121,612 research outputs found
Equal in diversity: reflections on Primary Teachers' Learning
No full textAbstract: An unexpected observation made during an international study exploring mathematical misconceptions in primary schools (Cockburn and Littler, 2008) was that there was a large commonality in what was observed even though, in discussion, we noted that there remarkable differences in the way the teachers taught and had been trained. For example the equals sign, together with arithmetic algorithms and structural properties, gave rise to misconceptions (Parslow-Williams and Cockburn, 2008) which, in some cases, extended well beyond the primary years of schooling (Marchini and Cockburn, 2008). Closer examination of the data revealed that, although many of the misconceptions may have originated in the earliest years of schooling, frequently they did not become manifest for several years. As we will demonstrate, in spite of the many differences in culture, language and experience, it was striking that the teachers in Italy and England discussed similar implications for their future practice
Understanding subtraction through enhanced communication
No full textThis chapter forms part of an edited book which is a culmination of a 3-year international study investigating creative communication in primary mathematics. Using interviews, observations and video the researchers studied and developed strategies for promoting mathematical understanding among 5-11 year olds. These were then tried and tested in the other project countries. The findings reported in this chapter were highly encouraging as they demonstrated such an approach broadened both teachers' and pupils' understandings of subtraction. Moreover, in using examples from the UK in particular, the European teachers were encouraged to focus on mathematical processes rather than product. The original research bid was subject to rigorous scrutiny, the project was evaluated by 2 European academics and the book proposal refereed by a panel of teachers and academics. Cockburn wrote this chapter and edited the book
Recruiting and Retaining Teachers:Understanding Why Teachers Teach
No full textThis book is a culmination of several research studies (Cockburn, 1993, 1994, 1996a, 1996b, 1997, 2000; Haydn, Cockburn and Oliver, 2000) and examines why people embark on teaching as a career and their reasons for remaining or leaving the profession. A range of research strategies were used with a concentration on semi-structured interviews and questionnaires. Data were accumulated from over 2000 respondents. The research provides new insight into what job seekers desire from their careers and why teachers remain in teaching despite the increasing challenges. The book is of particular value at a time when large numbers of teachers are experiencing high levels of stress and leaving the profession prematurely as it provides new insight into both what motivates teachers and what demoralizes them. The book proposal was refereed prior to acceptance for publication. Cockburn wrote half of the book and undertook 75% of the research
Ichthyoplankton assemblages associated with pink snapper (Pagrus auratus) spawning aggregations in coastal embayments of southwestern Australia
No full textPink snapper (Pagrus auratus) form spawning aggregations during the austral spring/summer in three adjacent, sheltered, coastal embayments in southwestern Australia (Cockburn Sound, Warnbro Sound and Owen Anchorage). Larval fishes were sampled in these embayments, as well as in the more exposed adjacent waters of Five Fathom Bank, to ascertain which teleost species utilised these areas for spawning concurrently with P. auratus. Obliquely towed bongo nets (500 μm mesh) were used to collect icthyoplankton in November 2007 over three days during the new moon period when spawning of P. auratus is known to peak. A total of 13 270 larvae from 30 teleost families was collected with an overall mean larval fish concentration of 1.91 m -3 (± s.e. 0.28). Larval fish assemblages were significantly different in each of the three embayments and Five Fathom Bank, reflecting the degree of shelter, water-circulation patterns and associated benthic habitats. The highest larval fish concentrations were recorded in Cockburn Sound (3.69 m -3 ± s.e. 0.05) and the lowest along Five Fathom Bank (0.16 m -3 ± s.e. 0.02). P. auratus larvae were only present in samples from the three embayments. The most abundant larvae were those of the Australian anchovy (Engraulis australis), which occurred predominantly in Cockburn Sound and, to a lesser extent, Owen Anchorage. The most ubiquitous larvae included the longspine dragonet (Callionymus goodladi) and leatherjackets (Monacanthidae). This study provides circumstantial evidence that eggs and larvae of P. auratus and other teleosts are retained in the sheltered waters of Cockburn and Warnbro Sounds during spring/summer
BlockCAD: Constructing and connecting 2-D and 3-D shapes
No full textHunscheidt D, Peter-Koop A. BlockCAD: Constructing and connecting 2-D and 3-D shapes. In: Cockburn AD, ed. Mathematical understanding 5-11. Practical guide to creative communication in mathematics. London: Paul Chapman; 2007: 51-71
Fish assemblages associated with natural and anthropogenically-modified habitats in a marine embayment: Comparison of baited videos and opera-house traps
No full textMarine embayments and estuaries play an important role in the ecology and life history of many fish species. Cockburn Sound is one of a relative paucity of marine embayments on the west coast of Australia. Its sheltered waters and close proximity to a capital city have resulted in anthropogenic intrusion and extensive seascape modification. This study aimed to compare the sampling efficiencies of baited videos and fish traps in determining the relative abundance and diversity of temperate demersal fish species associated with naturally occurring (seagrass, limestone outcrops and soft sediment) and modified (rockwall and dredge channel) habitats in Cockburn Sound. Baited videos sampled a greater range of species in higher total and mean abundances than fish traps. This larger amount of data collected by baited videos allowed for greater discrimination of fish assemblages between habitats. The markedly higher diversity and abundances of fish associated with seagrass and limestone outcrops, and the fact that these habitats are very limited within Cockburn Sound, suggests they play an important role in the fish ecology of this embayment. Fish assemblages associated with modified habitats comprised a subset of species in lower abundances when compared to natural habitats with similar physical characteristics. This suggests modified habitats may not have provided the necessary resource requirements (e.g. shelter and/or diet) for some species, resulting in alterations to the natural trophic structure and interspecific interactions. Baited videos provided a more efficient and non-extractive method for comparing fish assemblages and habitat associations of smaller bodied species and juveniles in a turbid environment
Cooperating Intelligent Systems for Electricity Distribution
No full textThis paper concentrates on the project's CIDIM (Cooperating Intelligent Systems for DIstribution Syste
Teacher behaviours that influence young children's reasoning
No full textChildren are expected to develop the habit of reasoning from their earliest years at school. However, there has been limited emphasis on strategies that teachers can use to support young children’s reasoning. We report on a case study of four teachers who implemented mathematical investigations that provided reasoning opportunities for their classes of seven-to-eight year olds. An analysis of teacher behaviours and their students’ responses suggests that reasoning is influenced by (1) teachers’ expectations of reasoned actions and responses, (2) instruction in reasoning as systematised thinking, and (3) authentic opportunities for reasoning. These influences are discussed together with examples of how these teacher behaviours support or inhibit reasoning
Revisiting revisitation in computer interaction: organic bookmark management
No full textAccording to Milic-Frayling et al. (2004), there are two general ways of user browsing i.e. search (finding a website where the user has never visited before) and revisitation (returning to a website where the user has visited in the past). The issue of search is relevant to search engine technology, whilst revisitation concerns web usage and browser history mechanisms. The support for revisitation is normally through a set of functional built-in icons e.g. History, Back, Forward and Bookmarks. Nevertheless, for returning web users, they normally find it is easier and faster to re-launch an online search again, rather than spending time to find a particular web site from their personal bookmark and history records. Tauscher and Greenberg (1997) showed that revisiting web pages forms up to 58% of the recurrence rate of web browsing. Cockburn and McKenzie (2001) also stated that 81% of web pages have been previously visited by the user. According to Obendorf et al. (2007), revisitation can be divided into four classifications based on time: short-term (72.6% revisits within an hour), medium-term (12% revisits within a day and 7.8% revisits within a week), and long-term (7.6% revisits longer than a week
ARCHON: A Distributed Artificial Intelligence System for Industrial Applications
No full textARCHON™ (ARchitecture for Cooperative Heterogeneous ON-line systems) is Europe’s largest project in the area of Distributed Artificial Intelligence (DAI). It has devised a general-purpose architecture, software framework and methodology which has been used to support the development of DAI systems in a number of industrial domains. Some examples of the applications to which it has been successfully applied include: electricity distribution and supply, electricity transmission and distribution, control of a cement kiln complex, control of a particle accelerator, and control of a robotics application. The type of cooperating community that it supports has a decentralised control regime and individual problem solving agents which are large grain, loosely coupled, and semi-autonomous
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