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Tuesday, Oct 15, 2019
technology Development
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vr8pNgjI9Ig
 
new technology 
 
In technology development significant advances are as often the result of a series of evolutionary steps as they are of breakthroughs. This is illustrated by the examples of the steam engine and the computer. Breakthroughs, such as the transistor, are relatively rare, and are often the result of the introduction of new knowledge coming from a quite different area. Technology development is often difficult to predict because of its complexity; practical considerations may far outweigh apparent scientific advantages, and cultural factors enter in at many levels. In a large technological organization problems exist in bringing scientific knowledge to bear on development, but much can be done to obviate these difficulties.
Authored by: Chathuri
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Posted on: #iteachmsu
Monday, Aug 6, 2018
A Case for More Testing: The Benefits of Frequent, Low-Stakes Assessments
What if I told you about this magical teaching practice that, done even once, produces large improvements in student final exam scores[1], helps narrow the grade gap between poorly prepped and highly prepped first year college students[2], and might even result in more positive course reviews[3],[4]? What if I also told you this magical teaching practice is something you already know how to do? What if I told you, the secret to increasing your students’ success and  overall satisfaction is……more TESTS!?
Okay…well to be fair, it’s a little more nuanced than that. While adding just one test to a class does indeed improve final exam scores, it turns out that more frequent, graded exercises in general improve learning outcomes for students [2],[5]. Even better – if these exercises are low stakes, they can improve learning outcomes without increasing student anxiety [4],[6].
We often view testing as an unpleasant but necessary way to assess student performance. It may be time for us to instead view testing as a useful teaching tool and to implement an assessment system that maximizes the potential learning benefits. In this post I will discuss the important known benefits of frequent, low stakes assessments as well as some practical tips for how to maximize these benefits without adding undue stress to your life or the lives of your students.

Benefit #1: “Thinking about thinking”
Testing can improve a student’s metacognition, or their ability to “think about thinking.” A good metacognitive thinker understands how their thought processes work and can pay attention to and change these processes [7]. A student with strong metacognitive skills can therefore more successfully monitor, evaluate, and improve their learning compared to students lacking these skills. Unfortunately, many students struggle with metacognition and must contend with “illusions of mastery” (or thinking they understand a subject better than they actually do).  Self-testing is a good way to prevent illusions of mastery, but many students do not incorporate self-testing into their studying, instead electing more passive modes of exam preparation such as rereading texts[8]. Incorporating more testing into the curriculum forces students into the position of making mistakes and receiving feedback, allowing them to frequently measure their learning in relation to expectations and adjust accordingly. Again, note that providing feedback is an essential part of this process.

Benefit #2: Practice Remembering
Testing can improve a student’s long term memory of information presented in class by forcing students to recall what they’ve learned through a cognitive process called active retrieval. Active retrieval strengthens neural pathways important for retrieving memories, allowing these memories to be more easily accessed in the future.
While any sort of retrieval practice is useful, it is most beneficial when it is effortful, spaced, and interleaved.  An example of effortful retrieval practice includes testing which forces students to provide the answers (i.e. Short answer and fill in the blank questions as opposed to multiple choice). More effortful retrieval also occurs with spaced and interleaved practice.
Spaced practice is testing that occurs after enough time has elapsed for some (but not complete) forgetting to occur (i.e. Present the information and then wait a couple months, days, or even just until the end of class to test students on it). Interleaved practice incorporates different but related topics and problem types, as opposed to having students practice and master one type at a time (e.g. cumulative testing where you mix problems from different units together). Interleaved practice can help students learn to focus on the underlying principles of problems and to discriminate between problem types, leading to more complex mental models and a deeper understanding of the relationships between ideas[6].

How to Implement More Assessments (Without Losing Your Mind)
So, all you have to do now is come up with a ton of quiz and test questions and free up a bunch of class time for assessments! Don’t forget you also need to grade all of these! After all, feedback is an important part of the process, and frequent (even low stakes) grading has the added benefits of enhancing student motivation, attentiveness, and attendance.I know what you busy teachers (ie. all of you) out there are thinking….“Your ”magical” teaching practice is starting to sound like a hugely effective pain in my butt.”
Don’t give up on me now though! There are some fairly simple ways to add more assessments to your curriculum. Furthermore, you should be able to do this sans student rebellion because these assessments are low-stakes. Frequent, low-stake assessments as opposed to infrequent, high-stakes assessments actually decrease student anxiety overall because no single test is a make it or break it event. In fact, several teachers have reported a large increase in positive student evaluations after restructuring their classes in this way[3],[4],[6]!

Below I lay out some tips for getting the most out of shifting your assessment practices while maintaining both your own and your students’ sanity:

1) Know that “effortful” testing is not always necessary
While effortful testing is best for retrieval practice, even basic, easily graded recognition tests such multiple choice questions still offer benefits, such as helping students remember basic (but important!) information[6],[9].

2) Create different assessment questions
You can also make assessments more effortful by creating questions that engage higher cognitive processes. Now you can sit back, relax, and indulge in one of my personal favorite pastimes (watching student brains explode) without the stressful grading!

3) Make use of educational technologies to ease your grading
For instance, clicker tests are a quick way to test students and allow you to provide feedback for the class all at once.

4) Make assessments into games
If your students need a morale boost, make a quiz into a trivia game and give winning groups candy. Some good old competition and Pavlovian conditioning may make students reassess their view of testing.

5) Assess participation
Doing something as simple as a participation grade will still provide students with incentive without overburdening them or yourself. For instance, this type of grading would work in conjunction with #3.

6) Keep graded assessments predictable
Making assessments predictable as opposed to utilizing pop quizzes helps students feel at ease.6 Furthermore, if they students KNOW an assessment is coming, they are more likely to study and pay attention.

7) Find ways to revisit old material in your assessments
Making assessments cumulative is an effective way to space out your review of material and has the added benefit of making problems interleaved and effortful, all of which maximize retrieval practice[6].

8) Have students reflect on mistakes
You can help students develop metacognitive skills by giving them opportunities to reflect upon and correct their mistakes on assessments. For instance, have students take a quiz and then discuss their answers/thinking with their classmates before receiving feedback. You can also give students opportunities to create keys to short answer questions and grade their own and several (anonymous) classmates’ answers. This will allow them to think through what makes an answer complete and effective.

9) Break large assessments into small ones
Instead of creating new assessments, break up large ones into multiple, lower-stakes assessments. For example, consider replacing big tests with several quizzes. Consider scaffolding large projects such as independent research projects and term papers. Ask for outlines, lists of references, graphs, etc. along the course of the semester before the final project is due. This might cause more work for you in the short term but can help prevent complete disasters at the end of the semester, which can be time consuming.

10) Utilize short daily or weekly quizzes
If you don’t want to adjust a big project/test or lose class time by adding time-consuming assessments, consider adding short daily or weekly quizzes. These grades can add up to equal one test grade. One could consider dropping the lowest score(s) but allowing no make ups to reduce logistical issues.
These are only a few of the many strategies one can use to transition to a frequent, low-stakes assessment system. What are your experiences with low stakes assessments? Have you made use of any which seem particularly effective in enhancing student learning?

Related Reading:
Much of the information about the benefits of testing is from:
Brown, P.C., Roediger III, H.L., McDaniel, M.A. (2014). Make it Stick: The Science of Successful Learning. Cambridge, MA: The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press.
Posted by: Chathuri Super admin..
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Posted on: #iteachmsu
Monday, Oct 5, 2020
What is Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder?
Classroom Interventions for Attention Deficit/ Hyperactivity Disorder Considerations Packet
Iteach MSU : Get started
 
ADHD is one of the most commonly diagnosed conditions of children (Centers for DiseaseControl and Prevention, 2015). 
 
In a 2016 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study, scientists found that 6.1 million children aged 2-17 years living in the U.S. had been diagnosed with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), which is similar to previous estimates.

Ages 2-5: Approximately 388,000 children
Ages 6-11: Approximately 2.4 million children
Ages 12-17: Approximately 3.3 million children
Authored by: Primer text from The College of William & Mary
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What is Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder?
Classroom Interventions for Attention Deficit/ Hyperactivity Disord...
Authored by:
Monday, Oct 5, 2020
Posted on: #iteachmsu
Tuesday, Oct 15, 2019
Careers for iGen'ers - You Need Either Skills or Education: Test article
Careers for iGen'ers - You Need Either Skills or Education
If you are iGen and looking for a career, please pick a major in fields where there will be plenty of jobs and avoid fields where the jobs are limited. Unless of course you are so different and truly one of a kind like: Michael Jordan, Prince, The Beatles, Albert Einstein, Bill Gates, Elon Musk, Kim Kardashian (just kidding).
You have two choices - pick a trade or get the right college education. Low skilled jobs will continue to disappear and you can not raise a family on the income from a low skilled job. You either need skills or education.
Healthcare and high tech are the booming fields now and that will continue for decades.
Thus careers in science, engineering, software, and medicine are a good choice.
There won't be many jobs for people who major in English, history, philosophy etc. Sorry.
If you want help choosing a new career, or making those big career decisions, check out my career counseling services.
Electrical Engineering and Software Engineering look really good. As does nursing, and being a family doctor.
Civil Engineering offers very few jobs since we are not building a lot of bridges and buildings. So avoid that.
Automotive engineering is tough. Not many US jobs except in the electric car field.
Jobs that must be done in person such as plumbers, electricians, barbers, beauticians, should still be in demand, although lower paying than jobs requiring a college education. The trades are more stable than many other careers.
Sales jobs will continue to shrink. Retails sales jobs are disappearing as shopping malls close and as Amazon takes over the world. Sales people are usually just middlemen. Who needs them? Sorry... However, sales people that do business development and find new customers are a different story. But the days of being a shoe salesman in a mall store are gone.
Business development and marketing are still good fields, but will see some unexpected changes.
The auto mechanic field is going to go through interesting changes with the growth of electric vehicles and self driving vehicles. EV's have less moving parts and fewer fluids to replace, but they still need tire changes.
Taxi driver jobs and truck driver jobs will start to experience less demand as automated vehicles take over. However, as of 2018, the demand for truck drivers is booming.
As automated electric vehicles take over, the need for individuals to own a car will be reduced. It will become more simple, less expensive, and more efficient to just walk outside, call up an app, have a driver-less Uber pick you up and take you to wherever you want to go. As long as a car can show up in 5 minutes or so, that will be the way to go. Owning your own car is not efficient, nor a good investment. Cars sit around doing nothing for 98% of their existence. They take up space, they consume your money on insurance and repairs even while they are just sitting doing nothing. How this will affect jobs, careers and the workplace will be interesting, and iGen'ers will be the first to experience this.
Space flight related jobs will pick up as we focus on getting people to the moon, Mars, and space stations.
Geology jobs, especially related to finding minerals on other planets should see a rise in demand.
Virtual Reality related jobs (whatever those are?) will pick up as VR technology becomes ubiquitous. Probably creating VR experiences will be popular.
The generation after the iGen'ers will be the ones who grow up thinking virtual reality is normal.
 
 
Authored by: Chathuri
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Posted on: #iteachmsu
Tuesday, Dec 29, 2020
Evolution of Organizational Behavior
REF: https://courses.lumenlearning.com/wm-organizationalbehavior/chapter/what-is-organizational-behavior
In a nutshell, organizational behavior is the study of how human behavior affects an organization. Organizational behavior aims to learn how an organization operates through the behaviors of its members. Instead of taking a strictly numerical approach to determine an organization’s operations, it takes a more psychological approach. By understanding people, you can better understand an organization
 
The academic study of organizational behavior can be dated back to Taylor’s scientific theory . However, certain components of organizational behavior can date back even further. In this section we will discuss how organizational behavior developed into a field of its own.
Looking back thousands of years we can find components of organizational behavior. Famous philosophers like Plato and Aristotle discussed key components of today’s organizations including the importance of leadership and clear communication. While these seem like very basic and broad concepts today, at the time they were innovative ideas and helped to lay the foundation for organizational behavior.
If organizational behavior were a simple topic, this course would be short and sweet. We could simply say that organizational behavior is how people and groups act within an organization. But it’s not so simple!
When organizational behavior grew into an academic study with the rise of the Industrial Revolution, it began to complicate what could appear to be simple topics. People began asking a lot of questions and started critiquing how organizations operated. Like many academic ventures, people began to deep dive into how behavior plays a role in organizations and why changes in behavior alter the way organizations operate. Along the way, organizational behavior has grown to incorporate components of management, psychology, leadership, personality traits, motivation, etc.
Organizational behavior has grown into its own niche within a wide variety of other genres. This is exciting because it allows us to really investigate each and every aspect of behavior within an organization! Today, organizational behavior is recognized as an essential component of an organization. Scholars and businesses alike recognize its importance and continue to help it adapt to current issues and new findings.
Authored by: Sands
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Posted on: #iteachmsu
Tuesday, Dec 29, 2020
Management Theories
Management theories help organizations to focus, communicate, and evolve. Using management theory in the workplace allows leadership to focus on their main goals. When a management style or theory is implemented, it automatically streamlines the top priorities for the organization. Management theory also allows us to better communicate with people we work with which in turn allows us to work more efficiently. By understanding management theory, basic assumptions about management styles and goals can be assumed and can save time during daily interactions and meetings within an organization.
Theories can only reach so far, and management theories are no exception. There is no such thing as a one-size-fits-all management theory. What may work for one organization may not be relevant for another. Therefore, when one theory does not fit a particular situation, it is important to explore the option of developing a new theory that would lead in a new, more applicable direction. While some theories can stand the test of time, other theories may grow to be irrelevant and new theories will develop in their place.
We can find  many management theories introduced on : 

Scientific Management Theory
Administrative Management Theory
Bureaucratic Management Theory
Human Relations Management Theory
X&Y Management Theory


REF: https://courses.lumenlearning.com/wmopen-organizationalbehavior/chapter/management-theory-and-organizational-behavior/
 
Authored by: Greg
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Posted on: #iteachmsu
Thursday, Dec 24, 2020
Ecology Ecosystem dynamics and conservations
Through a case study on Mozambique's Gorongosa National Park, learners will explore how scientists study ecosystem
 
The idea that food webs and ecosystem functioning are intimately linked harkens back at least to the work of Forbes (1887). He pondered, in his lake as a microcosm paper, the complexity of lake ecosystems and how this complexity could be maintained given the complex network of trophic interactions. He also emphasized that spatial structure, both within and among lakes, could be important. Lindeman (1942) built on Forbes’s vision of a food web as a microcosm by linking a simplified view of food webs to ecosystem metabolism. Since then, much thinking has gone into understanding food webs and their links to ecosystem attributes (Odum 1957; Margalef 1963), but until recently the importance of space has not sufficiently been integrated into these thoughts. By contrast, the importance of space to populations and communities has been recognized for some time (Watt 1947; Skellam 1951; MacArthur & Wilson 1967), but the connection between this literature and food webs and ecosystems is only now being resolved (Loreau et al. 2003; Polis et al. 2004; Holt & Hoopes 2005; Pillai et al. 2009; Gravel et al. 2010a). Some progress has been made (e.g. Polis et al. 2004; Holyoak et al. 2005), but most of the work on the spatial food web and ecosystem properties has progressed along with two relatively independent traditions.
REF :links https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/j.1461-0248.2011.01588.x
YouTube: https://youtu.be/C6YrPt1ygX8
 
Posted by: Chathuri Hewapathirana
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Posted on: #iteachmsu
Monday, Dec 28, 2020
Ecology Ecosystem dynamics and conservations
Through a case study on Mozambique's Gorongosa National Park, learners will explore how scientists study ecosystem
 
The idea that food webs and ecosystem functioning are intimately linked harkens back at least to the work of Forbes (1887). He pondered, in his lake as a microcosm paper, the complexity of lake ecosystems and how this complexity could be maintained given the complex network of trophic interactions. He also emphasized that spatial structure, both within and among lakes, could be important. Lindeman (1942) built on Forbes’s vision of a food web as a microcosm by linking a simplified view of food webs to ecosystem metabolism. Since then, much thinking has gone into understanding food webs and their links to ecosystem attributes (Odum 1957; Margalef 1963), but until recently the importance of space has not sufficiently been integrated into these thoughts. By contrast, the importance of space to populations and communities has been recognized for some time (Watt 1947; Skellam 1951; MacArthur & Wilson 1967), but the connection between this literature and food webs and ecosystems is only now being resolved (Loreau et al. 2003; Polis et al. 2004; Holt & Hoopes 2005; Pillai et al. 2009; Gravel et al. 2010a). Some progress has been made (e.g. Polis et al. 2004; Holyoak et al. 2005), but most of the work on the spatial food web and ecosystem properties has progressed along with two relatively independent traditions.
REF :links https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/j.1461-0248.2011.01588.x
YouTube: https://youtu.be/C6YrPt1ygX8
Posted by: Chathuri Super admin..
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