本研究以問卷調查法，針對桃園縣公立國中的342位英語教師進行問卷發放，回收後的問卷透過描述性統計、獨立樣本T檢定、單因子變異數分析及相關係數進行統計分析。以瞭解英語教師對於區分性教學的信念與課室教學現況、區分性教學信念與教學行為之間的關連性、以及影響區分性教學信念與教學行為的背景因素為何。 根據統計結果顯示：大部分國中英語教師對於區分性教學抱持正向的信念，也會將區分性教學原則應用於英語教學。而雖然統計結果顯示教師尚未能將對區分性教學的信念完全實踐在課室教學中，但教師信念對於教學實踐具有正相關，因此教師若對區分性教學有較高的認同度，那麼教師對於對於區分性教學也會有更高的實踐度。此外，本研究也發現區分性教學的研習經驗，與閱讀相關文獻均可提升教師對於區分性教學的正向信念；而閱讀相關文獻及課室學生人數的多寡則會影響教師採用區分性教學的意願。最後，亦希望本研究結果能協助教師與相關教學單位提升普通班英語課室中區分性教學的實施。 / This study aimed to investigate junior high school English teachers’ beliefs and practices on differentiated instruction (DI), the correlation between their beliefs and practices, and the influential factors in their beliefs and practices. The statistical analyses of data from the questionnaire survey of 342 English teachers in Taoyuan County public junior high schools were performed with the SPSS statistic program. The data obtained were subjected to descriptive statistics, independent sample t-test, product-moment correlation, and ANOVA along with Scheffe’s post hoc test if necessary. The findings of the current study can be summed up as follows: Junior high school English teachers held positive attitude toward DI and they implemented several DI principles in their classrooms. Also, positive correlation existed between teachers’ beliefs and practices on DI. The more teachers agreed with DI, the more often they would implement DI in their classrooms. Nevertheless, the results also indicated teachers did not carry out their entire beliefs on DI into their instructional practices. Besides, attendance of workshops and reading DI-related literature could lead to teachers’ positive attitude toward DI while reading related literature and minimizing class size could motivate teachers to implement DI in their classrooms. Based on the findings, pedagogical implications and suggestions were presented for educators and the authorities concerned to make implementation of differentiated instruction more common and efficient in junior high school English classrooms.

Many congestion control mechanisms have been proposed to solve the problems of a high loss rate and inefficient utilization of network resources in the present Internet. This problem is caused by competition between traffic flows while the network is congested. Differentiated Services (DiffServ) architecture permits the allocation of various levels of traffic resource requirements needed for Quality of Service (QoS). Random Early Detection (RED) is an efficient mechanism to pre-drop packets before actual congestion occurs, and it is capable of introducing a random early packet dropping scheme, and based on the queue length in reaching a certain degree of fairness for resource utilization. However, it still suffers from a lack of robustness among light traffic load, or in heavy traffic load using fixed RED parameters. In this dissertation, we modified the RED scheme and proposed a novel adaptive RED model, which we named the OURED model, to enhance the robustness of resource utilization so that it could be utilized in the DiffServ edge router. The OURED model introduces two additional packet dropping traces, one is Over Random Early Detection (ORED), which is used to speed up the dropping of packets when the actual rate is higher than the target rate, and the other one is the Under Random Early Detection (URED), used to slow down the packet dropping rate in the reverse situation. The simulation results show that OURED is not only more robust than MRED in resource utilization, but that it also can be implement efficiently in the DiffServ edge router. Another model proposed in this dissertation is the Age-Based packet discarding Traffic Conditioner. For the reason that the file sizes of on going flows are fairly disparate on the current network, we propose an ¡§Age-Based¡¨ packet discard scheme in the Traffic Conditioner of a gateway, to improve the performance of file transmission. The on going flows will be grouped to three classes of priority according to their ¡§age¡¨ as network congestion occurs and the simulation results show that the proposed model can work efficiently in most of the congestion conditions.

In this thesis, we propose a dynamic traffic adjustment scheme for end-to-end proportional differentiated services (EEPDS) on MPLS networks. When the Egress LSR (Label Switch Router) first observes that the proportional ratio of multiple flows could not be maintained, it will locate the performance bottlenecks by sending control messages to all the traversed LSR. In the proposed scheme, the identified bottleneck routers may have to drop the packets of traffic flows that do not require any QoS assurance (for example, the best-effort flows). Moreover, if dropping packets of the best-effort flows could not meet the goals of maintaining proportional ratios, the Ingress LSR would have to shape the traffic rates of sending flows proportionally based on the throughput values observed by the Egress LSR. Once a bottleneck router regains its sufficient bandwidth released by other traffic flows, it will send out control packets to notify the Ingress LSR to recover the original sending rates. Eventually, the proposed EEPDS mechanism can meet the goals of maintaining the proportional ratios by dynamically tuning the traffic flows. For the purpose of demonstration, we implement the EEPDS scheme by using MNS simulator. According to the experimental results, the EEPDS scheme has shown that it can meet the proportional ratios of multiple traffic flows even under severe network congestions, where multiple performance bottlenecks may occur. Finally, we observe that the processing overhead of the proposed EEPDS scheme is very small, since it is triggered only when the Egress LSR detects the situation of unsatisfied proportional ratios.

The incidence of differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) is rising, but controversy exists in many aspects of its treatment. This study described the change in incidence of DTC in Ontario, variations in management including extent of thyroidectomy and the influence of provider volume, and the impact of these parameters on recurrence and thyroid cancer-specific death (TCSD). A population-based study identified all new cases of DTC between 1992-2007. The incidence of DTC increased dramatically (annual percentage change 7.6%). Linkage to administrative databases revealed that extent of thyroidectomy is influenced by various factors including patient gender, age, year of diagnosis, surgeon specialty, and hospital setting, but not provider volume. Total thyroidectomy is associated with a lower recurrence rate. There is a significant association between provider volume and recurrence, with lower volume surgeons having a higher recurrence risk. Extent of thyroidectomy and provider volume did not influence TCSD. Such variations in management may lead to disparities in health outcomes.

The incidence of differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) is rising, but controversy exists in many aspects of its treatment. This study described the change in incidence of DTC in Ontario, variations in management including extent of thyroidectomy and the influence of provider volume, and the impact of these parameters on recurrence and thyroid cancer-specific death (TCSD). A population-based study identified all new cases of DTC between 1992-2007. The incidence of DTC increased dramatically (annual percentage change 7.6%). Linkage to administrative databases revealed that extent of thyroidectomy is influenced by various factors including patient gender, age, year of diagnosis, surgeon specialty, and hospital setting, but not provider volume. Total thyroidectomy is associated with a lower recurrence rate. There is a significant association between provider volume and recurrence, with lower volume surgeons having a higher recurrence risk. Extent of thyroidectomy and provider volume did not influence TCSD. Such variations in management may lead to disparities in health outcomes.

SANTRAUKA Monika Ramažauskaitė Lietuvos Respublikos Švietimo sistemos optimizavimo problemos: Šiaulių miesto atvejis. Magistro darbas. Magistro darbo tikslas – ištirti Šiaulių miesto vidurinėse mokyklose kylančias Lietuvos Respublikos Švietimo sistemos problemas, susijusias su diferencijuoto mokymo metodu, profiliuotu mokymu ir Pagrindinio ugdymo pasiekimų patikros bei brandos egzaminų organizavimo ir vykdymo tvarkos nuolatine kaita. Atlikus tyrimo rezultatų analizę buvo nustatyti diferencijuoto mokymo metodo taikymo privalumai, profiliuoto mokymo trūkumai ir Pagrindinio ugdymo pasiekimų patikros bei brandos egzaminų organizavimo ir vykdymo tvarkos nuolatinės kaitos poveikis 10-12 klasių moksleiviams. Tyrimas taikytinas rengiant seminarus, paskaitas švietimo skyriaus specialistams, mokyklos vadovams bei ten dirbantiems pedagogams. / SUMMARY Monika Ramažauskaitė Optimization Problems of the Educational System in the Republic of Lithuania: The Šiauliai City Case. Master's work. The objective of the master's work is to analyze the Educational system problems of the Republic of Lithuania arising in the secondary schools of the Šiauliai City. These problems are related to the method of the differentiated teaching, the profiled teaching and the constant changes in the procedures of organizing the maturity examinations and the examinations of the basic achievements in education. After accomplishing the analysis of the research results the advantages of using the differentiated teaching method were found as well as disadvantages of the profiled teaching. The influence of the constant changes in the procedures of organizing the maturity examinations and the examinations of the basic achievements in education on the 10-12 form students were also defined. The research may be used while organizing seminars, lectures for the specialists working in the Department of Education, for the heads of schools and also for the teachers working at schools.

Inquiry-based learning (IBL) has existed since the early 1500’s and research points to it being a successful pedagogy, so why do so few educators use it? One reason may be the confusion found in the literature encountered by educators. In light of this confusion, how teachers defined and implemented IBL in diverse, 21st Century classrooms was investigated. Looking at whether IBL was, or could be, an inclusive practice was also researched. Furthermore, the possibility that inquiry-based learning (IBL) encompassed differentiated instruction (DI) in its implementation and could therefore be used as a process to incorporate both was explored. To investigate these ideas, current literature was reviewed; including the works of John Dewey and Lev Vygotsky, and a qualitative research project was conducted using a phenomenological method. The research consisted of observations and interviews in the natural setting, of an inclusive elementary classroom.

Inquiry-based learning (IBL) has existed since the early 1500’s and research points to it being a successful pedagogy, so why do so few educators use it? One reason may be the confusion found in the literature encountered by educators. In light of this confusion, how teachers defined and implemented IBL in diverse, 21st Century classrooms was investigated. Looking at whether IBL was, or could be, an inclusive practice was also researched. Furthermore, the possibility that inquiry-based learning (IBL) encompassed differentiated instruction (DI) in its implementation and could therefore be used as a process to incorporate both was explored. To investigate these ideas, current literature was reviewed; including the works of John Dewey and Lev Vygotsky, and a qualitative research project was conducted using a phenomenological method. The research consisted of observations and interviews in the natural setting, of an inclusive elementary classroom.

Thesis PlanB (M.S.)--University of Wisconsin--Stout, 2007. / Includes bibliographical references.

Three challenges in current secondary school science classrooms are (a) meaningful integration of technology, (b) integration of reading and writing in content courses, and (c) differentiation of instruction to meet individual student needs in courses. This is an exploratory study of an urban, high school marine science course in which a teacher added communication with her students via asynchronous online journals. This intervention was intended to enable the teacher to understand how students were constructing knowledge and their understanding of marine science topics. Data included journal postings from all students and the teacher throughout the semester, as well as the teacher's personal journal.