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How to measure Mathematical Modelling in science education? An atomistic approach.
No full textBackground: Models and mathematical modelling play pivotal roles in understanding complex scientific phenomena. Their application ranges widely across educational and scientific disciplines, notably in natural sciences and chemistry, facilitating the translation between conceptual understanding and practical applications.
Purpose: This study aims to develop and validate a test instrument for assessing mathematical modeling competencies in the natural sciences, with a particular focus on chemistry and biology, exploring the empirical substantiation of theoretically implied subcategories and their interactions.
Sample/setting: The study involved 390 STEM students from German universities, with a final dataset comprising 309 participants. The testing occurred during the winter semester of 2022/2023.
Design and Methods: Utilizing a quantitative design, the study employed Rasch analyses based on probabilistic test theory to ensure the reliability and objectivity of the test instrument. Items were crafted to reflect various aspects of the mathematical modelling process, categorized into understanding, simplifying, mathematizing, interpreting, validating, and communicating.
Results: Findings suggest that the test instrument effectively measures mathematical modelling competencies across the specified categories. The analysis confirmed the instrument's unidimensionality, reliability, and substantive validity of the mathematical modelling constructs it aims to assess.
Conclusions: The development of this test instrument holds significant potential for educational practice and future research by providing a reliable means to assess and understand students' competencies in mathematical modelling within the natural sciences.
Keywords: Mathematical Modeling, Natural Sciences, Chemistry Education, Test Instrument, Rasch Analysis, Assessment of competencies
Anbahnung von BNE im Kindergarten
Full text linkHintergrund: Im Kindergarten kommen die Kinder zum ersten Mal mit dem formalen Bildungsbereich und damit auch mit Bildung für eine Nachhaltige Entwicklung (BNE) in Berührung. BNE wird meist als thematische Unterrichtsumgebung umgesetzt und stellt hohe Anforderungen an die Kindergartenlehrpersonen sowie an die Kinder. Darüber hinaus sind bei der Vermittlung von BNE im Kindergarten auch die Spezifika des Zyklus 1, d.h. der Kindergarten- und der ersten sowie zweiten Primarstufe, zu berücksichtigen, die zwei Logiken verfolgen – diejenige der Entwicklungsorientierung und diejenige der Fachorientierung. Es zeigte sich, dass insbesondere im Bereich des Lebens- und Erfahrungsraums, in welchem Strukturen zur Gestaltung von Raum, Material, Zeit und den sozialen Interaktionen wie auch verbindende Elemente wie Routinen und Rituale im Zentrum stehen (vgl. EULE ®-Modell in Gysin et al., 2024) bisher keine Vorschläge vorliegen, wie BNE im Kindergarten umgesetzt werden kann.
Ziel: Im noch laufenden Projekt «Step by Step zu BNE – BNE-Kompetenzen erkennen und anbahnen. Eine Handreichung für das Unterrichten im Kindergarten» [Ko-Er-An] (2023-2025) sollen Zugänge zur Anbahnung von BNE-Kompetenzen unter besonderer Berücksichtigung des Lebens- und Erfahrungsraums der Kinder erarbeitet und somit alternative Wege aufgezeigt werden, wie der Einstieg in eine BNE im Kindergarten unterstützt werden kann und welche BNE-Kompetenzen wie angebahnt werden können.
Design und Methode: Das Projekt wurde in Anlehnung an den Design-Based-Research Ansatz (DBR) umgesetzt. In einem ersten Schritt wurden die Grundlagen von BNE und dem Rahmenmodell zur Gestaltung von Unterricht im Zyklus 1 – dem EULE®-Modell – verknüpft. Mehrere Expertinnen und Experten rund um BNE, EULE® und den Zyklus 1 wie auch Kindergartenlehrpersonen haben im Rahmen von zwei Workshops an der Ausrichtung der Umsetzungsvorschläge sowie an der Verdichtung der Grundlagen mitgewirkt. Anschliessend wurden die Umsetzungsvorschläge in der Praxis erprobt, und es fand eine schriftliche Evaluation durch Kindergartenlehrperson statt. Eine weitere Erprobungsphase in der Lehrerinnen- und Lehrerbildung steht noch aus. Die Rückmeldungen aus den Erprobungen und schriftlichen Evaluationen fliessen in die Überarbeitung ein.
Ergebnisse: Im Projekt konnte erarbeitet werden, welche BNE-Kompetenzen im Lebens- und Erfahrungsraum im Kindergarten angebahnt werden können und welche Fragen bei der Bearbeitung und Umsetzung besondere Beachtung bedürfen. Diese Erkenntnisse werden in einer Handreichung mit konkreten Umsetzungsvorschlägen und Hintergrundinformationen für Kindergartenlehrpersonen und die Aus- und Weiterbildung umgesetzt.
Keywords: Bildung für Nachhaltige Entwicklung (BNE), Kindergarten, Lehrerinnen- und Lehrerbildung, Weiterbildung, Unterrichtsmaterialien, Lebens- und Erfahrungsraum
Initiating ESD in kindergarten
Background: Kindergarten is the first time that children come into contact with the formal education sector and therefore also with Education for Sustainable Development (ESD). ESD is usually implemented as a thematic teaching environment. It places high demands on both the kindergarten teachers and the children. In addition, the specifics of cycle 1 (kindergarten and first and second primary level) must also be considered when teaching ESD in kindergarten. Cycle 1 follows two logics: development orientation and subject orientation. In the area of the living and experience space, there are currently no proposals on how ESD can be implemented in kindergarten. The living and experience space includes structures for the design of space, material, time and social interactions as well as connecting elements such as routines and rituals in the center (cf. EULE ® model in Gysin et al., 2024).
Purpose: The aim of the project «Step by Step to ESD – Identifying and Initiating ESD Competencies: A Guide for Teaching in Kindergarten» (2023-2025), which is still ongoing, is to develop approaches to initiate ESD competences with special consideration of the children's living and experience space. In this way, alternative ways of supporting the introduction of ESD in kindergartens can be shown, as well as which ESD competences can be initiated and how.Design and Method: The project was implemented using the design-based research approach (DBR) as a guideline. In a first step, the basics of ESD and the framework model for designing lessons in Cycle 1 - the EULE® model - were linked. Several experts on ESD, EULE® and Cycle 1 as well as kindergarten teachers participated in two workshops to help align the implementation proposals and consolidate the basic principles. The implementation proposals were then tested in practice and a written evaluation was carried out by kindergarten teachers. A further testing phase in teacher training is still pending. The feedback from the trials and evaluations will be incorporated into the revision.Results: The project was able to identify which ESD skills can be developed in the living and experience space and which issues require special attention during processing and implementation. These findings will be implemented in a handout with concrete suggestions for implementation and background information for kindergarten teachers and for initial and further training.Keywords: Education for Sustainable Development (ESD), kindergarten, teacher training, further education, teaching materials, living and experience spac
Field theory and the Standard Model: A symmetry-oriented approach
Full text linkThe Standard Model of particle physics represents the cornerstone of our understanding of the microscopic world. In these lectures we review its contents and structure, with a particular emphasis on the central role played by symmetries and their realization. This is not intended to be an exhaustive review but a discussion of selected topics that we find interesting, with the specific aim of clarifying some subtle points and potential misunderstandings. A number of more technical topics are discussed in separated boxes interspersed throughout the text
A Novel Business Model Canvas for Research Infrastructures: A Design Science Approach
Full text linkThis paper presents the development of a novel Business Model Canvas (BMC) tailored for the unique context of publicly funded large-scale Research Infrastructures (RIs). While the standard BMC was designed for commercial enterprises, RIs operate as networked and multi-stakeholder organizational forms whose sustainability depends on legitimacy, public value, and long-term governance rather than market transactions alone. The primary purpose of the RI-BMC is to support strategic alignment and sustainability planning across heterogeneous RI stakeholders by making the infrastructure’s value logic, governance dependencies, and financing model explicit; secondarily, it supports communication and legitimation toward funders and partners. Using a Design Science research methodology, we iteratively designed, prototyped, and refined an RI-specific BMC template. This process involved re-conceptualizing key components to better align with the operational realities of RIs. The resulting RI‑BMC retains the familiar nine-block structure as a boundary object, while redefining block semantics and pragmatics to capture stakeholder ecosystems, involvement mechanisms, engagement intensity, and non-commercial financing opportunities. The design choices were validated through a series of stakeholder interviews, which served not only to refine the canvas's content but also as a meta-validation of its adapted structure. The resulting framework was developed within the context of GUIDE (Growing Up in Digital Europe), a pan-European RI collecting data to study children and youth well-being. We demonstrate how the adapted RI-BMC provides a coherent, holistic, and actionable strategic view that effectively bridges scientific objectives with measurable operational KPIs and sustainability planning
The Effect of First and Second Language Use on Divergent Thinking in Problem Solving
Full text linkThis study aims to explore the relationship of the language used when solving a problem, and the creative ability to find a solution for it. For this, participants completed a task in their first language, and a similar task in their second language and the results were evaluated on fluency, flexibility and originality. The findings suggest that the use of second language can be a disadvantage if the speaker does not use it fluently, while it can be an advantage for frequent users since it provides a separation from first language associations and conditionings
Field theory and the electroweak Standard Model
Full text linkIn these lectures we give an introduction and overview of the electroweak Standard Model (EWSM) of particle physics. We first introduce the basic concepts of quantum field theory necessary to build the EWSM: abelian and non-abelian gauge theories, spontaneous symmetry breaking and the Higgs mechanism. We also introduce some basic concepts of renormalization, so as to be able to understand the full power of electroweak precision tests and their impact on our understanding of the EWSM and its possible extensions. We discuss the current status of experimental tests and conclude by pointing the problems still existing in particle physics not solved by the EWSM and how these impact the future of the field
Design Principles Unveiled: Capturing Innovation Insights for Future Design Breakthroughs
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Navigating Uncertainty in Innovation Ecosystems
Full text linkIn a world overshadowed by uncertainty, where technologically mediated connectedness can leave us feeling isolated and powerless, it is crucial to recognize that innovation seems our sole response
The Impact of Research Data Infrastructures: The Case of the AlphaFold Database
Full text linkWhile the scientific output of research infrastructures is well documented, the broader effects of their secondary outputs, such as computational resources and datasets, remain poorly understood. To better understand the benefits of these public resources, this study explores the AlphaFold (AFDB) database, a collaboration between DeepMind and the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) that democratizes access to protein structure data. Employing a quantitative case study strategy using bibliometric analysis, this study compares publications indexed in the Web of Science Core Collection citing the original AF paper (Jumper et al., 2021) with those citing the AlphaFold database (Varadi et al., 2022), covering publications up to August 2024. We examine the impact of the EMBL AlphaFold database on research themes, collaboration patterns, and scientific impact. Our exploratory analysis identifies several impacts: studies leveraging the AF database investigate application-focused themes and require collaboration between fewer institutions. This research highlights the wide-ranging impacts of research infrastructures, emphasizing the need for comprehensive impact assessments to inform future research policy and funding decisions