of pictures had a significant effect on either the level of assimilation within the stories, the perception of motion, or the number sentence responses. Analysis of the response condition revealed a significant difference favoring the force condition on number sentence responses. Also, initially viewing and interpreting sequences provided a learning experience to significantly effect the interpretation of single pictures"--Abstract. / Typescript. / "August, 1976." / "Submitted to the Area of Instructional Design and Personnel Development, Program of Mathematics Education, in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy." / Advisor: Eugene D. Nichols, Professor Directing Dissertation. / Vita. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 162-172).

The trend toward open concept office floor plans reflects evolving management styles in modern organizations. Organizations typically implement architecturally open workspace designs to seed cultural change. As the popularity of open concept offices grows, however, research suggests that they are negatively impacting collaboration and productivity. This thesis examines how organizational leadership and employees perceive the transition to an open concept workspace, incorporating employees’ aesthetic experience to understand how the space is ‘physically known’. The study takes place within a conceptual framework of aesthetic knowledge as experiential, symbolic and personal. Using a qualitative, practice-based approach that incorporates participant-led photo-ethnography, semi-structured interviews were conducted with leadership and employees. Although the results are not generalizable, they suggest that the open concept workspace both positively and negatively impacts organizational collaboration but has primarily negative effects on staff productivity, and that leadership can improve open workspace outcomes by taking employees’ embodied experiences into account in the design and implementation of such spaces. The results add to our understanding of the way in which organizational strategy and aesthetic knowledge create and sustain the way of working within an open concept office space.