A case study of evaluating informatics impact on diffusion of scientific knowledge.

PubMed

Katz, Susan B

2008-11-06

This case study poster uses a newly developed framework to evaluate an informatics effort in its public health context. The electronic clearance system being evaluated provides the potential for increasing the speed and quality of scientific diffusion of knowledge, and thus translation of research into practice. A graphical logic model and tabular results of the evaluation are presented. Public health history suggests potential benefits of more timely and coordinated diffusion of scientific information.

Knowledge Brokers in the Making: Opportunities to Connect Researchers and Stakeholders

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pennell, K. G.; Pennell, M. C.

2014-12-01

Environmental science and engineering graduate students often lack training on how to communicate with policy decision makers who are grappling with questions to which research is responding. They communicate directly with mutual experts, but are many times unable to engage with non-experts about their research, thereby limiting the reach and impact of their findings. This presentation highlights opportunities within environmental science and engineering research to create opportunities for researchers to hone skills as knowledge brokers, so they learn ways to meaningfully engage with a range of stakeholders. A knowledge broker is an individual who connects scientific experts and relevant stakeholders with meaningful and useable information. Recognizing that information must flow in multiple directions, the knowledge broker must quickly and effectively translate needs and questions using established relationships. It is these relationships, as well as the synthesis of scientific knowledge into useable information, on which the success of the knowledge broker lies. Using lessons learned, as well as communication science theory related to knowledge brokering, this presentation highlights training opportunities for knowledge brokers who are primarily educated in science and engineering fields, yet seek to engage with societally relevant stakeholders. We present case study examples of knowledge brokering within two large multi-disciplinary research centers. These centers provide unique experiences for researchers to build relationships with stakeholders, so that the scientific experts not only create novel research within their specific discipline, but also inform policy decision makers, community members and regulatory officials.

The Effects of Video Feedback Coaching for Teachers on Scientific Knowledge of Primary Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

van Vondel, Sabine; Steenbeek, Henderien; van Dijk, Marijn; van Geert, Paul

2018-01-01

The present study was aimed at investigating the effects of a video feedback coaching intervention for upper-grade primary school teachers on students' cognitive gains in scientific knowledge. This teaching intervention was designed with the use of inquiry-based learning principles for teachers, such as the empirical cycle and the posing of…

How the Contents of a Bachelor's Degree Final Project of Engineering Evolve towards Innovative Scientific Knowledge: Keys to Success

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Núñez, Cristina; Guinea, Ana; Callau, Sara; Bengoa, Christophe; Basco, Josep; Gavaldà, Jordi

2017-01-01

The Bachelor's Degree Final Project (BDFP) of our school aims to develop a real constructive project, enhance cooperative teamwork and increase productivity of students. We present a real case study, related with engineering and scientific innovation results obtained by BDFP, which has led to an innovative scientific study presented at the 7th…

Knowledge, People, and Risk

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rogers, Edward W.

2008-01-01

NASA's mandate is to take risks to got into space while applying its best knowledge. NASA's knowledge is the result of scientific insights from research, engineering wisdom from experience, project management skills, safety and team consciousness and institutional support and collaboration. This presentation highlights NASA's organizational knowledge, communication and growth efforts.

Students’ scientific production: a proposal to encourage it.

PubMed

Corrales-Reyes, Ibraín Enrique; Dorta-Contreras, Alberto Juan

2018-01-31

The scientific production of medical students in Latin America, is poor and below their potential. The reason for this is the low theoretical and practical knowledge of scientific writing, a low margin for new knowledge generation, a heavy academic and clinical load, and the expected profile of the medical school graduate. In the present short communication, we propose teaching courses in research methodology, scientific writing in English and Spanish, a personalized search for students and mentors with research aptitudes. Also, we propose academic and material stimuli for publishing, rewards for the best papers made by students and the development and support of scientific student journals. Other proposals are the requirement to publish a paper for graduation, and sharing the most outstanding experiences.

Space Exploration as a Human Enterprise: The Scientific Interest

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sagan, Carl

1973-01-01

Presents examples which illustrate the importance of space exploration in diverse aspects of scientific knowledge. Indicates that human beings are today not wise enough to anticipate the practical benefits of planetary studies. (CC)

Science in the everyday world: Why perspectives from the history of science matter.

PubMed

Pandora, Katherine; Rader, Karen A

2008-06-01

The history of science is more than the history of scientists. This essay argues that various modem "publics" should be counted as belonging within an enlarged vision of who constitutes the "scientific community"--and describes how the history of science could be important for understanding their experiences. It gives three examples of how natural knowledge-making happens in vernacular contexts: Victorian Britain's publishing experiments in "popular science" as effective literary strategies for communicating to lay and specialist readers; twentieth-century American science museums as important and contested sites for conveying both scientific ideas and ideas about scientific practice; and contemporary mass-mediated images of the "ideal" scientist as providing counternarratives to received professional scientific norms. Finally, it suggests how humanistic knowledge might help both scientists and historians grapple more effectively with contemporary challenges presented by science in public spheres. By studying the making and elaboration of scientific knowledge within popular culture, historians of science can provide substantively grounded insights into the relations between the public and professionals.

Integrating Scientific Argumentation to Improve Undergraduate Writing and Learning in a Global Environmental Change Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Koffman, Bess G.; Kreutz,Karl J.; Trenbath, Kim

2017-01-01

We present a strategy for using scientific argumentation in an early undergraduate laboratory course to teach disciplinary writing practices and to promote critical thinking, knowledge transformation, and understanding of the scientific method. The approach combines targeted writing instruction; data analysis and interpretation; formulation of a…

[The representation of scientific research through a poster].

PubMed

Dupin, Cécile-Marie

2013-12-01

The poster is a medium of scientific communication. When presented in public, it optimises the value of an original research approach. The poster sessions are devoted to one-to-one exchanges with peers on the subject of the research. The poster can help to integrate scientific knowledge into the nursing decision-making process.

Integrating Socio-Scientific Issues to Enhance the Bioethical Decision-Making Skills of High School Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gutierez, Sally B.

2015-01-01

Scientific literacy has been focused on the construction of students' knowledge to use appropriate and meaningful concepts, critically think, and make balanced, well-informed decisions relevant to their lives. This study presents the effects of integrating socio-scientific issues to enhance the bioethical decision-making skills of biology…

Lessons learned in managing crowdsourced data in the Alaskan Arctic.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mastracci, Diana

2017-04-01

There is perhaps no place in which the consequences of global climate change can be felt more acutely than the Arctic. However, due to lack of measurements at the high latitudes, validation processes are often problematic. Citizen science projects, co-designed together with Native communities at the interface of traditional knowledge and scientific research, could play a major role in climate change adaptation strategies by advancing knowledge of the Arctic system, strengthening inter-generational bonds and facilitating improved knowledge transfer. This presentation will present lessons learned from a pilot project in the Alaskan Arctic, in which innovative approaches were used to design climate change adaptation strategies to support young subsistence hunters in taking in-situ measurements whilst out on the sea-ice. Both the socio-cultural and hardware/software challenges presented in this presentation, could provide useful guidance for future programs that aim to integrate citizens' with scientific data in Arctic communities.

Adjudicating non-knowledge in the Omnibus Autism Proceedings.

PubMed

Decoteau, Claire Laurier; Underman, Kelly

2015-08-01

After 5600 families of children diagnosed with autism filed claims with the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program in the United States, the court selected 'test' cases consolidated into the Omnibus Autism Proceedings, held from 2007 to 2008, to examine claims that vaccines caused the development of autism. The court found all of the causation theories presented to be untenable and did not award damages to any parents. We analyze the Omnibus Autism Proceedings as a struggle within the scientific field between the scientific orthodoxy of the respondents and the heterodox position taken by the plaintiffs, suggesting that the ruling in these cases helped to shore up hegemony on autism causation. Drawing on the literature on non-knowledge, we suggest that only the respondents had enough scientific capital to strategically direct non-knowledge toward genetic research, thereby foreclosing the possibility of environmental causation of autism. The plaintiffs, who promote a non-standard ontology of autism, suggest that the science on autism remains undone and should not be circumscribed. In analyzing the Omnibus Autism Proceedings with field theory, we highlight the way in which scientific consensus-building and the setting of research agendas are the result of struggle, and we show that the strategic deployment of non-knowledge becomes a major stake in battles for scientific legitimacy and the settling of scientific controversies.

To ontologise or not to ontologise: An information model for a geospatial knowledge infrastructure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stock, Kristin; Stojanovic, Tim; Reitsma, Femke; Ou, Yang; Bishr, Mohamed; Ortmann, Jens; Robertson, Anne

2012-08-01

A geospatial knowledge infrastructure consists of a set of interoperable components, including software, information, hardware, procedures and standards, that work together to support advanced discovery and creation of geoscientific resources, including publications, data sets and web services. The focus of the work presented is the development of such an infrastructure for resource discovery. Advanced resource discovery is intended to support scientists in finding resources that meet their needs, and focuses on representing the semantic details of the scientific resources, including the detailed aspects of the science that led to the resource being created. This paper describes an information model for a geospatial knowledge infrastructure that uses ontologies to represent these semantic details, including knowledge about domain concepts, the scientific elements of the resource (analysis methods, theories and scientific processes) and web services. This semantic information can be used to enable more intelligent search over scientific resources, and to support new ways to infer and visualise scientific knowledge. The work describes the requirements for semantic support of a knowledge infrastructure, and analyses the different options for information storage based on the twin goals of semantic richness and syntactic interoperability to allow communication between different infrastructures. Such interoperability is achieved by the use of open standards, and the architecture of the knowledge infrastructure adopts such standards, particularly from the geospatial community. The paper then describes an information model that uses a range of different types of ontologies, explaining those ontologies and their content. The information model was successfully implemented in a working geospatial knowledge infrastructure, but the evaluation identified some issues in creating the ontologies.

Pre-Service Science Teachers in Xinjiang "Scientific Inquiry" - Pedagogical Content Knowledge Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Li, Yufeng; Xiong, Jianwen

2012-01-01

Scientific inquiry is one of the science curriculum content, "Scientific inquiry" - Pedagogical Content Knowledge is the face of scientific inquiry and teachers - of course pedagogical content knowledge and scientific inquiry a teaching practice with more direct expertise. Pre-service teacher training phase of acquisition of knowledge is…

Foreword

Treesearch

H. Michael Rauscher; Richard E. Plant; Alan J. Thomson; Mark J. Twery

2000-01-01

This article includes the central themes of the keynote speakers for the scientific conference "The Application of Scientific Knowledge to Decisionmaking in Managing Forest Ecosystems." This International Union of Forestry Research Organizations (IUFRO) conference presented the latest developments concerning the entire range of topics dealing with ecosystem...

A knowledgebase system to enhance scientific discovery: Telemakus

PubMed Central

Fuller, Sherrilynne S; Revere, Debra; Bugni, Paul F; Martin, George M

2004-01-01

Background With the rapid expansion of scientific research, the ability to effectively find or integrate new domain knowledge in the sciences is proving increasingly difficult. Efforts to improve and speed up scientific discovery are being explored on a number of fronts. However, much of this work is based on traditional search and retrieval approaches and the bibliographic citation presentation format remains unchanged. Methods Case study. Results The Telemakus KnowledgeBase System provides flexible new tools for creating knowledgebases to facilitate retrieval and review of scientific research reports. In formalizing the representation of the research methods and results of scientific reports, Telemakus offers a potential strategy to enhance the scientific discovery process. While other research has demonstrated that aggregating and analyzing research findings across domains augments knowledge discovery, the Telemakus system is unique in combining document surrogates with interactive concept maps of linked relationships across groups of research reports. Conclusion Based on how scientists conduct research and read the literature, the Telemakus KnowledgeBase System brings together three innovations in analyzing, displaying and summarizing research reports across a domain: (1) research report schema, a document surrogate of extracted research methods and findings presented in a consistent and structured schema format which mimics the research process itself and provides a high-level surrogate to facilitate searching and rapid review of retrieved documents; (2) research findings, used to index the documents, allowing searchers to request, for example, research studies which have studied the relationship between neoplasms and vitamin E; and (3) visual exploration interface of linked relationships for interactive querying of research findings across the knowledgebase and graphical displays of what is known as well as, through gaps in the map, what is yet to be tested. The rationale and system architecture are described and plans for the future are discussed. PMID:15507158

Knowledge Production in Small and Medium Sized Enterprises

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Van der Meer, Han

2010-01-01

This article presents the author's response to Hisham B. Ghassib's (2010) article entitled "Where Does Creativity Fit into a Productivist Industrial Model of Knowledge Production?" When the author tries to characterise Ghassib's (2010) world, three words come into mind: University, Scientific Knowledge, and Marx. The author's world on the other…

[Knowledge and power at a molecular level; biological psychiatry in a social context].

PubMed

Verhoeff, B

2009-01-01

How do we acquire our knowledge about psychiatric disorders and how did the current biologically way of thinking in psychiatry originate? With the help of the philosophy of Michel Foucault and Nikolas Rose this essay describes the conditions that made possible today's biological approach in psychiatry. It will become clear that research in the life sciences and the psychiatric knowledge arising from this research are shaped and formed in a complex network of social, economic, political and scientific forces. The biological approach to psychiatric disorders is the product of present-day relationships between scientific developments and commercial corporations.

The authority of complexity.

PubMed

Stehr, N; Grundmann, R

2001-06-01

The assertion about the unique 'complexity' or the peculiarly intricate character of social phenomena has, at least within sociology, a long, venerable and virtually uncontested tradition. At the turn of the last century, classical social theorists, for example, Georg Simmel and Emile Durkheim, made prominent and repeated reference to this attribute of the subject matter of sociology and the degree to which it complicates, even inhibits the develop and application of social scientific knowledge. Our paper explores the origins, the basis and the consequences of this assertion and asks in particular whether the classic complexity assertion still deserves to be invoked in analyses that ask about the production and the utilization of social scientific knowledge in modern society. We present John Maynard Keynes' economic theory and its practical applications as an illustration. We conclude that the practical value of social scientific knowledge is not dependent on a faithful, in the sense of complete, representation of social reality. Instead, social scientific knowledge that wants to optimize its practicality has to attend and attach itself to elements of social situations that can be altered or are actionable.

Scientific Literacy and Student Attitudes: Perspectives from PISA 2006 science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bybee, Rodger; McCrae, Barry

2011-01-01

International assessments provide important knowledge about science education and help inform decisions about policies, programmes, and practices in participating countries. In 2006, science was the primary domain for the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), supported by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and conducted by the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER). Compared to the school curriculum orientation of Trends in International Math and Science Study (TIMSS), PISA provides a perspective that emphasises the application of knowledge to science and technology-related life situations. The orientation of PISA includes both knowledge and attitudes as these contribute to students' competencies that are central to scientific literacy. In addition to students' knowledge and competencies, the 2006 PISA survey gathered data on students' interest in science, support for scientific enquiry, and responsibility towards resources and environments. The survey used both a non-contextualised student questionnaire and contextualised questions. The latter is an innovative approach which embedded attitudinal questions at the conclusion of about two-thirds of the test units. The results presented in this article make connections between students' attitudes and interests in science and scientific literacy.

Translating Knowledge: The role of Shared Learning in Bridging the Science-Application Divide

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moench, M.

2014-12-01

As the organizers of this session state: "Understanding and managing our future relation with the Earth requires research and knowledge spanning diverse fields, and integrated, societally-relevant science that is geared toward solutions." In most cases, however, integration is weak and scientific outputs do not match decision maker requirements. As a result, while scientific results may be highly relevant to society that relevance is operationally far from clear. This paper explores the use of shared learning processes to bridge the gap between the evolving body of scientific information on climate change and its relevance for resilience planning in cities across Asia. Examples related to understanding uncertainty, the evolution of scientific knowledge from different sources, and data extraction and presentation are given using experiences generated over five years of work as part of the Rockefeller Foundation supported Asian Cities Climate Change Resilience Network and other programs. Results suggest that processes supporting effective translation of knowledge between different sources and different applications are essential for the identification of solutions that respond to the dynamics and uncertainties inherent in global change processes.

Multitasking in academia: Effective combinations of research, education and public outreach illustrated by a volcanic ash warning system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bye, B. L.; Plag, H.

2011-12-01

Science permeates our society. Its role and its perceived importance evolves with time. Scientists today are highly specialized, yet society demands they master a variety of skills requiring not only a number of different competencies but also a broad mindset. Scientists are subjected to a meritocracy in terms of having to produce scientific papers. Peer-reviewed scientific publications used to be sufficient to meet the various laws and regulations with respect to dissemination of scientific results. This has dramatically changed; both expressed directly through public voices (such as in the climate change discourses), but also by politicians and policy makers. In some countries research funding now comes with specific requirements concerning public outreach that go way beyond peer-reviewed publications and presentation at scientific conferences. Science policies encourage multidisciplinary cooperation and scientific questions themselves often cannot be answered without knowledge and information from several scientific areas. Scientists increasingly need to communicate knowledge and results in more general terms as well as educating future generations. A huge challenge lies in developing the knowledge, human capacity and mindset that will allow an individual academician to contribute to education, communicate across scientific fields and sectors in multidisciplinary cross sectoral cooperations and also reach out to the general public while succeeding within the scientific meritocracy. We demonstrate how research, education and communication within and outside academia can effectively be combined through a presentation of the International Airways Volcano Watch that encompasses an operational volcanic ash warning system for the aviation industry. This presentation will show the role of science throughout the information flow, from basic science to the pilots' decision-making. Furthermore, it will illustrate how one can connect specific scientific topics to societal issues such as security and economy. Skills, knowledge and mindset must be developed and nurtured through university curricula and reflected in career awards and other professional appreciations. By using concrete examples of geoscience in practice, such as the volcanic ash warning system, different aspects of science, it's role in society and economic impact is being communicated across sectors and taught simultaneously. The very same information is relevant and appropriate for society at large and thus time saving for academicians. It also serves as a recruiting strategy.

The role of the media in the science-policy nexus. Some critical reflections based on an analysis of the Belgian drug policy debate (1996-2003).

PubMed

Tieberghien, Julie

2014-03-01

Drug policy is one of the most polarised subjects of public debate and media coverage, which frequently tend to be dramatic and event-centred. Although the role of the media in directing the drug discourse is widely acknowledged, limited research has been conducted in examining the particular role of the media in the science-policy nexus. We sought to determine how the (mis)representation of scientific knowledge in the media may, or may not, have an impact on the contribution of scientific knowledge to the drug-policy making process. Using a case study of the Belgian drug-policy debates between 1996 and 2003, we conducted a discourse analysis of specially selected 1067 newspaper articles and 164 policy documents. Our analysis focused on: textual elements that feature intra-discourse differences, how players and scientific knowledge are represented in the text, the arguments used and claims made, and the various types of research utilisation. Media discourse strongly influenced the public's and policy makers' understanding as well as the content of the Belgian drug policy debate between 1996 and 2003. As a major source of scientific knowledge, media coverage supported the 'enlightenment' role of scientific knowledge in the policy-making process by broadening and even determining frames of reference. However, as the presentation of scientific knowledge in the media was often inaccurate or distorted due to the lack of contextual information or statistical misinformation, the media may also support the selective utilisation of scientific knowledge. Many challenges as well as opportunities lie ahead for researchers who want to influence the policy-making process since most research fails to go beyond academic publications. Although media is a valuable linking mechanism between science and policy, by no means does it provide scientists with a guarantee of a more 'evidence-based' drug policy. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Scientific Literacy in Food Education: Gardening and Cooking in School

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Strohl, Carrie A.

Recent attention to socio-scientific issues such as sustainable agriculture, environmental responsibility and nutritional health has spurred a resurgence of public interest in gardening and cooking. Seen as contexts for fostering scientific literacy---the knowledge domains, methodological approaches, habits of mind and discourse practices that reflect one's understanding of the role of science in society, gardening and cooking are under-examined fields in science education, in part, because they are under-utilized pedagogies in school settings. Although learning gardens were used historically to foster many aspects of scientific literacy (e.g., cognitive knowledge, norms and methods of science, attitudes toward science and discourse of science), analysis of contemporary studies suggests that science learning in gardens focuses mainly on science knowledge alone. Using multiple conceptions of scientific literacy, I analyzed qualitative data to demonstrate how exploration, talk and text fostered scientific literacy in a school garden. Exploration prompted students to engage in scientific practices such as making observations and constructing explanations from evidence. Talk and text provided background knowledge and accurate information about agricultural, environmental and nutritional topics under study. Using a similar qualitative approach, I present a case study of a third grade teacher who explicitly taught food literacy through culinary arts instruction. Drawing on numerous contextual resources, this teacher created a classroom community of food practice through hands-on cooking lessons, guest chef demonstrations, and school-wide tasting events. As a result, she promoted six different types of knowledge (conceptual, procedural, dispositional, sensory, social, and communal) through leveraging contextual resources. This case study highlights how food literacy is largely contingent on often-overlooked mediators of food literacy: the relationships between participants, the activity, and the type of knowledge invoked. Scientific literacy in food education continues to be a topic of interest in the fields of public health and of sustainable agriculture, as well as to proponents of the local food movement. This dissertation begins to map a more cohesive and comprehensive approach to gardening and cooking implementation and research in school settings.

Common Infrastructure for Neo Scientific and Planetary Defense Missions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Adams, Robert; Wilks, Rodney

2009-01-01

While defending the Earth against collisions with asteroids and comets has garnered increasing attention over the past few decades, our knowledge of the threats and methods of mitigation remain inadequate. There exists a considerable gap in knowledge regarding the size, composition, location, internal structure and formation of near earth asteroids and comets. Although estimates have been made, critical experiments have not yet been conducted on the effectiveness of various proposed mitigation techniques. Closing this knowledge gap is of interest to both the planetary defense and planetary science communities. Increased scientific knowledge of asteroid and comet composition and structure can confirm or advance current theories about the formation of the solar system. This proposal suggests a joint effort between these two communities to provide an economical architecture that supports multiple launches of characterization and mitigation payloads with minimal response time. The science community can use this architecture for characterization missions of opportunity when multiple scientific targets or targets of uncommon scientific value present themselves, while the planetary defense community would be able to fire characterization or mitigation payloads at targets that present a threat to the Earth. Both communities would benefit from testing potential mitigation techniques, which would reveal information on the internal structure of asteroids and comets. In return, the Earth would have the beginnings of a viable response system should an impact threat prove real in the near future.

Students' Multi-Modal Re-Presentations of Scientific Knowledge and Creativity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Koren, Yitzhak; Klavir, Rama; Gorodetsky, Malka

2005-01-01

The paper brings the results of a project that passed on to students the opportunity for re-presenting their acquired knowledge via the construction of multi-modal "learning resources". These "learning resources" substituted for lectures and books and became the official learning sources in the classroom. The rational for the…

The art of talking about science: beginning to teach physiology students how to communicate with nonscientists.

PubMed

Petzold, Andrew M; Dunbar, Robert L

2018-06-01

The ability to clearly disseminate scientific knowledge is a skill that is necessary for any undergraduate student within the sciences. Traditionally, this is accomplished through the instruction of scientific presentation or writing with a focus on peer-to-peer communication at the expense of teaching communication aimed at a nonscientific audience. One of the ramifications of focusing on peer-to-peer communication has presented itself as an apprehension toward scientific knowledge within the general populace. This apprehension can be seen in a variety of venues, including the traditional media, popular culture, and education, which generally paint scientists as aloof and with an inability to discuss scientific issues to anyone other than other scientists. This paper describes a curriculum designed to teach Introduction to Anatomy and Physiology students the tools necessary for communicating complex concepts that were covered during the semester using approachable language. Students were assessed on their word usage in associated writing activities, the student's ability to reduce complexity of their statements, and performance in an informal scientific presentation to a lay audience. Results showed that this pedagogical approach has increased students' ability to reduce the complexity of their language in both a written and oral format. This, in turn, led to evaluators reporting greater levels of understanding of the topic presented following the presentation.

Semantic networks based on titles of scientific papers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pereira, H. B. B.; Fadigas, I. S.; Senna, V.; Moret, M. A.

2011-03-01

In this paper we study the topological structure of semantic networks based on titles of papers published in scientific journals. It discusses its properties and presents some reflections on how the use of social and complex network models can contribute to the diffusion of knowledge. The proposed method presented here is applied to scientific journals where the titles of papers are in English or in Portuguese. We show that the topology of studied semantic networks are small-world and scale-free.

"Plastic Pollution: Myths, Facts, and How You Can Help": Presenting a popular but poorly understood topic to broad and diverse audiences

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brandon, J. A.

2016-02-01

For my thesis research, I study marine debris, specifically in the North Pacific Subtropical Gyre, colloquially known as the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. Marine debris in general, and the Great Pacific Garbage Patch in particular, are marine pollution issues that have captured considerable public and media attention. Especially in the late 2000s, there were significantly more popular media articles about marine debris and the Great Pacific Garbage Patch than scientific journal articles. Due to this popular attention and lag in scientific publication, there are a lot of exaggerated facts and prevalent myths about marine debris in the public consciousness today. As a graduate student at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UCSD, I have been given many opportunities to speak to diverse audiences about marine debris. These groups vary in their base knowledge of the issue, from very knowledgeable, to unknowledgeable, to knowledgeable but misinformed about the issue. Over my three years in graduate school, building off a base presentation from a previous graduate student and techniques learned from the education department at Birch Aquarium, I have developed ways to correct some misinformation while not making the audience feel insulted. I correct misinformation while building up a correct base knowledge. This knowledge can be very depressing, as many modern scientific problems can be, but I end the presentation with ways in which the audience can feel empowered and can continue to educate themselves. Hopefully they leave with both knowledge and applicable lessons that they can implement into their lives.

Scaffolding Student Learning in the Discipline-Specific Knowledge through Contemporary Science Practices: Developing High-School Students' Epidemiologic Reasoning through Data Analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oura, Hiroki

Science is a disciplined practice about knowing puzzling observations and unknown phenomena. Scientific knowledge of the product is applied to develop technological artifacts and solve complex problems in society. Scientific practices are undeniably relevant to our economy, civic activity, and personal lives, and thus public education should help children acquire scientific knowledge and recognize the values in relation to their own lives and civil society. Likewise, developing scientific thinking skills is valuable not only for becoming a scientist, but also for becoming a citizen who is able to critically evaluate everyday information, select and apply only the trustworthy, and make wise judgments in their personal and cultural goals as well as for obtaining jobs that require complex problem solving and creative working in the current knowledge-based economy and rapid-changing world. To develop students' scientific thinking, science instruction should focus not only on scientific knowledge and inquiry processes, but also on its epistemological aspects including the forms of causal explanations and methodological choices along with epistemic aims and values under the social circumstances in focal practices. In this perspective, disciplinary knowledge involves heterogeneous elements including material, cognitive, social, and cultural ones and the formation differs across practices. Without developing such discipline-specific knowledge, students cannot enough deeply engage in scientific "practices" and understand the true values of scientific enterprises. In this interest, this dissertation explores instructional approaches to make student engagement in scientific investigations more authentic or disciplinary. The present dissertation work is comprised of three research questions as stand-alone studies written for separate publication. All of the studies discuss different theoretical aspects related to disciplinary engagement in epidemiologic inquiry and student development in epidemiologic reasoning. The first chapter reviews literature on epistemological instruction and explores theoretical frameworks for epistemically-guided instruction. The second chapter explores methodological strategies to elicit students' disciplinary understanding and demonstrates an approach with a case study in which students engaged in a curriculum unit for an epidemiologic investigation. The last chapter directs the focus into scientific reasoning and demonstrates how the curriculum unit and its scaffolds helped students develop epidemiologic reasoning with a focus on population-based reasoning.

Secret Science: Exploring Cold War Greenland

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harper, K.

2013-12-01

During the early Cold War - from the immediate postwar period through the 1960s - the United States military carried out extensive scientific studies and pursued technological developments in Greenland. With few exceptions, most of these were classified - sometimes because new scientific knowledge was born classified, but mostly because the reasons behind the scientific explorations were. Meteorological and climatological, ionospheric, glaciological, seismological, and geological studies were among the geophysical undertakings carried out by military and civilian scientists--some in collaboration with the Danish government, and some carried out without their knowledge. This poster will present some of the results of the Exploring Greenland Project that is coming to a conclusion at Denmark's Aarhus University.

Climate Change, Capitalism, and Citizen Science: Developing a dialectical framework for examining volunteer participation in climate change research

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wixom, Joshua A.

This dissertation discusses the complex social relations that link citizen science, scientific literacy, and the dissemination of information to the public. Scientific information is not produced in value-neutral settings by people removed from their social context. Instead, science is a social pursuit and the scientist's social context is embedded in the knowledge produced. Additionally, the dissemination of this information via numerous media outlets is filtered through institutional lenses and subject to journalistic norms. As a result, the general public must be able to recognize the inherent biases in this information. Yet, the rates of scientific literacy in the U.S. are quite low, which suggests that people may not be capable of fully understanding the biases present. Furthermore, people tend to seek out sources that reinforce their values and personal perspectives, thus reinforcing their own biases. Improving scientific literacy allows people to see past these biases and translate media narratives in order to comprehend the facts and evidence presented to them. Citizen science is both an epistemological tool used by scientists to collect and interpret scientific data and a means to improve the scientific literacy of participants. Citizen science programs have the ability to generate real knowledge and improve the critical thinking skills necessary for the general public to interpret scientific information.

Measuring Knowledge, Attitudes and Behaviours Concerning Sustainable Development among Tenth Grade Students in Manitoba

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Michalos, Alex C.; Creech, Heather; Swayze, Natalie; Kahlke, P. Maurine; Buckler, Carolee; Rempel, Karen

2012-01-01

In this paper we present standardized measures of tenth grade students' knowledge, attitudes and behaviours concerning sustainable development as those concepts are understood in the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, and we test the hypothesis that knowledge and favourable attitudes toward SD lead to favourable…

Undergraduate honors students' images of science: Nature of scientific work and scientific knowledge

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wallace, Michael L.

This exploratory study assessed the influence of an implicit, inquiry-oriented nature of science (NOS) instructional approach undertaken in an interdisciplinary college science course on undergraduate honor students' (UHS) understanding of the aspects of NOS for scientific work and scientific knowledge. In this study, the nature of scientific work concentrated upon the delineation of science from pseudoscience and the value scientists place on reproducibility. The nature of scientific knowledge concentrated upon how UHS view scientific theories and how they believe scientists utilize scientific theories in their research. The 39 UHS who participated in the study were non-science majors enrolled in a Honors College sponsored interdisciplinary science course where the instructors took an implicit NOS instructional approach. An open-ended assessment instrument, the UFO Scenario, was designed for the course and used to assess UHS' images of science at the beginning and end of the semester. The mixed-design study employed both qualitative and quantitative techniques to analyze the open-ended responses. The qualitative techniques of open and axial coding were utilized to find recurring themes within UHS' responses. McNemar's chi-square test for two dependent samples was used to identify whether any statistically significant changes occurred within responses from the beginning to the end of the semester. At the start of the study, the majority of UHS held mixed NOS views, but were able to accurately define what a scientific theory is and explicate how scientists utilize theories within scientific research. Postinstruction assessment indicated that UHS did not make significant gains in their understanding of the nature of scientific work or scientific knowledge and their overall images of science remained static. The results of the present study found implicit NOS instruction even with an extensive inquiry-oriented component was an ineffective approach for modifying UHS' images of science towards a more informed view of NOS.

The Effects of Video Feedback Coaching for Teachers on Scientific Knowledge of Primary Students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

van Vondel, Sabine; Steenbeek, Henderien; van Dijk, Marijn; van Geert, Paul

2017-04-01

The present study was aimed at investigating the effects of a video feedback coaching intervention for upper-grade primary school teachers on students' cognitive gains in scientific knowledge. This teaching intervention was designed with the use of inquiry-based learning principles for teachers, such as the empirical cycle and the posing of thought-provoking questions. The intervention was put into practice in 10 upper-grade classrooms. The trajectory comprised four lessons, complemented with two premeasures and two postmeasures. The control condition consisted of 11 upper-grade teachers and their students. The success of the intervention was tested using an established standardized achievement test and situated measures. In this way, by means of premeasure and postmeasure questionnaires and video data, an assessment could be made of the change in students' scientific knowledge before, during, and after the intervention. In this study, we primarily focused on the dynamics of students' real-time expressions of scientific knowledge in the classroom. Important indicators of the effect of the intervention were found. Through focusing on the number of explanations and predictions, a significant increase could be seen in the proportion of students' utterances displaying scientific understanding in the intervention condition. In addition, students in the intervention condition more often reasoned on higher complexity levels than students in the control condition. No effect was found for students' scientific knowledge as measured with a standardized achievement test. Implications for future studies are stressed, as well as the importance of enriching the evaluation of intervention studies by focusing on dynamics in the classroom.

IMP series report/bibliography

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

King, J. H.

1971-01-01

The main characteristics of the IMP spacecraft and experiments are considered and the scientific knowledge gained is presented in the form of abstracts of scientific papers using IMP data. Spacecraft characteristics, including temporal and spatial coverages, are presented followed by an annotated bibliography. Experiments conducted on all IMP's (including prelaunch IMP's H and J) are described. Figures are presented showing the time histories, through the end of 1970, of magnetic field, plasma, and energetic particle experiments.

Information retrieval, critical appraisal and knowledge of evidence-based dentistry among Finnish dental students.

PubMed

Nieminen, P; Virtanen, J I

2017-11-01

One of the core skills of competent dentist is the ability to search and analyse high-quality evidence. Problems in understanding the basic aspects of knowledge-based information may impede its implementation into clinical practice. We examined how Finnish dental students acquire scientific information and how familiar they are with methods for evaluating scientific evidence related to clinical questions. All fifth-year dental students (n = 120) at the three universities in Finland received a self-administered questionnaire. The three most commonly used sources of information were colleagues, the commercial Health Gate Portal for dental practitioners and personal lecture notes. Although students rarely read scientific journals, they did find that they possess at least passable or even good skills in literature retrieval. Three questions related to the appraisal of evidence in dentistry revealed that students' knowledge of evidence-based dentistry was inadequate to critically evaluate clinical research findings. Most students seem to lack knowledge of key methodological evidence-based terms. The present curricula in dental schools fail to encourage the students to search and acquire knowledge wider than their patients themselves do. Universities have the responsibility to teach dentists various methods of critical appraisal to cope with scientific information. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Patterns in Students' Argumentation Confronted with a Risk-focused Socio-scientific Issue

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kolstø, Stein Dankert

2006-11-01

This paper reports a qualitative study on students’ informal reasoning on a controversial socio-scientific issue. Twenty-two students from four science classes in Norway were interviewed about the local construction of new power lines and the possible increased risk of childhood leukaemia. The focus in the study is on what arguments the students employ when asked about their decision-making and the interplay between knowledge and personal values. Five different types of main arguments are identified: the relative risk argument, the precautionary argument, the uncertainty argument, the small risk argument, and the pros and cons argument. These arguments are presented through case studies, and crucial information and values are identified for each argument. The students made use of a range of both scientific and non-scientific knowledge. The findings are discussed in relation to possible consequences for teaching models aimed at increasing students’ ability to make thoughtful decisions on socio-scientific issues.

Science literacy and academic identity formulation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reveles, John M.; Cordova, Ralph; Kelly, Gregory J.

2004-12-01

The purpose of this article is to report findings from an ethnographic study that focused on the co-development of science literacy and academic identity formulation within a third-grade classroom. Our theoretical framework draws from sociocultural theory and studies of scientific literacy. Through analysis of classroom discourse, we identified opportunities afforded students to learn specific scientific knowledge and practices during a series of science investigations. The results of this study suggest that the collective practice of the scientific conversations and activities that took place within this classroom enabled students to engage in the construction of communal science knowledge through multiple textual forms. By examining the ways in which students contributed to the construction of scientific understanding, and then by examining their performances within and across events, we present evidence of the co-development of students' academic identities and scientific literacy. Students' communication and participation in science during the investigations enabled them to learn the structure of the discipline by identifying and engaging in scientific activities. The intersection of academic identities with the development of scientific literacy provides a basis for considering specific ways to achieve scientific literacy for all students.

Stepping into the Unknown: Three Models for the Teaching and Learning of the Opening Sections of Scientific Articles

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Falk, Hedda; Yarden, Anat

2011-01-01

Different genres of scientific articles have begun to diffuse into science curricula. Among them, adapted primary literature (APL) retains the characteristics of scientific research articles, while adapting their contents to the knowledge level of students in the 11th to 12th grades. We present three models for the teaching and learning of the…

Nature of Science, Scientific Inquiry, and Socio-Scientific Issues Arising from Genetics: A Pathway to Developing a Scientifically Literate Citizenry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lederman, Norman G.; Antink, Allison; Bartos, Stephen

2014-02-01

The primary focus of this article is to illustrate how teachers can use contemporary socio-scientific issues to teach students about nature of scientific knowledge as well as address the science subject matter embedded in the issues. The article provides an initial discussion about the various aspects of nature of scientific knowledge that are addressed. It is important to remember that the aspects of nature of scientific knowledge are not considered to be a comprehensive list, but rather a set of important ideas for adolescent students to learn about scientific knowledge. These ideas have been advocated as important for secondary students by numerous reform documents internationally. Then, several examples are used to illustrate how genetically based socio-scientific issues can be used by teachers to improve students' understandings of the discussed aspects of nature of scientific knowledge.

Ethics, Collaboration, and Presentation Methods for Local and Traditional Knowledge for Understanding Arctic Change

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Parsons, M. A.; Gearheard, S.; McNeave, C.

2009-12-01

Local and traditional knowledge (LTK) provides rich information about the Arctic environment at spatial and temporal scales that scientific knowledge often does not have access to (e.g. localized observations of fine-scale ecological change potentially from many different communities, or local sea ice and conditions prior to 1950s ice charts and 1970s satellite records). Community-based observations and monitoring are an opportunity for Arctic residents to provide ‘frontline’ observations and measurements that are an early warning system for Arctic change. The Exchange for Local Observations and Knowledge of the Arctic (ELOKA) was established in response to the growing number of community-based and community-oriented research and observation projects in the Arctic. ELOKA provides data management and user support to facilitate the collection, preservation, exchange, and use of local observations and knowledge. Managing these data presents unique ethical challenges in terms of appropriate use of rare human knowledge and ensuring that knowledge is not lost from the local communities and not exploited in ways antithetical to community culture and desires. Local Arctic residents must be engaged as true collaborative partners while respecting their perspectives, which may vary substantially from a western science perspective. At the same time, we seek to derive scientific meaning from the local knowledge that can be used in conjunction with quantitative science data. This creates new challenges in terms of data presentation, knowledge representations, and basic issues of metadata. This presentation reviews these challenges, some initial approaches to addressing them, and overall lessons learned and future directions.

Contemporary Science and Worldview-Making

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cordero, Alberto

2009-01-01

This paper discusses the impact of contemporary scientific knowledge on worldviews. The first three sections provide epistemological background for the arguments that follow. Sections 2 and 3 discuss the reliable part of science, specifically the characterization, scope and limits of the present scientific canon. Section 4 deals with the mode of…

Putting Science Literacy on Display

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hayman, Arlene; Hoppe, Carole; Deniz, Hasan

2012-01-01

Imagine a classroom where students are actively engaged in seeking scientific knowledge from books and computers. Think of a classroom in which students fervently write to create PowerPoint presentations about their scientific topic and then enthusiastically practice their speaking roles to serve as docents in a classroom museum setting. Visualize…

An approach to development of ontological knowledge base in the field of scientific and research activity in Russia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Murtazina, M. Sh; Avdeenko, T. V.

2018-05-01

The state of art and the progress in application of semantic technologies in the field of scientific and research activity have been analyzed. Even elementary empirical comparison has shown that the semantic search engines are superior in all respects to conventional search technologies. However, semantic information technologies are insufficiently used in the field of scientific and research activity in Russia. In present paper an approach to construction of ontological model of knowledge base is proposed. The ontological model is based on the upper-level ontology and the RDF mechanism for linking several domain ontologies. The ontological model is implemented in the Protégé environment.

ForistomApp a Web application for scientific and technological information management of Forsitom foundation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saavedra-Duarte, L. A.; Angarita-Jerardino, A.; Ruiz, P. A.; Dulce-Moreno, H. J.; Vera-Rivera, F. H.; V-Niño, E. D.

2017-12-01

Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) are essential in the transfer of knowledge, and the Web tools, as part of ICT, are important for institutions seeking greater visibility of the products developed by their researchers. For this reason, we implemented an application that allows the information management of the FORISTOM Foundation (Foundation of Researchers in Science and Technology of Materials). The application shows a detailed description, not only of all its members also of all the scientific production that they carry out, such as technological developments, research projects, articles, presentations, among others. This application can be implemented by other entities committed to the scientific dissemination and transfer of technology and knowledge.

Disease management research using event graphs.

PubMed

Allore, H G; Schruben, L W

2000-08-01

Event Graphs, conditional representations of stochastic relationships between discrete events, simulate disease dynamics. In this paper, we demonstrate how Event Graphs, at an appropriate abstraction level, also extend and organize scientific knowledge about diseases. They can identify promising treatment strategies and directions for further research and provide enough detail for testing combinations of new medicines and interventions. Event Graphs can be enriched to incorporate and validate data and test new theories to reflect an expanding dynamic scientific knowledge base and establish performance criteria for the economic viability of new treatments. To illustrate, an Event Graph is developed for mastitis, a costly dairy cattle disease, for which extensive scientific literature exists. With only a modest amount of imagination, the methodology presented here can be seen to apply modeling to any disease, human, plant, or animal. The Event Graph simulation presented here is currently being used in research and in a new veterinary epidemiology course. Copyright 2000 Academic Press.

Tall girls: the social shaping of a medical therapy.

PubMed

Lee, Joyce M; Howell, Joel D

2006-10-01

During the latter half of the 20th century, estrogen therapy was administered to prevent otherwise healthy girls with tall stature from becoming tall adults by inhibiting further linear growth. We explore how decisions to treat tall girls with estrogen were influenced by both scientific knowledge and sociologic norms. Estrogen therapy represented the logical application of scientific knowledge regarding the role of estrogen for closure of the growth plates, but it also reflected prevailing societal and political beliefs about what it meant to be a tall girl. We discuss the rise and fall in popularity of this therapy and suggest that insight into the present-day treatment of short stature can be gained by comparing the use of estrogen therapy for tall girls with the use of growth hormone therapy for short boys. We suggest that this case study illustrates how scientific knowledge is always created and applied within a particular social context.

The ethical duty to preserve the quality of scientific information

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arattano, Massimo; Gatti, Albertina; Eusebio, Elisa

2016-04-01

The commitment to communicate and divulge the knowledge acquired during his/her professional activity is certainly one of the ethical duties of the geologist. However nowadays, in the Internet era, the spreading of knowledge involves potential risks that the geologist should be aware of. These risks require a careful analysis aimed to mitigate their effects. The Internet may in fact contribute to spread (e.g. through websites like Wikipedia) information badly or even incorrectly presented. The final result could be an impediment to the diffusion of knowledge and a reduction of its effectiveness, which is precisely the opposite of the goal that a geologist should pursue. Specific criteria aimed to recognize incorrect or inadequate information would be, therefore, extremely useful. Their development and application might avoid, or at least reduce, the above mentioned risk. Ideally, such criteria could be also used to develop specific algorithms to automatically verify the quality of information available all over the Internet. A possible criterion will be here presented for the quality control of knowledge and scientific information. An example of its application in the field of geology will be provided, to verify and correct a piece of information available on the Internet. The proposed criterion could be also used for the simplification of the scientific information and the increase of its informative efficacy.

Science, Law, and the Pursuit of Knowledge: Should Unethical Research Be Considered for Scientific Knowledge?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moore, Randy

2002-01-01

Describes similarities and differences between science and law in terms of truth, validity of facts, objectives, and research designs. Discusses ethical issues in teaching science and law and presents two case studies, Nazi hypothermia research and phosgene. (KHR)

Metallic iron for safe drinking water provision: Considering a lost knowledge.

PubMed

Mwakabona, Hezron T; Ndé-Tchoupé, Arnaud Igor; Njau, Karoli N; Noubactep, Chicgoua; Wydra, Kerstin D

2017-06-15

Around year 1890, the technology of using metallic iron (Fe 0 ) for safe drinking water provision was already established in Europe. The science and technology to manufacture suitable Fe 0 materials were known and further developed in this period. Scientists had then developed skills to (i) explore the suitability of individual Fe 0 materials (e.g. iron filling, sponge iron) for selected applications, and (ii) establish treatment processes for households and water treatment plants. The recent (1990) discovery of Fe 0 as reactive agent for environmental remediation and water treatment has not yet considered this ancient knowledge. In the present work, some key aspects of the ancient knowledge are presented together with some contemporised interpretations, in an attempt to demonstrate the scientific truth contained therein. It appears that the ancient knowledge is an independent validation of the scientific concept that in water treatment (Fe 0 /H 2 O system) Fe 0 materials are generators of contaminant collectors. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Klimanavigator - Climate Navigator - Gateway to climate knowledge in Germany

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schuck-Zöller, Susanne

2013-04-01

Objective More than 50 German research institutions and networks are represented on www.klimanavigator.de, a common platform, where information about their work, and the latest findings from climate research and adaptation can be found. Thus Klimanavigator as a gateway to climate knowledge provides a information portal for those who have to respond to climate change. The internet portal gives an overview of the present state of research and is estimated as a decision support tool for appropriate mitigation and adaptation measures. Target Groups The portal collects the German climate research institutions to publish their scientific knowledge in a non-scientific language. Economists, policymakers, administration and the media are bound to find the names of scientific experts and institutions by an elaborated research tool. Methodology The chapter "Dossiers" is edited by the Klimanavigator-Coordinator CSC. It gathers information to a special issue looked upon from various points of view. Publications of outstanding German scientists are presented side by side, current knowledge is being synthesized, scientifically reviewed and disseminated. The latest news from climate and adaptation research is presented in an own chapter, dedicated to the press releases of the portal members. Via RSS-feed the press releases are collected from the different partner institutions. Thirdly, portraits of the member institutions, that are individually edited by themselves, draw a map of science in Germany and help to find appropriate cooperation partners. For the future further development is being planned. Common Management Klimanavigator is being managed by the partners in common. The main decisions concerning the concept and shape of the portal are made by the partners' assembly. An elected editorial committee decides about the content between the assemblies. The Climate Service Center (part of the Helmholtz-Zentrum Geesthacht) concentrates on facilitating the cooperation, and delivering the technical support. Results/Outcome/Products Map and navigator of climate and adaptation science in Germany Representation of science in Germany and Germany as a country of science Synthesis of knowledge Network of science institutions and projects Decision support tool

The spiral of scientific culture and cultural well-being: Brazil and Ibero-America.

PubMed

Vogt, Carlos

2012-01-01

The set of factors, events and actions of mankind in the social processes dedicated to the production the dissemination, the teaching and the publication of scientific knowledge constitutes the conditions for the development of a particular type of culture, quite commonplace in the contemporary world, which may be called scientific culture. In this article, we intend to present the representation of the dynamics of this area of knowledge in the form of a spiral: The Spiral of Scientific Culture. Also, we introduce the term cultural well-being--the kind of comfort, other than the social well-being, which has to do with society's relationships with the technosciences, involving values and attitudes, habits and information, and presupposing an actively critical participation on the part of that society in the totality of these relationships.

NASA Applied Sciences Program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Frederick, Martin

2006-01-01

This presentation highlights the NASA Applied Sciences Program. The goal of the program is to extend the results of scientific research and knowledge beyond the science community to contribute to NASA's partners' applications of national priority, such as agricultural efficiency, energy management and Homeland Security. Another purpose of the program's scientific research is to increase knowledge of the Earth-Sun system to enable improved predictions of climate, weather, and natural hazards. The program primarily optimizes benefits for citizens by contributing to partnering on applications that are used by state, local and tribal governments.

Relationship between scientific knowledge and fortune-telling.

PubMed

Shein, Paichi Pat; Li, Yuh-Yuh; Huang, Tai-Chu

2014-10-01

This study takes on a relational and situated perspective to understand the relationship between scientific knowledge and fortune-telling. Measures included socio-demographic characteristics, knowledge of scientific facts and methods, and fortune-telling beliefs and practices. A sample of 1863 adults was drawn from a population of Taiwanese citizens using the method of probability proportional to size. The findings showed that knowledge of scientific methods was negatively associated with fortune-telling beliefs. However, knowledge of scientific facts was, by and large, positively associated with engagement in fortune-telling practices, a phenomenon known as cognitive polyphasia. This study does not imply that science communication or education have no effect on promoting scientific knowledge; rather, it hopes to encourage researchers and practitioners to use a culturally sensitive lens to rethink the role of science in society and its relationship with other forms of knowledge and belief. © The Author(s) 2014.

[The nurse's thought for a significant social contribution by the production and use of scientific knowledge].

PubMed

Pépin, Jacinthe

2015-06-01

The social contribution of nurses to the health of the population is mainly defined by the knowledge supporting their actions. Conceptualization in nursing guides the production and utilisation of scientific knowledge within the discipline. The purpose of this paper is to present the recent thoughts on nursing theory and to provide some strategies to integrate them within the activities of knowledge mobilization, in practice, research, and education. When nurses are engaged in mobilizing theoretical and empirical knowledge in answering nursing practice questions and in discussing social health issues, they participate in persons, families, and communities health improvement, while affirming their disciplinary and social identity. Called to be change agents in health care systems, with other professional team members, it is important that nurses be prepared to mobilize knowledge and to engage in critical reasoning, and ethical conduct. Their social contribution will be as strong as the value they assign to nursing knowledge and their participation in producing it.

An Ontology for Representing Geoscience Theories and Related Knowledge

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brodaric, B.

2009-12-01

Online scientific research, or e-science, is increasingly reliant on machine-readable representations of scientific data and knowledge. At present, much of the knowledge is represented in ontologies, which typically contain geoscience categories such as ‘water body’, ‘aquifer’, ‘granite’, ‘temperature’, ‘density’, ‘Co2’. While extremely useful for many e-science activities, such categorical representations constitute only a fragment of geoscience knowledge. Also needed are online representations of elements such as geoscience theories, to enable geoscientists to pose and evaluate hypotheses online. To address this need, the Science Knowledge Infrastructure ontology (SKIo) specializes the DOLCE foundational ontology with basic science knowledge primitives such as theory, model, observation, and prediction. Discussed will be SKIo as well as its implementation in the geosciences, including case studies from marine science, environmental science, and geologic mapping. These case studies demonstrate SKIo’s ability to represent a wide spectrum of geoscience knowledge types, to help fuel next generation e-science.

Seeing Science in Haiku: Primary Students Explore Connections between Science and Writing

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Burrow, Lauren E.

2016-01-01

To achieve widespread, well-received knowledge dissemination, scientific writing must be precise, persuasive, and presentable. Thus, by definition, haiku writing is a logical choice by which to introduce young learners to effective scientific writing. In its traditional form, "haiku" is a Japanese poem intended for comparing imagery in…

Consumer Perception of Genetically Modified Organisms and Sources of Information123

PubMed Central

Wunderlich, Shahla; Gatto, Kelsey A

2015-01-01

Genetically modified organisms (GMOs) have been available for commercial purchase since the 1990s, allowing producers to increase crop yields through bioengineering that creates herbicide-resistant and insect-resistant varieties. However, consumer knowledge about GMOs has not increased at the same rate as the adoption of GMO crops. Consumers worldwide are displaying limited understanding, misconceptions, and even unfamiliarity with GMO food products. Many consumers report that they receive information about GMO food products from the media, Internet, and other news sources. These sources may be less reliable than scientific experts whom consumers trust more to present the facts. Although many in the United States support mandatory GMO labeling (similar to current European standards), consumer awareness of current GMO labeling is low. A distinction must also be made between GMO familiarity and scientific understanding, because those who are more familiar with it tend to be more resistant to bioengineering, whereas those with higher scientific knowledge scores tend to have less negative attitudes toward GMOs. This brings to question the relation between scientific literacy, sources of information, and overall consumer knowledge and perception of GMO foods. PMID:26567205

Between physics and metaphysics: structure as a boundary concept.

PubMed

Tau, Ramiro

2015-03-01

The notion of structure is found to be used in a great number of theories, scientific research programs and world views. However, its uses and definitions are as diverse as the objects of the scientific disciplines where it can be found. Without trying to recreate the structuralist aspiration from the mid XX century, which believed to have found in this notion a common transdisciplinary language, I discuss a specific aspect of this concept that could be considered a constant in different perspectives. This aspect refers to the location of the notions of structure as boundaries in the different scientific theories. With this, I try to argue that the definition or presentation of a structure configures in itself the frontier for scientific knowledge, defining at the same time implied ontological assumptions. In order to discuss this hypothesis, and taking into consideration the double origin of contemporary notions of structure -the mathematical and linguistic line-, I revise several theoretical perspectives which made explicit the relation between structures and knowledge, and their relation with the real: the arguments on physical knowledge by Eddington, structural anthropology, structural linguistics, Lacanian psychoanalysis and Piaget's genetic psychology.

Associations Between Attitudes Towards Science and Children's Evaluation of Information About Socioscientific Issues

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xiao, Sihan; Sandoval, William A.

2017-05-01

Science educators are typically dismayed by the failure of students to use relevant scientific knowledge when reasoning about socioscientific issues. Except for the well-documented association between having more knowledge about a topic and a tendency to use that knowledge, the influences on students' evaluation of information in socioscientific issues are not well understood. This study presents an initial investigation into the associations between upper elementary students' attitudes towards science and their evaluation of information about a socioscientific issue. We surveyed the science attitudes of 49 sixth grade students and then asked them to evaluate information about a socioscientific issue (alternative energy use). Positive attitudes were associated with a more scientific approach to evaluating information in the task. When trying to make judgments, students with generally positive attitudes towards science were more likely to attend to scientific information than other sources. Scientific information, nonetheless, served a variety of socially oriented goals in students' evaluations. These findings warrant further research on the relationship between science attitudes and reasoning about socioscientific issues and support the argument for connecting school science more clearly with everyday concerns.

Epistemology and Science Education: A Study of Epistemological Views of Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Apostolou, Alexandros; Koulaidis, Vasilis

2010-01-01

The aim of this paper is to study the epistemological views of science teachers for the following epistemological issues: scientific method, demarcation of scientific knowledge, change of scientific knowledge and the status of scientific knowledge. Teachers' views for each one of these epistemological questions were investigated during…

Community Intelligence in Knowledge Curation: An Application to Managing Scientific Nomenclature

PubMed Central

Zou, Dong; Li, Ang; Liu, Guocheng; Chen, Fei; Wu, Jiayan; Xiao, Jingfa; Wang, Xumin; Yu, Jun; Zhang, Zhang

2013-01-01

Harnessing community intelligence in knowledge curation bears significant promise in dealing with communication and education in the flood of scientific knowledge. As knowledge is accumulated at ever-faster rates, scientific nomenclature, a particular kind of knowledge, is concurrently generated in all kinds of fields. Since nomenclature is a system of terms used to name things in a particular discipline, accurate translation of scientific nomenclature in different languages is of critical importance, not only for communications and collaborations with English-speaking people, but also for knowledge dissemination among people in the non-English-speaking world, particularly young students and researchers. However, it lacks of accuracy and standardization when translating scientific nomenclature from English to other languages, especially for those languages that do not belong to the same language family as English. To address this issue, here we propose for the first time the application of community intelligence in scientific nomenclature management, namely, harnessing collective intelligence for translation of scientific nomenclature from English to other languages. As community intelligence applied to knowledge curation is primarily aided by wiki and Chinese is the native language for about one-fifth of the world’s population, we put the proposed application into practice, by developing a wiki-based English-to-Chinese Scientific Nomenclature Dictionary (ESND; http://esnd.big.ac.cn). ESND is a wiki-based, publicly editable and open-content platform, exploiting the whole power of the scientific community in collectively and collaboratively managing scientific nomenclature. Based on community curation, ESND is capable of achieving accurate, standard, and comprehensive scientific nomenclature, demonstrating a valuable application of community intelligence in knowledge curation. PMID:23451119

Community intelligence in knowledge curation: an application to managing scientific nomenclature.

PubMed

Dai, Lin; Xu, Chao; Tian, Ming; Sang, Jian; Zou, Dong; Li, Ang; Liu, Guocheng; Chen, Fei; Wu, Jiayan; Xiao, Jingfa; Wang, Xumin; Yu, Jun; Zhang, Zhang

2013-01-01

Harnessing community intelligence in knowledge curation bears significant promise in dealing with communication and education in the flood of scientific knowledge. As knowledge is accumulated at ever-faster rates, scientific nomenclature, a particular kind of knowledge, is concurrently generated in all kinds of fields. Since nomenclature is a system of terms used to name things in a particular discipline, accurate translation of scientific nomenclature in different languages is of critical importance, not only for communications and collaborations with English-speaking people, but also for knowledge dissemination among people in the non-English-speaking world, particularly young students and researchers. However, it lacks of accuracy and standardization when translating scientific nomenclature from English to other languages, especially for those languages that do not belong to the same language family as English. To address this issue, here we propose for the first time the application of community intelligence in scientific nomenclature management, namely, harnessing collective intelligence for translation of scientific nomenclature from English to other languages. As community intelligence applied to knowledge curation is primarily aided by wiki and Chinese is the native language for about one-fifth of the world's population, we put the proposed application into practice, by developing a wiki-based English-to-Chinese Scientific Nomenclature Dictionary (ESND; http://esnd.big.ac.cn). ESND is a wiki-based, publicly editable and open-content platform, exploiting the whole power of the scientific community in collectively and collaboratively managing scientific nomenclature. Based on community curation, ESND is capable of achieving accurate, standard, and comprehensive scientific nomenclature, demonstrating a valuable application of community intelligence in knowledge curation.

[Visual representation of biological structures in teaching material].

PubMed

Morato, M A; Struchiner, M; Bordoni, E; Ricciardi, R M

1998-01-01

Parameters must be defined for presenting and handling scientific information presented in the form of teaching materials. Through library research and consultations with specialists in the health sciences and in graphic arts and design, this study undertook a comparative description of the first examples of scientific illustrations of anatomy and the evolution of visual representations of knowledge on the cell. The study includes significant examples of illustrations which served as elements of analysis.

Wilderness and well-being: Complexity, time, and psychological growth

Treesearch

Joar Vitterso

2002-01-01

This paper presents the argument for interdisciplinary wilderness research. The idea of interdisciplinarity is grounded in theories of emotion and psychological growth that are compatible with basic knowledge in other scientific disciplines, and in particular with concepts related to evolution. Considering humans as biological knowledge systems, designed by natural...

Educational Theory in an Era of Knowledge Capitalism

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lundahl, Lisbeth

2012-01-01

Two related aspects of the present "knowledge capitalism" stage of globalisation are discussed in this article: the transformation of education to make it more directly supportive of educational growth and competition, and the growing demands on educational research to provide scientific evidence for education policy and practice, using narrowly…

Learning from the First Australians

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Palmer, Bill

1992-01-01

The wiser of the early European settlers and explorers used Aboriginal knowledge of the local flora and fauna to build up Western scientific knowledge of an unknown continent. And this process continues. This article briefly presents some of the many aboriginal technological inventions and refers to the uncanny ability of Aboriginal people to find…

A rule-based named-entity recognition method for knowledge extraction of evidence-based dietary recommendations

PubMed Central

2017-01-01

Evidence-based dietary information represented as unstructured text is a crucial information that needs to be accessed in order to help dietitians follow the new knowledge arrives daily with newly published scientific reports. Different named-entity recognition (NER) methods have been introduced previously to extract useful information from the biomedical literature. They are focused on, for example extracting gene mentions, proteins mentions, relationships between genes and proteins, chemical concepts and relationships between drugs and diseases. In this paper, we present a novel NER method, called drNER, for knowledge extraction of evidence-based dietary information. To the best of our knowledge this is the first attempt at extracting dietary concepts. DrNER is a rule-based NER that consists of two phases. The first one involves the detection and determination of the entities mention, and the second one involves the selection and extraction of the entities. We evaluate the method by using text corpora from heterogeneous sources, including text from several scientifically validated web sites and text from scientific publications. Evaluation of the method showed that drNER gives good results and can be used for knowledge extraction of evidence-based dietary recommendations. PMID:28644863

Scientific Habits of Mind in Virtual Worlds

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Steinkuehler, Constance; Duncan, Sean

2008-12-01

In today's increasingly "flat" world of globalization (Friedman 2005), the need for a scientifically literate citizenry has grown more urgent. Yet, by some measures, we have done a poor job at fostering scientific habits of mind in schools. Recent research on informal games-based learning indicates that such technologies and the communities they evoke may be one viable alternative—not as a substitute for teachers and classrooms, but as an alternative to textbooks and science labs. This paper presents empirical evidence about the potential of games for fostering scientific habits of mind. In particular, we examine the scientific habits of mind and dispositions that characterize online discussion forums of the massively multiplayer online game World of Warcraft. Eighty-six percent of the forum discussions were posts engaged in "social knowledge construction" rather than social banter. Over half of the posts evidenced systems based reasoning, one in ten evidenced model-based reasoning, and 65% displayed an evaluative epistemology in which knowledge is treated as an open-ended process of evaluation and argument.

Mapping the Sloan Digital Sky Survey's Global Impact

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Chaomei; Zhang, Jian; Vogeley, Michael S.

2009-07-01

The scientific capacity of a country is essential in todayâ's increasingly globalized science and technology ecosystem. Scientific capacity has four increasingly advanced levels of capabilities: absorbing, applying, creating, and retaining scientific knowledge. Moving to a advanced level requires additional skills and training. For example, it requires more specialized skills to apply scientific knowledge than to absorb knowledge. Similarly, making new discoveries requires more knowledge than applying existing procedures. Research has shown the importance of addressing specific, local problems while tapping into globally available expertise and resources. Accessing scientific knowledge is the first step towards absorbing knowledge. Low-income countries have increased their access to scientific literature on the Internet, but to what extent has this access led to more advanced levels of scientific capacity? Interdisciplinary and international collaboration may hold the key to creating and retaining knowledge. For example, creative ideas tend to be associated with inspirations originated from a diverse range of perspectives On the other hand, not all collaborations are productive. Assessing global science and technology needs to address both successes and failures and reasons behind them.

How can we transfer scientific knowledge to citizens? : Case studies from huge earthquake and tsunami researches

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kitazato, Hiroshi; Kijima, Akihiro; Kogure, Kazuhiro; Fujikura, Katsunori

2017-04-01

On March 11, 2011, huge earthquake and tsunamis took place coastal regions of Northeast Japan. Coastal infrastructure collapsed due to high waves of tsunamis. Marine ecosystems were also strongly disturbed by the earthquakes and tsunamis. TEAMS (Tohoku Ecosystem-Associated Marine Sciences) has started for monitoring recovering process of marine ecosystems. The project continues ten years. First five years are mainly monitored recovery process, then we should transfer our knowledge to fishermen and citizens for restoration of fishery and social systems. But, how can we actually transfer our knowledge from science to citizens? This is new experience for us. Socio-technology constructs a "high quality risk communication" model how scientific knowledge or technologies from scientific communities to citizens. They are progressing as follows, "observation, measurements and data", → "modeling and synthesis" → "information process" → "delivery to society" → " take action in society". These steps show detailed transition from inter-disciplinarity to trans-disciplinarity in science and technology. In our presentation, we plan to show a couple of case studies that are going forward from science to society.

Effects of Scaffolds and Scientific Reasoning Ability on Web-Based Scientific Inquiry

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wu, Hui-Ling; Weng, Hsiao-Lan; She, Hsiao-Ching

2016-01-01

This study examined how background knowledge, scientific reasoning ability, and various scaffolding forms influenced students' science knowledge and scientific inquiry achievements. The students participated in an online scientific inquiry program involving such activities as generating scientific questions and drawing evidence-based conclusions,…

A knowledge engineering approach to recognizing and extracting sequences of nucleic acids from scientific literature.

PubMed

García-Remesal, Miguel; Maojo, Victor; Crespo, José

2010-01-01

In this paper we present a knowledge engineering approach to automatically recognize and extract genetic sequences from scientific articles. To carry out this task, we use a preliminary recognizer based on a finite state machine to extract all candidate DNA/RNA sequences. The latter are then fed into a knowledge-based system that automatically discards false positives and refines noisy and incorrectly merged sequences. We created the knowledge base by manually analyzing different manuscripts containing genetic sequences. Our approach was evaluated using a test set of 211 full-text articles in PDF format containing 3134 genetic sequences. For such set, we achieved 87.76% precision and 97.70% recall respectively. This method can facilitate different research tasks. These include text mining, information extraction, and information retrieval research dealing with large collections of documents containing genetic sequences.

Innovating Science Teacher Education: A History and Philosophy of Science Perspective

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Niaz, Mansoor

2010-01-01

How teachers view the nature of scientific knowledge is crucial to their understanding of science content and how it can be taught. This book presents an overview of the dynamics of scientific progress and its relationship to the history and philosophy of science, and then explores their methodological and educational implications and develops…

The Art of Talking about Science: Beginning to Teach Physiology Students How to Communicate with Nonscientists

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Petzold, Andrew M.; Dunbar, Robert L.

2018-01-01

The ability to clearly disseminate scientific knowledge is a skill that is necessary for any undergraduate student within the sciences. Traditionally, this is accomplished through the instruction of scientific presentation or writing with a focus on peer-to-peer communication at the expense of teaching communication aimed at a nonscientific…

Global governance approaches to addressing illegal logging: uptake and lessons learnt

Treesearch

B. Cashore; K. McGinley; S. Leipold; P.O. Cerutti; G. Bueno; S. et al. Carodenuto

2016-01-01

This report presents the results of the fifth global scientific assessment undertaken by the GFEP initiative. The report set out to gain deeper understanding of the meaning of illegal logging and related timber trade, its scale, drivers and consequences. It provides a structured synthesis of available scientific and expert knowledge on illegal logging and associated...

The Scientific Revolution: A Unit of Study for Grades 7-10.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Frick, Carole Collier

This unit is one of a series that presents specific moments in history from which students focus on the meanings of landmark events. The purpose of this unit is for the student to explore the advances in scientific knowledge made in Europe in the mid-sixteenth to mid-seventeenth centuries. These advances, beginning with Copernicus, radically…

Learning Science Content through Socio-Scientific Issues-Based Instruction: A Multi-Level Assessment Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sadler, Troy D.; Romine, William L.; Topçu, Mustafa Sami

2016-01-01

Science educators have presented numerous conceptual and theoretical arguments in favor of teaching science through the exploration of socio-scientific issues (SSI). However, the empirical knowledge base regarding the extent to which SSI-based instruction supports student learning of science content is limited both in terms of the number of…

Contributions of Islamic Scholars to the Scientific Enterprise

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Faruqi, Yasmeen Mahnaz

2006-01-01

This paper presents a discussion regarding the role that Muslim scholars played in the development of scientific thinking in the Middle Ages. It argues that the Muslims were not just the preservers of the ancient and Greek knowledge, but that they contributed original works to the different fields of science. They were inspired by the Islamic view…

Investigating the role of content knowledge, argumentation, and situational features to support genetics literacy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shea, Nicole Anne

Science curriculum is often used as a means to train students as future scientists with less emphasis placed on preparing students to reason about issues they may encounter in their daily lives (Feinstein, Allen, & Jenkins, 2013; Roth & Barton, 2004). The general public is required to think scientifically to some degree throughout their life and often across a variety of issues. From an empirical standpoint, we do not have a robust understanding of what scientific knowledge the public finds useful for reasoning about socio-scientific issues in their everyday lives (Feinstein, 2011). We also know very little about how the situational features of an issue influences reasoning strategy (i.e., the use of knowledge to generate arguments). Rapid advances in science - particularly in genetics - increasingly challenge the public to reason about socio-scientific issues. This raises questions about the public's ability to participate knowledgeably in socio-scientific debates, and to provide informed consent for a variety of novel scientific procedures. This dissertation aims to answer the questions: How do individuals use their genetic content knowledge to reason about authentic issues they may encounter in their daily lives? Individuals' scientific knowledge is a critical aspect of scientific literacy, but what scientific literacy looks like in practice as individuals use their content knowledge to reason about issues comprised of different situational features is still unclear. The purpose of this dissertation is to explore what knowledge is actually used by individuals to generate and support arguments about a variety of socio-scientific issues, and how the features of those issues influences reasoning strategy. Three studies were conducted to answer questions reflecting this purpose. Findings from this dissertation provide important insights into what scientific literacy looks like in practice.

English Secondary Students' Thinking about the Status of Scientific Theories: Consistent, Comprehensive, Coherent and Extensively Evidenced Explanations of Aspects of the Natural World--Or Just "An Idea Someone Has"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Taber, Keith S.; Billingsley, Berry; Riga, Fran; Newdick, Helen

2015-01-01

Teaching about the nature of science (NOS) is seen as a priority for science education in many national contexts. The present paper focuses on one central issue in learning about NOS: understanding the nature and status of scientific theories. A key challenge in teaching about NOS is to persuade students that scientific knowledge is generally…

Knowledge as an Aspect of Scientific Competence for Citizenship: Results of a Delphi Study in Spain

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

España-Ramos, Enrique; González-García, Francisco José; Blanco-López, Ángel; Franco-Mariscal, Antonio Joaquín

2016-01-01

This article focuses on scientific knowledge as one aspect of the scientific competencies that citizens should ideally possess. The analysis is based on a Delphi study we conducted with Spanish experts from different science-related fields. The results showed that although the experts proposed several examples of scientific knowledge, the degree…

Statistical Data Editing in Scientific Articles.

PubMed

Habibzadeh, Farrokh

2017-07-01

Scientific journals are important scholarly forums for sharing research findings. Editors have important roles in safeguarding standards of scientific publication and should be familiar with correct presentation of results, among other core competencies. Editors do not have access to the raw data and should thus rely on clues in the submitted manuscripts. To identify probable errors, they should look for inconsistencies in presented results. Common statistical problems that can be picked up by a knowledgeable manuscript editor are discussed in this article. Manuscripts should contain a detailed section on statistical analyses of the data. Numbers should be reported with appropriate precisions. Standard error of the mean (SEM) should not be reported as an index of data dispersion. Mean (standard deviation [SD]) and median (interquartile range [IQR]) should be used for description of normally and non-normally distributed data, respectively. If possible, it is better to report 95% confidence interval (CI) for statistics, at least for main outcome variables. And, P values should be presented, and interpreted with caution, if there is a hypothesis. To advance knowledge and skills of their members, associations of journal editors are better to develop training courses on basic statistics and research methodology for non-experts. This would in turn improve research reporting and safeguard the body of scientific evidence. © 2017 The Korean Academy of Medical Sciences.

Behavioral neuroscience and the media.

PubMed

Blakeslee, Sandra; DiChristina, Mariette; Raeburn, Paul; Lambert, Kelly

2012-12-05

To provide assurance that accurate summaries of behavioral neuroscience findings are presented in mainstream news sources, it is important for scientists to cooperate with science journalists and, on occasion, write informative articles for lay audiences or contribute scientific knowledge in other relevant venues. Accordingly, three influential science journalists were invited to a special Presidential Symposium at the 2011 IBNS annual meeting to discuss (1) the importance of public dissemination of scientific knowledge, (2) insightful recommendations for effective science writing for mainstream audiences and (3) the potential impact of science blogs on the communication of science information. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Elaboration and formalization of current scientific knowledge of risks and preventive measures illustrated by colorectal cancer.

PubMed

Giorgi, R; Gouvernet, J; Dufour, J; Degoulet, P; Laugier, R; Quilichini, F; Fieschi, M

2001-01-01

Present the method used to elaborate and formalize current scientific knowledge to provide physicians with tools available on the Internet, that enable them to evaluate individual patient risk, give personalized preventive recommendations or early screening measures. The approach suggested in this article is in line with medical procedures based on levels of evidence (Evidence-based Medicine). A cyclical process for developing recommendations allows us to quickly incorporate current scientific information. At each phase, the analysis is reevaluated by experts in the field collaborating on the project. The information is formalized through the use of levels of evidence and grades of recommendations. GLIF model is used to implement recommendations for clinical practice guidelines. The most current scientific evidence incorporated in a cyclical process includes several steps: critical analysis according to the Evidence-based Medicine method; identification of predictive factors; setting-up risk levels; identification of prevention measures; elaboration of personalized recommendation. The information technology implementation of the clinical practice guideline enables physicians to quickly obtain personalized information for their patients. Cases of colorectal prevention illustrate our approach. Integration of current scientific knowledge is an important process. The delay between the moment new information arrives and the moment the practitioner applies it, is thus reduced.

Focusing on the Processes of Science Using Inquiry-oriented Astronomy Labs for Learning Astronomy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Speck, Angela; Ruzhitskaya, L.; Whittington, A.; Witzig, S.

2010-01-01

The U.S. National Science Education Standards provide guidelines for teaching science through inquiry, where students actively develop their understanding of science by combining scientific knowledge with reasoning and thinking skills. Inquiry activities include reading scientific literature, generating hypotheses, designing and carrying out investigations, interpreting data, and formulating conclusions. Inquiry-based instruction emphasizes questions, evidence, and explanation, the essential features of inquiry. We present two projects designed to develop learning materials for laboratory experiences in an undergraduate astronomy course. First, we engage students in inquiry-based learning by using "mini-journal” articles that follow the format of a scientific journal article, including a title, authors, abstract, introduction, methods, results, discussion and citations to peer-reviewed literature. The mini-journal provides a scaffold and serves as a springboard for students to develop and carry out their own follow-up investigation. They then present their findings in the form of their own mini-journal. This mini-journal format more directly reflects and encourages scientific practice. We use this technique in both introductory and upper level courses. The second project develops 3D virtual reality environments to help students interact with scientific constructs, and the use of collaborative learning tools to motivate student activity, deepen understanding and support knowledge building.

Veritas filia temporis: The origins of the idea of scientific progress.

PubMed

Špelda, Daniel

2016-10-01

The article provides insight into the epistemological and anthropological aspect of the origination of the idea of scientific progress. It focuses on the relationship between individual's limited lifetime and the immensity of nature. The basic assumption is that the idea of scientific progress offers a solution of the epistemological problem stemming from the finding that there is no (teleological) coincidence between human cognitive abilities and the extent of nature. In order to facilitate the understanding of the origin of the idea of scientific progress, I propose distinction between the descriptive and prescriptive concepts of progress. While the descriptive notion of progress expresses the cumulative character of scientific knowledge and the superiority of the present over preceding generations, the prescriptive concept pertains to progressivist epistemology directing scientific research at the future development of knowledge. This article claims that the prevalent concept in Antiquity was the descriptive concept of scientific progress. The prescriptive notion had developed only in ancient astronomy. Early modern science was faced with similar issues as ancient astronomy - mainly the empirical finding related to the inexhaustible character of nature. Consequently to the introduction of the idea of progress, the progress of sciences became a purpose in itself - hence becoming infinite.

Poster presentation - a visual medium for academic and scientific meetings.

PubMed

Rowe, Nicholas; Ilic, Dragan

2011-09-01

Academic poster presentations are used as a medium of knowledge transfer by a wide range of health professional groups. Posters also provide a means of publication for academic and professional contributors. Posters are designed to give a visual representation of an issue that firstly attracts attention, and then conveys an intended message. Whilst the poster medium has become adopted into the publication orthodoxy of the scientific and academic communities, there are acknowledged limitations regarding the depth of knowledge transfer, issues of compilation and production, and the related viewer conception. If treated as a standalone medium, the limitations of a two-dimensional, page limited format may not provide the ideal opportunity to deliver the depth of information required within the academic context. Despite these limitations however, the continued use of posters is justified when supported by author presentation or multi-media resources. This paper aims to provide an overview of the current concept and practicality of academic poster publications. It also outlines by example, some of the wider principles of poster compilation and presentation, for use by those who may utilise the medium at academic and scientific meetings. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Medicine organizer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Martins, Ricardo; Belchior, Ismael

2015-04-01

In the last year of secondary school, students studying physics and chemistry are incentivized to do a project where they must put in practice their improvement of scientific knowledge and skills, like observation of phenomena and analysis of data with scientific knowledge. In this project a group of students, tutored by the teacher, wanted to build an instrument that helps people to take their medical drugs at the right time. This instrument must have some compartments with an alarm and an LED light where the people can put their medical drugs. The instrument must be easily programed using an android program that also registers if the medicine has been taken. The students needed to simulate the hardware and software, draw the electronic system and build the final product. At the end of the school year, a public oral presentation was prepared by each group of students and presented to the school community. They are also encouraged to participate in national and international scientific shows and competitions.

Interoperable Data Sharing for Diverse Scientific Disciplines

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hughes, John S.; Crichton, Daniel; Martinez, Santa; Law, Emily; Hardman, Sean

2016-04-01

For diverse scientific disciplines to interoperate they must be able to exchange information based on a shared understanding. To capture this shared understanding, we have developed a knowledge representation framework using ontologies and ISO level archive and metadata registry reference models. This framework provides multi-level governance, evolves independent of implementation technologies, and promotes agile development, namely adaptive planning, evolutionary development, early delivery, continuous improvement, and rapid and flexible response to change. The knowledge representation framework is populated through knowledge acquisition from discipline experts. It is also extended to meet specific discipline requirements. The result is a formalized and rigorous knowledge base that addresses data representation, integrity, provenance, context, quantity, and their relationships within the community. The contents of the knowledge base is translated and written to files in appropriate formats to configure system software and services, provide user documentation, validate ingested data, and support data analytics. This presentation will provide an overview of the framework, present the Planetary Data System's PDS4 as a use case that has been adopted by the international planetary science community, describe how the framework is being applied to other disciplines, and share some important lessons learned.

OpenBiodiv-O: ontology of the OpenBiodiv knowledge management system.

PubMed

Senderov, Viktor; Simov, Kiril; Franz, Nico; Stoev, Pavel; Catapano, Terry; Agosti, Donat; Sautter, Guido; Morris, Robert A; Penev, Lyubomir

2018-01-18

The biodiversity domain, and in particular biological taxonomy, is moving in the direction of semantization of its research outputs. The present work introduces OpenBiodiv-O, the ontology that serves as the basis of the OpenBiodiv Knowledge Management System. Our intent is to provide an ontology that fills the gaps between ontologies for biodiversity resources, such as DarwinCore-based ontologies, and semantic publishing ontologies, such as the SPAR Ontologies. We bridge this gap by providing an ontology focusing on biological taxonomy. OpenBiodiv-O introduces classes, properties, and axioms in the domains of scholarly biodiversity publishing and biological taxonomy and aligns them with several important domain ontologies (FaBiO, DoCO, DwC, Darwin-SW, NOMEN, ENVO). By doing so, it bridges the ontological gap across scholarly biodiversity publishing and biological taxonomy and allows for the creation of a Linked Open Dataset (LOD) of biodiversity information (a biodiversity knowledge graph) and enables the creation of the OpenBiodiv Knowledge Management System. A key feature of the ontology is that it is an ontology of the scientific process of biological taxonomy and not of any particular state of knowledge. This feature allows it to express a multiplicity of scientific opinions. The resulting OpenBiodiv knowledge system may gain a high level of trust in the scientific community as it does not force a scientific opinion on its users (e.g. practicing taxonomists, library researchers, etc.), but rather provides the tools for experts to encode different views as science progresses. OpenBiodiv-O provides a conceptual model of the structure of a biodiversity publication and the development of related taxonomic concepts. It also serves as the basis for the OpenBiodiv Knowledge Management System.

Chilean Pre-Service and In-Service Teachers and Undergraduate Students' Understandings of Evolutionary Theory

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cofré, Hernán; Jiménez, Juan; Santibáñez, David; Vergara, Claudia

2016-01-01

Despite the importance of the theory of evolution to scientific knowledge, a number of misconceptions continue to be found among teachers and undergraduate students. The aim of the present study was to describe and characterise knowledge about evolution among 120 freshman undergraduate students of two natural sciences programmes (environmental…

Developing Explanations and Developing Understanding: Students Explain the Phases of the Moon Using Visual Representations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Parnafes, Orit

2012-01-01

This article presents a theoretical model of the process by which students construct and elaborate explanations of scientific phenomena using visual representations. The model describes progress in the underlying conceptual processes in students' explanations as a reorganization of fine-grained knowledge elements based on the Knowledge in Pieces…

Historical and social contexts for scientific writing and use of passive voice: Toward an undergraduate science literacy course

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ding, Dan Xiong

The passive voice is a major stylistic feature of modern scientific discourse, but such a feature did not dominate scientific writing until the 1890s. It has its roots in the philosophical thoughts of experimental science of Francis Bacon and his followers such as Thomas Sprat and John Locke. In the early seventeenth century. Bacon called for a new science that emphasized collective knowledge of nature. Such a science was a cooperative and public enterprise in which scientists should work as a group to advance knowledge of nature. When science was moving gradually toward a public enterprise from the early seventeenth century, the passive voice gradually replaced the active voice in science writing as a dominant stylistic feature. The passive voice in scientific writing is thus historically and socially conditioned. Scientists take advantage of the linguistic functions of the passive voice to serve their rhetorical and pragmatic purposes such as presenting experiments as they are for others to reproduce and verify the results. It embodies two major conventions of scientific communities: (1) science is a public enterprise and (2) it is also a cooperative venture. Other conventions are related to these two: the collective authority of an scientific community is above the personal authority of any one individual scientist; science is not an infallible force, so any research result needs to be verified by a scientific community before it becomes knowledge; scientists use passive voice to approach their writing to make it appear as if it were objective; and science is a human profession. Therefore, we need to teach science students to use the passive voice, and more importantly, why and when to use it. We should emphasize writing practice to have students' see that they use passives rhetorically to present experimental processes, materials and methods.

Continuous Enhancement of Science Teachers' Knowledge and Skills through Scientific Lecturing.

PubMed

Azevedo, Maria-Manuel; Duarte, Sofia

2018-01-01

Due to their importance in transmitting knowledge, teachers can play a crucial role in students' scientific literacy acquisition and motivation to respond to ongoing and future economic and societal challenges. However, to conduct this task effectively, teachers need to continuously improve their knowledge, and for that, a periodic update is mandatory for actualization of scientific knowledge and skills. This work is based on the outcomes of an educational study implemented with science teachers from Portuguese Basic and Secondary schools. We evaluated the effectiveness of a training activity consisting of lectures covering environmental and health sciences conducted by scientists/academic teachers. The outcomes of this educational study were evaluated using a survey with several questions about environmental and health scientific topics. Responses to the survey were analyzed before and after the implementation of the scientific lectures. Our results showed that Basic and Secondary schools teachers' knowledge was greatly improved after the lectures. The teachers under training felt that these scientific lectures have positively impacted their current knowledge and awareness on several up-to-date scientific topics, as well as their teaching methods. This study emphasizes the importance of continuing teacher education concerning knowledge and awareness about health and environmental education.

Major Challenges for the Modern Chemistry in Particular and Science in General.

PubMed

Uskokovíc, Vuk

2010-11-01

In the past few hundred years, science has exerted an enormous influence on the way the world appears to human observers. Despite phenomenal accomplishments of science, science nowadays faces numerous challenges that threaten its continued success. As scientific inventions become embedded within human societies, the challenges are further multiplied. In this critical review, some of the critical challenges for the field of modern chemistry are discussed, including: (a) interlinking theoretical knowledge and experimental approaches; (b) implementing the principles of sustainability at the roots of the chemical design; (c) defining science from a philosophical perspective that acknowledges both pragmatic and realistic aspects thereof; (d) instigating interdisciplinary research; (e) learning to recognize and appreciate the aesthetic aspects of scientific knowledge and methodology, and promote truly inspiring education in chemistry. In the conclusion, I recapitulate that the evolution of human knowledge inherently depends upon our ability to adopt creative problem-solving attitudes, and that challenges will always be present within the scope of scientific interests.

"It just goes against the grain." Public understandings of genetically modified (GM) food in the UK.

PubMed

Shaw, Alison

2002-07-01

This paper reports on one aspect of qualitative research on public understandings of food risks, focusing on lay understandings of genetically modified (GM) food in the UK context. A range of theoretical, conceptual, and empirical literature on food, risk, and the public understanding of science are reviewed. The fieldwork methods are outlined and empirical data from a range of lay groups are presented. Major themes include: varying "technical" knowledge of science, the relationship between knowledge and acceptance of genetic modification, the uncertainty of scientific knowledge, genetic modification as inappropriate scientific intervention in "nature", the acceptability of animal and human applications of genetic modification, the appropriate boundaries of scientific innovation, the necessity for GM foods, the uncertainty of risks in GM food, fatalism about avoiding risks, and trust in "experts" to manage potential risks in GM food. Key discussion points relating to a sociological understanding of public attitudes to GM food are raised and some policy implications are highlighted.

Major Challenges for the Modern Chemistry in Particular and Science in General

PubMed Central

Uskokovíc, Vuk

2013-01-01

In the past few hundred years, science has exerted an enormous influence on the way the world appears to human observers. Despite phenomenal accomplishments of science, science nowadays faces numerous challenges that threaten its continued success. As scientific inventions become embedded within human societies, the challenges are further multiplied. In this critical review, some of the critical challenges for the field of modern chemistry are discussed, including: (a) interlinking theoretical knowledge and experimental approaches; (b) implementing the principles of sustainability at the roots of the chemical design; (c) defining science from a philosophical perspective that acknowledges both pragmatic and realistic aspects thereof; (d) instigating interdisciplinary research; (e) learning to recognize and appreciate the aesthetic aspects of scientific knowledge and methodology, and promote truly inspiring education in chemistry. In the conclusion, I recapitulate that the evolution of human knowledge inherently depends upon our ability to adopt creative problem-solving attitudes, and that challenges will always be present within the scope of scientific interests. PMID:24465151

Forming of science teacher thinking through integrated laboratory exercises

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Horváthová, Daniela; Rakovská, Mária; Zelenický, Ľubomír

2017-01-01

Within the three-semester optional course Science we have also included into curricula the subject entitled Science Practicum consisting of laboratory exercises of complementary natural scientific disciplines whose content exceeds the boundaries of relevant a scientific discipline (physics, biology, …). The paper presents the structure and selected samples of laboratory exercises of physical part of Science Practicum in which we have processed in an integrated way the knowledge of physics and biology at secondary grammar school. When planning the exercises we have proceeded from those areas of mentioned disciplines in which we can appropriately apply integration of knowledge and where the measurement methods are used. We have focused on the integration of knowledge in the field of human sensory organs (eye, ear), dolphins, bats (spatial orientation) and bees (ommatidium of faceted eye) and their modelling. Laboratory exercises are designed in such a way that they would motivate future teachers of natural scientific subjects to work independently with specialized literature of the mentioned natural sciences and ICT.

Power and knowledge in psychiatry and the troubling case of Dr Osheroff.

PubMed

Robertson, Michael

2005-12-01

To consider the state of knowledge in psychiatry with reference to the 'Osheroff debate' about the treatment of depression. A review of the key philosophical issues regarding the nature of knowledge applied to the Osheroff case. There is an apparent dichotomy between knowledge derived from a reductionist scientific method, as manifest in evidence-based medicine, and that of a narrative form of knowledge derived from clinical experience. The Focauldian notion of knowledge/power and knowledge as discourse suggests that scientific knowledge dominates over narrative knowledge in psychiatry. The implication of this applied to the Osheroff case is the potential annihilation of all forms of knowledge other than science. Knowledge in psychiatry is a pluralist, rather than singularly scientific enterprise. In the Osheroff case, the potential for scientific knowledge to abolish other forms of knowledge posed a serious threat of weakening the profession. In the light of the current debate about best practice, there is a need for reconsideration of the implications of Osheroff.

Developing the STS sound pollution unit for enhancing students' applying knowledge among science technology engineering and mathematics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jumpatong, Sutthaya; Yuenyong, Chokchai

2018-01-01

STEM education suggested that students should be enhanced to learn science with integration between Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. To help Thai students make sense of relationship between Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, this paper presents learning activities of STS Sound Pollution. The developing of STS Sound Pollution is a part of research that aimed to enhance students' perception of the relationship between Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics. This paper will discuss how to develop Sound Pollution through STS approach in framework of Yuenyong (2006) where learning activities were provided based on 5 stages. These included (1) identification of social issues, (2) identification of potential solutions, (3) need for knowledge, (4) decisionmaking, and (5) socialization stage. The learning activities could be highlighted as following. First stage, we use video clip of `Problem of people about Sound Pollution'. Second stage, students will need to identification of potential solutions by design Home/Factory without noisy. The need of scientific and other knowledge will be proposed for various alternative solutions. Third stage, students will gain their scientific knowledge through laboratory and demonstration of sound wave. Fourth stage, students have to make decision for the best solution of designing safety Home/Factory based on their scientific knowledge and others (e.g. mathematics, economics, art, value, and so on). Finally, students will present and share their Design Safety Home/Factory in society (e.g. social media or exhibition) in order to validate their ideas and redesigning. The paper, then, will discuss how those activities would allow students' applying knowledge of science technology engineering, mathematics and others (art, culture and value) for their possible solution of the STS issues.

Exploring teachers' beliefs and knowledge about scientific inquiry and the nature of science: A collaborative action research project

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fazio, Xavier Eric

Science curriculum reform goals espouse the need to foster and support the development of scientific literacy in students. Two critical goals of scientific literacy are students' engagement in, and developing more realistic conceptions about scientific inquiry (SI) and the nature of science (NOS). In order to promote the learning of these curriculum emphases, teachers themselves must possess beliefs and knowledge supportive of them. Collaborative action research is a viable form of curriculum and teacher development that can be used to support teachers in developing the requisite beliefs and knowledge that can promote these scientific literacy goals. This research study used a collective case study methodology to describe and interpret the views and actions of four teachers participating in a collaborative action research project. I explored the teachers' SI and NOS views throughout the project as they investigated ideas and theories, critically examined their current curricular practice, and implemented and reflected on these modified curricular practices. By the end of the research study, all participants had uniquely augmented their understanding of SI and NOS. The participants were better able to provide explanatory depth to some SI and NOS ideas; however, specific belief revision with respect to SI and NOS ideas was nominal. Furthermore, their idealized action research plans were not implemented to the extent that they were planned. Explanations for these findings include: impact of significant past educational experiences, prior understanding of SI and NOS, depth of content and pedagogical content knowledge of the discipline, and institutional and instructional constraints. Nonetheless, through participation in the collaborative action research process, the teachers developed professionally, personally, and socially. They identified many positive outcomes from participating in a collaborative action research project; however, they espoused constraints to implementing innovative actions. Indeed, local school cultures were barriers to the participants' development. A model of teacher development embracing all the developmental areas is presented---an integration of social, personal, and professional development. Implications and recommendations for future research on teachers' beliefs and knowledge, as well as the viability of collaborative action research to facilitate teacher and curriculum development are presented.

Rhetorical Impact through Hedging Devices in the "Results and Discussion" Part of a Civil Engineering Research Article

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Khamesian, Minoo

2015-01-01

It is common knowledge that hedging devices as a rhetorical technique common in all persuasive writing are considerably important in scientific discourse, for they are tools which facilitate presenting claims or arguments in a polite, acceptable and respectful manner. In addition, they are discoursal resources available to a scientific writer's…

When Science and Information Literacy Meet: An Approach to Exploring the Sources of Science News with Non-Science Majors

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Majetic, Cassie; Pellegrino, Catherine

2014-01-01

The skill set associated with lifelong scientific literacy often includes the ability to decode the content and accuracy of scientific research as presented in the media. However, students often find decoding science in the media difficult, due to limited content knowledge and shifting definitions of accuracy. Faculty have developed a variety of…

Science students' critical examination of scientific information related to socioscientific issues

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dankert Kolstø, Stein; Bungum, Berit; Arnesen, Erik; Isnes, Anders; Kristensen, Terje; Mathiassen, Ketil; Mestad, Idar; Quale, Andreas; Sissel Vedvik Tonning, Anne; Ulvik, Marit

2006-07-01

It is widely accepted that to be scientifically literate one needs to have the ability to make thoughtful decisions about socioscientific issues (SSI). This includes critical assessment of scientific claims and arguments involved. In this study we asked 89 science education students with substantial academic qualifications in science, working in groups of two and three, to assess the reliability of scientific claims in an article of their own choice, but related to a socioscientific issue, and to present their evaluation in a short text. In analyzing the students' texts, we focused on the criteria they had explicitly and implicitly used in their evaluations. Through a qualitative analysis, we identified 13 different criteria focusing on empirical and theoretical adequacy, completeness of presented information, social aspects, and manipulative strategies. An inspection of the students' evaluations revealed that they drew upon knowledge of possible institutional interests, different signs of competence and an appreciation of concurrent expert views, but also methodological norms in science, specialized content knowledge, and an appreciation of evidence and disclosure of sources. The number of criteria used and the quality of their application varied, indicating that critical examination of texts with a science dimension needs to be emphasized in science teacher education.

Conflict or Caveats? Effects of Media Portrayals of Scientific Uncertainty on Audience Perceptions of New Technologies.

PubMed

Binder, Andrew R; Hillback, Elliott D; Brossard, Dominique

2016-04-01

Research indicates that uncertainty in science news stories affects public assessment of risk and uncertainty. However, the form in which uncertainty is presented may also affect people's risk and uncertainty assessments. For example, a news story that features an expert discussing both what is known and what is unknown about a topic may convey a different form of scientific uncertainty than a story that features two experts who hold conflicting opinions about the status of scientific knowledge of the topic, even when both stories contain the same information about knowledge and its boundaries. This study focuses on audience uncertainty and risk perceptions regarding the emerging science of nanotechnology by manipulating whether uncertainty in a news story about potential risks is attributed to expert sources in the form of caveats (individual uncertainty) or conflicting viewpoints (collective uncertainty). Results suggest that the type of uncertainty portrayed does not impact audience feelings of uncertainty or risk perceptions directly. Rather, the presentation of the story influences risk perceptions only among those who are highly deferent to scientific authority. Implications for risk communication theory and practice are discussed. © 2015 Society for Risk Analysis.

Consumer perception of genetically modified organisms and sources of information.

PubMed

Wunderlich, Shahla; Gatto, Kelsey A

2015-11-01

Genetically modified organisms (GMOs) have been available for commercial purchase since the 1990s, allowing producers to increase crop yields through bioengineering that creates herbicide-resistant and insect-resistant varieties. However, consumer knowledge about GMOs has not increased at the same rate as the adoption of GMO crops. Consumers worldwide are displaying limited understanding, misconceptions, and even unfamiliarity with GMO food products. Many consumers report that they receive information about GMO food products from the media, Internet, and other news sources. These sources may be less reliable than scientific experts whom consumers trust more to present the facts. Although many in the United States support mandatory GMO labeling (similar to current European standards), consumer awareness of current GMO labeling is low. A distinction must also be made between GMO familiarity and scientific understanding, because those who are more familiar with it tend to be more resistant to bioengineering, whereas those with higher scientific knowledge scores tend to have less negative attitudes toward GMOs. This brings to question the relation between scientific literacy, sources of information, and overall consumer knowledge and perception of GMO foods. © 2015 American Society for Nutrition.

Américo Negrette and Huntington's disease.

PubMed

Moscovich, Mariana; Munhoz, Renato P; Becker, Nilson; Barbosa, Egberto Reis; Espay, Alberto J; Weiser, Roberto; Teive, Hélio A G

2011-08-01

The authors present a historical review of the seminal clinical contribution of Professor Américo Negrette, a Venezuelan neurologist, to the evolution of scientific knowledge about Huntington's disease.

"Trees Live on Soil and Sunshine!"--Coexistence of Scientific and Alternative Conception of Tree Assimilation.

PubMed

Thorn, Christine Johanna; Bissinger, Kerstin; Thorn, Simon; Bogner, Franz Xaver

2016-01-01

Successful learning is the integration of new knowledge into existing schemes, leading to an integrated and correct scientific conception. By contrast, the co-existence of scientific and alternative conceptions may indicate a fragmented knowledge profile. Every learner is unique and thus carries an individual set of preconceptions before classroom engagement due to prior experiences. Hence, instructors and teachers have to consider the heterogeneous knowledge profiles of their class when teaching. However, determinants of fragmented knowledge profiles are not well understood yet, which may hamper a development of adapted teaching schemes. We used a questionnaire-based approach to assess conceptual knowledge of tree assimilation and wood synthesis surveying 885 students of four educational levels: 6th graders, 10th graders, natural science freshmen and other academic studies freshmen. We analysed the influence of learner's characteristics such as educational level, age and sex on the coexistence of scientific and alternative conceptions. Within all subsamples well-known alternative conceptions regarding tree assimilation and wood synthesis coexisted with correct scientific ones. For example, students describe trees to be living on "soil and sunshine", representing scientific knowledge of photosynthesis mingled with an alternative conception of trees eating like animals. Fragmented knowledge profiles occurred in all subsamples, but our models showed that improved education and age foster knowledge integration. Sex had almost no influence on the existing scientific conceptions and evolution of knowledge integration. Consequently, complex biological issues such as tree assimilation and wood synthesis need specific support e.g. through repeated learning units in class- and seminar-rooms in order to help especially young students to handle and overcome common alternative conceptions and appropriately integrate scientific conceptions into their knowledge profile.

“Trees Live on Soil and Sunshine!”- Coexistence of Scientific and Alternative Conception of Tree Assimilation

PubMed Central

Thorn, Simon; Bogner, Franz Xaver

2016-01-01

Successful learning is the integration of new knowledge into existing schemes, leading to an integrated and correct scientific conception. By contrast, the co-existence of scientific and alternative conceptions may indicate a fragmented knowledge profile. Every learner is unique and thus carries an individual set of preconceptions before classroom engagement due to prior experiences. Hence, instructors and teachers have to consider the heterogeneous knowledge profiles of their class when teaching. However, determinants of fragmented knowledge profiles are not well understood yet, which may hamper a development of adapted teaching schemes. We used a questionnaire-based approach to assess conceptual knowledge of tree assimilation and wood synthesis surveying 885 students of four educational levels: 6th graders, 10th graders, natural science freshmen and other academic studies freshmen. We analysed the influence of learner’s characteristics such as educational level, age and sex on the coexistence of scientific and alternative conceptions. Within all subsamples well-known alternative conceptions regarding tree assimilation and wood synthesis coexisted with correct scientific ones. For example, students describe trees to be living on “soil and sunshine”, representing scientific knowledge of photosynthesis mingled with an alternative conception of trees eating like animals. Fragmented knowledge profiles occurred in all subsamples, but our models showed that improved education and age foster knowledge integration. Sex had almost no influence on the existing scientific conceptions and evolution of knowledge integration. Consequently, complex biological issues such as tree assimilation and wood synthesis need specific support e.g. through repeated learning units in class- and seminar-rooms in order to help especially young students to handle and overcome common alternative conceptions and appropriately integrate scientific conceptions into their knowledge profile. PMID:26807974

"Why bother so incredibly much?": student perspectives on PISA science assignments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Serder, Margareta; Jakobsson, Anders

2015-09-01

Large-scale assessment, such as the Programme for International Assessment (PISA), plays an increasingly important role in current educational practice and politics. However, many scholars have questioned the validity and reliability of the tests and the extent to which they actually constitute trustworthy representations of students' knowledge. In the light of such critical voices the present article adopts a sociocultural perspective of human knowledge and action in order to explore the encounters between students and the science test assignments with which their knowledge is tested. Of particular interest in this study are the described "real-life situations" presented as the relevant background in which scientific literacy is assessed in PISA. According to the sociocultural theoretical onset the methodology used to approach the students' meaning making of the image of science as portrayed in the test were collaborative situations in which students work in small groups with units of PISA assignments, enabling a study of student-assignment encounters in action. The data we worked with consists of video-recordings from 71 Swedish 15-year-old students working with three released units from the PISA science test. According to our analysis, the "real-life situations" described in the test emerge as problematic in the students' meaning-making. This is demonstrated for instance by the students' positioning themselves as being different from and opposed to the fictional pictured students who appear in the backstories of the test. This article provides examples of how the scientific and academic language used by the fictional students in the assignments mediates distance and resistance among the students. The fictional students' use of strict scientific language and methods in day-to-day life situations leads them to be perceived as "little scientists" and as elite stereotypes of the scientific culture. We conclude that, by using assignments of this type, measurements of students' knowledge in science run the risk of becoming a measurement of cultural consistency regarding how well students will overcome the hurdles of scientific cultures. We mean that all though understanding the scientific culture is an important goal for science education, there is a problem that the assessment organizations communicate the results as representations of students' knowledge in science. This study adheres to research that advises caution in not over-interpreting the PISA results and stresses that understanding students' "knowledge" about science is much more complex than what is communicated by the international assessment organizations.

Coordinating Scientific Argumentation and the Next Generation Science Standards through Argument Driven Inquiry

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Grooms, Jonathon; Enderle, Patrick; Sampson, Victor

2015-01-01

Scientific argumentation is an essential activity for the development and refinement of scientific knowledge. Additionally, fostering argumentation related to scientific concepts can help students engage in a variety of essential scientific practices and enhance their science content knowledge. With the increasing prevalence and emphasis on…

An Appeal to the Global Health Community for a Tripartite Innovation: An "Essential Diagnostics List," "Health in All Policies," and "See-Through 21(st) Century Science and Ethics".

PubMed

Dove, Edward S; Barlas, I Ömer; Birch, Kean; Boehme, Catharina; Borda-Rodriguez, Alexander; Byne, William M; Chaverneff, Florence; Coşkun, Yavuz; Dahl, Marja-Liisa; Dereli, Türkay; Diwakar, Shyam; Elbeyli, Levent; Endrenyi, Laszlo; Eroğlu-Kesim, Belgin; Ferguson, Lynnette R; Güngör, Kıvanç; Gürsoy, Ulvi; Hekim, Nezih; Huzair, Farah; Kaushik, Kabeer; Kickbusch, Ilona; Kıroğlu, Olcay; Kolker, Eugene; Könönen, Eija; Lin, Biaoyang; Llerena, Adrian; Malhan, Faruk; Nair, Bipin; Patrinos, George P; Şardaş, Semra; Sert, Özlem; Srivastava, Sanjeeva; Steuten, Lotte M G; Toraman, Cengiz; Vayena, Effy; Wang, Wei; Warnich, Louise; Özdemir, Vural

2015-08-01

Diagnostics spanning a wide range of new biotechnologies, including proteomics, metabolomics, and nanotechnology, are emerging as companion tests to innovative medicines. In this Opinion, we present the rationale for promulgating an "Essential Diagnostics List." Additionally, we explain the ways in which adopting a vision for "Health in All Policies" could link essential diagnostics with robust and timely societal outcomes such as sustainable development, human rights, gender parity, and alleviation of poverty. We do so in three ways. First, we propose the need for a new, "see through" taxonomy for knowledge-based innovation as we transition from the material industries (e.g., textiles, plastic, cement, glass) dominant in the 20(th) century to the anticipated knowledge industry of the 21st century. If knowledge is the currency of the present century, then it is sensible to adopt an approach that thoroughly examines scientific knowledge, starting with the production aims, methods, quality, distribution, access, and the ends it purports to serve. Second, we explain that this knowledge trajectory focus on innovation is crucial and applicable across all sectors, including public, private, or public-private partnerships, as it underscores the fact that scientific knowledge is a co-product of technology, human values, and social systems. By making the value systems embedded in scientific design and knowledge co-production transparent, we all stand to benefit from sustainable and transparent science. Third, we appeal to the global health community to consider the necessary qualities of good governance for 21st century organizations that will embark on developing essential diagnostics. These have importance not only for science and knowledge-based innovation, but also for the ways in which we can build open, healthy, and peaceful civil societies today and for future generations.

Global tropospheric chemistry: A plan for action

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1984-01-01

Prompted by an increasing awareness of the influence of human activity on the chemistry of the global troposphere, a panel was formed to (1) assess the requirement for a global study of the chemistry of the troposphere; (2) develop a scientific strategy for a comprehensive plan taking into account the existing and projected programs of the government; (3) assess the requirements of a global study in terms of theoretical knowledge, numerical modeling, instrumentation, observing platforms, ground-level observational techniques, and other related needs; and (4) outline the appropriate sequence and coordination required to achieve the most effective utilization of available resources. Part 1 presents a coordinated national blueprint for scientific investigations of biogeochemical cycles in the global troposphere. part 2 presents much of the background information of the present knowledge and gaps in the understanding of tropospheric chemical cycles and processes from which the proposed program was developed.

Global tropospheric chemistry: A plan for action

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

1984-10-01

Prompted by an increasing awareness of the influence of human activity on the chemistry of the global troposphere, a panel was formed to (1) assess the requirement for a global study of the chemistry of the troposphere; (2) develop a scientific strategy for a comprehensive plan taking into account the existing and projected programs of the government; (3) assess the requirements of a global study in terms of theoretical knowledge, numerical modeling, instrumentation, observing platforms, ground-level observational techniques, and other related needs; and (4) outline the appropriate sequence and coordination required to achieve the most effective utilization of available resources. Part 1 presents a coordinated national blueprint for scientific investigations of biogeochemical cycles in the global troposphere. part 2 presents much of the background information of the present knowledge and gaps in the understanding of tropospheric chemical cycles and processes from which the proposed program was developed.

Les Sciences Physiques À L'école Maternelle: Un Cadre Sociocognitif Pour La Construction Des Connaissances ET/OU LE Développement Des Activités Didactiques

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ravanis, Konstantinos

2005-05-01

NATURAL SCIENCES IN KINDERGARTEN: A SOCIO-COGNITIVE FRAMEWORK FOR LEARNING AND TEACHING - The present study presents a socio-cognitive framework for the construction of the scientific knowledge of natural phenomena among pre-school children and for the development of science activities at kindergarten. It involves elements from theories of social interaction; social psychology of development and cognitive functioning; and research in natural-science teaching methods which acknowledge the importance and fundamental role of social interaction in the development of cognitive operations and learning. The study also presents some of the more significant results of the research carried out on different aspects of this topic. The discussion unfolded here supports the hypothesis that the construction of natural-scientific knowledge at the pre-school age and corresponding scholastic activities are necessary and effective.

Semantically-enabled Knowledge Discovery in the Deep Carbon Observatory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, H.; Chen, Y.; Ma, X.; Erickson, J. S.; West, P.; Fox, P. A.

2013-12-01

The Deep Carbon Observatory (DCO) is a decadal effort aimed at transforming scientific and public understanding of carbon in the complex deep earth system from the perspectives of Deep Energy, Deep Life, Extreme Physics and Chemistry, and Reservoirs and Fluxes. Over the course of the decade DCO scientific activities will generate a massive volume of data across a variety of disciplines, presenting significant challenges in terms of data integration, management, analysis and visualization, and ultimately limiting the ability of scientists across disciplines to make insights and unlock new knowledge. The DCO Data Science Team (DCO-DS) is applying Semantic Web methodologies to construct a knowledge representation focused on the DCO Earth science disciplines, and use it together with other technologies (e.g. natural language processing and data mining) to create a more expressive representation of the distributed corpus of DCO artifacts including datasets, metadata, instruments, sensors, platforms, deployments, researchers, organizations, funding agencies, grants and various awards. The embodiment of this knowledge representation is the DCO Data Science Infrastructure, in which unique entities within the DCO domain and the relations between them are recognized and explicitly identified. The DCO-DS Infrastructure will serve as a platform for more efficient and reliable searching, discovery, access, and publication of information and knowledge for the DCO scientific community and beyond.

So, why do we still have journals?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hut, R.

2014-12-01

The academic article is a relic from a bygone age. Form and style have not changed much since the days of Einstein and Wegener, nor have the institutions that publish our academic knowledge. When I google-scholar an article, I do not care if it was published in nature, PNAS, or the annals of the cambodian society of herbologists. I care about the scientific knowledge contained in the article, that I would like to use in my own work. So: why do we have journals again? The journal-based system of scientific publication is cracking under its own weight. The publish or perish culture leads to an ever increasing number of articles, each containing less actual science, because spreading over multiple papers helps your career. Journal editors complain that the average number of scientists that they approach for reviewing has gone up because there is no incentive in being a reviewer, only in being reviewed. And finally: much research money is wasted because reviewers point out fundamental flaws in experiment setups after the fact. In this talk, I will present a new way of publishing scientific knowledge. A departure of the classic systems, my way aims to keep the thoroughness of the peer reviewed system, increase the effective use of funding and make more scientific knowledge publically available. Also, it abolishes the need for journals.

More than Anecdotes: Fishers' Ecological Knowledge Can Fill Gaps for Ecosystem Modeling.

PubMed

Bevilacqua, Ana Helena V; Carvalho, Adriana R; Angelini, Ronaldo; Christensen, Villy

2016-01-01

Ecosystem modeling applied to fisheries remains hampered by a lack of local information. Fishers' knowledge could fill this gap, improving participation in and the management of fisheries. The same fishing area was modeled using two approaches: based on fishers' knowledge and based on scientific information. For the former, the data was collected by interviews through the Delphi methodology, and for the latter, the data was gathered from the literature. Agreement between the attributes generated by the fishers' knowledge model and scientific model is discussed and explored, aiming to improve data availability, the ecosystem model, and fisheries management. The ecosystem attributes produced from the fishers' knowledge model were consistent with the ecosystem attributes produced by the scientific model, and elaborated using only the scientific data from literature. This study provides evidence that fishers' knowledge may suitably complement scientific data, and may improve the modeling tools for the research and management of fisheries.

How Global Academic Stratification Affects Local Academies: The Inflated Role of Knowledge Reception in the Philosophy Discipline in Modern Japan

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chew, Matthew M.

2008-01-01

Sociologists of knowledge find that academic stratification is present among individual scholars, genders, networks, fields, and all kinds of scientific organizations, while communications scholars have been studying global cultural asymmetry for a long time. Yet few researchers have explored the global dimension of academic stratification. In…

Science and Public Policy: Uses and Control of Knowledge. Public Issues Series.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Singleton, Laurel R., Ed.

This booklet is part of a series designed to help students take and defend a position on public issues. This booklet addresses the issues faced by society and individuals due to advances in scientific knowledge. It presents questions, stories, and scenarios for student discussion. Students are instructed to identify three kinds of questions in a…

Examining the Nexus of Science Communication and Science Education: A Content Analysis of Genetics News Articles

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shea, Nicole A.

2015-01-01

Access to science information via communications in the media is rapidly becoming a central means for the public to gain knowledge about scientific advancements. However, little is known about what content knowledge is essential for understanding issues presented in news media. Very few empirical studies attempt to bridge science communication and…

The Major Project in the Field of Education in the Latin American and Caribbean Region. Bulletin 9.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization, Santiago (Chile). Regional Office for Education in Latin America and Caribbean.

The speed at which transformations have occurred in levels of knowledge--especially scientific and technical knowledge--obliges countries in the Latin American and Caribbean region to undergo a rapid process of modernization. An educational project of UNESCO was established with this goal in mind. This bulletin presents three articles concerning…

Facilitating Preschoolers' Scientific Knowledge Construction via Computer Games Regarding Light and Shadow: The Effect of the Prediction-Observation-Explanation (POE) Strategy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hsu, Chung-Yuan; Tsai, Chin-Chung; Liang, Jyh-Chong

2011-01-01

Educational researchers have suggested that computer games have a profound influence on students' motivation, knowledge construction, and learning performance, but little empirical research has targeted preschoolers. Thus, the purpose of the present study was to investigate the effects of implementing a computer game that integrates the…

The scientific basis for lynx conservation: Qualified insights [Chapter 16

Treesearch

Keith B. Aubry; Steven W. Buskirk; Gary M. Koehler; Charles J. Krebs; Kevin S. McKelvey; John R. Squires

2000-01-01

The information presented in this chapter is based on (1) extant knowledge of lynx ecology, (2) the pertinence of this knowledge to lynx conservation in the contiguous United States, (3) the ecological concepts discussed in the first section of this book, and (4) the collective interpretation and judgment of the authors. We have chosen the term "qualified...

Conceptions of Scientific Knowledge Influence Learning of Academic Skills: Epistemic Beliefs and the Efficacy of Information Literacy Instruction

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rosman, Tom; Peter, Johannes; Mayer, Anne-Kathrin; Krampen, Günter

2018-01-01

The present article investigates the effects of epistemic beliefs (i.e. beliefs about the nature of knowledge and knowing) on the effectiveness of information literacy instruction (i.e. instruction on how to search for scholarly information in academic settings). We expected psychology students with less sophisticated beliefs (especially…

High School Students' Evaluations, Plausibility (Re) Appraisals, and Knowledge about Topics in Earth Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lombardi, Doug; Bickel, Elliot S.; Bailey, Janelle M.; Burrell, Shondricka

2018-01-01

Evaluation is an important aspect of science and is receiving increasing attention in science education. The present study investigated (1) changes to plausibility judgments and knowledge as a result of a series of instructional scaffolds, called model-evidence link activities, that facilitated evaluation of scientific and alternative models in…

Rhetorical Strategies in Engineering Research Articles and Research Theses: Advanced Academic Literacy and Relations of Power

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Koutsantoni, Dimitra

2006-01-01

Research articles and research theses constitute two key genres used by scientific communities for the dissemination and ratification of knowledge. Both genres are produced at advanced stages of individuals' enculturation in disciplinary communities present original research aim to persuade the academic community to accept new knowledge claims,…

An outline of planetary geoscience. [philosophy

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1977-01-01

A philosophy for planetary geoscience is presented to aid in addressing a number of major scientific questions; answers to these questions should constitute the basic geoscientific knowledge of the solar system. However, any compilation of major questions or basic knowledge in planetary geoscience involves compromises and somewhat arbitrary boundaries that reflect the prevalent level of understanding at the time.

The Effects of Online Professional Development on Fourth Grade English Language Arts Teachers' Knowledge and Instructional Practices

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Masters, Jessica; de Kramer, Raquel Magidin; O'Dwyer, Laura M.; Dash, Sheralyn; Russell, Michael

2010-01-01

Online professional development (OPD) has great potential to improve teacher quality by improving teachers' knowledge and instructional practices, with the ultimate goal of improving student achievement. There is a dearth of scientific research, however, on the effects of OPD. This article presents the results of a randomized control trial…

Western teachers of science or teachers of Western science: On the influence of Western modern science in a post-colonial context

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Burke, Lydia E. Carol-Ann

An expanding body of research explores the social, political, cultural and personal challenges presented by the Western emphasis of curricula around the world. The aim of my study is to advance this field of inquiry by gaining insight into perceptions of Western modern science presented by students, teachers and administrators in a given Caribbean setting. Through this study I asked how my research participants described the nature of scientific knowledge, how they related scientific knowledge to other culturally-valued knowledges and the meanings they attached to the geographic origins of science teachers. Situating this work firmly within the practice of Foucauldian critical discourse analysis, I have utilised a conceptual framework defined by the power/knowledge and complicity/resistance themes of post-colonial theory to support my interpretation of participant commentary in an overall quest that is concerned about the ways in which Western modern science might be exerting a colonising influence. Fourteen students, nine teachers (both expatriate and local) and three administrators participated in the study. I combined a semi-structured question and answer interview format with a card sort activity. I used a procedure based on my own adaptation of Stephenson's Q methodology, where the respondents placed 24 statements hierarchically along a continuum of increasing strength of agreement, presenting their rationalisations, personal stories and illustrations as they sorted. I used an inverse factor analysis, in combination with the interview transcripts, to assist me in the identification of three discourse positions described by my research participants: The truth value of scientific knowledge, The pragmatic use of science to promote progress, and The priority of cultural preservation. The interview transcripts were also analysed for emergent themes, providing an additional layer of data interpretation. The research findings raise concerns regarding the hegemonic potency of certain scientific assumptions and assertions of participants, leading me to emphasise the importance of developing teachers' knowledge of the historical, philosophical and social background of Western modern science as well as focusing on developing the conceptual and intellectual engagement of students with Western modern science without demanding the kind of belief commitment that would insist that students replace alternative modes of meaning making.

The Relations between Scientific Epistemological Beliefs and Goal Orientations of Pre-Service Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kaya, Gamze Inan

2017-01-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relations between pre-service teachers' scientific epistemological beliefs and goal orientations in 2X2 framework. Scientific epistemological beliefs are domain-specific views of people about nature and acquisition of scientific knowledge, how scientific knowledge is produced, how reliable and valid…

The Nazaré Wave: a trigger for learning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carapuço, M. M.; Cunha, A.; Taborda, R.; Andrade, C.; Maurício, C.

2016-02-01

Ocean management faces relevant sustainability challenges. It is consensual that a wiser governance of the oceans can only be achieved by the involvement of all key-players. In this scope scientists, as knowledge generators, have a vital role in ocean governance. Scientists are therefore called to share their knowledge outside the scientific community. This effort, framed under the Responsible Research and Innovation approach, will contribute to a more informed society, which in turn will be able to make better decisions. However, communicating science is a challenging task as is often necessary to inspire the audience and assure their receptivity, which may not be tuned to scientific contents. The present work focuses on the importance of the use of communication triggers in scientific knowledge transfer in ocean sciences. In this work the Nazaré wave - the highest wave ever surfed - was used as the communication trigger as it is a very popular subject with the media and is given great media coverage. Results show that the use of this subject can be an excellent trigger for the transfer of scientific knowledge on basic wave dynamics to the students. Additionally to the theme itself, it was found that short scientific animation videos voiced-over by students performed very well as the communication channel. The scripts used were written by scientists and commented by the students, previously to recording, assuring that the adequate language was used, and that the essential principles and fundamental concepts of waves reach the audience. Results of using the Nazaré´ wave as a communication trigger have been extremely positive and resulted in a well-succeeded engagement platform.

Enhancing Scientific Communication Through an Undergraduate Biology and Journalism Partnership.

PubMed

Schwingel, Johanna M

2018-01-01

Scientific terminology presents an obstacle to effective communication with nonscientific audiences. To overcome this obstacle, biology majors in a general microbiology elective completed a project involving two different audiences: a scientific audience of their peers and a general, nonscientific audience. First, students presented an overview of a primary research paper and the significance of its findings to a general, nonscientific audience in an elevator-type talk. This was followed by a peer interview with a student in a journalism course, in which the biology students needed to comprehend the article to effectively communicate it to the journalism students, and the journalism students needed to ask questions about an unfamiliar, technical topic. Next, the biology students wrote a summary of their article for a scientific audience. Finally, the students presented a figure from the article to their peers in a scientific, Bio-Minute format. The biology-journalism partnership allowed biology students to develop their ability to communicate scientific information and journalism students their ability to ask appropriate questions and establish a base of knowledge from which to write.

Building a knowledge based economy in Russia using guided entrepreneurship

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reznik, Boris N.; Daniels, Marc; Ichim, Thomas E.; Reznik, David L.

2005-06-01

Despite advanced scientific and technological (S&T) expertise, the Russian economy is presently based upon manufacturing and raw material exports. Currently, governmental incentives are attempting to leverage the existing scientific infrastructure through the concept of building a Knowledge Based Economy. However, socio-economic changes do not occur solely by decree, but by alteration of approach to the market. Here we describe the "Guided Entrepreneurship" plan, a series of steps needed for generation of an army of entrepreneurs, which initiate a chain reaction of S&T-driven growth. The situation in Russia is placed in the framework of other areas where Guided Entrepreneurship has been successful.

Ecoacoustic Music for Geoscience: Sonic Physiographies and Sound Casting

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Burtner, M.

2017-12-01

The author describes specific ecoacoustic applications in his original compositions, Sonic Physiography of a Time-Stretched Glacier (2015), Catalog of Roughness (2017), Sound Cast of Matanuska Glacier (2016) and Ecoacoustic Concerto (Eagle Rock) (2014). Ecoacoustic music uses technology to map systems from nature into music through techniques such as sonification, material amplification, and field recording. The author aspires for this music to be descriptive of the data (as one would expect from a visualization) and also to function as engaging and expressive music/sound art on its own. In this way, ecoacoustic music might provide a fitting accompaniment to a scientific presentation (such as music for a science video) while also offering an exemplary concert hall presentation for a dedicated listening public. The music can at once support the communication of scientific research, and help science make inroads into culture. The author discusses how music created using the data, sounds and methods derived from earth science can recast this research into a sonic art modality. Such music can amplify the communication and dissemination of scientific knowledge by broadening the diversity of methods and formats we use to bring excellent scientific research to the public. Music can also open the public's imagination to science, inspiring curiosity and emotional resonance. Hearing geoscience as music may help a non-scientist access scientific knowledge in new ways, and it can greatly expand the types of venues in which this work can appear. Anywhere music is played - concert halls, festivals, galleries, radio, etc - become a venue for scientific discovery.

Technology as a Form of Organization.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dobrov, Gennady M.

1979-01-01

Discusses the process of converting scientific knowledge into productive social forces. Information is presented on system-structured technology, technical processes, labor and plant productivity, and the life cycle of technological systems. (DB)

Scientific production and technological production: transforming a scientific paper into patent applications.

PubMed

Dias, Cleber Gustavo; Almeida, Roberto Barbosa de

2013-01-01

Brazil has been presenting in the last years a scientific production well-recognized in the international scenario, in several areas of knowledge, according to the impact of their publications in important events and especially in indexed journals of wide circulation. On the other hand, the country does not seem to be in the same direction regarding to the technological production and wealth creation from the established scientific development, and particularly from the applied research. The present paper covers such issue and discloses the main similarities and differences between a scientific paper and a patent application, in order to contribute to a better understanding of both types of documents and help the researchers to chose and select the results with technological potential, decide what is appropriated for industrial protection, as well as foster new business opportunities for each technology which has been created.

Scientific production and technological production: transforming a scientific paper into patent applications

PubMed Central

Dias, Cleber Gustavo; de Almeida, Roberto Barbosa

2013-01-01

ABSTRACT Brazil has been presenting in the last years a scientific production well-recognized in the international scenario, in several areas of knowledge, according to the impact of their publications in important events and especially in indexed journals of wide circulation. On the other hand, the country does not seem to be in the same direction regarding to the technological production and wealth creation from the established scientific development, and particularly from the applied research. The present paper covers such issue and discloses the main similarities and differences between a scientific paper and a patent application, in order to contribute to a better understanding of both types of documents and help the researchers to chose and select the results with technological potential, decide what is appropriated for industrial protection, as well as foster new business opportunities for each technology which has been created. PMID:23579737

Bridging Research and Environmental Regulatory Processes: The Role of Knowledge Brokers

PubMed Central

Pennell, Kelly G.; Thompson, Marcella; Rice, James W.; Senier, Laura; Brown, Phil; Suuberg, Eric

2013-01-01

Federal funding agencies increasingly require research investigators to ensure that federally-sponsored research demonstrates broader societal impact. Specifically, the National Institutes of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) Superfund Research Program (SRP) requires research centers to include research translation and community engagement cores to achieve broader impacts, with special emphasis on improving environmental health policies through better scientific understanding. This paper draws on theoretical insights from the social sciences to show how incorporating knowledge brokers in research centers can facilitate translation of scientific expertise to influence regulatory processes and thus promote public health. Knowledge brokers connect academic researchers with decision-makers, to facilitate the translation of research findings into policies and programs. In this article, we describe the stages of the regulatory process and highlight the role of the knowledge broker and scientific expert at each stage. We illustrate the cooperation of knowledge brokers, scientific experts and policymakers using a case from the Brown University (Brown) SRP. We show how the Brown SRP incorporated knowledge brokers to engage scientific experts with regulatory officials around the emerging public health problem of vapor intrusion. In the Brown SRP, the knowledge broker brought regulatory officials into the research process, to help scientific experts understand the critical nature of this emerging public health threat, and helped scientific experts develop a research agenda that would inform the development of timely measures to protect public health. Our experience shows that knowledge brokers can enhance the impact of environmental research on public health by connecting policy decision-makers with scientific experts at critical points throughout the regulatory process. PMID:24083557

Tensions Between Science and Intuition Across the Lifespan.

PubMed

Shtulman, Andrew; Harrington, Kelsey

2016-01-01

The scientific knowledge needed to engage with policy issues like climate change, vaccination, and stem cell research often conflicts with our intuitive theories of the world. How resilient are our intuitive theories in the face of contradictory scientific knowledge? Here, we present evidence that intuitive theories in 10 domains of knowledge-astronomy, evolution, fractions, genetics, germs, matter, mechanics, physiology, thermodynamics, and waves-persist more than four decades beyond the acquisition of a mutually exclusive scientific theory. Participants (104 younger adults, Mage  = 19.6, and 48 older adults, Mage  = 65.1) were asked to verify two types of scientific statements as quickly as possible: those that are consistent with intuition (e.g., "the moon revolves around the Earth") and those that involve the same conceptual relations but are inconsistent with intuition (e.g., "the Earth revolves around the sun"). Older adults were as accurate as younger adults at verifying both types of statements, but the lag in response times between intuition-consistent and intuition-inconsistent statements was significantly larger for older adults than for younger adults. This lag persisted even among professional scientists. Overall, these results suggest that the scientific literacy needed to engage with topics of global importance may be constrained by patterns of reasoning that emerge in childhood but persist long thereafter. Copyright © 2015 Cognitive Science Society, Inc.

Using the First-Year English Class to Develop Scientific Thinking Skills

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McNamara, B. J.; Burnham, C.; Green, S.; Ball, E.; Schryer, A.

2002-12-01

This poster presents the preliminary results from an experimental approach to teaching first-year writing using the scientific method as an organizing theme. The approach presumes a close connection between the classical scientific method: observing, hypothesis forming, hypothesis testing, and generalizing from the results of the testing, and the writing process: inventing and prewriting, drafting, and revising. The project has four goals: 1. To introduce students to the relations between scientific method, academic inquiry, and the writing process; 2. To help students see that academic inquiry, the work of generating, testing, and validating knowledge and then applying that knowledge in real contexts, is actually a hybrid form of the scientific method; 3. To encourage students to connect the work they are doing in the writing classroom with the work they are doing in other classes so they can transfer the skills learned in one context to the other; and 4. To cause students who have previously been alienated by science and science teaching to reconsider their attitudes, and to see the powerful influence of science and scientific thinking in our world. In short, we are teaching science literacy in a humanities classroom. The materials we use include science-based reading and the kinds of writing typically required in science classes. The poster presents the basic premises of the project, samples of class materials, and preliminary results of a controlled pre- and post-test of student attitudes toward science and writing, analyzed especially according to gender and minority status. We also present insights by participating instructors including a female graduate teaching assistant who had been trained as a scientist and a male who had not.

Scientific Knowledge, Popularisation, and the Use of Metaphors: Modern Genetics in Popular Science Magazines

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pramling, Niklas; Saljo, Roger

2007-01-01

The article reports an empirical study of how authors in popular science magazines attempt to render scientific knowledge intelligible to wide audiences. In bridging the two domains of "popular" and "scientific" knowledge, respectively, metaphor becomes central. We ask the empirical question of what metaphors are used when communicating about…

Optimize scientific communication skills on work and energy concept with implementation of interactive conceptual instruction and multi representation approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Patriot, E. A.; Suhandi, A.; Chandra, D. T.

2018-05-01

The ultimate goal of learning in the curriculum 2013 is that learning must improve and balance between soft skills and hard skills of learners. In addition to the knowledge aspect, one of the other skills to be trained in the learning process using a scientific approach is communication skills. This study aims to get an overview of the implementation of interactive conceptual instruction with multi representation to optimize the achievement of students’ scientific communication skills on work and energy concept. The scientific communication skills contains the sub-skills were searching the information, scientific writing, group discussion and knowledge presentation. This study was descriptive research with observation method. Subjects in this study were 35 students of class X in Senior High School at Sumedang. The results indicate an achievement of optimal scientific communication skills. The greatest achievement of KKI based on observation is at fourth meeting of KKI-3, which is a sub-skill of resume writing of 89%. Allmost students responded positively to the implication of interactive conceptual instruction with multi representation approach. It can be concluded that the implication of interactive conceptual instruction with multi representation approach can optimize the achievement of students’ scientific communication skill on work and energy concept.

Nature of Science, Scientific Inquiry, and Socio-Scientific Issues Arising from Genetics: A Pathway to Developing a Scientifically Literate Citizenry

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lederman, Norman G.; Antink, Allison; Bartos, Stephen

2014-01-01

The primary focus of this article is to illustrate how teachers can use contemporary socio-scientific issues to teach students about nature of scientific knowledge as well as address the science subject matter embedded in the issues. The article provides an initial discussion about the various aspects of nature of scientific knowledge that are…

Journalism and science: how to erode the idea of knowledge.

PubMed

Meyer, Gitte

2006-01-01

This paper discusses aspects of the relationship between the scientific community and the public at large. Inspired by the European public debate on genetically modified crops and food, ethical challenges to the scientific community are highlighted. This is done by a discussion of changes that are likely to occur to journalistic attitudes--mirroring changing attitudes in the wider society--towards science and scientific researchers. Two journalistic conventions--those of science transmission and of investigative journalism--are presented and discussed in relation to the present drive towards commercialization within the world of science: how are journalists from these different schools of thought likely to respond to the trend of commercialization? Likely journalistic reactions could, while maintaining the authority of the scientific method, be expected to undermine public trust in scientists. In the long term, this may lead to an erosion of the idea of knowledge as something that cannot simply be reduced to the outcome of negotiation between stakeholders. It is argued that science is likely to be depicted as a fallen angel. This may be countered, it is posited, by science turning human, by recognizing its membership of society, and by recognizing that such membership entails more than just commercial relations. To rethink its relationship with the public at large--and, in particular, to rethink the ideal of disinterested science--is an ethical challenge facing the scientific community.

Tropical Rainforests.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nigh, Ronald B.; Nations, James D.

1980-01-01

Presented is a summary of scientific knowledge about the rainforest environment, a tropical ecosystem in danger of extermination. Topics include the current state of tropical rainforests, the causes of rainforest destruction, and alternatives of rainforest destruction. (BT)

Analysis of theoretical knowledge and the practice of science among Brazilian otorhinolaryngologists.

PubMed

Mendonça, Vitor Rosa Ramos de; Alcântara, Thiago; Andrade, Nilvano; Andrade, Bruno Bezerril; Barral-Netto, Manoel; Boaventura, Viviane

2013-08-01

Physicians from all medical specialties are required to understand the principles of science and to interpret medical literature. Yet, the levels of theoretical and practical knowledge held by Brazilian otorhinolaryngologists has not been evaluated to date. To assess the background and level of scientific knowledge of Brazilian otorhinolaryngologists. Participants of two national ENT meetings were invited to answer a questionnaire to assess scientific practice and knowledge. This study included 73 medical doctors (52% otorhinolaryngologists and 38% residents) aged between 18 and 65 years. About two-thirds have been involved in some form of scientific activity during undergraduate education and/or reported to have written at least one scientific paper. Physicians who took part in research projects felt better prepared to interpret scientific papers and carry out research projects (p = 0.0103 and p = 0.0240, respectively). Respondents who claimed to have participated in research or to have written papers had higher scores on theoretical scientific concepts (p = 0.0101 and p = 0.0103, respectively). However, the overall rate of right answers on questions regarding scientific knowledge was 46.1%. Therefore, a deficiency was observed in the scientific education of Brazilian otorhinolaryngologists. Such deficiency may be mitigated through participation in research.

Communities needs, values, and representations of the world: lessons learned from Greenland's and Senegal's ARTisticc's study sites.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baztan, J.; Vanderlinden, J. P.; Cordier, M.; Da Cunha, C.; Gaye, N.; Huctin, J. M.; Kane, A.; Quensiere, J.; Remvikos, Y.; Seck, A.

2016-12-01

The cultural dimensions of climate change impacts and adaptation have been increasingly examined in recent years through various disciplinary lenses, exposing a clear need for mainstream natural sciences to address the question of how to incorporate the values of communities facing global changes into their work. With this in mind, the work presented here addresses three main questions: (i) Do community members consider available scientific data and findings credible? Answering this question provides insight into whether available scientific knowledge expresses causal links that are mobilized by affected communities. (ii) Do community members consider available scientific data and findings salient? Answering this question provides insight into whether available scientific knowledge focuses on phenomena that those in affected communities think should receive attention. (iii) Do community members consider available scientific data and findings legitimate? Answering this question provides insight into whether available scientific knowledge expresses what is good, tolerable, and/or acceptable for affected communities. These three questions delve into the ways in which adaptation requires affected individuals and communities to adopt attitudes by integrating/woven from potentially conflicting evidence, relevance, and/or normative claims. These questions also shed light on the links between mainstream sciences and studied affected communities. The research presented here focuses on 2 communities: (i) Uummannaq, an island of 12km2 in a fjord, located along the middle of Greenland's west coast and (ii) Joal-Fadiouth & M'bour area in the wester African's coast, few Km south of Dakar, Senegal. This communication shares the results from field work experiences from ARTiticc's interdisciplinary approach to identifying the needs, values, and representations of the world of the communities, and how to fit these elements into mainstream sciences in order to bridge gaps between communities and research efforts and by doing so, determine the optimal adaptation strategies through which to engage global changes.

Transforming "Ecosystem" from a Scientific Concept into a Teachable Topic: Philosophy and History of Ecology Informs Science Textbook Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schizas, Dimitrios; Papatheodorou, Efimia; Stamou, George

2018-01-01

This study conducts a textbook analysis in the frame of the following working hypothesis: The transformation of scientific knowledge into school knowledge is expected to reproduce the problems encountered with the scientific knowledge itself or generate additional problems, which may both induce misconceptions in textbook users. Specifically, we…

Ninth Grade Students' Understanding of The Nature of Scientific Knowledge

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kilic, Kerem; Sungur, Semra; Cakiroglu, Jale; Tekkaya, Ceren

2005-01-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate the 9th-grade students' understandings of the nature of scientific knowledge. The study also aimed to investigate the differences in students' understanding of the nature of scientific knowledge by gender, and school types. A total of 575 ninth grade students from four different school types (General…

Regulatory Agencies and Food Safety

PubMed Central

Chapman, R. A.; Morrison, A. B.

1966-01-01

Prior to Confederation, food control legislation in Canada consisted of only a few simple laws governing the quality, grading, packing and inspection of certain staple foods. The Inland Revenue Act of 1875 provided the first real control in Canada over adulteration of liquor, foods and drugs. Since then, food legislation has evolved in scope and complexity as the industries involved have developed, as consumers have become better informed, and as scientific advances have provided a sound basis for regulations. Present regulations under the Food and Drugs Act are intended to give consumers broad protection against health hazards and fraud in the production, manufacture, labelling, packaging, advertising, and sale of foods. This principle is well illustrated by present requirements for the control of pesticide residues, chemical additives, and the addition of vitamins to foods. In today's era of rapid technological change, application of current scientific knowledge to the food industry obviously involves the possibility of hazards to health. Regulatory agencies with responsibility for food safety must, therefore, fully utilize scientific knowledge in order to reduce the risks involved to a minimum. PMID:5905951

Educational interventions to advance children's scientific thinking.

PubMed

Klahr, David; Zimmerman, Corinne; Jirout, Jamie

2011-08-19

The goal of science education interventions is to nurture, enrich, and sustain children's natural and spontaneous interest in scientific knowledge and procedures. We present taxonomy for classifying different types of research on scientific thinking from the perspective of cognitive development and associated attempts to teach science. We summarize the literature on the early--unschooled--development of scientific thinking, and then focus on recent research on how best to teach science to children from preschool to middle school. We summarize some of the current disagreements in the field of science education and offer some suggestions on ways to continue to advance the science of science instruction.

More than Anecdotes: Fishers’ Ecological Knowledge Can Fill Gaps for Ecosystem Modeling

PubMed Central

Bevilacqua, Ana Helena V.; Carvalho, Adriana R.; Angelini, Ronaldo; Christensen, Villy

2016-01-01

Background Ecosystem modeling applied to fisheries remains hampered by a lack of local information. Fishers’ knowledge could fill this gap, improving participation in and the management of fisheries. Methodology The same fishing area was modeled using two approaches: based on fishers’ knowledge and based on scientific information. For the former, the data was collected by interviews through the Delphi methodology, and for the latter, the data was gathered from the literature. Agreement between the attributes generated by the fishers’ knowledge model and scientific model is discussed and explored, aiming to improve data availability, the ecosystem model, and fisheries management. Principal Findings The ecosystem attributes produced from the fishers’ knowledge model were consistent with the ecosystem attributes produced by the scientific model, and elaborated using only the scientific data from literature. Conclusions/Significance This study provides evidence that fishers’ knowledge may suitably complement scientific data, and may improve the modeling tools for the research and management of fisheries. PMID:27196131

[Popular wisdom: its existence in the university environment].

PubMed

Barbosa, Maria Alves; de Melo, Marcia Borges; Júnior, Raul Soares Silveira; Brasil, Virginia Visconde; Martins, Cleusa Alves; Bezerra, Ana Lúcia Queiroz

2004-01-01

Nowadays, myths and superstitions are present in spite of scientific and technological developments, especially when trying to solve problems that escape human understanding. This study was aimed at determining the existence of superstitions and myths in the university community, investigating their origins, influences, adoption and credibility, correlating them with people's level of knowledge. It is a descriptive/analytical research conducted at Teaching Units in the Area of Health of the Federal University of Goiás. The technique of content analysis was utilized for data analysis. Two categories have been created: Personal Attitudes related to Superstitions and Influences and Destruction of Superstitions. It was found out that there is a clash between popular and scientific knowledge, either leading to the exclusion of popular wisdom, to its 'veiled' maintenance, or even to an alliance between the two types of knowledge.

Worldwide Topology of the Scientific Subject Profile: A Macro Approach in the Country Level

PubMed Central

Moya-Anegón, Félix; Herrero-Solana, Víctor

2013-01-01

Background Models for the production of knowledge and systems of innovation and science are key elements for characterizing a country in view of its scientific thematic profile. With regard to scientific output and publication in journals of international visibility, the countries of the world may be classified into three main groups according to their thematic bias. Methodology/Principal Findings This paper aims to classify the countries of the world in several broad groups, described in terms of behavioural models that attempt to sum up the characteristics of their systems of knowledge and innovation. We perceive three clusters in our analysis: 1) the biomedical cluster, 2) the basic science & engineering cluster, and 3) the agricultural cluster. The countries are conceptually associated with the clusters via Principal Component Analysis (PCA), and a Multidimensional Scaling (MDS) map with all the countries is presented. Conclusions/Significance As we have seen, insofar as scientific output and publication in journals of international visibility is concerned, the countries of the world may be classified into three main groups according to their thematic profile. These groups can be described in terms of behavioral models that attempt to sum up the characteristics of their systems of knowledge and innovation. PMID:24349467

[An approach to a methodology of scientific research for assistant-students].

PubMed

Novak, Ivón T C; Bejarano, Paola Antón; Rodríguez, Fernando Marcos

2007-01-01

This work is presented from a "problematic" perspective in the attempt to establish a dialogic relationship between the educator and the student-subject, mediated by the object of knowledge. It is oriented to the integral education of the helping students departing from a closer approach to the scientific research. This work was carried out by a teacher and two hired students. This project was developed in relation with the profile required for the career of medicine in the Faculty of Medicine of the National University of Cordoba which--among other aspects- addresses the importance of "adopting a positive attitude towards research based on knowledge and the application of the scientific methodology" and towards "the development of a responsible self-learning and continuous improvements" (sic). Thus, this work tries to be aligned with this perspectives. I. Characterization of the scientific methodology. Search for bibliography and discussion of scientific works. II. Optimization of the methodology for the observation of leucocytes: blood samples donated by healthy people, non-coagulating with citrate or with EDTA (Blood reservoir of the UNC (National University of Cordoba) n = 20. a) Blood smear of full blood. b) centrifugation at 200g of plasma and aspirated leucocytes after erythro sedimentation and re suspension of the cell pellet and cyto-dispersion. Cytological and cyto-chemical techniques. I. Deeper knowledge about blood field was achieved. It generated an appropriate atmosphere to produce scientific questioning and the activities involved in the process were carried out responsibly. II. Better results were achieved using EDTA for the observation and analysis of leucocytes. It was possible to attain the objectives for an approach to a scientific research as well as for a contribution towards a responsible development in the continuous learning process.

Carl Linnaeus, Erasmus Darwin and Anna Seward: Botanical Poetry and Female Education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

George, Sam

2014-03-01

This article will explore the intersection between `literature' and `science' in one key area, the botanical poem with scientific notes. It reveals significant aspects of the way knowledge was gendered in the Enlightenment, which is relevant to the present-day education of girls in science. It aims to illustrate how members of the Lichfield Botanical Society (headed by Erasmus Darwin) became implicated in debates around the education of women in Linnaean botany. The Society's translations from Linnaeus inspired a new genre of women's educational writing, the botanical poem with scientific notes, which emerged at this time. It focuses in particular on a poem by Anna Seward and argues that significant problems regarding the representation of the Linnaean sexual system of botany are found in such works and that women in the culture of botany struggled to give voice to a subject which was judged improper for female education. The story of this unique poem and the surrounding controversies can teach us much about how gender impacted upon women's scientific writing in eighteenth century Britain, and how it shaped the language and terminology of botany in works for female education. In particular, it demonstrates how the sexuality of plants uncovered by Linnaeus is a paradigmatic illustration of how societal forces can simultaneously both constrict and stimulate women's involvement in science. Despite the vast changes to women's access in scientific knowledge of the present day, this `fair sexing' of botany illustrates the struggle that women have undergone to give voice to their botanical knowledge.

Science and Technology in Greek Newspapers, 1900-1910. Historiographical Reflections and the Role of Journalists for the Public Images of Science and Technology

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mergoupi-Savaidou, Eirini; Papanelopoulou, Faidra; Tzokas, Spyros

2012-01-01

Based on our research on two Athenian daily newspapers for the first decade of the twentieth century, we present some historiographical reflections concerning the role of the daily press in the circulation of scientific knowledge, ideas and practices. From the wealth of material provided, we examine some of the ways in which scientific and…

The development of scientific reasoning in medical education: a psychological perspective.

PubMed

Barz, Daniela Luminita; Achimaş-Cadariu, Andrei

2016-01-01

Scientific reasoning has been studied from a variety of theoretical perspectives, which have tried to identify the underlying mechanisms responsible for the development of this particular cognitive process. Scientific reasoning has been defined as a problem-solving process that involves critical thinking in relation to content, procedural, and epistemic knowledge. The development of scientific reasoning in medical education was influenced by current paradigmatic trends, it could be traced along educational curriculum and followed cognitive processes. The purpose of the present review is to discuss the role of scientific reasoning in medical education and outline educational methods for its development. Current evidence suggests that medical education should foster a new ways of development of scientific reasoning, which include exploration of the complexity of scientific inquiry, and also take into consideration the heterogeneity of clinical cases found in practice.

Knowledge translation research: the science of moving research into policy and practice.

PubMed

Curran, Janet A; Grimshaw, Jeremy M; Hayden, Jill A; Campbell, Barbara

2011-01-01

Research findings will not change health outcomes unless health care organizations, systems, and professionals adopt them in practice. Knowledge translation research is the scientific study of the methods to promote the uptake of research findings by patients, health care providers, managers, and policy makers. Many forms of enquiry addressing different questions are needed to develop the evidence base for knowledge translation. In this paper we will present a description of the broad scope of knowledge translation research with a reflection on activities needed to further develop the science of knowledge translation. Consideration of some of the shared research challenges facing the fields of knowledge translation and continuing professional development will also be presented. Copyright © 2010 The Alliance for Continuing Medical Education, the Society for Academic Continuing Medical Education, and the Council on CME, Association for Hospital Medical Education.

Indigenous Knowledge and Science Unite to Reveal Spatial and Temporal Dimensions of Distributional Shift in Wildlife of Conservation Concern

PubMed Central

Service, Christina N.; Adams, Megan S.; Artelle, Kyle A.; Paquet, Paul; Grant, Laura V.; Darimont, Chris T.

2014-01-01

Range shifts among wildlife can occur rapidly and impose cascading ecological, economic, and cultural consequences. However, occurrence data used to define distributional limits derived from scientific approaches are often outdated for wide ranging and elusive species, especially in remote environments. Accordingly, our aim was to amalgamate indigenous and western scientific evidence of grizzly bear (Ursus arctos horribilis) records and detail a potential range shift on the central coast of British Columbia, Canada. In addition, we test the hypothesis that data from each method yield similar results, as well as illustrate the complementary nature of this coupled approach. Combining information from traditional and local ecological knowledge (TEK/LEK) interviews with remote camera, genetic, and hunting data revealed that grizzly bears are now present on 10 islands outside their current management boundary. LEK interview data suggested this expansion has accelerated over the last 10 years. Both approaches provided complementary details and primarily affirmed one another: all islands with scientific evidence for occupation had consistent TEK/LEK evidence. Moreover, our complementary methods approach enabled a more spatially and temporally detailed account than either method would have afforded alone. In many cases, knowledge already held by local indigenous people could provide timely and inexpensive data about changing ecological processes. However, verifying the accuracy of scientific and experiential knowledge by pairing sources at the same spatial scale allows for increased confidence and detail. A similarly coupled approach may be useful across taxa in many regions. PMID:25054635

Principled Practical Knowledge: Not a Bridge but a Ladder

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bereiter, Carl

2014-01-01

The much-lamented gap between theory and practice in education cannot be filled by practical knowledge alone or by explanatory knowledge alone. Principled practical knowledge (PPK) is a type of knowledge that has characteristics of both practical know-how and scientific theory. Like basic scientific theory, PPK meets standards of explanatory…

The Relationship between Scientific Knowledge and Behaviour: An HIV/AIDS Case

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mnguni, Lindelani; Abrie, Mia; Ebersohn, Liesel

2016-01-01

Debates on the role of scientific knowledge to affect behaviour are continuing. The theory of planned behaviour suggests that behaviour is influenced by attitudes, subjective norms and perceived behavioural control and not by knowledge. However, a large body of knowledge argues that increased HIV/AIDS-related knowledge leads to the adoption of…

[The constructivist epistemological belief about scientific knowledge varies according to the year of training in medical students but not in students of other health careers].

PubMed

Lazcano, Ximena; Villalón, Francisco; Vera, Soledad; Conget, Paulette

2017-09-01

To optimize the teaching-learning process it is fundamental to know the representations that students have regarding knowledge. Epistemological beliefs are implicit theories that guide the practical actions of people. To characterize and compare epistemological beliefs regarding the nature and acquisition of scientific knowledge of health career students. Between 2012 and 2013, 726 students coursing first, third or fifth year from six health careers answered a validated questionnaire that includes closed and open questions aimed to characterize their epistemological beliefs about scientific knowledge. Irrespective of the career, when students had to select predefined answers, most of them appeared as constructivists (61%). On the other hand, when they had to argue, the majority seemed objectivist (47%). First-year medical students have the highest frequency of constructivist epistemological beliefs (56%). Paradoxically, the lowest percentage is found (34%) in the fifth year. The students of the health careers, in particular those of Medicine, recognize that knowledge is not acquired immediately (83%) and that its distribution is shared (92%). Discordance between selections and arguments suggests that epistemological sophistication is achieved declaratively but not practically. The lower proportion of students who presented constructivist beliefs in the fifth year compared to first year of Medicine could be associated with the pedagogical approaches used in the different cycles of the career.

Detecting opportunities for parallel observations on the Hubble Space Telescope

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lucks, Michael

1992-01-01

The presence of multiple scientific instruments aboard the Hubble Space Telescope provides opportunities for parallel science, i.e., the simultaneous use of different instruments for different observations. Determining whether candidate observations are suitable for parallel execution depends on numerous criteria (some involving quantitative tradeoffs) that may change frequently. A knowledge based approach is presented for constructing a scoring function to rank candidate pairs of observations for parallel science. In the Parallel Observation Matching System (POMS), spacecraft knowledge and schedulers' preferences are represented using a uniform set of mappings, or knowledge functions. Assessment of parallel science opportunities is achieved via composition of the knowledge functions in a prescribed manner. The knowledge acquisition, and explanation facilities of the system are presented. The methodology is applicable to many other multiple criteria assessment problems.

Communicating marine reserve science to diverse audiences

PubMed Central

Grorud-Colvert, Kirsten; Lester, Sarah E.; Airamé, Satie; Neeley, Elizabeth; Gaines, Steven D.

2010-01-01

As human impacts cause ecosystem-wide changes in the oceans, the need to protect and restore marine resources has led to increasing calls for and establishment of marine reserves. Scientific information about marine reserves has multiplied over the last decade, providing useful knowledge about this tool for resource users, managers, policy makers, and the general public. This information must be conveyed to nonscientists in a nontechnical, credible, and neutral format, but most scientists are not trained to communicate in this style or to develop effective strategies for sharing their scientific knowledge. Here, we present a case study from California, in which communicating scientific information during the process to establish marine reserves in the Channel Islands and along the California mainland coast expanded into an international communication effort. We discuss how to develop a strategy for communicating marine reserve science to diverse audiences and highlight the influence that effective science communication can have in discussions about marine management. PMID:20427745

Oral narratives: reconceptualising the turbulence between Indigenous perspectives and Eurocentric scientific views

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bechtel, R.

2016-06-01

Mitigating the borders that exist between scientific cultures can be a difficult task. The purpose of this paper is to look at the differences and similarities that occur in language use when two scientific cultures communicate in the same forum on a topic of mutual concern. The results provide an opportunity to share knowledge of an Indigenous culture that relies on barren ground caribou ( Rangifer tarandus) as a way of life in Northern Canada. Analysis of language use led to the identification of framework categories that can be used to increase awareness in different perspectives of science knowledge. Reconceptualization of the narratives presented can be used to calm the turbulence that exists between Indigenous People and other cultures and provides an opportunity for science educators to incorporate Indigenous ways of knowing into the classroom. It was found that autobiographical approaches in particular could provide an opening for cultural borders to be lessened.

Communicating marine reserve science to diverse audiences.

PubMed

Grorud-Colvert, Kirsten; Lester, Sarah E; Airamé, Satie; Neeley, Elizabeth; Gaines, Steven D

2010-10-26

As human impacts cause ecosystem-wide changes in the oceans, the need to protect and restore marine resources has led to increasing calls for and establishment of marine reserves. Scientific information about marine reserves has multiplied over the last decade, providing useful knowledge about this tool for resource users, managers, policy makers, and the general public. This information must be conveyed to nonscientists in a nontechnical, credible, and neutral format, but most scientists are not trained to communicate in this style or to develop effective strategies for sharing their scientific knowledge. Here, we present a case study from California, in which communicating scientific information during the process to establish marine reserves in the Channel Islands and along the California mainland coast expanded into an international communication effort. We discuss how to develop a strategy for communicating marine reserve science to diverse audiences and highlight the influence that effective science communication can have in discussions about marine management.

Linking the Long Tail of Data: A Bottoms-up Approach to Connecting Scientific Research

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jacob, B.; Arctur, D. K.

2016-12-01

Highly curated ontologies are often developed for big scientific data, but the long tail of research data rarely receives the same treatment. The learning curve for Semantic Web technology is steep, and the value of linking each long-tail data set to known taxonomies and ontologies in isolation rarely justifies the level of effort required to bring a Knowledge Engineer into the project. We present an approach that takes a bottoms-up approach of producing a Linked Data model of datasets mechanically, inferring the shape and structure of the data from the original format, and adding derived variables and semantic linkages via iterative, interactive refinements of that model. In this way, the vast corpus of small but rich scientific data becomes part of the greater linked web of knowledge, and the connectivity of that data can be iteratively improved over time.

Scientific progress: Knowledge versus understanding.

PubMed

Dellsén, Finnur

2016-04-01

What is scientific progress? On Alexander Bird's epistemic account of scientific progress, an episode in science is progressive precisely when there is more scientific knowledge at the end of the episode than at the beginning. Using Bird's epistemic account as a foil, this paper develops an alternative understanding-based account on which an episode in science is progressive precisely when scientists grasp how to correctly explain or predict more aspects of the world at the end of the episode than at the beginning. This account is shown to be superior to the epistemic account by examining cases in which knowledge and understanding come apart. In these cases, it is argued that scientific progress matches increases in scientific understanding rather than accumulations of knowledge. In addition, considerations having to do with minimalist idealizations, pragmatic virtues, and epistemic value all favor this understanding-based account over its epistemic counterpart. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Visualizando el desarrollo de la nanomedicina en México.

PubMed

Robles-Belmont, Eduardo; Gortari-Rabiela, Rebeca de; Galarza-Barrios, Pilar; Siqueiros-García, Jesús Mario; Ruiz-León, Alejandro Arnulfo

2017-01-01

In this article we present a set of different visualizations of Mexico's nanomedicine scientific production data. Visualizations were developed using different methodologies for data analysis and visualization such as social network analysis, geography of science maps, and complex network communities analysis. Results are a multi-dimensional overview of the evolution of nanomedicine in Mexico. Moreover, visualizations allowed to identify trends and patterns of collaboration at the national and international level. Trends are also found in the knowledge structure of themes and disciplines. Finally, we identified the scientific communities in Mexico that are responsible for the new knowledge production in this emergent field of science. Copyright: © 2017 SecretarÍa de Salud

[Research and cure: knowledge and prophylaxis of endemic goiter in Argentina (1916-1958).].

PubMed

Feld, Adriana; Busala, Analía E

2010-01-01

The present paper focuses on the reconstruction of the historical circumstances of knowledge production as well as and the debates about endemic goiter disease during the period 1916-1955 in Argentina. Taking into account the social, political and material dimensions, this text explores the re-signification of scientific and medical knowledge oriented to the prevention and health treatment, through the positioning of several social actors engaged all along the period, and the diverse historical and institutional contexts.

Interplay between Content Knowledge and Scientific Argumentation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hakyolu, Hanife; Ogan-Bekiroglu, Feral

2016-01-01

This research study aimed to analyze the relationship between content knowledge and argumentation by examining students' prior subject matter knowledge and their production of arguments as well as by comparing students' arguments with their knowledge-in-use during scientific argumentation sessions. A correlational research design was carried out…

A survey of toxic plants on the market in the district of Bamako, Mali: traditional knowledge compared with a literature search of modern pharmacology and toxicology.

PubMed

Maiga, Ababacar; Diallo, Drissa; Fane, Seydou; Sanogo, Rokia; Paulsen, Berit Smestad; Cisse, Boubacar

2005-01-04

In Mali, the empirical knowledge on plant medicine is held by traditional practioners. Scientific studies have been carried on some plants and they have confirmed their local uses, but few data are available on the toxicity of Malian medicinal plants. In the present work, we record the toxic plants used as medicines in the Bamako district, Mali, with the aim to evaluate the knowledge of traditional healers and herbalists on the toxicity of the plant used. A survey was carried out on the market places in the Bamako district and 106 healers and herbalists were interviewed. A survey of the scientific literature was conducted to verify or sustain the claimed toxicological data. Nineteen plants are arranged according to their frequency of quotation based on the questionnaire. The information includes the botanical name, literature survey on the pharmacology of the plants, the healers' knowledge on plant toxicity and its prevention by some of the healers.

A pervasive denigration of natural history misconstrues how biodiversity inventories and taxonomy underpin scientific knowledge

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Embracing comparative biology, natural history encompasses those sciences that discover, decipher and classify unique (idiographic) details of landscapes, and extinct and extant biodiversity. Intrinsic to these multifarious roles in expanding and consolidating research and knowledge, natural history endows keystone support to the veracity of law-like (nomothetic) generalizations in science. What science knows about the natural world is governed by an inherent function of idiographic discovery; characteristic of natural history, this relationship is exemplified wherever an idiographic discovery overturns established wisdom. This nature of natural history explicates why inventories are of such epistemological importance. Unfortunately, a Denigration of Natural History weakens contemporary science from within. It expresses in the prevalent, pervasive failure to appreciate this pivotal role of idiographic research: a widespread disrespect for how natural history undergirds scientific knowledge. Symptoms of this Denigration of Natural History present in negative impacts on scientific research and knowledge. One symptom is the failure to appreciate and support the inventory and monitoring of biodiversity. Another resides in failures of scientiometrics to quantify how taxonomic publications sustain and improve knowledge. Their relevance in contemporary science characteristically persists and grows; so the temporal eminence of these idiographic publications extends over decades. This is because they propagate a succession of derived scientific statements, findings and/or conclusions - inherently shorter-lived, nomothetic publications. Widespread neglect of natural science collections is equally pernicious, allied with disregard for epistemological functions of specimens, whose preservation maintains the veracity of knowledge. Last, but not least, the decline in taxonomic expertise weakens research capacity; there are insufficient skills to study organismal diversity in all of its intricacies. Beyond weakening research capacities and outputs across comparative biology, this Denigration of Natural History impacts on the integrity of knowledge itself, undermining progress and pedagogy throughout science. Unprecedented advances in knowledge are set to follow on consummate inventories of biodiversity, including the protists. These opportunities challenge us to survey biodiversity representatively—detailing the natural history of species. Research strategies cannot continue to ignore arguments for such an unprecedented investment in idiographic natural history. Idiographic shortcuts to general (nomothetic) insights simply do not exist. The biodiversity sciences face a stark choice. No matter how charismatic its portrayed species, an incomplete ‘Brochure of Life’ cannot match the scientific integrity of the ‘Encyclopedia of Life’. PMID:21472034

History of Science and Science Museums

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Faria, Cláudia; Guilherme, Elsa; Gaspar, Raquel; Boaventura, Diana

2015-10-01

The activities presented in this paper, which are addressed to elementary school, are focused on the pioneering work of the Portuguese King Carlos I in oceanography and involve the exploration of the exhibits belonging to two different science museums, the Aquarium Vasco da Gama and the Maritime Museum. Students were asked to study fish adaptations to deep sea, through the exploration of a fictional story, based on historical data and based on the work of the King that served as a guiding script for all the subsequent tasks. In both museums, students had access to: historical collections of organisms, oceanographic biological sampling instruments, fish gears and ships. They could also observe the characteristics and adaptations of diverse fish species characteristic of deep sea. The present study aimed to analyse the impact of these activities on students' scientific knowledge, on their understanding of the nature of science and on the development of transversal skills. All students considered the project very popular. The results obtained suggest that the activity promoted not only the understanding of scientific concepts, but also stimulated the development of knowledge about science itself and the construction of scientific knowledge, stressing the relevance of creating activities informed by the history of science. As a final remark we suggest that the partnership between elementary schools and museums should be seen as an educational project, in which the teacher has to assume a key mediating role between the school and the museums.

Science, Technology and Innovation as Social Goods for Development: Rethinking Research Capacity Building from Sen's Capabilities Approach.

PubMed

Mormina, Maru

2018-03-01

Science and technology are key to economic and social development, yet the capacity for scientific innovation remains globally unequally distributed. Although a priority for development cooperation, building or developing research capacity is often reduced in practice to promoting knowledge transfers, for example through North-South partnerships. Research capacity building/development tends to focus on developing scientists' technical competencies through training, without parallel investments to develop and sustain the socioeconomic and political structures that facilitate knowledge creation. This, the paper argues, significantly contributes to the scientific divide between developed and developing countries more than any skills shortage. Using Charles Taylor's concept of irreducibly social goods, the paper extends Sen's Capabilities Approach beyond its traditional focus on individual entitlements to present a view of scientific knowledge as a social good and the capability to produce it as a social capability. Expanding this capability requires going beyond current fragmented approaches to research capacity building to holistically strengthen the different social, political and economic structures that make up a nation's innovation system. This has implications for the interpretation of human rights instruments beyond their current focus on access to knowledge and for focusing science policy and global research partnerships to design approaches to capacity building/development beyond individual training/skills building.

Supporting Scientific Experimentation and Reasoning in Young Elementary School Students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Varma, Keisha

2014-06-01

Researchers from multiple perspectives have shown that young students can engage in the scientific reasoning involved in science experimentation. However, there is little research on how well these young students learn in inquiry-based learning environments that focus on using scientific experimentation strategies to learn new scientific information. This work investigates young children's science concept learning via inquiry-based instruction on the thermodynamics system in a developmentally appropriate, technology-supported learning environment. First- and third-grade students participate in three sets of guided experimentation activities that involve using handheld computers to measure change in temperature given different types of insulation materials. Findings from pre- and post-comparisons show that students at both grade levels are able to learn about the thermodynamics system through engaging in the guided experiment activities. The instruction groups outperformed the control groups on multiple measures of thermodynamics knowledge, and the older children outperform the younger children. Knowledge gains are discussed in the context of mental models of the thermodynamics system that include the individual concepts mentioned above and the relationships between them. This work suggests that young students can benefit from science instruction centered on experimentation activities. It shows the benefits of presenting complex scientific information authentic contexts and the importance of providing the necessary scaffolding for meaningful scientific inquiry and experimentation.

Biomedical ontologies: toward scientific debate.

PubMed

Maojo, V; Crespo, J; García-Remesal, M; de la Iglesia, D; Perez-Rey, D; Kulikowski, C

2011-01-01

Biomedical ontologies have been very successful in structuring knowledge for many different applications, receiving widespread praise for their utility and potential. Yet, the role of computational ontologies in scientific research, as opposed to knowledge management applications, has not been extensively discussed. We aim to stimulate further discussion on the advantages and challenges presented by biomedical ontologies from a scientific perspective. We review various aspects of biomedical ontologies going beyond their practical successes, and focus on some key scientific questions in two ways. First, we analyze and discuss current approaches to improve biomedical ontologies that are based largely on classical, Aristotelian ontological models of reality. Second, we raise various open questions about biomedical ontologies that require further research, analyzing in more detail those related to visual reasoning and spatial ontologies. We outline significant scientific issues that biomedical ontologies should consider, beyond current efforts of building practical consensus between them. For spatial ontologies, we suggest an approach for building "morphospatial" taxonomies, as an example that could stimulate research on fundamental open issues for biomedical ontologies. Analysis of a large number of problems with biomedical ontologies suggests that the field is very much open to alternative interpretations of current work, and in need of scientific debate and discussion that can lead to new ideas and research directions.

Doing peer review and receiving feedback: impact on scientific literacy and writing skills.

PubMed

Geithner, Christina A; Pollastro, Alexandria N

2016-03-01

Doing peer review has been effectively implemented to help students develop critical reading and writing skills; however, its application in Human Physiology programs is limited. The purpose of the present study was to determine the impact of peer review on Human Physiology majors' perceptions of their scientific literacy and writing skills. Students enrolled in the Scientific Writing course completed multiple writing assignments, including three revisions after receiving peer and instructor feedback. Students self-assessed their knowledge, skills, and attitudes related to science and writing in pre- and postcourse surveys (n = 26 with complete data). Seven survey items related to scientific literacy and writing skills impacted by peer review were selected for analysis. Scores on these survey items were summed to form a composite self-rating score. Responses to two questions regarding the most useful learning activities were submitted to frequency analysis. Mean postcourse scores for individual survey items and composite self-rating scores were significantly higher than precourse means (P < 0.05). Peer review was the most frequently noted among 21 learning activities for increasing scientific literacy and in the top 5 for improving writing skills. In conclusion, peer review is an effective teaching/learning approach for improving undergraduate Human Physiology majors' knowledge, skills, and attitudes regarding science and scientific writing. Copyright © 2016 The American Physiological Society.

Professional development in scientifically based reading instruction: teacher knowledge and reading outcomes.

PubMed

Podhajski, Blanche; Mather, Nancy; Nathan, Jane; Sammons, Janice

2009-01-01

This article reviews the literature and presents data from a study that examined the effects of professional development in scientifically based reading instruction on teacher knowledge and student reading outcomes. The experimental group consisted of four first- and second-grade teachers and their students (n = 33). Three control teachers and their students (n = 14), from a community of significantly higher socioeconomic demographics, were also followed. Experimental teachers participated in a 35-hour course on instruction of phonemic awareness, phonics, and fluency and were coached by professional mentors for a year. Although teacher knowledge in the experimental group was initially lower than that of the controls, their scores surpassed the controls on the posttest. First-grade experimental students' growth exceeded the controls in letter name fluency, phonemic segmentation, nonsense word fluency, and oral reading. Second-grade experimental students exceeded controls in phonemic segmentation. Although the teacher sample was small, findings suggest that teachers can improve their knowledge concerning explicit reading instruction and that this new knowledge may contribute to student growth in reading.

The Effects of Emotive Reasoning on Secondary School Students' Decision-Making in the Context of Socioscientific Issues

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Powell, Wardell A.

The discrepancy between what students are being taught within K-12 science classrooms and what they experience in the real world has been well documented. This study sought to explore the ways a high school biology curriculum, which integrates socioscientific issues, impacts students' emotive reasoning and their ability to evaluate evidence, make informed decisions on contemporary scientific dilemmas, and integrate scientific content knowledge in their reasoning on SSI. Both quantitative and qualitative methods were used to examine differences within and between an SSI treatment group and a comparison group as well as individual differences among students' responses over a semester of high school biology. Results indicated students used emotions largely to evaluate evidence and make decisions on contentious scientific dilemmas. In addition, the results showed students used newly gained scientific content knowledge to make logical predictions on contentious scientific issues. Statistical significance was found between groups of students in regard to their interest in the use of embryonic stem cell treatments to restore rats' vision, as well as students' abilities to evaluate evidence. Theoretical implications regarding the use of SSI in the classroom are presented.

Representation and Re-Presentation in Litigation Science

PubMed Central

Jasanoff, Sheila

2008-01-01

Federal appellate courts have devised several criteria to help judges distinguish between reliable and unreliable scientific evidence. The best known are the U.S. Supreme Court’s criteria offered in 1993 in Daubert v. Merrell Dow Pharmaceuticals, Inc. This article focuses on another criterion, offered by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, that instructs judges to assign lower credibility to “litigation science” than to science generated before litigation. In this article I argue that the criterion-based approach to judicial screening of scientific evidence is deeply flawed. That approach buys into the faulty premise that there are external criteria, lying outside the legal process, by which judges can distinguish between good and bad science. It erroneously assumes that judges can ascertain the appropriate criteria and objectively apply them to challenged evidence before litigation unfolds, and before methodological disputes are sorted out during that process. Judicial screening does not take into account the dynamics of litigation itself, including gaming by the parties and framing by judges, as constitutive factors in the production and representation of knowledge. What is admitted through judicial screening, in other words, is not precisely what a jury would see anyway. Courts are sites of repeated re-representations of scientific knowledge. In sum, the screening approach fails to take account of the wealth of existing scholarship on the production and validation of scientific facts. An unreflective application of that approach thus puts courts at risk of relying upon a “junk science” of the nature of scientific knowledge. PMID:18197311

Representation and re-presentation in litigation science.

PubMed

Jasanoff, Sheila

2008-01-01

Federal appellate courts have devised several criteria to help judges distinguish between reliable and unreliable scientific evidence. The best known are the U.S. Supreme Court's criteria offered in 1993 in Daubert v. Merrell Dow Pharmaceuticals, Inc. This article focuses on another criterion, offered by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, that instructs judges to assign lower credibility to "litigation science" than to science generated before litigation. In this article I argue that the criterion-based approach to judicial screening of scientific evidence is deeply flawed. That approach buys into the faulty premise that there are external criteria, lying outside the legal process, by which judges can distinguish between good and bad science. It erroneously assumes that judges can ascertain the appropriate criteria and objectively apply them to challenged evidence before litigation unfolds, and before methodological disputes are sorted out during that process. Judicial screening does not take into account the dynamics of litigation itself, including gaming by the parties and framing by judges, as constitutive factors in the production and representation of knowledge. What is admitted through judicial screening, in other words, is not precisely what a jury would see anyway. Courts are sites of repeated re-representations of scientific knowledge. In sum, the screening approach fails to take account of the wealth of existing scholarship on the production and validation of scientific facts. An unreflective application of that approach thus puts courts at risk of relying upon a "junk science" of the nature of scientific knowledge.

A Game of Thrones: Organising and Legitimising Knowledge through PISA Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mølstad, Christina E.; Pettersson, Daniel; Forsberg, Eva

2017-01-01

This study investigates knowledge structures and scientific communication using bibliometric methods to explore scientific knowledge production and dissemination. The aim is to develop knowledge about this growing field by investigating studies using international large-scale assessment (ILSA) data, with a specific focus on those using Programme…

Gene regulation knowledge commons: community action takes care of DNA binding transcription factors

PubMed Central

Tripathi, Sushil; Vercruysse, Steven; Chawla, Konika; Christie, Karen R.; Blake, Judith A.; Huntley, Rachael P.; Orchard, Sandra; Hermjakob, Henning; Thommesen, Liv; Lægreid, Astrid; Kuiper, Martin

2016-01-01

A large gap remains between the amount of knowledge in scientific literature and the fraction that gets curated into standardized databases, despite many curation initiatives. Yet the availability of comprehensive knowledge in databases is crucial for exploiting existing background knowledge, both for designing follow-up experiments and for interpreting new experimental data. Structured resources also underpin the computational integration and modeling of regulatory pathways, which further aids our understanding of regulatory dynamics. We argue how cooperation between the scientific community and professional curators can increase the capacity of capturing precise knowledge from literature. We demonstrate this with a project in which we mobilize biological domain experts who curate large amounts of DNA binding transcription factors, and show that they, although new to the field of curation, can make valuable contributions by harvesting reported knowledge from scientific papers. Such community curation can enhance the scientific epistemic process. Database URL: http://www.tfcheckpoint.org PMID:27270715

Introducing Interactive Teaching Styles into Astronomy Lectures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Deming, G. L.

1997-12-01

The majority of undergraduate students who take an astronomy class are non-science majors attempting to satisfy a science requirement. Often in these "scientific literacy" courses, facts are memorized for the exam and forgotten shortly afterwards. Scientific literacy courses should advance student skills toward processing information and applying higher order thinking rather than simple recall and memorization of facts. Thinking about material as it is presented, applying new knowledge to solve problems, and thinking critically about topics are objectives that many astronomy instructors hope their students are achieving. A course in astronomy is more likely to achieve such goals if students routinely participate in their learning. Interactive techniques can be quite effective even in large classes. Examples of activities are presented that involve using cooperative learning techniques, writing individual and group "minute papers," identifying and correcting misconceptions, including the whole class in a demonstration, and applying knowledge to new situations.

Literature-Based Scientific Learning: A Collaboration Model

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Elrod, Susan L.; Somerville, Mary M.

2007-01-01

Amidst exponential growth of knowledge, student insights into the knowledge creation practices of the scientific community can be furthered by science faculty collaborations with university librarians. The Literature-Based Scientific Learning model advances undergraduates' disciplinary mastery and information literacy through experience with…

A collection of micrographs: where science and art meet

PubMed Central

Uskoković, Vuk

2013-01-01

Micrographs obtained using different instrumental techniques are presented with the purpose of demonstrating their artistic qualities. The quality of uniformity currently dominates the aesthetic assessment in scientific practice and is discussed in relation to the classical appreciation of the interplay between symmetry and asymmetry in arts. It is argued that scientific and artistic qualities have converged and inspired each other throughout millennia. With scientific discoveries and inventions enriching the world of communication, broadening the space for artistic creativity and making artistic products more accessible than ever, science inevitably influences artistic creativity. On the other hand, the importance of aesthetic principles in guiding scientific conduct has been appreciated by some of the most creative scientific minds. Science and arts can be thus considered as parallel rails of a single railroad track. Only when precisely coordinated is the passing of the train of human knowledge enabled. The presented micrographs, occupying the central part of this discourse, are displayed with the purpose of showing the rich aesthetic character of even the most ordinary scientific images. The inherent aesthetic nature of scientific imagery and the artistic nature of scientific conduct have thus been offered as the conclusion. PMID:24465169

Students' Reasoning Processes in Making Decisions about an Authentic, Local Socio-Scientific Issue: Bat Conservation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lee, Yeung Chung; Grace, Marcus

2010-01-01

Education for scientific literacy entails the development of scientific knowledge and the ability to apply this knowledge and value judgments to decisions about real-life issues. This paper reports an attempt to involve secondary level biology students in making decisions about an authentic socio-scientific issue--that of bat conservation--through…

Novice Explanations of Hurricane Formation Offer Insights into Scientific Literacy and the Development of Expert-Like Conceptions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Arthurs, Leilani A.; Van Den Broeke, Matthew S.

2016-01-01

The ability to explain scientific phenomena is a key feature of scientific literacy, and engaging students' prior knowledge, especially their alternate conceptions, is an effective strategy for enhancing scientific literacy and developing expertise. The gap in knowledge about the alternate conceptions that novices have about many of Earth's…

[Summary of the existing knowledge about electronic cigarettes].

PubMed

Cselkó, Zsuzsa; Pénzes, Melinda

2016-06-19

The decreasing proportion of smokers due to smoking restrictions have led producers to invent and disseminate electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) worldwide as a new form of nicotine enjoyment. This review summarizes the existing knowledge about e-cigarettes based on publications of PubMed, and on reviews and research data published by national and international scientific institutions. Present knowledge about the composition of e-cigarettes confirms that they are harmful products since their vapor is equally detrimental to the health of users and bystanders. Their benefits in smoking cessation still have not been justified by adequate scientific evidence, however, it has been proven that e-cigarettes uphold nicotine addiction and may increase the risk of starting conventional cigarette use by youth. In order to ensure the results of tobacco control policy and to assist smoking cessation, the same regulations are to be applied to e-cigarettes as to conventional tobacco products.

Using learning networks to understand complex systems: a case study of biological, geophysical and social research in the Amazon.

PubMed

Barlow, Jos; Ewers, Robert M; Anderson, Liana; Aragao, Luiz E O C; Baker, Tim R; Boyd, Emily; Feldpausch, Ted R; Gloor, Emanuel; Hall, Anthony; Malhi, Yadvinder; Milliken, William; Mulligan, Mark; Parry, Luke; Pennington, Toby; Peres, Carlos A; Phillips, Oliver L; Roman-Cuesta, Rosa Maria; Tobias, Joseph A; Gardner, Toby A

2011-05-01

Developing high-quality scientific research will be most effective if research communities with diverse skills and interests are able to share information and knowledge, are aware of the major challenges across disciplines, and can exploit economies of scale to provide robust answers and better inform policy. We evaluate opportunities and challenges facing the development of a more interactive research environment by developing an interdisciplinary synthesis of research on a single geographic region. We focus on the Amazon as it is of enormous regional and global environmental importance and faces a highly uncertain future. To take stock of existing knowledge and provide a framework for analysis we present a set of mini-reviews from fourteen different areas of research, encompassing taxonomy, biodiversity, biogeography, vegetation dynamics, landscape ecology, earth-atmosphere interactions, ecosystem processes, fire, deforestation dynamics, hydrology, hunting, conservation planning, livelihoods, and payments for ecosystem services. Each review highlights the current state of knowledge and identifies research priorities, including major challenges and opportunities. We show that while substantial progress is being made across many areas of scientific research, our understanding of specific issues is often dependent on knowledge from other disciplines. Accelerating the acquisition of reliable and contextualized knowledge about the fate of complex pristine and modified ecosystems is partly dependent on our ability to exploit economies of scale in shared resources and technical expertise, recognise and make explicit interconnections and feedbacks among sub-disciplines, increase the temporal and spatial scale of existing studies, and improve the dissemination of scientific findings to policy makers and society at large. Enhancing interaction among research efforts is vital if we are to make the most of limited funds and overcome the challenges posed by addressing large-scale interdisciplinary questions. Bringing together a diverse scientific community with a single geographic focus can help increase awareness of research questions both within and among disciplines, and reveal the opportunities that may exist for advancing acquisition of reliable knowledge. This approach could be useful for a variety of globally important scientific questions. © 2010 The Authors. Biological Reviews © 2010 Cambridge Philosophical Society.

The role of collaborative ontology development in the knowledge negotiation process

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rivera, Norma

Interdisciplinary research (IDR) collaboration can be defined as the process of integrating experts' knowledge, perspectives, and resources to advance scientific discovery. The flourishing of more complex research problems, together with the growth of scientific and technical knowledge has resulted in the need for researchers from diverse fields to provide different expertise and points of view to tackle these problems. These collaborations, however, introduce a new set of "culture" barriers as participating experts are trained to communicate in discipline-specific languages, theories, and research practices. We propose that building a common knowledge base for research using ontology development techniques can provide a starting point for interdisciplinary knowledge exchange, negotiation, and integration. The goal of this work is to extend ontology development techniques to support the knowledge negotiation process in IDR groups. Towards this goal, this work presents a methodology that extends previous work in collaborative ontology development and integrates learning strategies and tools to enhance interdisciplinary research practices. We evaluate the effectiveness of applying such methodology in three different scenarios that cover educational and research settings. The results of this evaluation confirm that integrating learning strategies can, in fact, be advantageous to overall collaborative practices in IDR groups.

Co-Producing Accessible Climate Knowledge: Case Study of a Scientific Challenge

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bourqui, M.; Charriere, M. K. M.; Bolduc, C.

2016-12-01

This talk presents the process of and the lessons learned from a scientific challenge where climate scientists re-framed their research for the general public in interaction with members of the general public. This challenge was organized by Climanosco in the context of its launch in the fall 2015 and is due to end in September 2016. It led to the publication of 11 articles from scientific authors spanning 7 countries and engaged the participation of 24 members of the general public. The process of interaction between scientists and members of the general public took place along an extended peer-review process which included on-line community discussions and non-scientific review reports. Details of this interaction, as perceived by the participants and evaluated by a survey, will be discussed in this talk. On the longer term this co-production of accessible climate knowledge, which represents the main goal of the non-profit association Climanosco, is meant to serve as a reliable, research-based source, the decision makers but also the journalists, teachers and communities around the world.

Scientific knowledge and modern prospecting

USGS Publications Warehouse

Neuerburg, G.J.

1985-01-01

Modern prospecting is the systematic search for specified and generally ill-exposed components of the Earth's crust known as ore. This prospecting depends entirely on reliable, or scientific knowledge for guidance and for recognition of the search objects. Improvement in prospecting results from additions and refinements to scientific knowledge. Scientific knowledge is an ordered distillation of observations too numerous and too complex in themselves for easy understanding and for effective management. The ordering of these observations is accomplished by an evolutionary hierarchy of abstractions. These abstractions employ simplified descriptions consisting of characterization by selected properties, sampling to represent much larger parts of a phenomenon, generalized mappings of patterns of geometrical and numerical relations among properties, and explanation (theory) of these patterns as functional relations among the selected properties. Each abstraction is predicated on the mode of abstraction anticipated for the next higher level, so that research is a deductive process in which the highest level, theory, is indispensible for the growth and refinement of scientific knowledge, and therefore of prospecting methodology. ?? 1985 Springer-Verlag.

The laureate as celebrity genius: How Scientific American's John Horgan profiled Nobel Prize winners.

PubMed

Fahy, Declan

2018-05-01

When scientists become Nobel laureates, they become famous in science and public life, but few studies have examined the nature of their scientific celebrity. This article examines how Scientific American portrayed laureates in order to identify and explain core features of Nobel fame. It examines the portrayals of seven laureates - Francis Crick, Linus Pauling, Hans Bethe, Murray Gell-Mann, Brian Josephson, Philip Anderson and Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar - in magazine profiles written between 1992 and 1995 by science writer John Horgan. Its textual analysis finds the scientists are portrayed as combining the sociological characteristics of genius, including enormous productivity and lasting impact, with the representational characteristics of celebrities, such as the merging of public and private lives. Their form of scientific celebrity is grounded in their field-changing research, which is presented as a product of their idiosyncratic personalities. Nobel science is presented as knowledge created by an ultra-elite of exceptional individuals.

Bridging the knowledge gap: An analysis of Albert Einstein's popularized presentation of the equivalence of mass and energy.

PubMed

Kapon, Shulamit

2014-11-01

This article presents an analysis of a scientific article written by Albert Einstein in 1946 for the general public that explains the equivalence of mass and energy and discusses the implications of this principle. It is argued that an intelligent popularization of many advanced ideas in physics requires more than the simple elimination of mathematical formalisms and complicated scientific conceptions. Rather, it is shown that Einstein developed an alternative argument for the general public that bypasses the core of the formal derivation of the equivalence of mass and energy to provide a sense of derivation based on the history of science and the nature of scientific inquiry. This alternative argument is supported and enhanced by variety of explanatory devices orchestrated to coherently support and promote the reader's understanding. The discussion centers on comparisons to other scientific expositions written by Einstein for the general public. © The Author(s) 2013.

Promoting elementary students' epistemology of science through computer-supported knowledge-building discourse and epistemic reflection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lin, Feng; Chan, Carol K. K.

2018-04-01

This study examined the role of computer-supported knowledge-building discourse and epistemic reflection in promoting elementary-school students' scientific epistemology and science learning. The participants were 39 Grade 5 students who were collectively pursuing ideas and inquiry for knowledge advance using Knowledge Forum (KF) while studying a unit on electricity; they also reflected on the epistemic nature of their discourse. A comparison class of 22 students, taught by the same teacher, studied the same unit using the school's established scientific investigation method. We hypothesised that engaging students in idea-driven and theory-building discourse, as well as scaffolding them to reflect on the epistemic nature of their discourse, would help them understand their own scientific collaborative discourse as a theory-building process, and therefore understand scientific inquiry as an idea-driven and theory-building process. As hypothesised, we found that students engaged in knowledge-building discourse and reflection outperformed comparison students in scientific epistemology and science learning, and that students' understanding of collaborative discourse predicted their post-test scientific epistemology and science learning. To further understand the epistemic change process among knowledge-building students, we analysed their KF discourse to understand whether and how their epistemic practice had changed after epistemic reflection. The implications on ways of promoting epistemic change are discussed.

Mapping Changes in Science Teachers' Content Knowledge: Concept Maps and Authentic Professional Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Greene, Barbara A.; Lubin, Ian A.; Slater, Janis L.; Walden, Susan E.

2013-01-01

Two studies were conducted to examine content knowledge changes following 2 weeks of professional development that included scientific research with university scientists. Engaging teachers in scientific research is considered to be an effective way of encouraging knowledge of both inquiry pedagogy and content knowledge. We used concept maps with…

The Acquisition of Scientific Knowledge via Critical Thinking: A Philosophical Approach to Science Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Talavera, Isidoro

2016-01-01

There is a gap between the facts learned in a science course and the higher-cognitive skills of analysis and evaluation necessary for students to secure scientific knowledge and scientific habits of mind. Teaching science is not just about how we do science (i.e., focusing on just "accumulating undigested facts and scientific definitions and…

The Nature of Scientific Revolutions from the Vantage Point of Chaos Theory: Toward a Formal Model of Scientific Change

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Perla, Rocco J.; Carifio, James

2005-01-01

In sharp contrast to the early positivist view of the nature of science and scientific knowledge, Kuhn argues that the scientific enterprise involves states of continuous, gradual development punctuated by comparatively rare instances of turmoil and change, which ultimately brings about a new stability and a qualitatively changed knowledge base.…

Endangered Mangroves in Segara Anakan, Indonesia: Effective and Failed Problem-Solving Policy Advice.

PubMed

Dharmawan, Budi; Böcher, Michael; Krott, Max

2017-09-01

The success of scientific knowledge transfer depends on if the decision maker can transform the scientific advice into a policy that can be accepted by all involved actors. We use a science-policy interactions model called research-integration-utilization to observe the process of scientific knowledge transfer in the case of endangered mangroves in Segara Anakan, Indonesia. Scientific knowledge is produced within the scientific system (research), science-based solutions to problems are practically utilized by political actors (utilization), and important links between research and utilization must be made (integration). We looked for empirical evidence to test hypotheses about the research-integration-utilization model based on document analysis and expert interviews. Our study finds that the failures in knowledge transfer are caused by the inappropriate use of scientific findings. The district government is expected by presidential decree to only used scientifically sound recommendations as a prerequisite for designing the regulation. However, the district government prefers to implement their own solutions because they believe that they understand the solutions better than the researcher. In the process of integration, the researcher cannot be involved, since the selection of scientific recommendations here fully depends on the interests of the district government as the powerful ally.

Endangered Mangroves in Segara Anakan, Indonesia: Effective and Failed Problem-Solving Policy Advice

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dharmawan, Budi; Böcher, Michael; Krott, Max

2017-09-01

The success of scientific knowledge transfer depends on if the decision maker can transform the scientific advice into a policy that can be accepted by all involved actors. We use a science-policy interactions model called research-integration-utilization to observe the process of scientific knowledge transfer in the case of endangered mangroves in Segara Anakan, Indonesia. Scientific knowledge is produced within the scientific system (research), science-based solutions to problems are practically utilized by political actors (utilization), and important links between research and utilization must be made (integration). We looked for empirical evidence to test hypotheses about the research-integration-utilization model based on document analysis and expert interviews. Our study finds that the failures in knowledge transfer are caused by the inappropriate use of scientific findings. The district government is expected by presidential decree to only used scientifically sound recommendations as a prerequisite for designing the regulation. However, the district government prefers to implement their own solutions because they believe that they understand the solutions better than the researcher. In the process of integration, the researcher cannot be involved, since the selection of scientific recommendations here fully depends on the interests of the district government as the powerful ally.

Tornado Chasing.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Faidley, Warren

1991-01-01

Presents the rationale and purposes behind the phenomenon known as storm chasing, as well as the contributions that tornado chasers have made to both scientific knowledge and public safety. Provides statistical information on tornado frequencies and locations and contact addresses for storm chasers. (JJK)

Instructional scientific humor in the secondary classroom

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wizner, Francine

This study is an examination of the manner in which educators employ scientific content humor and how that humor is perceived by their students. Content humor is a useful strategy in drawing the attention of students and improving their receptivity toward scientific information. It is also a useful tool in combating the growing distractions of the electronic classroom. Previous studies have found that humor has a positive effect on knowledge, memory, and understanding. However, few studies have been conducted below the undergraduate level and mainly quantitative measures of student recall have been used to measure learning. This study employed multiple data sources to determine how two secondary biology teachers used humor in order to explain scientific concepts and how their students perceived their teachers' use of scientific instructional humor. Evidence of student humor reception was collected from four students in each of the two classes. All of the scientific instructional humor used in the studied classrooms was cognitive in nature, varying among factual, procedural, conceptual, and metacognitive knowledge. Teachers tended to use dialogic forms of humor. Their scientific humor reflected everyday experiences, presented queries, poked fun at authority, and asked students to search out new perspectives and perform thought experiments. Teachers were the primary actors in performing the humorous events. The events were sometimes physical exaggerations of words or drawings, and they occurred for the purpose of establishing rapport or having students make connections between scientific concepts and prior knowledge. Student perceptions were that teachers did employ humor toward instructional objectives that helped their learning. Helping students become critical thinkers is a trademark of science teachers. Science teachers who take the risk of adopting some attributes of comedians may earn the reward of imparting behaviors on their students like critical thinking skills, the ability to explore questions in a detached manner, and the ability to search out new perspectives. The results of this research may encourage additional study on how secondary science teachers use humor to explain scientific concepts and may also encourage science teachers to investigate novel ways that instructional humor can be used in their classrooms. Keywords: Scientific Humor, Instructional Humor, Secondary, Biology.

A Framework for Bridging Scientists, Knowledge Brokers and Local Decision Makers in State-level Climate Assessments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Galford, G. L.; Nash, J. L.

2016-12-01

Large-scale analyses like the National Climate Assessment (NCA) contain a wealth of information critical to national and regional responses to climate change but tend to be insufficiently detailed for action at state or local levels. Many states now develop assessments (SCAs) to provide relevant, actionable information to state and local authorities. These assessments generate new or additional primary information, build networks and inform stakeholders. Based on our experience in the Vermont Climate Assessment (VCA), we present a SCA framework to engage local decision makers, using a fluid network of scientific experts and knowledge brokers to conduct subject area prioritization, data analysis, and writing. Knowledge brokers bridged the scientific and stakeholder communities, providing a two-way flow of information by capitalizing on their existing networks. Rich citizen records of climate and climate change impacts associated a human voice, a memorable story, or personal observation with a climate record, improving climate information salience. This engagement process that created salient climate information perceived as credible and legitimate by local and state decision makers. We present this framework as an effective structure for SCAs to foster interaction among scientists, knowledge brokers and stakeholders. We include a qualitative impact evaluation and lessons learned for future SCAs.

Outward bound: women translators and scientific travel writing, 1780-1800.

PubMed

Martin, Alison E

2016-04-01

As the Enlightenment drew to a close, translation had gradually acquired an increasingly important role in the international circulation and transmission of scientific knowledge. Yet comparatively little attention has been paid to the translators responsible for making such accounts accessible in other languages, some of whom were women. In this article I explore how European women cast themselves as intellectually enquiring, knowledgeable and authoritative figures in their translations. Focusing specifically on the genre of scientific travel writing, I investigate the narrative strategies deployed by women translators to mark their involvement in the process of scientific knowledge-making. These strategies ranged from rhetorical near-invisibility, driven by women's modest marginalization of their own public engagement in science, to the active advertisement of themselves as intellectually curious consumers of scientific knowledge. A detailed study of Elizabeth Helme's translation of the French ornithologist François le Vaillant's Voyage dans l'intérieur de l'Afrique [Voyage into the Interior of Africa] (1790) allows me to explore how her reworking of the original text for an Anglophone reading public enabled her to engage cautiously - or sometimes more openly - with questions regarding how scientific knowledge was constructed, for whom and with which aims in mind.

A Short Factography About IMIA and EFMI

PubMed Central

Hofdijk, Jacob; Weber, Patrick; Mantas, John; Mihalas, George; Masic, Izet

2014-01-01

International Medical Informatics Association (IMIA) and European Federation of Medical Informatics are scientific associations which represents Health/Medical informatics as scientific and profesional disciplines. Those associations have long tradition in spreading knowledge, experiences and strategies in organization, practical applications and education within Health, Medical and Biomedical informatics in approximately 60 countries the world. In this review we present basic facts about IMIA and EFMI.who celebrate this 50 years of their establishing as professional associations. PMID:24648623

The many secure knowledge bases of psychotherapy.

PubMed

Bergner, Raymond M

2006-01-01

Psychotherapeutic practice, while it has benefited greatly from scientific research, rests on many further secure epistemic foundations. In the present article, this thesis is argued in two stages. First, a brief review of some elementary epistemological findings is presented. In this review, the generally acknowledged degree of certainty attributed to different knowledge sources, and thus the confidence with which we may believe and act upon them, are recounted. Second, an extended analysis of the ways in which each of these knowledge sources enter into the practice of psychotherapy is developed. In the end, what is proffered here is a demonstration that well conducted psychotherapy is an activity whose judgments and decisions rest on many secure foundations.

Challenges for Transitioning Science Knowledge to an Operational Environment for Space Weather

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Spann, James

2012-01-01

Effectively transitioning science knowledge to an operational environment relevant to space weather is critical to meet the civilian and defense needs, especially considering how technologies are advancing and present evolving susceptibilities to space weather impacts. The effort to transition scientific knowledge to a useful application is not a research task nor is an operational activity, but an effort that bridges the two. Successful transitioning must be an intentional effort that has a clear goal for all parties and measureable outcome and deliverable. This talk will present proven methodologies that have been demonstrated to be effective for terrestrial weather and disaster relief efforts, and how those methodologies can be applied to space weather transition efforts.

Time for a paradigm shift in how we transfer knowledge? Making the case for translational science and public engagement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Orr, Barron

2015-04-01

By any measure, our efforts to protect and restore the environment have failed to keep pace with environmental change, despite extraordinary scientific advances. Clearly there is a problem in knowledge transfer, which is often blamed on limited public awareness, misunderstanding or even apathy. Whether it's moving research to practice, informing policy, or educating the public on the environmental challenges of our time, our track record is poor. A major part of our failure lies in how scientists and practitioners understand (or misunderstand) and practice knowledge transfer. What actually drives knowledge acquisition and the motivation to gain knowledge, and what does this say about the methods used for knowledge transfer? Is the problem a supply issue (deficit of knowledge) or a demand issue (personal relevance)? The false assumptions that spin out of how we conceptualize knowledge acquisition lead to investment in knowledge transfer balanced heavily in "science communication" and "awareness raising" activities that tend to be unidirectional, top-down, and rarely linked to personal interests. Successful adaptation to environmental change requires a theoretical and practical understanding of coupled natural-human systems as well as advances in bridging knowledge systems and the science-society gap. To be effective, this means a "translational science" approach that promotes the capture and integration of scientific and local knowledge, addresses the influences of scale (biophysically, socially, institutionally), encourages mutual learning among all parties, and builds capacity as part of the process. The facilitation and translation of information and meanings among stakeholders can lead to the co-production of knowledge, more informed decision making, and in a very pragmatic way, more effective use of assessments and other products of scientific discovery. The purpose of this presentation is to shed light on what underlies the majority of investment in knowledge transfer, the false assumptions that result, and the ramifications for the methods employed the vast majority of the time by the scientific community. The case for public engagement and participatory approaches will be made, followed by a brief survey of the theories, methods and tools that make engagement possible and effective. Successful adaptation to environmental change requires a much stronger link between science and society. While science communication and awareness raising are necessary, they are much more effective when coupled with robust, formative, and participatory approaches to stakeholder engagement. This is necessary for successful land-based adaptation to environmental change.

Interplay of Secondary Pre-Service Teacher Content Knowledge (CK), Pedagogical Content Knowledge (PCK) and Attitudes Regarding Scientific Inquiry Teaching within Teacher Training

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smit, Robbert; Weitzel, Holger; Blank, Robert; Rietz, Florian; Tardent, Josiane; Robin, Nicolas

2017-01-01

Background: Beginning teachers encounter several constraints with respect to scientific inquiry. Depending on their prior beliefs, knowledge and understanding, these constraints affect their teaching of inquiry. Purpose: To investigate quantitatively the longitudinal relationship between pre-service teachers' knowledge and attitudes on scientific…

Precautionary Principle and Mars Sample Return

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arnould, Jacques

Many space missions have today as an aim the exploration and the knowledge of the planet Mars; consequently, the return of Martian samples seems one of the next possible stages, at the horizon of about fifteen years. Devoted in the search of traces of life, passed or presents, such a mission presents a true stake not only from the scientific point of view but also from the ethical. Right now, the COSPAR specified the precautions to be taken to avoid or, at the very least, to limit the risk of contamination of the terrestrial biosphere by pathogenic the hitherto unknown ones. Are these recommendations sufficient? Do they concern only the scientific prudence or take truly counts of the good of humanity and the life on Earth? In the final analysis, is the incurred risk, even weak, to endanger this life worth the sorrow of it? Hitherto confined with the scientific circles of astronomy and astrobiology, this questioning could move the public opinion and this one would undoubtedly call some with the principle of precaution. In what this recourse would be relevant? The precaution aims indeed the hypothetical risks, not yet confirmed scientifically, but of which the possibility can be identified starting from empirical and scientific knowledge; such is well the case. But is it for as much possible to apply this principle to the case of the Martian samples, insofar as the objective of such a mission remains for the strictly scientific moment? Is it possible to manage the risks in the same manner when it is a question of appropriation and exploitation of the natural resources and energy (GMO, nuclear energy, etc.) and when it acts, in the case of Mars, that only search of the knowledge? How to manage the fundamental difference between the risks voluntarily taken and arbitrarily imposed, clarified and keep silent? The case of the return of the samples leads to the borders of the contemporary interrogations on the stakes and the benefits of science, on the share of risk, inevitable, which we will run because of sciences and technology.

[Writing and publication of a medical article].

PubMed

Salmi, L R

1999-11-01

To advance in their strategies to manage patients, clinicians need new research results. To be accessible, medical research must be published. Writing and publishing medical articles should respect principles that are described in this article. Good writing is based on a logical organization and the application of scientific style. Organization according to the IMRD structure (Introduction, Methods, Results, Discussion) allows one to present the reasons for and objectives of the study (Introduction), details on whatever has been done to answer the question (Methods), data on the actual study population and answers to the main question (Results), and a critical appraisal of these results, given the limits of the study and current knowledge (Discussion). The main elements of scientific style are precision, clarity, fluidity and concision. Finally, submitting a paper to a scientific journal implies presenting the work in a covering letter and respecting rules for formatting a manuscript (order of presentation, typography, etc.).

Astronomy in the Russian Scientific-Educational Project: "KAZAN-GEONA-2010"

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gusev, A.; Kitiashvili, I.

2006-08-01

The European Union promotes the Sixth Framework Programme. One of the goals of the EU Programme is opening national research and training programs. A special role in the history of the Kazan University was played by the great mathematician Nikolai Lobachevsky - the founder of non-Euclidean geometry (1826). Historically, the thousand-year old city of Kazan and the two-hundred-year old Kazan University carry out the role of the scientific, organizational, and cultural educational center of the Volga region. For the continued successful development of educational and scientific-educational activity of the Russian Federation, the Republic Tatarstan, Kazan was offered the national project: the International Center of the Sciences and Internet Technologies "GeoNa" (Geometry of Nature - GeoNa - is wisdom, enthusiasm, pride, grandeur). This is a modern complex of conference halls including the Center for Internet Technologies, a 3D Planetarium - development of the Moon, PhysicsLand, an active museum of natural sciences, an oceanarium, and a training complex "Spheres of Knowledge". Center GeoNa promotes the direct and effective channel of cooperation with scientific centers around the world. GeoNa will host conferences, congresses, fundamental scientific research sessions of the Moon and planets, and scientific-educational actions: presentation of the international scientific programs on lunar research and modern lunar databases. A more intense program of exchange between scientific centers and organizations for a better knowledge and planning of their astronomical curricula and the introduction of the teaching of astronomy are proposed. Center GeoNa will enable scientists and teachers of the Russian universities with advanced achievements in science and information technologies to join together to establish scientific communications with foreign colleagues in the sphere of the high technology and educational projects with world scientific centers.

NASA/DOD Aerospace Knowledge Diffusion Research Project. Paper 6: Aerospace knowledge diffusion in the academic community: A report of phase 3 activities of the NASA/DOD Aerospace Knowledge Diffusion Research Project

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pinelli, Thomas E.; Kennedy, John M.

1990-01-01

Descriptive and analytical data regarding the flow of aerospace-based scientific and technical information (STI) in the academic community are presented. An overview is provided of the Federal Aerospace Knowledge Diffusion Research Project, illustrating a five-year program on aerospace knowledge diffusion. Preliminary results are presented of the project's research concerning the information-seeking habits, practices, and attitudes of U.S. aerospace engineering and science students and faculty. The type and amount of education and training in the use of information sources are examined. The use and importance ascribed to various information products by U.S. aerospace faculty and students including computer and other information technology is assessed. An evaluation of NASA technical reports is presented and it is concluded that NASA technical reports are rated high in terms of quality and comprehensiveness, citing Engineering Index and IAA as the most frequently used materials by faculty and students.

Integrating entertainment and scientific rigor to facilitate a co-creation of knowledge

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hezel, Bernd; Broschkowski, Ephraim; Kropp, Jürgen

2013-04-01

The advancing research on the changing climate system and on its impacts has uncovered the magnitude of the expectable societal implications. It therefore created substantial awareness of the problem with stakeholders and the general public. But despite this awareness, unsustainable trends have continued untamed. For a transition towards a sustainable world it is, apparently, not enough to disseminate the "scientific truth" and wait for the people to "understand". In order to remedy this problem it is rather necessary to develop new entertaining formats to communicate the complex topic in an integrated and comprehensive way. Beyond that, it could be helpful to acknowledge that science can only generate part of the knowledge that is necessary for the transformation. The nature of the problem and its deep societal implications call for a co-creation of knowledge by science and society in order to enable change. In this spirit the RAMSES project (Reconciling Adaptation, Mitigation and Sustainable Development for Cities) follows a dialogic communication approach allowing for a co-formulation of research questions by stakeholders. A web-based audio-visual guidance application presents embedded scientific information in an entertaining and intuitive way on the basis of a "complexity on demand" approach. It aims at enabling decision making despite uncertainty and it entails a reframing of the project's research according to applied and local knowledge.

Exposure to science, perspectives on science and religion, and religious commitment in young adulthood.

PubMed

Uecker, Jeremy E; Longest, Kyle C

2017-07-01

Social scientists know very little about the consequences of exposure to scientific knowledge and holding different perspectives on science and religion for individuals' religious lives. Drawing on secularization and post-secular theories, we develop and test several hypotheses about the relationships among exposure to scientific knowledge, perspectives on religion and science, and religious commitment using panel data from the National Study of Youth and Religion. Our findings indicate that religious faith is strongest among young adults who: (1) accommodate scientific knowledge into their religious perspective, or (2) reject scientific knowledge that directly contradicts their religious beliefs about the origins of the world. Young adults are also more likely to have lower religious commitment when they view science and religion as independent institutions, lending support to secularization ideas about how social differentiation secularizes individuals. We further find that mere exposure to scientific knowledge, in terms of majoring in biology or acknowledging conflict between the teachings of religion and science, is usually not sufficient to undermine religious commitment. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

[Variations on the "scientific culture" in four Brazilian authors].

PubMed

Fonseca, Marina Assis; Oliveira, Bernardo Jefferson de

2015-01-01

The concept of "scientific culture" varies historically, and the examination of its continuities and transformations can help us understand the relationship between the scientific community and society. The views on the role of science in society go far beyond the advancement of a particular form of knowledge and its possible or promising fruit. They involve values, postures and practices to be disseminated and reveal expectations of social and cultural advancement. This article discusses four expressive visions of different moments in Brazilian history. The formulations of four influential authors in scientific and educational policies of the country at different times are presented and analyzed: Miguel Ozorio de Almeida, Anísio Teixeira, Maurício Rocha e Silva and Carlos Vogt.

Primary School Science: Implementation of Domain-General Strategies into Teaching Didactics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dejonckheere, Peter J. N.; Van de Keere, Kristof; Tallir, Isabel; Vervaet, Stephanie

2013-01-01

In the present study we present a didactic method to help children aged 11 and 12 learn science in such a way as to enable a dynamic interaction between domain general strategies and the development of conceptual knowledge, whilst each type of scientific process has been considered (forming of hypotheses, experimenting and evaluating). We have…

Does Anyone Really Know Anything? An Exploration of Constructivist Meaning and Identity in the Tension between Scientific and Religious Knowledge

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Starr, Lisa J.

2010-01-01

In this paper I discuss the tension created by religion and science in one student's understanding of knowledge and truth by exploring two questions: "How do individuals accommodate their religious beliefs with their understanding of science?" and "How does religious knowledge interact with scientific knowledge to construct meaning?" A…

The Ontology of Clinical Research (OCRe): An Informatics Foundation for the Science of Clinical Research

PubMed Central

Sim, Ida; Tu, Samson W.; Carini, Simona; Lehmann, Harold P.; Pollock, Brad H.; Peleg, Mor; Wittkowski, Knut M.

2013-01-01

To date, the scientific process for generating, interpreting, and applying knowledge has received less informatics attention than operational processes for conducting clinical studies. The activities of these scientific processes — the science of clinical research — are centered on the study protocol, which is the abstract representation of the scientific design of a clinical study. The Ontology of Clinical Research (OCRe) is an OWL 2 model of the entities and relationships of study design protocols for the purpose of computationally supporting the design and analysis of human studies. OCRe’s modeling is independent of any specific study design or clinical domain. It includes a study design typology and a specialized module called ERGO Annotation for capturing the meaning of eligibility criteria. In this paper, we describe the key informatics use cases of each phase of a study’s scientific lifecycle, present OCRe and the principles behind its modeling, and describe applications of OCRe and associated technologies to a range of clinical research use cases. OCRe captures the central semantics that underlies the scientific processes of clinical research and can serve as an informatics foundation for supporting the entire range of knowledge activities that constitute the science of clinical research. PMID:24239612

Process skills approach to develop primary students’ scientific literacy: A case study with low achieving students on water cycle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Suryanti; Ibrahim, M.; Lede, N. S.

2018-01-01

The results of the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) study on the scientific literacy of Indonesian students since the year 2000 have been still far below the international average score of 500. This could also be seen from the results of the science literacy test of 5th-grade students of primary school in Indonesia which showed that 60% of students are still at level ≤ 3 (value < 500). The students’ science literacy skills need to be improved by applying learning with a process skills approach. This study aims to describe the findings of classroom action research using a process skills approach to the science literacy level of primary students (n = 23). This research was conducted in 2 cycles with stages of planning, implementation, observation, and reflection. Students’ ability in scientific literacy was measured by using description and subjective tests of context domains, knowledge, competencies, and attitudes. In this study, researchers found an improvement in students’ science literacy skills when learning using a process skills approach. In addition, students’ scientific attitude is also more positive. In activities for learning science, students should be challenged as often as possible so that they have more practice using their scientific knowledge and skills to solve problems presented by teachers in the classroom.

Exploring Possibilities for Transforming Established Subscription-based Scientific Journals into Open Access Journals. Present Situation, Transformation Criteria, and Exemplary Implementation within Trans-O-MIM.

PubMed

Haux, Reinhold; Kuballa, Stefanie; Schulze, Mareike; Böhm, Claudia; Gefeller, Olaf; Haaf, Jan; Henning, Peter; Mielke, Corinna; Niggemann, Florian; Schürg, Andrea; Bergemann, Dieter

2016-12-07

Based on today's information and communication technologies the open access paradigm has become an important approach for adequately communicating new scientific knowledge. Summarizing the present situation for journal transformation. Presenting criteria for adequate transformation as well as a specific approach for it. Describing our exemplary implementation of such a journal transformation. Studying the respective literature as well as discussing this topic in various discussion groups and meetings (primarily of editors and publishers, but also of authors and readers), with long term experience as editors and /or publishers of scientific publications as prerequisite. There is a clear will, particularly of political and funding organizations, towards open access publishing. In spite of this, there is still a large amount of scientific knowledge, being communicated through subscription-based journals. For successfully transforming such journals into open access, sixteen criteria for a goal-oriented, stepwise, sustainable, and fair transformation are suggested. The Tandem Model as transformation approach is introduced. Our exemplary implementation is done in the Trans-O-MIM project. It is exploring strategies, models and evaluation metrics for journal transformation. As instance the journal Methods of Information in Medicine will apply the Tandem Model from 2017 onwards. Within Trans-O-MIM we will reach at least nine of the sixteen criteria for adequate transformation. It was positive to implement Trans-O-MIM as international research project. After first steps for transforming Methods have successfully been made, challenges will remain, among others, in identifying appropriate incentives for open access publishing in order to support its transformation.

Integrating Science Communication, Outreach and Awareness into the R&D Investment Framework of SKA in order to drive a knowledge economy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Raynard, Lorenzo; Garnier, William

2015-08-01

The emergence of the "knowledge society" has reshaped the context and content of public communication of science and technology. The construction and design of SKA and associated science research are increasingly characterised by the formation of large, multidisciplinary and multi-institute research teams. The integration of science communication into the scientific endeavour is key to building the foundations of a thriving knowledge-based economy identified by new technology investments, high-technology industries and highly skilled labour. Knowledge Economy Indicators profile, among others, the efficient and effective Management of Knowledge Assets. This presentation will explore the strategic trade and positioning of Knowledge Assets in order to drive and stimulate innovation.

Protecting Traditional Knowledge Related to Biological Resources: Is Scientific Research Going to Become More Bureaucratized?

PubMed Central

Reddy, Prashant; Lakshmikumaran, Malathi

2015-01-01

For the past several decades, there has been a world debate on the need for protecting traditional knowledge. A global treaty appears to be a distant reality. Of more immediate concern are the steps taken by the global community to protect access to biological resources in the name of protecting traditional knowledge. The Indian experience with implementing the Convention on Biological Diversity has created substantial legal uncertainty in collaborative scientific research between Indians and foreigners apart from bureaucratizing the entire process of scientific research, especially with regard to filing of applications for intellectual property rights. The issue therefore is whether the world needs to better balance the needs of the scientific community with the rights of those who have access to traditional knowledge. PMID:26101205

Synthetic biology between technoscience and thing knowledge.

PubMed

Gelfert, Axel

2013-06-01

Synthetic biology presents a challenge to traditional accounts of biology: Whereas traditional biology emphasizes the evolvability, variability, and heterogeneity of living organisms, synthetic biology envisions a future of homogeneous, humanly engineered biological systems that may be combined in modular fashion. The present paper approaches this challenge from the perspective of the epistemology of technoscience. In particular, it is argued that synthetic-biological artifacts lend themselves to an analysis in terms of what has been called 'thing knowledge'. As such, they should neither be regarded as the simple outcome of applying theoretical knowledge and engineering principles to specific technological problems, nor should they be treated as mere sources of new evidence in the general pursuit of scientific understanding. Instead, synthetic-biological artifacts should be viewed as partly autonomous research objects which, qua their material-biological constitution, embody knowledge about the natural world-knowledge that, in turn, can be accessed via continuous experimental interrogation. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Controlling Fertility.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Donnay, France

1991-01-01

Recent developments in fertility control are presented in relation to the global demographic situation. Discussion focuses on changes in scientific knowledge and concepts that have shifted the focus from birth control to planned parenthood to the notion of controlled fertility. The place of family planning programs, including their socioeconomic…

Effects of Students' Prior Knowledge on Scientific Reasoning in Density.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yang, Il-Ho; Kwon, Yong-Ju; Kim, Young-Shin; Jang, Myoung-Duk; Jeong, Jin-Woo; Park, Kuk-Tae

2002-01-01

Investigates the effects of students' prior knowledge on the scientific reasoning processes of performing the task of controlling variables with computer simulation and identifies a number of problems that students encounter in scientific discovery. Involves (n=27) 5th grade students and (n=33) 7th grade students. Indicates that students' prior…

The Construction of a Reasoned Explanation of a Health Phenomenon: An Analysis of Competencies Mobilized

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Faria, Cláudia; Freire, Sofia; Baptista, Mónica; Galvão, Cecília

2014-01-01

Mobilizing scientific knowledge for understanding the natural world and for critically appraise socio-scientific situations and make decisions are key competencies for today's' society. Therefore, it is essential to understand how students at the end of compulsory schooling use scientific knowledge for understanding the surrounding world. The…

Epistemological Trade-Offs: Accounting for Context When Evaluating Epistemological Sophistication of Student Engagement in Scientific Practices

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Berland, Leema; Crucet, Kathleen

2016-01-01

Science education has long seen an emphasis on supporting students' epistemological understandings of how scientific knowledge is constructed and evaluated with the expectation that these understandings will support the students' own construction and evaluation of scientific knowledge. However, research has shown that this connection does not…

Research and Teaching: Undergraduate Students' Scientifically Informed Decision Making about Socio-Hydrological Issues

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sabel, Jaime L.; Vo, Tina; Alred, Ashley; Dauer, Jenny M.; Forbes, Cory T.

2017-01-01

Although knowledge of disciplinary concepts and epistemic understanding of science are foundations of scientific literacy, students must learn to apply their knowledge to real-world situations. To engage effectively with contemporary water-related challenges with scientific and social dimensions, students need to understand the properties of water…

48 CFR 35.002 - General.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... to encourage the best sources from the scientific and industrial community to become involved in the... programs is to advance scientific and technical knowledge and apply that knowledge to the extent necessary...

Creativity, Scientific Practice, and Knowledge Production

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fryer, Marilyn

2010-01-01

In this interesting article, Hisham Ghassib (2010) describes the transformation of science from its craft status in a pre-modern era to the major knowledge industry it is today. He then compares the production of scientific knowledge with industrial production, but makes the important distinction between the process of developing scientific…

Comparison of Scientific Research Projects of Education Faculties

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Altunay, Esen; Tonbul, Yilmaz

2015-01-01

Many studies indicate that knowledge and knowledge production are the main predictors of social development, welfare and the ability to face the future with confidence. It could be argued that knowledge production is mainly carried out by universities. This study compares 1266 scientific research projects (SRPs) completed by faculties of education…

Formalization and Interaction: Toward a Comprehensive History of Technology-Related Knowledge in Early Modern Europe.

PubMed

Popplow, Marcus

2015-12-01

Recent critical approaches to what has conventionally been described as "scientific" and "technical" knowledge in early modern Europe have provided a wealth of new insights. So far, the various analytical concepts suggested by these studies have not yet been comprehensively discussed. The present essay argues that such comprehensive approaches might prove of special value for long-term and cross-cultural reflections on technology-related knowledge. As heuristic tools, the notions of "formalization" and "interaction" are proposed as part of alternative narratives to those highlighting the emergence of "science" as the most relevant development for technology-related knowledge in early modern Europe.

A Knowledge Generation Model via the Hypernetwork

PubMed Central

Liu, Jian-Guo; Yang, Guang-Yong; Hu, Zhao-Long

2014-01-01

The influence of the statistical properties of the network on the knowledge diffusion has been extensively studied. However, the structure evolution and the knowledge generation processes are always integrated simultaneously. By introducing the Cobb-Douglas production function and treating the knowledge growth as a cooperative production of knowledge, in this paper, we present two knowledge-generation dynamic evolving models based on different evolving mechanisms. The first model, named “HDPH model,” adopts the hyperedge growth and the hyperdegree preferential attachment mechanisms. The second model, named “KSPH model,” adopts the hyperedge growth and the knowledge stock preferential attachment mechanisms. We investigate the effect of the parameters on the total knowledge stock of the two models. The hyperdegree distribution of the HDPH model can be theoretically analyzed by the mean-field theory. The analytic result indicates that the hyperdegree distribution of the HDPH model obeys the power-law distribution and the exponent is . Furthermore, we present the distributions of the knowledge stock for different parameters . The findings indicate that our proposed models could be helpful for deeply understanding the scientific research cooperation. PMID:24626143

A knowledge generation model via the hypernetwork.

PubMed

Liu, Jian-Guo; Yang, Guang-Yong; Hu, Zhao-Long

2014-01-01

The influence of the statistical properties of the network on the knowledge diffusion has been extensively studied. However, the structure evolution and the knowledge generation processes are always integrated simultaneously. By introducing the Cobb-Douglas production function and treating the knowledge growth as a cooperative production of knowledge, in this paper, we present two knowledge-generation dynamic evolving models based on different evolving mechanisms. The first model, named "HDPH model," adopts the hyperedge growth and the hyperdegree preferential attachment mechanisms. The second model, named "KSPH model," adopts the hyperedge growth and the knowledge stock preferential attachment mechanisms. We investigate the effect of the parameters (α,β) on the total knowledge stock of the two models. The hyperdegree distribution of the HDPH model can be theoretically analyzed by the mean-field theory. The analytic result indicates that the hyperdegree distribution of the HDPH model obeys the power-law distribution and the exponent is γ = 2 + 1/m. Furthermore, we present the distributions of the knowledge stock for different parameters (α,β). The findings indicate that our proposed models could be helpful for deeply understanding the scientific research cooperation.

Sherlock Holmes and the Nebulous Nitro

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Waddell, Thomas G.; Rybolt, Thomas R.

1996-12-01

The following story describes a chemical mystery with an emphasis on knowledge in basic organic chemistry, scientific observation, and reasoning skills. This is the eighth article in a series presenting a scientific problem in mystery form in the context of the popular and beloved characters Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson (1 - 7). There is a break in the story where the reader (students and teachers) can ponder and solve the mystery. Sherlock Holmes provides his solution in the paragraphs following this break.

The Units Ontology: a tool for integrating units of measurement in science

PubMed Central

Gkoutos, Georgios V.; Schofield, Paul N.; Hoehndorf, Robert

2012-01-01

Units are basic scientific tools that render meaning to numerical data. Their standardization and formalization caters for the report, exchange, process, reproducibility and integration of quantitative measurements. Ontologies are means that facilitate the integration of data and knowledge allowing interoperability and semantic information processing between diverse biomedical resources and domains. Here, we present the Units Ontology (UO), an ontology currently being used in many scientific resources for the standardized description of units of measurements. PMID:23060432

Artificial muscles' enrichment text: Chemical Literacy Profile of pre-service teachers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hernani, Ulum, Luthfi Lulul; Mudzakir, Ahmad

2017-08-01

This research aims to determine the profile of chemical literacy abilities of pre-service teachers based on scientific attitudes and scientific competencies in PISA 2015 through individualized learning by using an artificial muscle context based-enrichment book. This research uses descriptive method, involving 20 of the 90 randomly selected population. This research uses a multiple-choice questions instrument. The result of this research are : 1) in the attitude aspects of interest in science and technology, valuing scientific approaches to inquiry, and environmental awareness, the results obtained respectively for 90%, 80%, and 30%. 2) for scientific competence of apply appropriate scientific knowledge, identify models and representations, make appropriate predictions, and explain the potential implications of scientific knowledge for society, the results obtained respectively for 30%, 50%, 60%, and 55%. 3) For scientific competence of identify the question explored in a given scientific study and distinguish questions that could be investigated scientifically, the results obtained respectively for 30 % and 50%. 4) For scientific competence of transform data from one representation to another and draw appropriate conclusions, the results obtained respectively for 60% and 45%. Based on the results, which need to be developed in pre-service chemistry teachers are environmental awareness, apply appropriate scientific knowledge, identify the question explored in a given scientific study, and draw appropriate conclusions.

Stance and strategy: post-structural perspective and post-colonial engagement to develop nursing knowledge.

PubMed

Sochan, Anne M

2011-07-01

How should nursing knowledge advance? This exploration contextualizes its evolution past and present. In addressing how it evolved in the past, a probable historical evolution of its development draws on the perspectives of Frank & Gills's World System Theory, Kuhn's treatise on Scientific Revolutions, and Foucault's notions of Discontinuities in scientific knowledge development. By describing plausible scenarios of how nursing knowledge evolved, I create a case for why nursing knowledge developers should adopt a post-structural stance in prioritizing their research agenda(s). Further, by adopting a post-structural stance, I create a case on how nurses can advance their disciplinary knowledge using an engaging post-colonial strategy. Given an interrupted history caused by influence(s) constraining nursing's knowledge development by power structures external, and internal, to nursing, knowledge development can evolve in the future by drawing on post-structural interpretation, and post-colonial strategy. The post-structural writings of Deleuze & Guattari's understanding of 'Nomadology' as a subtle means to resist being constrained by existing knowledge development structures, might be a useful stance to understanding the urgency of why nursing knowledge should advance addressing the structural influences on its development. Furthermore, Bhabha's post-colonial elucidation of 'Hybridity' as an equally discreet means to change the culture of those constraining structures is an appropriate strategy to enact how nursing knowledge developers can engage with existing power structures, and simultaneously influence that engagement. Taken together, 'post-structural stance' and 'post-colonial strategy' can refocus nursing scholarship to learn from its past, in order to develop relevant disciplinary knowledge in its future. © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

NASA Nice Climate Change Education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Frink, K.; Crocker, S.; Jones, W., III; Marshall, S. S.; Anuradha, D.; Stewart-Gurley, K.; Howard, E. M.; Hill, E.; Merriweather, E.

2013-12-01

Authors: 1 Kaiem Frink, 4 Sherry Crocker, 5 Willie Jones, III, 7 Sophia S.L. Marshall, 6 Anuadha Dujari 3 Ervin Howard 1 Kalota Stewart-Gurley 8 Edwinta Merriweathe Affiliation: 1. Mathematics & Computer Science, Virginia Union University, Richmond, VA, United States. 2. Mathematics & Computer Science, Elizabeth City State Univ, Elizabeth City, NC, United States. 3. Education, Elizabeth City State University, Elizabeth City, NC, United States. 4. College of Education, Fort Valley State University , Fort Valley, GA, United States. 5. Education, Tougaloo College, Jackson, MS, United States. 6. Mathematics, Delaware State University, Dover, DE, United States. 7. Education, Jackson State University, Jackson, MS, United States. 8. Education, Alabama Agricultural and Mechanical University, Huntsville, AL, United States. ABSTRACT: In this research initiative, the 2013-2014 NASA NICE workshop participants will present best educational practices for incorporating climate change pedagogy. The presentation will identify strategies to enhance instruction of pre-service teachers to aligned with K-12 Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) standards. The presentation of best practices should serve as a direct indicator to address pedagogical needs to include climate education within a K-12 curriculum Some of the strategies will include inquiry, direct instructions, and cooperative learning . At this particular workshop, we have learned about global climate change in regards to how this is going to impact our life. Participants have been charged to increase the scientific understanding of pre-service teachers education programs nationally to incorporate climate education lessons. These recommended practices will provide feasible instructional strategies that can be easily implemented and used to clarify possible misconceptions and ambiguities in scientific knowledge. Additionally, the presentation will promote an awareness to the many facets in which climate change education can be beneficial to future learners and general public. The main scope is to increase the amount of STEM knowledge throughout the nations scientific literacy as we are using the platform of climate change. Federal entities which may include but not limited to National Security Agency and the Department of Homeland Security and Management will serve as resources partners for this common goal of having a more knowledgeable technological savvy and scientific literate society. The presentation will show that incorporating these best practices into elementary and early childhood education undergraduate programs will assist with increasing a enhance scientific literate society. As a measurable outcome have a positive impact on instructional effectiveness of future teachers. Their successfully preparing students in meeting the standards of the Common Core Initiative will attempt to measure across the curriculum uniformly.

Knowledge gain and behavioral change in citizen-science programs.

PubMed

Jordan, Rebecca C; Gray, Steven A; Howe, David V; Brooks, Wesley R; Ehrenfeld, Joan G

2011-12-01

Citizen-science programs are often touted as useful for advancing conservation literacy, scientific knowledge, and increasing scientific-reasoning skills among the public. Guidelines for collaboration among scientists and the public are lacking and the extent to which these citizen-science initiatives change behavior is relatively unstudied. Over two years, we studied 82 participants in a three-day program that included education about non-native invasive plants and collection of data on the occurrence of those plants. Volunteers were given background knowledge about invasive plant ecology and trained on a specific protocol for collecting invasive plant data. They then collected data and later gathered as a group to analyze data and discuss responsible environmental behavior with respect to invasive plants. We tested whether participants without experience in plant identification and with little knowledge of invasive plants increased their knowledge of invasive species ecology, participation increased knowledge of scientific methods, and participation affected behavior. Knowledge of invasive plants increased on average 24%, but participation was insufficient to increase understanding of how scientific research is conducted. Participants reported increased ability to recognize invasive plants and increased awareness of effects of invasive plants on the environment, but this translated into little change in behavior regarding invasive plants. Potential conflicts between scientific goals, educational goals, and the motivation of participants must be considered during program design. ©2011 Society for Conservation Biology.

Opposing ends of the spectrum: Exploring trust in scientific and religious authorities.

PubMed

Cacciatore, Michael A; Browning, Nick; Scheufele, Dietram A; Brossard, Dominique; Xenos, Michael A; Corley, Elizabeth A

2018-01-01

Given the ethical questions that surround emerging science, this study is interested in studying public trust in scientific and religious authorities for information about the risks and benefits of science. Using data from a nationally representative survey of American adults, we employ regression analysis to better understand the relationships between several variables-including values, knowledge, and media attention-and trust in religious organizations and scientific institutions. We found that Evangelical Christians are generally more trusting of religious authority figures to tell the truth about the risks and benefits of science and technology, and only slightly less likely than non-Evangelicals to trust scientific authorities for the same information. We also found that many Evangelicals use mediated information and science knowledge differently than non-Evangelicals, with both increased knowledge and attention to scientific media having positive impacts on trust in scientific authorities among the latter, but not the former group.

Scientific literacy for decisionmaking and the social construction of scientific knowledge

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bingle, Wade H.; Gaskell, P. James

Citizens are often required to make decisions about socioscientific issues in a climate characterized by conflict within both the scientific community and the larger society. Central to the process of decisionmaking is a critical examination of the relevant scientific knowledge involved. Individuals capable of performing this task can be considered scientifically literate in a decisionmaking sense. In this article we explore two ways of critically examining scientific knowledge in the context of a current socioscientific dispute: NASA's Galileo Mission to Jupiter. The two approaches we outline, termed the positivist and social constructivist positions, are examined in terms of their inherent views concerning the nature of scientific knowledge, in particular their use of constitutive and contextual values when evaluating knowledge claims. Because the social constructivist position acknowledges the importance of contextual values, it provides citizens with accessible standards for evaluating scientific knowledge claims. The positivist position, on the other hand, relies on constitutive values which we show are normally inaccessible to ordinary citizens. The positivist position, however, is most closely associated with the predominant social issues approach to science-technology-society (STS) education. Implications little consensus about which statements are fact (i.e., will remain stable when challenged) and which opinion, (i.e., will be modified when challenged). All knowledge is potentially unreliable when one is dealing with a socioscientific dispute.The adoption of a social constructivist view of scientific knowledge and its inherent way of evaluating knowledge claims clearly has implications for future approaches to STS education. Although one approach might be to offer a course in the history, philosophy, and sociology of science, this would not be useful without reference to the way in which such knowledge can help students to understand the context of a conflict within the society of scientists and the larger society. As Rosenthal (1989) argues, a synthesis is needed in which social issues are seen as a vehicle for studying the social studies of science and the social issues are seen as a way of making sense of social aspects of science. However, this way of teaching STS may be difficult to implement. In British Columbia, for example, science teachers have resisted efforts to include the social context of science within a traditional university-oriented physics course (Gaskell, 1992) and to teach a grade 11 social issues oriented sicence and technology course (Gaskell, 1989). This may be because the current social issues approach is most compatible with traditional science content as it is now taught: it simply shows the relevance of textbook knowledge (ready-made science) to contemporary probles. The shift to the approach suggested above will require a more drastic reorganization of the curriculum, one that may be resisted by the current stakeholders in science education (Duschl, 1988; Gaskell, 1989).

Student Interns Share the Spirit of Science | Poster

Cancer.gov

They came for a science lesson. They left with more. The new Werner H. Kirsten student interns filed into the auditorium in Building 549 to expand their knowledge of fundamental laboratory practices, as part of the Science Skills Boot Camp. A panel of presenters instructed the attendees on skills such as reading scientific papers effectively, practicing proper research ethics, and conducting professional presentations. Scientific Program Manager Ulrike Klenke, Ph.D., NIH Office of Intramural Training and Education, started the June event by welcoming her audience and encouraging the interns to break away from their familiar groups of classmates and to socialize with others from different schools and counties.

Social justice pedagogies and scientific knowledge: Remaking citizenship in the non-science classroom

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lehr, Jane L.

This dissertation contributes to efforts to rethink the meanings of democracy, scientific literacy, and non-scientist citizenship in the United States. Beginning with questions that emerged from action research and exploring the socio-political forces that shape educational practices, it shows why non-science educators who teach for social justice must first recognize formal science education as a primary site of training for (future) non-scientist citizens and then prepare to intervene in the dominant model of scientifically literate citizenship offered by formal science education. This model of citizenship defines (and limits) appropriate behavior for non-scientist citizens as acquiescing to the authority of science and the state by actively demarcating science from non-science, experts from non-experts, and the rational from the irrational. To question scientific authority is to be scientifically illiterate. This vision of 'acquiescent democracy' seeks to end challenges to the authority of science and the state by ensuring that scientific knowledge is privileged in all personal and public decision-making practices, producing a situation in which it becomes natural for non-scientist citizens to enroll scientific knowledge to naturalize oppression within our schools and society. It suggests that feminist and equity-oriented science educators, by themselves, are unable or unwilling to challenge certain assumptions in the dominant model of scientifically literate citizenship. Therefore, it is the responsibility of non-science educators who teach for social justice to articulate oppositional models of non-scientist citizenship and democracy in their classrooms and to challenge the naturalized authority of scientific knowledge in all aspects of our lives. It demonstrates how research in the field of Science & Technology Studies can serve as one resource in our efforts to intervene in the dominant model of scientifically literate citizenship and to support a model of democracy that encourages the critical engagement of and opposition to scientific knowledge and the state.

Hybrid regimes of knowledge? Challenges for constructing scientific evidence in the context of the GMO-debate.

PubMed

Böschen, Stefan

2009-07-01

Over the last two decades, there has been a remarkable shift of attention to the scientific and political fundamentals of the precautionary principle. The application of this principle has become a main strategy of coping with the different forms and problems related to non-knowledge. Thus, societies are increasingly confronted with the challenging and hitherto unresolved problem of political and technological decision-making under conditions of diverging framings of non-knowledge. At present, there seems to be no generally accepted scientific or institutional approach. This is why the fundamental question of how different scientific actors define and construct evidence is not answered yet. Hence, this paper is based on the consideration that the conflicts in risk policy concerning genetically modified organisms (GMO) depend on the unresolved conflicts about the diverging scientific strategies and structures of evidence-making between the epistemic cultures involved. Thus, this study investigates two questions: (1) do the epistemic strategies of evidence-making differ systematically with the scientific actors involved in the GMO-debate? (2) What consequences emerge considering institutionalized procedures of decision-making? This article is based on a secondary analysis of findings and perspectives reported in the literature and on the methods of qualitative social empirical research, i.e., interviews with experts. A total number of 34 interviews were conducted to explore the different strategies of handling non-knowledge and constructing evidence. Actors from science, administration, business and NGOs were interviewed. In this way, typical epistemic cultures can be described. An epistemic culture is the constellation of methodological strategies, theoretical assumptions and practical-experimental settings which define in every speciality the ways how we know what we know. There are two main results. Firstly, it was worked out that the epistemic cultures involved in the GMO-debate use rather distinct strategies to define non-knowledge and to classify evidence. There are three types of constructing evidence, which correspond to different types of epistemic cultures. Secondly, the findings imply that the intensity of the conflicts in risk policy fields like the GMO-debate is due to a lack of knowledge politics. Usually, knowledge politics is restricted to the design of institutional procedures to compile knowledge provided by experts. The institutional setting of risk analysis and risk management is based on the premise of strict separation between knowledge and power. However, inadmissible mixing-up of knowledge and power is observable. It seems that non-knowledge leads to an epistemic no man's land, and, hence, hybrid regimes of knowledge emerge. These regimes are hybrid with respect to the unclear and not explicitly reflected strategies of evidence-making. By lacking of knowledge politics, this situation opens up 'windows of opportunity' for actors with special interests in risk policy fields like the GMO-debate. Therefore, there is a difference between the visible institutionalized structures of risk policies and the rather invisible hybrid regimes of knowledge. Structure and scope of expertise have to be reflected and new instruments of knowledge politics have to be designed. Different epistemic cultures can be qualified by describing their particular strategies of evidence-making. To solve the conflicts between these strategies, a meta-expertise is needed. Besides the institutionalized settings of knowledge politics, the underlying hybrid regimes of knowledge have to be identified. The concept of epistemic cultures and their strategies of evidence-making should be investigated more explicitly with respect to other risk policy fields The analysis of hybrid regimes of knowledge should be deepened by looking at the complex interactions between institutional, discursive and practical rules affecting risk assessment.

Investigating the Human Dimension of Unprecedented Global Climate Change in northeastern Siberia, Russia: Understandings, Perceptions and Responses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Crate, S.

2009-12-01

An urgent challenge of the 21st century is to investigate understandings, perceptions and responses of populations confronting the local effects of global climate change. This paper describes the most recent results of one such project working with rural native Viliui Sakha communities, Turkic-speaking horse & cattle breeders in northeastern Siberia, Russia. The research questions are: 1) What local effects of global climate change are Viliui Sakha communities observing, how are Viliui Sakha perceiving these changes and how are the changes affecting both their subsistence survival and their cultural orientations? 2) What local knowledge exists about past climate perturbations and how does that knowledge influence contemporary adaptation to global climate change? 3) How can anecdotal (local) knowledge and regional scientific knowledge about the local effects of global climate change be integrated to enhance both local adaptive responses and policy efforts? The four-village, three-year study is a collaborative effort involving the active participation of the targeted communities, field assistants, native specialists, an in-country research team and an international collaborator. The project is founded on the PI’s 20 years of ongoing research and work with rural Viliui Sakha communities and on her fluency in both the Sakha and Russian languages. A central focus of this project is the integration of local and scientific knowledges. We are documenting local knowledge on the community, elder and archival levels. We are collaborating with scientists in Yakutsk for regional scientific data. Our project team has just returned from the second summer of field work and this presentation will cover the project results to date. Hayfields are inundated with water.

Intelligent Systems Technologies to Assist in Utilization of Earth Observation Data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ramapriyan, Hampapuram K.; McConaughy, Gail; Lynnes, Christopher; McDonald, Kenneth; Kempler, Steven

2003-01-01

With the launch of several Earth observing satellites over the last decade, we are now in a data rich environment. From NASA's Earth Observing System (EOS) satellites alone, we are accumulating more than 3 TB per day of raw data and derived geophysical parameters. The data products are being distributed to a large user community comprising scientific researchers, educators and operational government agencies. Notable progress has been made in the last decade in facilitating access to data. However, to realize the full potential of the growing archives of valuable scientific data, further progress is necessary in the transformation of data into information, and information into knowledge that can be used in particular applications. Sponsored by NASA s Intelligent Systems Project within the Computing, Information and Communication Technology (CICT) Program, a conceptual architecture study has been conducted to examine ideas to improve data utilization through the addition of intelligence into the archives in the context of an overall knowledge building system. Potential Intelligent Archive concepts include: 1) Mining archived data holdings using Intelligent Data Understanding algorithms to improve metadata to facilitate data access and usability; 2) Building intelligence about transformations on data, information, knowledge, and accompanying services involved in a scientific enterprise; 3) Recognizing the value of results, indexing and formatting them for easy access, and delivering them to concerned individuals; 4) Interacting as a cooperative node in a web of distributed systems to perform knowledge building (i.e., the transformations from data to information to knowledge) instead of just data pipelining; and 5) Being aware of other nodes in the knowledge building system, participating in open systems interfaces and protocols for virtualization, and collaborative interoperability. This paper presents some of these concepts and identifies issues to be addressed by research in future intelligent systems technology.

[Scientific reductionism and social control of mind. Part II].

PubMed

Viniegra Velázquez, Leonardo

In the second part of this essay, the progressive subordination of scientific endeavor and knowledge of business and profit is pointed out. For instance, the way facts are prioritized over concepts and ideas in scientific knowledge can translate into technological innovation, central to enterprise competitiveness and key to social mechanisms of control (military, cybernetic, ideological). Overcoming the scientific reductionism approach indicates recognizing the need to define progress in another way, one that infuses scientific knowledge with real liberating and inquisitive power. Power is essential in the search for a more collaborative, inclusive and pluralistic society where respect for human dignity and care for the ecosystem that we live in are prioritized. Copyright © 2014 Hospital Infantil de México Federico Gómez. Publicado por Masson Doyma México S.A. All rights reserved.

National ecosystem assessments supported by scientific and local knowledge

USGS Publications Warehouse

Herrick, Jeffrey E.; Lessard, Veronica C.; Spaeth, Kenneth E.; Shaver, Patrick L.; Dayton, Robert S.; Pyke, David A.; Jolley, Leonard; Goebel, J. Jeffery

2010-01-01

An understanding of the extent of land degradation and recovery is necessary to guide land-use policy and management, yet currently available land-quality assessments are widely known to be inadequate. Here, we present the results of the first statistically based application of a new approach to national assessments that integrates scientific and local knowledge. Qualitative observations completed at over 10 000 plots in the United States showed that while soil degradation remains an issue, loss of biotic integrity is more widespread. Quantitative soil and vegetation data collected at the same locations support the assessments and serve as a baseline for monitoring the effectiveness of policy and management initiatives, including responses to climate change. These results provide the information necessary to support strategic decisions by land managers and policy makers.

The practices of do-it-yourself brain stimulation: implications for ethical considerations and regulatory proposals.

PubMed

Wexler, Anna

2016-04-01

Scientists and neuroethicists have recently drawn attention to the ethical and regulatory issues surrounding the do-it-yourself (DIY) brain stimulation community, which comprises individuals stimulating their own brains with transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) for self-improvement. However, to date, existing regulatory proposals and ethical discussions have been put forth without engaging those involved in the DIY tDCS community or attempting to understand the nature of their practices. I argue that to better contend with the growing ethical and safety concerns surrounding DIY tDCS, we need to understand the practices of the community. This study presents the results of a preliminary inquiry into the DIY tDCS community, with a focus on knowledge that is formed, shared and appropriated within it. I show that when making or acquiring a device, DIYers (as some members call themselves) produce a body of knowledge that is completely separate from that of the scientific community, and share it via online forums, blogs, videos and personal communications. However, when applying tDCS, DIYers draw heavily on existing scientific knowledge, posting links to academic journal articles and scientific resources and adopting the standardised electrode placement system used by scientists. Some DIYers co-opt scientific knowledge and modify it by creating their own manuals and guides based on published papers. Finally, I explore how DIYers cope with the methodological limitations inherent in self-experimentation. I conclude by discussing how a deeper understanding of the practices of DIY tDCS has important regulatory and ethical implications. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/

Science Education Using a Computer Model-Virtual Puget Sound

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fruland, R.; Winn, W.; Oppenheimer, P.; Stahr, F.; Sarason, C.

2002-12-01

We created an interactive learning environment based on an oceanographic computer model of Puget Sound-Virtual Puget Sound (VPS)-as an alternative to traditional teaching methods. Students immersed in this navigable 3-D virtual environment observed tidal movements and salinity changes, and performed tracer and buoyancy experiments. Scientific concepts were embedded in a goal-based scenario to locate a new sewage outfall in Puget Sound. Traditional science teaching methods focus on distilled representations of agreed-upon knowledge removed from real-world context and scientific debate. Our strategy leverages students' natural interest in their environment, provides meaningful context and engages students in scientific debate and knowledge creation. Results show that VPS provides a powerful learning environment, but highlights the need for research on how to most effectively represent concepts and organize interactions to support scientific inquiry and understanding. Research is also needed to ensure that new technologies and visualizations do not foster misconceptions, including the impression that the model represents reality rather than being a useful tool. In this presentation we review results from prior work with VPS and outline new work for a modeling partnership recently formed with funding from the National Ocean Partnership Program (NOPP).

Studying scientific thought experiments in their context: Albert Einstein and electromagnetic induction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Potters, Jan; Leuridan, Bert

2017-05-01

This article concerns the way in which philosophers study the epistemology of scientific thought experiments. Starting with a general overview of the main contemporary philosophical accounts, we will first argue that two implicit assumptions are present therein: first, that the epistemology of scientific thought experiments is solely concerned with factual knowledge of the world; and second, that philosophers should account for this in terms of the way in which individuals in general contemplate these thought experiments in thought. Our goal is to evaluate these assumptions and their implications using a particular case study: Albert Einstein's magnet-conductor thought experiment. We will argue that an analysis of this thought experiment based on these assumptions - as John Norton (1991) provides - is, in a sense, both misguided (the thought experiment by itself did not lead Einstein to factual knowledge of the world) and too narrow (to understand the thought experiment's epistemology, its historical context should also be taken into account explicitly). Based on this evaluation we propose an alternative philosophical approach to the epistemology of scientific thought experiments which is more encompassing while preserving what is of value in the dominant view.

Recognising indigenous peoples values and knowledge systems in Geoheritage: Case studies from New Zealand and the South Pacific.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Procter, Jonathan; Nemeth, Karoly

2017-04-01

Geological heritage or geoheritage focuses on the recognition and, to some extent, the protection of rocks, minerals, fossils, landforms, sediments, water and soils, and natural geomorphic processes that have some anthropomorphic value. These values are generally constrained by the geosite (sites of geological significance) having some scientific, educational, research and aesthetic significance. Criteria to determine the significance of a geosite are generally founded on conservation methodologies associated with ecology/biodiversity or the living components of the natural environment. These criteria presently focus on factors such as scale, scope and significance (from a scientific perspective). Very little value is attributed to the cultural connections of a geosite or the way a geosite has contributed to the development of a culture, its spirituality and understanding of the world. In the South Pacific, and in particular New Zealand, geosites and their related management (protection/conservation) mechanisms appear to be somewhat underutilized, possibly due to the fact that those mechanisms appear to the public as being initiatives related to the actions of the scientific community of which they may not consider themselves part. Indigenous communities of the South Pacific and New Zealand very rarely associate with the scientific community and view scientific methods as foreign to their own knowledge systems and worldviews. This generally results in conflict. In the South Pacific, the connection to volcanoes, volcanic landforms and features, and volcanic activity has been an important component to shaping various cultures over time. We present three case studies: (1) from Samoa that explores how important geosites are recorded through local knowledge repositories, (2) from the Auckland Volcanic Field where sites are being classified and protected with little recognition of indigenous peoples' values, and (3) from a UNESCO World Heritage Area that, while well protected and recognised from an bio-diversity, conservation viewpoint, the local indigenous people do have the same importance attributed to their geological heritage. These all highlight the importance of recognising the connections between indigenous peoples' culture, history and knowledge systems as key factors in defining a geoheritage area. It is proposed that assessment schemes and criteria adopt a holistic and integrated approach to defining and quantifying geoheritage values, rather than using a reductionist taxonomic approach to quantifying and qualifying geoheritage sites.

Present challenges of research and technology politics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bulow, A. V.

1982-01-01

Research and technology in Germany are discussed. The rapid transfer of scientific knowledge and techniques from the laboratory to the manufacturing and industrial communities is identified as a priority. It is recommended that the government give maximum support to the aviation and space flight industries.

Knowledge which Cannot be Used is Useless.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cox, Ken

1987-01-01

The medical school is responsible for ensuring that its graduating doctors can apply scientific principles to health problems. That responsibility requires (1) selection of content; (2) presentation of content in appropriate ways; and (3) examination of students. Discussed are procedures for ensuring desired outcomes. (Author/RH)

EPA Science Matters Newsletter: Effort to Cut Children’s Lead Exposure Continues

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Read more about the Agency’s Integrated Science Assessment for Lead in June 2013. It presents an evaluation and synthesis of the latest and most relevant scientific knowledge to help determine the potential health effects of lead in ambient air

New particle formation and growth in CMAQ via application of comprehensive modal methods

EPA Science Inventory

The formation and growth of new atmospheric ultrafine particles are exceedingly complex processes and recent scientific efforts have grown our understanding of them tremendously. This presentation describes the effort to apply this new knowledge to the CMAQ chemical transport mod...

International Contest promoting Astronomy and Mathematics in Spanish and Portuguese speaking countries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ros, Rosa M.

2010-10-01

Currently our society needs more and more scientists and technicians in order to continue its development. Moreover some areas of our society seem to be less and less interested in scientific issues. It is not possible to value something when we have no knowledge of it. This paper presents an example of a programme carried out in several Science Museums in Spain which puts the average citizen in contact with science. The main objectives of this project are: • to find innovative ideas in order to present science in a more attractive way • to emphasize the international nature of science • to stimulate European contacts • to produce materials for different levels of education • to involve researchers in science communication • to increase the scientific knowledge of citizens • to promote science within the society of participating countries • to reward the professional work of teachers and professors in their teaching activities • to recognize the efforts of journalists specializing in science

Determining the Alignment between What Teachers Are Expected to Teach, What They Know, and How They Assess Scientific Literacy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pitot, Lisa Noel

2014-01-01

Science education reform efforts have highlighted the need for a scientifically literate citizen, capable of using their scientific knowledge and skills for reasoning, argumentation, and decision-making. Yet little is known about secondary science teachers' understandings of these reform efforts, specifically their knowledge, skills, and abilities…

Scientific Evidence as Content Knowledge: A Replication Study with English and Turkish Pre-Service Primary Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Roberts, Ros; Sahin-Pekmez, Esin

2012-01-01

Pre-service teachers around the world need to develop their content knowledge of scientific evidence to meet the requirements of recent school curriculum developments which prepare pupils to be scientifically literate. This research reports a replication study in Turkey of an intervention originally carried out with pre-service primary teachers in…

A Fresh Look at Spanish Scientific Publishing in the Framework of International Standards

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kindelan, Paz

2009-01-01

Research has become a key element in the knowledge-based society with its role of producing and disseminating results. In this context, scientific publishing becomes the means by which research activity and knowledge production are circulated to the scientific community and society at large. However, there are factors influencing the system of…

Teachers' Pedagogical Content Knowledge of Scientific Argumentation: The Impact of Professional Development on K-12 Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McNeill, Katherine L.; Knight, Amanda M.

2013-01-01

One of the hallmarks of science and science education is the production of new knowledge about the natural world through objective argument and critique. Teachers' understanding of scientific argumentation impacts how they incorporate this important scientific practice into science classrooms. This study examined how three professional…

Balancing the Pros and Cons of GMOs: Socio-Scientific Argumentation in Pre-Service Teacher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cinici, Ayhan

2016-01-01

This study investigates the role of the discursive process in the act of scientific knowledge building. Specifically, it links scientific knowledge building to risk perception of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs). To this end, this study designed and implemented a three-stage argumentation programme giving pre-service teachers (PSTs) the…

Teaching Physics at Preschool Level for Mexican Students in Order to Achieve the National Scientific Standards

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ramírez Díaz, Mario H.; Nieto Betance, Gabriela; García Trujillo, Luís Antonio; Chávez-Campos, David A.

2015-01-01

In its program of studies for preschool level, the Secretary of Public Education of Mexico promoted development of four standards of science: Scientific knowledge, applications of scientific knowledge and technology, skills associated to science, and attitudes associated to science. However, to develop this skills and reach out the standards there…

Protecting Traditional Knowledge Related to Biological Resources: Is Scientific Research Going to Become More Bureaucratized?

PubMed

Reddy, Prashant; Lakshmikumaran, Malathi

2015-06-22

For the past several decades, there has been a world debate on the need for protecting traditional knowledge. A global treaty appears to be a distant reality. Of more immediate concern are the steps taken by the global community to protect access to biological resources in the name of protecting traditional knowledge. The Indian experience with implementing the Convention on Biological Diversity has created substantial legal uncertainty in collaborative scientific research between Indians and foreigners apart from bureaucratizing the entire process of scientific research, especially with regard to filing of applications for intellectual property rights. The issue therefore is whether the world needs to better balance the needs of the scientific community with the rights of those who have access to traditional knowledge. Copyright © 2015 Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press; all rights reserved.

Genetics problem solving and worldview

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dale, Esther

The research goal was to determine whether worldview relates to traditional and real-world genetics problem solving. Traditionally, scientific literacy emphasized content knowledge alone because it was sufficient to solve traditional problems. The contemporary definition of scientific literacy is, "The knowledge and understanding of scientific concepts and processes required for personal decision-making, participation in civic and cultural affairs and economic productivity" (NRC, 1996). An expanded definition of scientific literacy is needed to solve socioscientific issues (SSI), complex social issues with conceptual, procedural, or technological associations with science. Teaching content knowledge alone assumes that students will find the scientific explanation of a phenomenon to be superior to a non-science explanation. Formal science and everyday ways of thinking about science are two different cultures (Palmer, 1999). Students address this rift with cognitive apartheid, the boxing away of science knowledge from other types of knowledge (Jedege & Aikenhead, 1999). By addressing worldview, cognitive apartheid may decrease and scientific literacy may increase. Introductory biology students at the University of Minnesota during fall semester 2005 completed a written questionnaire-including a genetics content-knowledge test, four genetic dilemmas, the Worldview Assessment Instrument (WAI) and some items about demographics and religiosity. Six students responded to the interview protocol. Based on statistical analysis and interview data, this study concluded the following: (1) Worldview, in the form of metaphysics, relates to solving traditional genetic dilemmas. (2) Worldview, in the form of agency, relates to solving traditional genetics problems. (3) Thus, worldview must be addressed in curriculum, instruction, and assessment.

Students' abilities to critique scientific evidence when reading and writing scientific arguments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Knight, Amanda M.

Scientific arguments are used to persuade others for explanations that make sense of the natural world. Over time, through the accumulation of evidence, one explanation for a scientific phenomenon tends to take precedence. In science education, arguments make students' thinking and reasoning visible while also supporting the development of their conceptual, procedural, and epistemic knowledge. As such, argumentation has become a goal within recent policy documents, including the Next Generation Science Standards, which, in turn, presents a need for comprehensive, effective, and scalable assessments. This dissertation used assessments that measure students' abilities to critique scientific evidence, which is measured in terms of the form of justification and the support of empirical evidence, when reading and writing scientific arguments. Cognitive interviews were then conducted with a subset of the students to explore the criteria they used to critique scientific evidence. Specifically, the research investigated what characteristics of scientific evidence the students preferred, how they critiqued both forms of justification and empirical evidence, and whether the four constructs represented four separate abilities. Findings suggest that students' prioritized the type of empirical evidence to the form of justification, and most often selected relevant-supporting justifications. When writing scientific arguments, most students constructed a justified claim, but struggled to justify their claims with empirical evidence. In comparison, when reading scientific arguments, students had trouble locating a justification when it was not empirical data. Additionally, it was more difficult for students to critique than identify or locate empirical evidence, and it was more difficult for students to identify than locate empirical evidence. Findings from the cognitive interviews suggest that students with more specific criteria tended to have more knowledge of the construct. Lastly, dimensional analyses suggest that these may not be four distinct constructs, which has important implications for curriculum development and instructional practice. Namely, teachers should attend to the critique of scientific evidence separately when reading and writing scientific arguments.

Preparation for College General Chemistry: More than Just a Matter of Content Knowledge Acquisition

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cracolice, Mark S.; Busby, Brittany D.

2015-01-01

This study investigates the potential of five factors that may be predictive of success in college general chemistry courses: prior knowledge of common alternate conceptions, intelligence, scientific reasoning ability, proportional reasoning ability, and attitude toward chemistry. We found that both prior knowledge and scientific reasoning ability…

The Cultural Interface of Islander and Scientific Knowledge

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nakata, Martin

2010-01-01

The interface between Indigenous knowledge systems and Western scientific knowledge systems is a contested space where the difficult dialogue between us and them is often reduced to a position of taking sides. Storytelling is however a very familiar tradition in Indigenous families where we can and do translate expertly difficult concepts from one…

Searching for Synergy: Integrating Traditional and Scientific Ecological Knowledge in Environmental Science Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kimmerer, Robin Wall

2012-01-01

Scientific ecological knowledge (SEK) is a powerful discipline for diagnosing and analyzing environmental degradation, but has been far less successful in devising sustainable solutions which lie at the intersection of nature and culture. Traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) of indigenous and local peoples is rich in prescriptions for the…

The Development of Scientific Knowledge of the Earth

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nobes, Gavin; Martin, Alan E.; Panagiotaki, Georgia

2005-01-01

Investigation of children's knowledge of the Earth can reveal much about the origins, content and structure of scientific knowledge, and the processes of conceptual change and development. Vosniadou and Brewer (1992, claim that children construct coherent mental models of a flat, flattened, or hollow Earth based on a framework theory and intuitive…

Meeting the Discipline-Culture Framework of Physics Knowledge: A Teaching Experience in Italian Secondary School

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Levrini, Olivia; Bertozzi, Eugenio; Gagliardi, Marta; Tomasini, Nella Grimellini; Pecori, Barbara; Tasquier, Giulia; Galili, Igal

2014-09-01

The paper deals with physics teaching/learning in high school. An investigation in three upper secondary school classes in Italy explored the reactions of students to a structuring lecture on optics within the discipline-culture (DC) framework that organises physics knowledge around four interrelated fundamental theories of light. The lecture presented optics as an unfolding conceptual discourse of physicists regarding the nature of light. Along with the knowledge constructed in a school course of a scientific lyceum, the students provided epistemological comments, displaying their perception of physics knowledge presented in the classroom. Students' views and knowledge were investigated by questionnaires prior to and after the lecture and in special discussions held in each class. They revealed a variety of attitudes and views which allowed inferences about the potential of the DC framework in an educational context. The findings and interpretation indicate the positive and stimulating impact of the lecture and the way in which DC-based approach to knowledge organization makes physics at school cultural and attractive.

The influence of the history of science course on pre-service science teachers' understanding of the nature of science concepts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Akcay, Behiye

The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of a history of science course on pre-service science teachers' understanding of the nature of science concepts. Subjects in the study were divided in two groups: (1) students who enrolled in only in the history of science course, (2) students who enrolled both the meaning of science and the history of science courses. An interpretative-descriptive approach and constant comparative analysis were used to identify similarities and differences among pre-service teachers' views about nature of scientific knowledge prior to and after the history of science course. The results of this study indicate that explicitly addressing certain aspects of the nature of science is effective in promoting adequate understanding of the nature of science for pre-service science teachers. Moreover, the results indicate that a student's prior experience with the history of science helps to improve their understanding of the history and nature of science. The history of science course helped pre-service teachers to develop the following views which are parallel with these advocated in both the Benchmarks (AAAS, 1993) and the National Science Education Standards (NRC, 1996) concerning the nature of scientific knowledge: (1) Scientific knowledge is empirically based and an ongoing process of experimentation, investigation, and observation. (2) Science is a human endeavor. (3) People from different cultures, races, genders, and nationality contribute to science. (4) Scientific knowledge is not based on myths, personal beliefs, and religious values. (5) Science background and prior knowledge have important roles for scientific investigations. (6) Scientific theories and laws represent different kinds of knowledge. (7) Science is affected by political, social, and cultural values. (8) Creativity and imagination are used during all stages of scientific investigations. (9) Theories change because of new evidence and new views of existing data as well as advances in technology. (10) Theories have significant roles in generating future research questions. (11) Adequate understanding of differences between observations and inferences develop from considering the history of science. (12) There is no single universal step-by-step scientific method. (13) Learning about the nature of scientific knowledge helps students to become scientifically literate.

Kilohoku - Ho‘okele Wa‘a: Hawaiian Navigational Astronomy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dye, Ahia; Ha'o, Celeste; Slater, Timothy F.; Slater, Stephanie

2015-01-01

Over thousands of years of Pacific Basin settlement, Polynesians developed a complex, scientific understanding of the cosmos, including a generative view of the celestial sphere. Memorizing the location and spatial relationships of hundreds of stars, across changing latitudes, this astronomy was one of the four scientific knowledge bases Polynesians used to navigate thousands of miles, across open water, without instrumentation. After Western colonization, this large body of knowledge was nearly lost to Hawaiians. Since the Hawaiian Renaissance, much of this knowledge has been reconstructed, and is again in use in open oceanic navigation. While some of this knowledge has been shared with the broader public, much of what we know has been unavailable to those beyond the family of navigators. This paper represents an attempt to begin sharing this catalog of knowledge with the outside world, with the hopes that the larger community will appreciate the complexity of astronomical knowledge possessed by navigators, and that the international body of astronomy historians will help insure that this knowledge will not be lost again. This paper will present, Na ´Ohanahōkū, the Hawaiian star families that divide the celestial sphere into four wedges, running from the circumpolar north, beyond the horizon to the south. Na Hoku Huihui, or Hawaiian constellations will be discussed, in addition to a brief introduction to the setting and rising pairs that are used to determine direction and latitude.

On the Growth of Scientific Knowledge: Yeast Biology as a Case Study

PubMed Central

He, Xionglei; Zhang, Jianzhi

2009-01-01

The tempo and mode of human knowledge expansion is an enduring yet poorly understood topic. Through a temporal network analysis of three decades of discoveries of protein interactions and genetic interactions in baker's yeast, we show that the growth of scientific knowledge is exponential over time and that important subjects tend to be studied earlier. However, expansions of different domains of knowledge are highly heterogeneous and episodic such that the temporal turnover of knowledge hubs is much greater than expected by chance. Familiar subjects are preferentially studied over new subjects, leading to a reduced pace of innovation. While research is increasingly done in teams, the number of discoveries per researcher is greater in smaller teams. These findings reveal collective human behaviors in scientific research and help design better strategies in future knowledge exploration. PMID:19300476

On the growth of scientific knowledge: yeast biology as a case study.

PubMed

He, Xionglei; Zhang, Jianzhi

2009-03-01

The tempo and mode of human knowledge expansion is an enduring yet poorly understood topic. Through a temporal network analysis of three decades of discoveries of protein interactions and genetic interactions in baker's yeast, we show that the growth of scientific knowledge is exponential over time and that important subjects tend to be studied earlier. However, expansions of different domains of knowledge are highly heterogeneous and episodic such that the temporal turnover of knowledge hubs is much greater than expected by chance. Familiar subjects are preferentially studied over new subjects, leading to a reduced pace of innovation. While research is increasingly done in teams, the number of discoveries per researcher is greater in smaller teams. These findings reveal collective human behaviors in scientific research and help design better strategies in future knowledge exploration.

[The treatment of scientific knowledge in the framework of CITES].

PubMed

Lanfranchi, Marie-Pierre

2014-03-01

Access to scientific knowledge in the context of CITES is a crucial issue. The effectiveness of the text is indeed largely based on adequate scientific knowledge of CITES species. This is a major challenge: more than 30,000 species and 178 member states are involved. The issue of expertise, however, is not really addressed by the Convention. The question was left to the consideration of the COP. Therefore, the COP has created two ad hoc scientific committees: the Plants Committee and the Animals Committee, conferring upon them an ambitious mandate. The article addresses some important issues at stake which are linked to institutional questions, as well as the mixed record after twenty-five years of practice.

Core competencies for scientific editors of biomedical journals: consensus statement.

PubMed

Moher, David; Galipeau, James; Alam, Sabina; Barbour, Virginia; Bartolomeos, Kidist; Baskin, Patricia; Bell-Syer, Sally; Cobey, Kelly D; Chan, Leighton; Clark, Jocalyn; Deeks, Jonathan; Flanagin, Annette; Garner, Paul; Glenny, Anne-Marie; Groves, Trish; Gurusamy, Kurinchi; Habibzadeh, Farrokh; Jewell-Thomas, Stefanie; Kelsall, Diane; Lapeña, José Florencio; MacLehose, Harriet; Marusic, Ana; McKenzie, Joanne E; Shah, Jay; Shamseer, Larissa; Straus, Sharon; Tugwell, Peter; Wager, Elizabeth; Winker, Margaret; Zhaori, Getu

2017-09-11

Scientific editors are responsible for deciding which articles to publish in their journals. However, we have not found documentation of their required knowledge, skills, and characteristics, or the existence of any formal core competencies for this role. We describe the development of a minimum set of core competencies for scientific editors of biomedical journals. The 14 key core competencies are divided into three major areas, and each competency has a list of associated elements or descriptions of more specific knowledge, skills, and characteristics that contribute to its fulfillment. We believe that these core competencies are a baseline of the knowledge, skills, and characteristics needed to perform competently the duties of a scientific editor at a biomedical journal.

Present State of Knowledge of the Upper Atmosphere 1996: An Assessment Report to Congress and the Environmental Protection Agency

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kurylo, M. J.; Kaye, J. A.; Decola, P. L.; Friedl, R. R.; Peterson, D. B.

1997-01-01

This document is issued in response to the Clean Air Act Amendment of 1990, Public Law 101-549, which mandates that the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and other key agencies submit triennial report to congress and the Environmental Protection Agency. NASA is charged with the responsibility to report on the state of our knowledge of the Earth's upper atmosphere, particularly the Stratosphere. Part 1 of this report summarizes the objectives, status, and accomplishments of the research tasks supported under NASA's Upper Atmosphere Research Program and Atmospheric Chemistry Modeling and Analysis Program for the period of 1994-1996. Part 2 (this document) presents summaries of several scientific assessments, reviews, and summaries. These include the executive summaries of two scientific assessments: (Section B) 'Scientific Assessment of Ozone Depletion: 1994'; (Section C) 'l995 Scientific Assessment of the Atmospheric Effects of Stratospheric Aircraft); end of mission/series statements for three stratospherically-focused measurement campaigns: (Section D) 'ATLAS End-of-Series Statement'; (Section E) 'ASHOE/MAESA End-of-Mission Statement'; (Section F) 'TOTE/VOTE End-of-Mission Statement'; a summary of NASA's latest biennial review of fundamental photochemical processes important to atmospheric chemistry 'Chemical Kinetics and Photochemical Data for Use in Stratospheric Modeling'; and (Section H) the section 'Atmospheric Ozone Research" from the Mission to Planet Earth Science Research Plan, which describes NASA's current and future research activities related to both tropospheric and stratospheric chemistry.

Steering vaccinomics innovations with anticipatory governance and participatory foresight.

PubMed

Ozdemir, Vural; Faraj, Samer A; Knoppers, Bartha M

2011-09-01

Vaccinomics is the convergence of vaccinology and population-based omics sciences. The success of knowledge-based innovations such as vaccinomics is not only contingent on access to new biotechnologies. It also requires new ways of governance of science, knowledge production, and management. This article presents a conceptual analysis of the anticipatory and adaptive approaches that are crucial for the responsible design and sustainable transition of vaccinomics to public health practice. Anticipatory governance is a new approach to manage the uncertainties embedded on an innovation trajectory with participatory foresight, in order to devise governance instruments for collective "steering" of science and technology. As a contrast to hitherto narrowly framed "downstream impact assessments" for emerging technologies, anticipatory governance adopts a broader and interventionist approach that recognizes the social construction of technology design and innovation. It includes in its process explicit mechanisms to understand the factors upstream to the innovation trajectory such as deliberation and cocultivation of the aims, motives, funding, design, and direction of science and technology, both by experts and publics. This upstream shift from a consumer "product uptake" focus to "participatory technology design" on the innovation trajectory is an appropriately radical and necessary departure in the field of technology assessment, especially given that considerable public funds are dedicated to innovations. Recent examples of demands by research funding agencies to anticipate the broad impacts of proposed research--at a very upstream stage at the time of research funding application--suggest that anticipatory governance with foresight may be one way how postgenomics scientific practice might transform in the future toward responsible innovation. Moreover, the present context of knowledge production in vaccinomics is such that policy making for vaccines of the 21st century is occurring in the face of uncertainties where the "facts are uncertain, values in dispute, stakes high and decisions urgent and where no single one of these dimensions can be managed in isolation from the rest." This article concludes, however, that uncertainty is not an accident of the scientific method, but its very substance. Anticipatory governance with participatory foresight offers a mechanism to respond to such inherent sociotechnical uncertainties in the emerging field of vaccinomics by making the coproduction of scientific knowledge by technology and the social systems explicit. Ultimately, this serves to integrate scientific and social knowledge thereby steering innovations to coproduce results and outputs that are socially robust and context sensitive.

Illustrating phallic worship: uses of material objects and the production of sexual knowledge in eighteenth-century antiquarianism and early twentieth-century sexual science.

PubMed

Funke, Jana; Fisher, Kate; Grove, Jen; Langlands, Rebecca

2017-07-03

This article reveals previously overlooked connections between eighteenth-century antiquarianism and early twentieth-century sexual science by presenting a comparative reading of two illustrated books: An Account of the Remains of the Worship of Priapus , by British antiquarian scholar Richard Payne Knight (1750-1824), and Die Weltreise eines Sexualforschers (The World Journey of a Sexologist), by German sexual scientist Magnus Hirschfeld (1868-1935). A close analysis of these publications demonstrates the special status of material artefacts and the strategic engagement with visual evidence in antiquarian and scientific writings about sex. Through its exploration of the similarities between antiquarian and sexual scientific thought, the article demonstrates the centrality of material culture to the production of sexual knowledge in the Western world. It also opens up new perspectives on Western intellectual history and on the intellectual origins of sexual science. While previous scholarship has traced the beginnings of sexual science back to nineteenth-century medical disciplines, this article shows that sexual scientists drew upon different forms of evidence and varied methodologies to produce sexual knowledge and secure scientific authority. As such, sexual science needs to be understood as a field with diverse intellectual roots that can be traced back (at least) to the eighteenth century.

Illustrating phallic worship: uses of material objects and the production of sexual knowledge in eighteenth-century antiquarianism and early twentieth-century sexual science

PubMed Central

Funke, Jana; Fisher, Kate; Grove, Jen; Langlands, Rebecca

2017-01-01

Abstract This article reveals previously overlooked connections between eighteenth-century antiquarianism and early twentieth-century sexual science by presenting a comparative reading of two illustrated books: An Account of the Remains of the Worship of Priapus, by British antiquarian scholar Richard Payne Knight (1750–1824), and Die Weltreise eines Sexualforschers (The World Journey of a Sexologist), by German sexual scientist Magnus Hirschfeld (1868–1935). A close analysis of these publications demonstrates the special status of material artefacts and the strategic engagement with visual evidence in antiquarian and scientific writings about sex. Through its exploration of the similarities between antiquarian and sexual scientific thought, the article demonstrates the centrality of material culture to the production of sexual knowledge in the Western world. It also opens up new perspectives on Western intellectual history and on the intellectual origins of sexual science. While previous scholarship has traced the beginnings of sexual science back to nineteenth-century medical disciplines, this article shows that sexual scientists drew upon different forms of evidence and varied methodologies to produce sexual knowledge and secure scientific authority. As such, sexual science needs to be understood as a field with diverse intellectual roots that can be traced back (at least) to the eighteenth century. PMID:29393929

The Language of Argumentation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Taylor, Laurie

2013-01-01

Using scientific debate focuses students on the real-life applications and implications of science and increases their reasoning skills, presentation skills, and science content knowledge. In this article, the author defines an "argument" as a position based on evidence and a "debate" as a formal setting in which two teams…

[Recommendations in neonatal resuscitation].

PubMed

2004-01-01

The recommendations for neonatal resuscitation are not always based on sufficient scientific evidence and thus expert consensus based on current research, knowledge, and experience are useful for formulating practical protocols that are easy to follow. The latest recommendations, in 2000, modified previously published recommendations and are included in the present text.

Galileo: Exploration of Jupiter's system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Johnson, T. V.; Yeates, C. M.; Colin, L.; Fanale, F. P.; Frank, L.; Hunten, D. M.

1985-01-01

The scientific objectives of the Galileo mission to the Jovian system is presented. Topics discussed include the history of the project, our current knowledge of the system, the objectives of interrelated experiments, mission design, spacecraft, and instruments. The management, scientists, and major contractors for the project are also given.

Knowledge transfer within EU-funded marine science research - a viewpoint

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bayliss-Brown, Georgia; Cheallachaín, Cliona Ní

2016-04-01

Knowledge transfer, in its most inherent form, can be tracked back to the earliest phase of the Neolithic Revolution, 10,000 years ago, at a time when innovators shared their thoughts on crop cultivation and livestock farming (Bellwood, 2004). Not to be mistaken for science transfer - the export of modern science to non-scientific audiences - it was in the 1960s, that modern knowledge transfer was initiated, when reporting research achievements shifted towards having institutional and political agendas (Lipphardt & Ludwig, 2011). Albeit that the economic contribution of scientific research has been scrutinised for decades; today, there is a pronounced need for the evaluation of its social, cultural and ecological impact. To have impact, it is essential that scientific knowledge is clear and accessible, as well as robust and credible, so that it can be successfully transferred and applied by those identifying solutions for today's societal and environmental challenges. This phenomenon is receiving growing academic interest, where publications including "knowledge transfer" in the title have increased near exponentially for 60 years. Furthermore, we are seeing a definite shift towards embedding a mission of knowledge transfer in Public Research Organisations. This new approach is rewarding researchers whom deliver on all three institutional missions: teaching, research and knowledge transfer. In addition, the European Commission (2008) recommends that "knowledge transfer between universities and industry is made a permanent political and operational priority" and that "sufficient resources and incentives [be] available to public research organisations and their staff to engage in knowledge transfer activities". It is also anticipated that funding agencies will soon make pathways-to-impact statements, also known as knowledge transfer plans, a mandatory requirement of all project proposals. AquaTT is a leader in scientific knowledge management, including knowledge transfer and dissemination. This Dublin-based SME has an ever-growing portfolio of FP7 and Horizon 2020 projects where they hold knowledge management responsibilities. In this session, we will present AquaTT's experiences in knowledge management for several European Union-funded marine research projects; including MarineTT (http://marinett.eu/) that was recognised as an exemplar project in the ex post evaluation of FP7 to the European Commission. These insights will be supplemented with an overview of the AquaTT-developed step-by-step knowledge transfer methodology, as used by the COLUMBUS project - the EU's flagship Blue Growth and Knowledge Transfer initiative (http://www.columbusproject.eu/). This session will provide a platform to launch AquaTT's European knowledge transfer network, established to support the research community in fostering a culture that recognises and rewards knowledge transfer between scientists and end-users (industry, policy, and wider society), thereby ensuring that research achieves its maximum potential impact. References Bellwood, P. (2004) The First Farmers: Origins of Agricultural Societies. Malden, MA. European Commission (2008) recommendation on the management of intellectual property in knowledge transfer activities and code of practice for universities and other public research organisations http://ec.europa.eu/invest-in-research/pdf/ip_recommendation_en.pdf Lipphardt, V. and D. Ludwig (2011) Knowledge transfer and science transfer. http://ieg-ego.eu/en/threads/theories-and-methods/knowledge-transfer/veronika-lipphardt-david-ludwig-knowledge-transfer-and-science-transfer

Implicit Learning in Science: Activating and Suppressing Scientific Intuitions to Enhance Conceptual Change

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Jeremy Yi-Ming

This dissertation examines the thesis that implicit learning plays a role in learning about scientific phenomena, and subsequently, in conceptual change. Decades of research in learning science demonstrate that a primary challenge of science education is overcoming prior, naive knowledge of natural phenomena in order to gain scientific understanding. Until recently, a key assumption of this research has been that to develop scientific understanding, learners must abandon their prior scientific intuitions and replace them with scientific concepts. However, a growing body of research shows that scientific intuitions persist, even among science experts. This suggests that naive intuitions are suppressed, not supplanted, as learners gain scientific understanding. The current study examines two potential roles of implicit learning processes in the development of scientific knowledge. First, implicit learning is a source of cognitive structures that impede science learning. Second, tasks that engage implicit learning processes can be employed to activate and suppress prior intuitions, enhancing the likelihood that scientific concepts are adopted and applied. This second proposal is tested in two experiments that measure training-induced changes in intuitive and conceptual knowledge related to sinking and floating objects in water. In Experiment 1, an implicit learning task was developed to examine whether implicit learning can induce changes in performance on near and far transfer tasks. The results of this experiment provide evidence that implicit learning tasks activate and suppress scientific intuitions. Experiment 2 examined the effects of combining implicit learning with traditional, direct instruction to enhance explicit learning of science concepts. This experiment demonstrates that sequencing implicit learning task before and after direct instruction has different effects on intuitive and conceptual knowledge. Together, these results suggest a novel approach for enhancing learning for conceptual change in science education.

Identification and evaluation of scientific uncertainties related to fish and aquatic resources in the Colorado River, Grand Canyon - summary and interpretation of an expert-elicitation questionnaire

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kennedy, Theodore A.

2013-01-01

Identifying areas of scientific uncertainty is a critical step in the adaptive management process (Walters, 1986; Runge, Converse, and Lyons, 2011). To identify key areas of scientific uncertainty regarding biologic resources of importance to the Glen Canyon Dam Adaptive Management Program, the Grand Canyon Monitoring and Research Center (GCMRC) convened Knowledge Assessment Workshops in May and July 2005. One of the products of these workshops was a set of strategic science questions that highlighted key areas of scientific uncertainty. These questions were intended to frame and guide the research and monitoring activities conducted by the GCMRC in subsequent years. Questions were developed collaboratively by scientists and managers. The questions were not all of equal importance or merit—some questions were large scale and others were small scale. Nevertheless, these questions were adopted and have guided the research and monitoring efforts conducted by the GCMRC since 2005. A new round of Knowledge Assessment Workshops was convened by the GCMRC in June and October 2011 and January 2012 to determine whether the research and monitoring activities conducted since 2005 had successfully answered some of the strategic science questions. Oral presentations by scientists highlighting research findings were a centerpiece of all three of the 2011–12 workshops. Each presenter was also asked to provide an answer to the strategic science questions that were specific to the presenter’s research area. One limitation of this approach is that these answers represented the views of the handful of scientists who developed the presentations, and, as such, they did not incorporate other perspectives. Thus, the answers provided by presenters at the Knowledge Assessment Workshops may not have accurately captured the sentiments of the broader group of scientists involved in research and monitoring of the Colorado River in Glen and Grand Canyons. Yet a fundamental ingredient of resilient decisionmaking and problem-solving is incorporation of a wide range of perspectives (Carpenter and others, 2009). To ensure that a wide range of scientists had an opportunity to weigh in on the strategic science questions, the GCMRC elicited additional perspectives through written questionnaires. Independently soliciting responses from scientists through questionnaires had the added advantage of allowing all scientists to freely and openly share their views on complex and controversial topics—something which may not have occurred in the group setting of the June 2011 Knowledge Assessment Workshop because of dominance by one or more scientists. The purpose of this report is to document and interpret the questionnaire responses.

Toward a Durable Prevalence of Scientific Conceptions: Tracking the Effects of Two Interfering Misconceptions about Buoyancy from Preschoolers to Science Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Potvin, Patrice; Cyr, Guillaume

2017-01-01

While the majority of published research on conceptual change has focused on how misconceptions can be abandoned or modified, some recent research findings support the hypothesis that acquired scientific knowledge does not necessarily erase or alter initial non-scientific knowledge but rather coexists with it. In keeping with this…

Private Science and Public Knowledge: The Committee for the Scientific Investigation of the Claims of the Paranormal and its Use of the Literature.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pinch, T. J.; Collins, H. M.

1984-01-01

Shows the part played by formal/informal literatures in the social construction of scientific knowledge, analyzing the work of the "Committee for the Scientific Investigation of the Claims of the Paranormal" (which critically investigates fringe-sciences). Indicates that popular literature can deconstruct facts while scientific…

Rethinking the Ethics of Scientific Knowledge: A Case Study of Teaching the Environment in Science Classrooms

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kim, Mijung; Roth, Wolff-Michael

2008-01-01

In this paper we argue that scientific literacy ought to be rethought in that it involves ethics as its core element. Considering the fact that science education has addressed ethical dilemmas of Science, Technology, Society and Environment (STSE) issues, it is worthwhile to question what the ethics of scientific knowledge mean in terms of their…

Commentary: Considerations in Pedagogy and Assessment in the Use of Computers to Promote Learning about Scientific Models

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Adams, Stephen T.

2004-01-01

Although one role of computers in science education is to help students learn specific science concepts, computers are especially intriguing as a vehicle for fostering the development of epistemological knowledge about the nature of scientific knowledge--what it means to "know" in a scientific sense (diSessa, 1985). In this vein, the…

AGU Council adopts position statement on scientific expression

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Landau, Elizabeth; Uhlenbrock, Kristan

2011-09-01

On 17 August the AGU Council voted to adopt an American Meteorological Society (AMS) statement on free and open communication of scientific findings as an official position of AGU. The statement appears below. Recent attacks on scientists who present facts that are controversial or politically charged, such as in cases involving climate science, have sparked action by AGU and other scientific societies, including the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Open communication and collaboration are essential to the scientific process and must not be deterred by politics, media, or faith. In a recent letter to the New York Times, AGU president Michael McPhaden stated that “misguided attempts to suppress scientific research, particularly through political pressure, will not make climate change or the role human activity plays in it magically disappear. It will, however, make the objective knowledge needed to inform good policy decisions disappear.”

Cloning: What Do They Know? A Report on the General Knowledge of a Sample of Midwestern Citizens.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mascazine, John R.; Titterington, Lynda; Khalaf, Ali K.

This study, part of a larger research project, explored the knowledge of the general population regarding cloning. It also sought to determine where people gather information on cloning. Such awareness of the general public's knowledge of important scientific topics and sources from which people retrieve information can help scientific and…

Contemporary HIV/AIDS research: Insights from knowledge management theory.

PubMed

Callaghan, Chris William

2017-12-01

Knowledge management as a field is concerned with the management of knowledge, including the management of knowledge in research processes. Knowledge management theory has the potential to support research into problems such as HIV, antibiotic resistance and others, particularly in terms of aspects of scientific research related to the contribution of social science. To date, however, these challenges remain with us, and theoretical contributions that can complement natural science efforts to eradicate these problems are needed. This paper seeks to offer a theoretical contribution grounded in Kuhn's paradigm theory of innovation, and in the argument by Lakatos that scientific research can be fundamentally non-innovative, which suggests that social science aspects of knowledge creation may hold the key to more effective biomedical innovation. Given the consequences of ongoing and emerging global crises, and the failure of knowledge systems of scientific research to solve such problems outright, this paper provides a review of theory and literature arguing for a new paradigm in scientific research, based on the development of global systems to maximise research collaborations. A global systems approach effectively includes social science theory development as an important complement to the natural sciences research process. Arguably, information technology and social media technology have developed to the point at which solutions to knowledge aggregation challenges can enable solutions to knowledge problems on a scale hitherto unimaginable. Expert and non-expert crowdsourced inputs can enable problem-solving through exponentially increasing problem-solving inputs, using the 'crowd,' thereby increasing collaborations dramatically. It is argued that these developments herald a new era of participatory research, or a democratisation of research, which offers new hope for solving global social problems. This paper seeks to contribute to this end, and to the recognition of the important role of social theory in the scientific research process.

The Integration of Javanese Indigenous Knowledge in Biology Learning Resources Development

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Anazifa, D.; Hadi, R. F.

2017-02-01

The student’s difficulties in learning and understanding Biology concepts are caused by the adoption of scientific phenomenon that not suitable with the environment they live in. Students who comes from the Javanese background sometimes find the Biology concepts hard to understand. Science content that comes from the West sometimes is not suitable with the student’s background, because the cultural and geographical background that underlining the science development are different. It can potentially cause the clash in constructing knowledge of students. The proportion of western knowledge and indigenous knowledge has to be balanced, in order to give the scientific rationale of the natural phenomenon that faced by students in everyday life. The ethnoscience experienced by student is still in the form of concrete experience as a result of the interaction with the nature. As one of the largest tribe in Indonesia, Javanese has many unique cultures that can be adopted in science classroom especially in Biology class. The role on ethnoscience in the context of developing Biology learning resources is to connect the science concept with the real world situation. By considering indigenous knowledge as one of learning resources, teachers can start to adjust the Javanese indigenous knowledge into the curriculum. This paper is literature review which will present the background, rationale, and procedure in integrating Javanese indigenous knowledge into Biology classroom as learning resources. The integration of Javanese indigenous knowledge in Biology learning resources development is necessary in order to connect the Biology concept into real situation.

Children's science learning: A core skills approach.

PubMed

Tolmie, Andrew K; Ghazali, Zayba; Morris, Suzanne

2016-09-01

Research has identified the core skills that predict success during primary school in reading and arithmetic, and this knowledge increasingly informs teaching. However, there has been no comparable work that pinpoints the core skills that underlie success in science. The present paper attempts to redress this by examining candidate skills and considering what is known about the way in which they emerge, how they relate to each other and to other abilities, how they change with age, and how their growth may vary between topic areas. There is growing evidence that early-emerging tacit awareness of causal associations is initially separated from language-based causal knowledge, which is acquired in part from everyday conversation and shows inaccuracies not evident in tacit knowledge. Mapping of descriptive and explanatory language onto causal awareness appears therefore to be a key development, which promotes unified conceptual and procedural understanding. This account suggests that the core components of initial science learning are (1) accurate observation, (2) the ability to extract and reason explicitly about causal connections, and (3) knowledge of mechanisms that explain these connections. Observational ability is educationally inaccessible until integrated with verbal description and explanation, for instance, via collaborative group work tasks that require explicit reasoning with respect to joint observations. Descriptive ability and explanatory ability are further promoted by managed exposure to scientific vocabulary and use of scientific language. Scientific reasoning and hypothesis testing are later acquisitions that depend on this integration of systems and improved executive control. © 2016 The British Psychological Society.

SEE: structured representation of scientific evidence in the biomedical domain using Semantic Web techniques

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Accounts of evidence are vital to evaluate and reproduce scientific findings and integrate data on an informed basis. Currently, such accounts are often inadequate, unstandardized and inaccessible for computational knowledge engineering even though computational technologies, among them those of the semantic web, are ever more employed to represent, disseminate and integrate biomedical data and knowledge. Results We present SEE (Semantic EvidencE), an RDF/OWL based approach for detailed representation of evidence in terms of the argumentative structure of the supporting background for claims even in complex settings. We derive design principles and identify minimal components for the representation of evidence. We specify the Reasoning and Discourse Ontology (RDO), an OWL representation of the model of scientific claims, their subjects, their provenance and their argumentative relations underlying the SEE approach. We demonstrate the application of SEE and illustrate its design patterns in a case study by providing an expressive account of the evidence for certain claims regarding the isolation of the enzyme glutamine synthetase. Conclusions SEE is suited to provide coherent and computationally accessible representations of evidence-related information such as the materials, methods, assumptions, reasoning and information sources used to establish a scientific finding by adopting a consistently claim-based perspective on scientific results and their evidence. SEE allows for extensible evidence representations, in which the level of detail can be adjusted and which can be extended as needed. It supports representation of arbitrary many consecutive layers of interpretation and attribution and different evaluations of the same data. SEE and its underlying model could be a valuable component in a variety of use cases that require careful representation or examination of evidence for data presented on the semantic web or in other formats. PMID:25093070

SEE: structured representation of scientific evidence in the biomedical domain using Semantic Web techniques.

PubMed

Bölling, Christian; Weidlich, Michael; Holzhütter, Hermann-Georg

2014-01-01

Accounts of evidence are vital to evaluate and reproduce scientific findings and integrate data on an informed basis. Currently, such accounts are often inadequate, unstandardized and inaccessible for computational knowledge engineering even though computational technologies, among them those of the semantic web, are ever more employed to represent, disseminate and integrate biomedical data and knowledge. We present SEE (Semantic EvidencE), an RDF/OWL based approach for detailed representation of evidence in terms of the argumentative structure of the supporting background for claims even in complex settings. We derive design principles and identify minimal components for the representation of evidence. We specify the Reasoning and Discourse Ontology (RDO), an OWL representation of the model of scientific claims, their subjects, their provenance and their argumentative relations underlying the SEE approach. We demonstrate the application of SEE and illustrate its design patterns in a case study by providing an expressive account of the evidence for certain claims regarding the isolation of the enzyme glutamine synthetase. SEE is suited to provide coherent and computationally accessible representations of evidence-related information such as the materials, methods, assumptions, reasoning and information sources used to establish a scientific finding by adopting a consistently claim-based perspective on scientific results and their evidence. SEE allows for extensible evidence representations, in which the level of detail can be adjusted and which can be extended as needed. It supports representation of arbitrary many consecutive layers of interpretation and attribution and different evaluations of the same data. SEE and its underlying model could be a valuable component in a variety of use cases that require careful representation or examination of evidence for data presented on the semantic web or in other formats.

Should Science be Taught in Early Childhood?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Eshach, Haim; Fried, Michael N.

2005-09-01

This essay considers the question of why we should teach science to K-2. After initial consideration of two traditional reasons for studying science, six assertions supporting the idea that even small children should be exposed to science are given. These are, in order: (1) Children naturally enjoy observing and thinking about nature. (2) Exposing students to science develops positive attitudes towards science. (3) Early exposure to scientific phenomena leads to better understanding of the scientific concepts studied later in a formal way. (4) The use of scientifically informed language at an early age influences the eventual development of scientific concepts. (5) Children can understand scientific concepts and reason scientifically. (6) Science is an efficient means for developing scientific thinking. Concrete illustrations of some of the ideas discussed in this essay, particularly, how language and prior knowledge may influence the development of scientific concepts, are then provided. The essay concludes by emphasizing that there is a window of opportunity that educators should exploit by presenting science as part of the curriculum in both kindergarten and the first years of primary school.

Linking Indigenous Knowledge and Observed Climate Change Studies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Alexander, Chief Clarence; Bynum, Nora; Johnson, Liz; King, Ursula; Mustonen, Tero; Neofotis, Peter; Oettle, Noel; Rosenzweig, Cynthia; Sakakibara, Chie; Shadrin, Chief Vyacheslav;

Preface

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kopcansky, P.; Timko, M.; Vaclavikova, M.

2007-12-01

The 11th International Conference on Magnetic Fluids (ICMF 11) was held on July 23-27, 2007 in Kosice, Slovakia. The attendance was high and motivated, in line with previous ten conferences within the ICMF series organized in Udine, Orlando, Bangor, Sendai-Tokyo, Riga, Paris, Bhavnagar, Timisoara, Bremen and Guaruja. The conference in Slovakia reflected the enthusiasm of the scientific community from all around the world, with 256 participants from 30 countries. The main objective of ICMF 11 was to promote the progress and the knowledge in the field of magnetic fluids regarding their chemistry, physical and magnetic properties, heat and mass transfer, surface phenomena, as well as their technological and biomedical applications. As the research on magnetic fluids is essentially interdisciplinary, experts from related areas were invited to present their contributions with a view to extend the frontiers of knowledge in the field and to present the new trends. Submitted communications were refereed by the members of the Scientific Organizing Committee and abstracts were assembled in the Book of Abstracts. Participants presented 180 posters in 2 poster sessions and 56 oral presentations. All presentations helped to expand the frontiers of the area and to establish new bridges between physics, chemistry, technology, biology and medical sciences. Outcomes of this conference are presented by 115 scientific papers, which are published partly in the Journal of Physics: Condensed Matter (JoPCM) and partly in Magnetohydrodynamics (MHD). The organization of the conference was made possible by generous support from the Institute of Experimental Physics and Institute of Geotechnics of Slovak Academy of Sciences, the University of P.J. Safarik and Slovak Physical Society. Financial support from the Ferrotec, Cryosoft, Mikrochem, Liquids research, Askony, U.S. Steel Kosice, is also gratefully acknowledged.

The Effect of Verbal and Visuo-Spatial Abilities on the Development of Knowledge of the Earth

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kikas, Eve

2006-09-01

Difficulties in students’ understanding of the spherical model of the Earth have been shown in previous studies. One of the reasons for these difficulties lies in beliefs and preliminary knowledge that hinder the interpretation of the scientific knowledge, the other reason may lie in the low level of verbal and visuo-spatial abilities. The study aims to investigate the effect of verbal and visuo-spatial abilities, but also that of preliminary knowledge on the later development of the knowledge of the Earth in school. 176 schoolchildren (96 boys and 80 girls) from five schools were tested; the mean age of the children during the first interview was seven years and eight months. All students were interviewed twice in grades 1 and 2, before and after they had learnt the topic in school. Factual, scientific and synthetic knowledge was assessed. The facilitative effect of visuo-spatial and verbal abilities and preliminary factual and scientific knowledge on students’ knowledge of astronomy after having learnt the topic in school was shown. In contrast, the hindering effect of synthetic knowledge was not found.

Optics workshops designed to preschool children (age 3 to 6 years)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lopez, Charvel; Solano, Cristina

2016-09-01

Since 2005, it was decided in Mexico that children have to start their formal education at the age of 3 years, two years earlier that in many other countries. This change was done to increase activities that enhance the social interaction and stimulus (knowledge and skills) of the students to prepare them to the next academic level. The main drawback of the developed curriculum for the younger children is that it does not include enough scientific activities. The work presented here is the answer of a particular initiative of some teachers to implement scientific workshops in optics. We have found that preschoolers are attracted to scientific activities if the material is presented in the right way. While design any scientific activity it is important to remember that young children want to know about their world without changing it, they have to experience the principle without memorizing, therefore the language used to describe concepts, ideas or terms has to be carefully chosen to avoid confuse preschoolers that can lose track of the activity. The scientific information has to be very clear and limited to a single physical principle and the concepts have to be presented in a way to include games as a learning activity that allow them to experience with the results.

Oceans of Data: In what ways can learning research inform the development of electronic interfaces and tools for use by students accessing large scientific databases?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Krumhansl, R. A.; Foster, J.; Peach, C. L.; Busey, A.; Baker, I.

2012-12-01

The practice of science and engineering is being revolutionized by the development of cyberinfrastructure for accessing near real-time and archived observatory data. Large cyberinfrastructure projects have the potential to transform the way science is taught in high school classrooms, making enormous quantities of scientific data available, giving students opportunities to analyze and draw conclusions from many kinds of complex data, and providing students with experiences using state-of-the-art resources and techniques for scientific investigations. However, online interfaces to scientific data are built by scientists for scientists, and their design can significantly impede broad use by novices. Knowledge relevant to the design of student interfaces to complex scientific databases is broadly dispersed among disciplines ranging from cognitive science to computer science and cartography and is not easily accessible to designers of educational interfaces. To inform efforts at bridging scientific cyberinfrastructure to the high school classroom, Education Development Center, Inc. and the Scripps Institution of Oceanography conducted an NSF-funded 2-year interdisciplinary review of literature and expert opinion pertinent to making interfaces to large scientific databases accessible to and usable by precollege learners and their teachers. Project findings are grounded in the fundamentals of Cognitive Load Theory, Visual Perception, Schemata formation and Universal Design for Learning. The Knowledge Status Report (KSR) presents cross-cutting and visualization-specific guidelines that highlight how interface design features can address/ ameliorate challenges novice high school students face as they navigate complex databases to find data, and construct and look for patterns in maps, graphs, animations and other data visualizations. The guidelines present ways to make scientific databases more broadly accessible by: 1) adjusting the cognitive load imposed by the user interface and visualizations so that it doesn't exceed the amount of information the learner can actively process; 2) drawing attention to important features and patterns; and 3) enabling customization of visualizations and tools to meet the needs of diverse learners.

Knowledge, attitudes, and barriers toward research: The perspectives of undergraduate medical and dental students

PubMed Central

Kyaw Soe, Htoo Htoo; Than, Nan Nitra; Lwin, Htay; Nu Htay, Mila Nu Nu; Phyu, Khine Lynn; Abas, Adinegara Lutfi

2018-01-01

CONTEXT: Scientific research not only promotes health and combats diseases of an individual, but also it can strengthen the effectiveness of health systems. Hence, understanding of scientific methods becomes a crucial component in the medical profession. AIMS: This study was conducted to assess the knowledge, attitudes, and barriers toward research among undergraduate medical and dental students. SETTINGS AND DESIGN: This cross-sectional study was conducted among 295 undergraduate Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) and Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) students from a private medical college in Malaysia. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We purposively selected 360 students attending the 3rd, 4th, and 5th year in MBBS course and BDS course in September 2015. A total of 295 students who were willing to provide written informed consent were included in this study. We collected data using a validated, self-administered, structured questionnaire which included 20 questions about knowledge toward scientific research, 21 attitude items in regard to scientific research, a list of 10 barriers toward conducting medical research, and 5 questions of confidence to conduct the medical research. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS USED: Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, independent t-test, ANOVA, and multiple linear regression. RESULTS: Among the students, 56.9% had moderate knowledge while the majority (83.3%) had moderate attitude toward scientific research. The majorly cited barriers were the lack of time (79.9%), lack of knowledge and skills (72.1%), lack of funding (72.0%) and facilities (63.6%), and lack of rewards (55.8%). There was a significant association between age, academic year, and knowledge of research as the older age group, and 4th- and 5th-year students had higher knowledge score. The students of higher attitude score had better-perceived barriers score toward research with regression coefficient 0.095 (95% confidence interval 0.032–0.159). CONCLUSIONS: Even though the students had the positive attitudes toward scientific research, a supportive and positive environment is needed to improve skills and knowledge of research and to overcome the barriers toward the conduct of scientific research. PMID:29629384

Knowledge, attitudes, and barriers toward research: The perspectives of undergraduate medical and dental students.

PubMed

Kyaw Soe, Htoo Htoo; Than, Nan Nitra; Lwin, Htay; Nu Htay, Mila Nu Nu; Phyu, Khine Lynn; Abas, Adinegara Lutfi

2018-01-01

Scientific research not only promotes health and combats diseases of an individual, but also it can strengthen the effectiveness of health systems. Hence, understanding of scientific methods becomes a crucial component in the medical profession. This study was conducted to assess the knowledge, attitudes, and barriers toward research among undergraduate medical and dental students. This cross-sectional study was conducted among 295 undergraduate Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) and Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) students from a private medical college in Malaysia. We purposively selected 360 students attending the 3 rd , 4 th , and 5 th year in MBBS course and BDS course in September 2015. A total of 295 students who were willing to provide written informed consent were included in this study. We collected data using a validated, self-administered, structured questionnaire which included 20 questions about knowledge toward scientific research, 21 attitude items in regard to scientific research, a list of 10 barriers toward conducting medical research, and 5 questions of confidence to conduct the medical research. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, independent t-test, ANOVA, and multiple linear regression. Among the students, 56.9% had moderate knowledge while the majority (83.3%) had moderate attitude toward scientific research. The majorly cited barriers were the lack of time (79.9%), lack of knowledge and skills (72.1%), lack of funding (72.0%) and facilities (63.6%), and lack of rewards (55.8%). There was a significant association between age, academic year, and knowledge of research as the older age group, and 4 th - and 5 th -year students had higher knowledge score. The students of higher attitude score had better-perceived barriers score toward research with regression coefficient 0.095 (95% confidence interval 0.032-0.159). Even though the students had the positive attitudes toward scientific research, a supportive and positive environment is needed to improve skills and knowledge of research and to overcome the barriers toward the conduct of scientific research.

Challenges for Transitioning Science Research to Space Weather Applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Spann, James

2013-01-01

Effectively transitioning science knowledge to useful applications relevant to space weather has become important. The effort to transition scientific knowledge to a useful application is not a research nor is it operations, but an activity that connects two. Successful transitioning must be an intentional effort with a clear goal and measureable outcome. This talk will present proven methodologies that have been demonstrated to be effective, and how in the current environment those can be applied to space weather transition efforts.

Understanding the Perception of Global Climate Change: Research into the Role of Media

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kundargi, R.; Gopal, S.; Tsay-Vogel, M.

2016-12-01

Here we present preliminary results for a novel study investigating the perception of climate change media, in relation to two pre-selected dimensions. We administer a questionnaire varying in two dimensions (spatial proximity and scientific literacy) to 155 mostly students in order to evaluate their emotional and cognitive reactions towards a series of video clips depicting the impacts of global climate change (GCC) events or the science behind global climate change. 19 videos were selected and vetted by experts for content and relevance to the subject matter. Our preliminary analysis indicate that the further away an event is perceived to be (spatial proximity) results in a lower uncertainty about the risks of GCC, lower self-efficacy to effect GCC, and lower personal responsibility to influence GCC. Furthermore, our results show that videos with a higher perceived background scientific knowledge requirement (scientific literacy) results in greater viewer engagement with the video. A full analysis and results of this study will be presented within the poster presentation.

On the Epistemological Crisis in Genomics

PubMed Central

Dougherty, Edward R

2008-01-01

There is an epistemological crisis in genomics. At issue is what constitutes scientific knowledge in genomic science, or systems biology in general. Does this crisis require a new perspective on knowledge heretofore absent from science or is it merely a matter of interpreting new scientific developments in an existing epistemological framework? This paper discusses the manner in which the experimental method, as developed and understood over recent centuries, leads naturally to a scientific epistemology grounded in an experimental-mathematical duality. It places genomics into this epistemological framework and examines the current situation in genomics. Meaning and the constitution of scientific knowledge are key concerns for genomics, and the nature of the epistemological crisis in genomics depends on how these are understood. PMID:19440447

Developing Models to Convey Understanding Rather than Merely Knowledge of the Methods of Science.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pinet, Paul Raymond

1989-01-01

A teaching method in which students develop models of simple systems to learn critical thinking and scientific methodology is presented. Discussed are the stages of the development of a model and the possible outcomes of the use of model development for students. (CW)

Basic Principles of Animal Science. Reprinted.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Florida State Dept. of Education, Tallahassee.

The reference book is designed to fulfill the need for organized subject matter dealing with basic principles of animal science to be incorporated into the high school agriculture curriculum. The material presented is scientific knowledge basic to livestock production. Five units contain specific information on the following topics: anatomy and…

New Particle Formation & Growth in CMAQ-NPF: Application of Comprehensive Model Methods to Observations during CalNex & CARES

EPA Science Inventory

The formation and growth of new atmospheric ultrafine particles are exceedingly complex processes and recent scientific efforts have grown our understanding of them tremendously. This presentation describes the effort to apply this new knowledge to the CMAQ chemical transport mod...

DG's New Year's presentation

ScienceCinema

Heuer, R.-D.

2018-05-22

CERN general staff meeting. Looking back at key messages: Highest priority: LHC physics in 2009; Increase diversity of the scientific program; Prepare for future projects; Establish open and direct communication; Prepare CERN towards a global laboratory; Increase consolidation efforts; Financial situation--tight; Knowledge and technology transfer--proactive; Contract policy and internal mobility--lessons learned.

A Portfolio of Energy Ideas: Science.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Clark, Richard C., Ed.

Presented are 10 science energy education units designed to help students learn how to turn science questions and problems about energy into experiments. Each unit focuses on subject-matter knowledge and on the logic and strategy of scientific problem solving. These teacher-oriented materials include an overview of each unit, background…

Project Learning in Science: 6th Graders' Scientific Investigations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shea, Mary; Shea, Brian

2013-01-01

This article presents rationale for an enhanced inquiry approach to science education that authentically integrates content knowledge and application skills in a middle school science curriculum. Such pedagogy ensures students' attainment of national and state standards for learning science and multiple literacies (e.g. language arts and…

Value Orientations of Future Teachers-Researchers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Botalova, Olga B.; Osipova, Seraphima V.; Asenova, Nazymgul S.; Kenenbaeva, Marzhan A.; Kuderina, Aizhan Y.; Zholtaeva, Gulnar; Boribekova, Farzana; Zhanatbekova, Nazym; Vedilina, Elena A.; Azanbekova, Gulnaz

2016-01-01

Values are keystones of society; they can vary depending on the professional activity. Teacher's values play an important role, since they directly affect the formation of knowledge of students. The paper presents the characteristics of one of the structural components of future teachers' active scientific position--pedagogic values such as…

What's New on the Moon?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

French, Bevan M.

This document presents an overview of knowledge gained from the scientific explorations of the moon between 1969 and 1972 in the Apollo Program. Answers are given to questions regarding life on the moon, surface composition of rocks on the moon, the nature of the moon's interior, characteristics of lunar "soil," the age, history and…

Responsible Healthy Lifestyles, Levels 7-12. Secondary Core Curriculum Standards.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Utah State Office of Education, Salt Lake City. Div. of Curriculum and Instruction.

This guide presents the Utah elementary and secondary school program of studies and high school graduation requirements. A description is given of the responsible healthy lifestyles curriculum which is designed to integrate into a meaningful whole, medical, scientific, behavioral, and ethical knowledge, values, and practices which enhance a…

Skylab Experiments, Volume 4, Life Sciences.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Washington, DC.

Basic knowledge about Skylab experiments is presented in this book, one of a series, for the purpose of informing high school teachers about scientific research performed in orbit and enabling the teachers to broaden their basis for material selection. This fourth volume is concerned with experiments designed to improve man's understanding of…

Thinking like an Ecologist

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Carlson, Jenn

2008-01-01

This article presents a lesson in which students examine current field research on global change. In particular, students investigate the effect of carbon dioxide and tropospheric ozone on ecosystems by applying their knowledge of scientific inquiry and photosynthesis. The goal of the activity is for students to think like ecologists and draw…

In Defence of the Classroom Science Demonstration

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McCrory, Paul

2013-01-01

Science demonstrations are often criticised for their passive nature, their gratuitous exploitation and their limited ability to develop scientific knowledge and understanding. This article is intended to present a robust defence of the use of demonstrations in the classroom by identifying some of their unique and powerful benefits--practical,…

Moving beyond Social Exclusion through Dialogue

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Aubert, Adriana

2011-01-01

The Dialogic Inclusion Contract (DIC) makes it possible to build a dialogue between the international scientific community and the knowledge derived from the experiences of social agents. This article presents the theoretical underpinnings and the process of developing and implementing the DIC. A case study of a primary school in a disadvantaged…

New High in Engineering Degree Production. Facts

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Connecticut Department of Higher Education (NJ1), 2010

2010-01-01

Several of the state's key industry sectors depend heavily on employees with advanced scientific, analytic and technical knowledge. Among the fields closely related to these sectors, engineering degrees have posted the largest gain. This paper presents details on the following facts: (1) 2009 represented a record high for engineering degrees; (2)…

IFLA General Conference, 1990. Section on Research and Theory.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

International Federation of Library Associations, The Hague (Netherlands).

The three papers in this collection were presented during the meeting of the Section on Research and Theory. In the first paper, "BIEF: A North-South Knowledge Transfer Tool," Suzanne Richer examines the vital importance of scientific and technical information (STI) for developing countries, and notes that BIEF (Banque internationale…

New particle formation and growth in CMAQ: Application of comprehensive modal methods to observations during CalNex and CARES

EPA Science Inventory

The formation and growth of new atmospheric ultrafine particles are exceedingly complex processes and recent scientific efforts have grown our understanding of them tremendously. This presentation describes the effort to apply this new knowledge to the CMAQ chemical transport mod...

The Conduct of Development in Education. Occasional Paper 14.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schutz, Richard E.

The concept of development in education is examined, being defined as "the systematic use of scientific knowledge directed toward the production of useful materials, devices, systems, or methods, including design and development of prototypes and processes." Historical antecedents of present development are briefly discussed. Contrast is made…

Understanding Ecology Content Knowledge and Acquiring Science Process Skills through Project-Based Science Instruction

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Colley, Kabba E.

2006-01-01

This activity discusses a two-day unit on ecology implemented during the summer of 2004 using the project-based science instructional (PBSI) approach. Through collaborative fieldwork, group discussions, presentations, and reflections, students planned, implemented, and reported their own scientific investigations on the environmental health of…

Is risk analysis scientific?

PubMed

Hansson, Sven Ove; Aven, Terje

2014-07-01

This article discusses to what extent risk analysis is scientific in view of a set of commonly used definitions and criteria. We consider scientific knowledge to be characterized by its subject matter, its success in developing the best available knowledge in its fields of study, and the epistemic norms and values that guide scientific investigations. We proceed to assess the field of risk analysis according to these criteria. For this purpose, we use a model for risk analysis in which science is used as a base for decision making on risks, which covers the five elements evidence, knowledge base, broad risk evaluation, managerial review and judgment, and the decision; and that relates these elements to the domains experts and decisionmakers, and to the domains fact-based or value-based. We conclude that risk analysis is a scientific field of study, when understood as consisting primarily of (i) knowledge about risk-related phenomena, processes, events, etc., and (ii) concepts, theories, frameworks, approaches, principles, methods and models to understand, assess, characterize, communicate, and manage risk, in general and for specific applications (the instrumental part). © 2014 Society for Risk Analysis.

Knitting the Threads of Silk through Time: Behçet's Disease—Past, Present, and Future

PubMed Central

Stack, Austin G.; Fraser, Alexander D.

2017-01-01

Behçet's disease (BD) is a chronic relapsing vasculitis that affects vessels of all types and sizes with a broad spectrum of phenotypic heterogeneity and complex immunopathogenesis. Efforts by the scientific community to resolve the unmet needs of BD and gaps in our knowledge have been hampered by considerable challenges that primarily relate to the rare nature of the disease in many parts of the world and its heterogeneity. Controversies remain in many aspects of the disease including the diagnostic criteria, immunopathogenesis and biomarker discovery, geographical variation, and therapeutic considerations. In this review, we highlight recent advances in our scientific understanding of BD, shed new insights into diagnostic and treatment strategies, and discuss residual gaps in our knowledge that will serve as the basis for current and future research. PMID:29081805

[Open circuit: the exchange of medical and scientific knowledge in Latin American in the early 20th century].

PubMed

Almeida, Marta de

2006-01-01

This article discusses the Latin American Medical Congresses and International Exhibitions on Hygiene held in the first few decades of the 20th century as a strategy for underpinning and influencing medical knowledge within the specialized community itself and for public authorities, which were fundamental for presenting to society at large as they were seen as the vehicles of official know-how on the art of medicating. These events made up part of a broader movement to internationalize and coordinate the professional field of medicine in Latin America. The article further suggests that the activities that took place during these events played a key role in the propagation of ideas and exchange of experience between Latin American nations, forming a network of scientific exchange in the continent.

National ecosystem assessments supported by scientific and local knowledge

USGS Publications Warehouse

Herrick, J.E.; Lessard, V.C.; Spaeth, K.E.; Shaver, P.L.; Dayton, R.S.; Pyke, D.A.; Jolley, L.; Goebel, J.J.

2010-01-01

An understanding of the extent of land degradation and recovery is necessary to guide land-use policy and management, yet currently available land-quality assessments are widely known to be inadequate. Here, we present the results of the first statistically based application of a new approach to national assessments that integrates scientific and local knowledge. Qualitative observations completed at over 10 000 plots in the United States showed that while soil degradation remains an issue, loss of biotic integrity is more widespread. Quantitative soil and vegetation data collected at the same locations support the assessments and serve as a baseline for monitoring the effectiveness of policy and management initiatives, including responses to climate change. These results provide the information necessary to support strategic decisions by land managers and policy makers. ?? The Ecological Society of America.

Blending Problem Based Learning and History of Science Approaches to Enhance Views about Scientific Inquiry: New Wine in an Old Bottle

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dogan, Nihal

2017-01-01

In 2016, the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) showed that approximately 44.4% of students in Turkey obtained very low grades when their scientific knowledge was evaluated. In addition, the vast majority of students were shown to have no knowledge of basic scientific terms or concepts. Science teachers play a significant role in…

The Acquisition of Scientific Knowledge: The Influence of Methods of Questioning and Analysis on the Interpretation of Children's Conceptions of the Earth

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Frede, Valerie; Nobes, Gavin; Frappart, Soren; Panagiotaki, Georgia; Troadec, Bertrand; Martin, Alan

2011-01-01

Studies of children's knowledge of the Earth have led to very different conclusions: some appear to show that children construct their own, non-scientific "theories" (mental models) of the flat, hollow or dual Earth. Others indicate that many young children have some understanding of the spherical (scientific) Earth, and that their…

Nature of Science and Science Content Learning: The Relation between Students' Nature of Science Understanding and Their Learning about the Concept of Energy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Michel, Hanno; Neumann, Irene

2016-01-01

Besides viewing knowledge about the nature of science (NOS) as important for its own value with respect to scientific literacy, an adequate understanding of NOS is expected to improve science content learning by fostering the ability to interrelate scientific concepts and, thus, coherently acquire scientific content knowledge. However, there is a…

[Medicine in Brazil today: education and practice].

PubMed

Gonçalves, E L

1990-01-01

Present situation of medical education and medical practice in Brazil is analyzed, and the scientific-technological impact in medical practice is studied, in both diagnostic and therapeutic aspects. The influence of scientific methods in medical education, specifically the Flexner's contribution, is evaluated. In the recent years, Flexner's propositions have been put in question, particularly because of important contributions of psychology, anthropology and sociology to a better knowledge of human nature. Therefore many curricular alternatives have been proposed, aiming at a medical education that would favor the formation of well poised personality and a critical intelligence.

Plowshare

DOE R&D Accomplishments Database

Teller, E.

1963-02-04

The purpose of this lecture is to give an impression of the main characteristic feature of Plowshare: its exceedingly wide applicability throughout fields of economic or scientific interest. If one wants to find the right applications, knowledge of the nuclear tool is not enough. One needs to have a thorough familiarity with the materials, with the processes, with all of science, with all the economics on our globe and maybe beyond. A survey is presented of all aspects of peaceful applications of nuclear explosives: earth moving, large-scale chemical and mining engineering, and scientific experiments. (D.L.C.)

Illuminating Engineering Research Institute Annual Report 1967. A Review of Project Activities and a Roundup of IERI Research Interests.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Illuminating Engineering Research Inst., New York, NY.

Presented in this report are the Illuminating Engineering Research Institute's fundamental scientific concepts in a new frame of realism while relating them to an up-to-date accounting of the search for new basic knowledge. In addition to being an annual accounting, it is also intended to provide orientation. Its presented in dramatic and…

The dual-use problem, scientific isolationism and the division of moral labour.

PubMed

Douglas, Thomas

2014-01-01

The dual-use problem is an ethical quandary sometimes faced by scientists and others in a position to influence the creation or dissemination of scientific knowledge. It arises when (i) an agent is considering whether to pursue some project likely to result in the creation or dissemination of scientific knowledge, (ii) that knowledge could be used in both morally desirable and morally undesirable ways, and (iii) the risk of undesirable use is sufficiently high that it is not clear that the agent may permissibly pursue the project or policy. Agents said to be faced with dual-use problems have frequently responded by appealing to a view that I call scientific isolationism. This is, roughly, the view that scientific decisions may be made without morally appraising the likely uses of the scientific knowledge whose production or dissemination is at stake. I consider whether scientific isolationism can be justified in a form that would indeed provide a way out of dual-use problems. I first argue for a presumption against a strong form of isolationism, and then examine four arguments that might be thought to override this presumption. The most promising of these arguments appeals to the idea of a division of moral labour, but I argue that even this argument can sustain at most a highly attenuated form of scientific isolationism and that this variant of isolationism has little practical import for discussions of the dual-use problem.

Santa and the Moon

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barthel, P.

2012-05-01

This article reflects on the use of illustrations of the Moon in images of Santa Claus, on Christmas gift-wrapping paper and in children's books, in two countries which have been important in shaping the image of Santa Claus and his predecessor Sinterklaas: the USA and the Netherlands. The appearance of the Moon in Halloween illustrations is also considered. The lack of either knowledge concerning the physical origin of the Moon's phases, or interest in understanding them, is found to be widespread in the Netherlands, but is also clearly present in the USA, and is quite possibly global. Certainly incomplete, but surely representative, lists that compile occurrences of both scientifically correct and scientifically incorrect gift- wrapping paper and children's books are also presented.

Space Weather - Current Capabilities, Future Requirements, and the Path to Improved Forecasting

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mann, Ian

2016-07-01

We present an overview of Space Weather activities and future opportunities including assessments of current status and capabilities, knowledge gaps, and future directions in relation to both observations and modeling. The review includes input from the scientific community including from SCOSTEP scientific discipline representatives (SDRs), COSPAR Main Scientific Organizers (MSOs), and SCOSTEP/VarSITI leaders. The presentation also draws on results from the recent activities related to the production of the COSPAR-ILWS Space Weather Roadmap "Understanding Space Weather to Shield Society" [Schrijver et al., Advances in Space Research 55, 2745 (2015) http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.asr.2015.03.023], from the activities related to the United Nations (UN) Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS) actions in relation to the Long-term Sustainability of Outer Space (LTS), and most recently from the newly formed and ongoing efforts of the UN COPUOS Expert Group on Space Weather.

Design guidelines for adapting scientific research articles: An example from an introductory level, interdisciplinary program on soft matter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Langbeheim, Elon; Safran, Samuel A.; Yerushalmi, Edit

2013-01-01

We present design guidelines for using Adapted Primary Literature (APL) as part of current interdisciplinary topics to introductory physics students. APL is a text genre that allows students to comprehend a scientific article, while maintaining the core features of the communication among scientists, thus representing an authentic scientific discourse. We describe the adaptation of a research paper by Nobel Laureate Paul Flory on phase equilibrium in polymer-solvent mixtures that was presented to high school students in a project-based unit on soft matter. The adaptation followed two design strategies: a) Making explicit the interplay between the theory and experiment. b) Re-structuring the text to map the theory onto the students' prior knowledge. Specifically, we map the theory of polymer-solvent systems onto a model for binary mixtures of small molecules of equal size that was already studied in class.

Examining elementary teachers' knowledge and instruction of scientific explanations for fostering children's explanations in science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wiebke, Heidi Lynn

This study employed an embedded mixed methods multi-case study design (Creswell, 2014) with six early childhood (grades K-2) teachers to examine a) what changes occurred to their subject matter knowledge (SMK) and pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) for teaching scientific explanations while participating in a professional development program, b) how they planned for and implemented scientific explanation instruction within a teacher developed unit on properties of matter, and c) what affordances their instruction of scientific explanations had on fostering their students' abilities to generate explanations in science. Several quantitative and qualitative measures were collected and analyzed in accordance to this studies conceptual framework, which consisted of ten instructional practices teachers should consider assimilating or accommodating into their knowledge base (i.e., SMK & PCK) for teaching scientific explanations. Results of this study indicate there was little to no positive change in the teachers' substantive and syntactic SMK. However, all six teachers did make significant changes to all five components of their PCK for teaching explanations in science. While planning for scientific explanation instruction, all six teachers' contributed some ideas for how to incorporate seven of the ten instructional practices for scientific explanations within the properties of matter unit they co-developed. When enacting the unit, the six teachers' employed seven to nine of the instructional practices to varying levels of effectiveness, as measured by researcher developed rubrics. Given the six teachers' scientific explanation instruction, many students did show improvement in their ability to formulate a scientific explanation, particularly their ability to provide multiple pieces of evidence. Implications for professional developers, teacher educators, researchers, policy makers, and elementary teachers regarding how to prepare teachers for and support students' construction of scientific explanations are discussed.

Scientific and Cultural Knowledge in Intercultural Science Education: Student Perceptions of Common Ground

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gondwe, Mzamose; Longnecker, Nancy

2015-02-01

There is no consensus in the science education research community on the meanings and representations of western science and indigenous knowledge or the relationships between them. How students interpret these relationships and their perceptions of any connections has rarely been studied. This study reports student perceptions of the meaning and relationship between scientific and cultural knowledge. Personal meaning maps adapted for small groups were conducted in seven culturally diverse schools, school years 7-9 (with students aged 12-15 years) ( n = 190), with six schools in Western Australia and one school in Malawi, Africa. Of the six Australian school groups, two comprised Australian Aboriginal students in an after-school homework programme and the other four schools had a multicultural mix of students. Students in this study identified connections between scientific and cultural knowledge and constructed connections from particular thematic areas—mainly factual content knowledge as opposed to ideas related to values, attitudes, beliefs and identity. Australian Aboriginal students made fewer connections between the two knowledge domains than Malawian students whose previous science teacher had made explicit connections in her science class. Examples from Aboriginal culture were the most dominant illustrations of cultural knowledge in Australian schools, even in school groups with students from other cultures. In light of our findings, we discuss the construction of common ground between scientific knowledge and cultural knowledge and the role of teachers as cultural brokers and travel agents. We conclude with recommendations on creating learning environments that embrace different cultural knowledges and that promote explicit and enquiring discussions of values, attitudes, beliefs and identity associated with both knowledge domains.

Science in the Public Sphere: Greater Sage-grouse Conservation Planning from a Transdisciplinary Perspective

USGS Publications Warehouse

Torregrosa, Alicia; Casazza, Michael L.; Caldwell, Margaret R.; Mathiasmeier, Teresa A.; Morgan, Peter M.; Overton, Cory T.

2010-01-01

Integration of scientific data and adaptive management techniques is critical to the success of species conservation, however, there are uncertainties about effective methods of knowledge exchange between scientists and decisionmakers. The conservation planning and implementation process for Greater Sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus; ) in the Mono Basin, Calif. region, was used as a case study to observe the exchange of scientific information among stakeholders with differing perspectives; resource manager, scientist, public official, rancher, and others. The collaborative development of a risk-simulation model was explored as a tool to transfer knowledge between stakeholders and inform conservation planning and management decisions. Observations compiled using a transdisciplinary approach were used to compare the exchange of information during the collaborative model development and more traditional interactions such as scientist-led presentations at stakeholder meetings. Lack of congruence around knowledge needs and prioritization led to insufficient commitment to completely implement the risk-simulation model. Ethnographic analysis of the case study suggests that further application of epistemic community theory, which posits a strong boundary condition on knowledge transfer, could help support application of risk simulation models in conservation-planning efforts within similarly complex social and bureaucratic landscapes.

Popper's Fallibilism.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Perkinson, Henry

1978-01-01

Describes the theories of Karl Popper regarding scientific knowledge and scientific methodology; tells how the Popper-Darwinian theory of growth of knowledge offers an alternative nonauthoritarian conception of the educational process, and thus an alternative conception of the functions of the teacher and the school. (GT)

Scaffolding Middle School Students' Construction of Scientific Explanations: Comparing a cognitive versus a metacognitive evaluation approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Chia-Yu

2015-01-01

This study investigated the effects of scaffolds as cognitive prompts and as metacognitive evaluation on seventh-grade students' growth of content knowledge and construction of scientific explanations in five inquiry-based biology activities. Students' scores on multiple-choice pretest and posttest and worksheets for five inquiry-based activities were analyzed. The results show that the students' content knowledge in all conditions significantly increased from the pretest to posttest. Incorporating cognitive prompts with the explanation scaffolds better facilitated knowledge integration and resulted in greater learning gains of content knowledge and better quality evidence and reasoning. The metacognitive evaluation instruction improved all explanation components, especially claims and reasoning. This metacognitive approach also significantly reduced students' over- or underestimation during peer-evaluation by refining their internal standards for the quality of scientific explanations. The ability to accurately evaluate the quality of explanations was strongly associated with better performance on explanation construction. The cognitive prompts and metacognitive evaluation instruction address different aspects of the challenges faced by the students, and show different effects on the enhancement of content knowledge and the quality of scientific explanations. Future directions and suggestions are provided for improving the design of the scaffolds to facilitate the construction of scientific explanations.

Inquiry-based science education: towards a pedagogical framework for primary school teachers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

van Uum, Martina S. J.; Verhoeff, Roald P.; Peeters, Marieke

2016-02-01

Inquiry-based science education (IBSE) has been promoted as an inspiring way of learning science by engaging pupils in designing and conducting their own scientific investigations. For primary school teachers, the open nature of IBSE poses challenges as they often lack experience in supporting their pupils during the different phases of an open IBSE project, such as formulating a research question and designing and conducting an investigation. The current study aims to meet these challenges by presenting a pedagogical framework in which four domains of scientific knowledge are addressed in seven phases of inquiry. The framework is based on video analyses of pedagogical interventions by primary school teachers participating in open IBSE projects. Our results show that teachers can guide their pupils successfully through the process of open inquiry by explicitly addressing the conceptual, epistemic, social and/or procedural domain of scientific knowledge in the subsequent phases of inquiry. The paper concludes by suggesting further research to validate our framework and to develop a pedagogy for primary school teachers to guide their pupils through the different phases of open inquiry.

Word add-in for ontology recognition: semantic enrichment of scientific literature.

PubMed

Fink, J Lynn; Fernicola, Pablo; Chandran, Rahul; Parastatidis, Savas; Wade, Alex; Naim, Oscar; Quinn, Gregory B; Bourne, Philip E

2010-02-24

In the current era of scientific research, efficient communication of information is paramount. As such, the nature of scholarly and scientific communication is changing; cyberinfrastructure is now absolutely necessary and new media are allowing information and knowledge to be more interactive and immediate. One approach to making knowledge more accessible is the addition of machine-readable semantic data to scholarly articles. The Word add-in presented here will assist authors in this effort by automatically recognizing and highlighting words or phrases that are likely information-rich, allowing authors to associate semantic data with those words or phrases, and to embed that data in the document as XML. The add-in and source code are publicly available at http://www.codeplex.com/UCSDBioLit. The Word add-in for ontology term recognition makes it possible for an author to add semantic data to a document as it is being written and it encodes these data using XML tags that are effectively a standard in life sciences literature. Allowing authors to mark-up their own work will help increase the amount and quality of machine-readable literature metadata.

Investigating Image Formation with a Camera Obscura: a Study in Initial Primary Science Teacher Education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Muñoz-Franco, Granada; Criado, Ana María; García-Carmona, Antonio

2018-04-01

This article presents the results of a qualitative study aimed at determining the effectiveness of the camera obscura as a didactic tool to understand image formation (i.e., how it is possible to see objects and how their image is formed on the retina, and what the image formed on the retina is like compared to the object observed) in a context of scientific inquiry. The study involved 104 prospective primary teachers (PPTs) who were being trained in science teaching. To assess the effectiveness of this tool, an open questionnaire was applied before (pre-test) and after (post-test) the educational intervention. The data were analyzed by combining methods of inter- and intra-rater analysis. The results showed that more than half of the PPTs advanced in their ideas towards the desirable level of knowledge in relation to the phenomena studied. The conclusion reached is that the camera obscura, used in a context of scientific inquiry, is a useful tool for PPTs to improve their knowledge about image formation and experience in the first person an authentic scientific inquiry during their teacher training.

Toxicodynamics of Mycotoxins in the Framework of Food Risk Assessment—An In Silico Perspective

PubMed Central

Dall’Asta, Chiara

2018-01-01

Mycotoxins severely threaten the health of humans and animals. For this reason, many countries have enforced regulations and recommendations to reduce the dietary exposure. However, even though regulatory actions must be based on solid scientific knowledge, many aspects of their toxicological activity are still poorly understood. In particular, deepening knowledge on the primal molecular events triggering the toxic stimulus may be relevant to better understand the mechanisms of action of mycotoxins. The present work presents the use of in silico approaches in studying the mycotoxins toxicodynamics, and discusses how they may contribute in widening the background of knowledge. A particular emphasis has been posed on the methods accounting the molecular initiating events of toxic action. In more details, the key concepts and challenges of mycotoxins toxicology have been introduced. Then, topical case studies have been presented and some possible practical implementations of studying mycotoxins toxicodynamics have been discussed. PMID:29360783

Arctic sea-ice syntheses: Charting across scope, scale, and knowledge systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Druckenmiller, M. L.; Perovich, D. K.; Francis, J. A.

2017-12-01

Arctic sea ice supports and intersects a multitude of societal benefit areas, including regulating regional and global climates, structuring marine food webs, providing for traditional food provisioning by indigenous peoples, and constraining marine shipping and access. At the same time, sea ice is one of the most rapidly changing elements of the Arctic environment and serves as a source of key physical indicators for monitoring Arctic change. Before the present scientific interest in Arctic sea ice for climate research, it has long been, and remains, a focus of applied research for industry and national security. For generations, the icy coastal seas of the North have also provided a basis for the sharing of local and indigenous knowledge between Arctic residents and researchers, including anthropologists, biologists, and geoscientists. This presentation will summarize an ongoing review of existing synthesis studies of Arctic sea ice. We will chart efforts to achieve system-level understanding across geography, temporal scales, and the ecosystem services that Arctic sea ice supports. In doing so, we aim to illuminate the role of interdisciplinary science, together with local and indigenous experts, in advancing knowledge of the roles of sea ice in the Arctic system and beyond, reveal the historical and scientific evolution of sea-ice research, and assess current gaps in system-scale understanding.

Participatory Evaluation of Monitoring and Modeling of Sustainable Land Management Technologies in Areas Prone to Land Degradation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stringer, L. C.; Fleskens, L.; Reed, M. S.; de Vente, J.; Zengin, M.

2014-11-01

Examples of sustainable land management (SLM) exist throughout the world. In many cases, SLM has largely evolved through local traditional practices and incremental experimentation rather than being adopted on the basis of scientific evidence. This means that SLM technologies are often only adopted across small areas. The DESIRE (DESertIfication mitigation and REmediation of degraded land) project combined local traditional knowledge on SLM with empirical evaluation of SLM technologies. The purpose of this was to evaluate and select options for dissemination in 16 sites across 12 countries. It involved (i) an initial workshop to evaluate stakeholder priorities (reported elsewhere), (ii) field trials/empirical modeling, and then, (iii) further stakeholder evaluation workshops. This paper focuses on workshops in which stakeholders evaluated the performance of SLM technologies based on the scientific monitoring and modeling results from 15 study sites. It analyses workshop outcomes to evaluate how scientific results affected stakeholders' perceptions of local SLM technologies. It also assessed the potential of this participatory approach in facilitating wider acceptance and implementation of SLM. In several sites, stakeholder preferences for SLM technologies changed as a consequence of empirical measurements and modeling assessments of each technology. Two workshop examples are presented in depth to: (a) explore the scientific results that triggered stakeholders to change their views; and (b) discuss stakeholders' suggestions on how the adoption of SLM technologies could be up-scaled. The overall multi-stakeholder participatory approach taken is then evaluated. It is concluded that to facilitate broad-scale adoption of SLM technologies, de-contextualized, scientific generalisations must be given local context; scientific findings must be viewed alongside traditional beliefs and both scrutinized with equal rigor; and the knowledge of all kinds of experts must be recognised and considered in decision-making about SLM, whether it has been formally codified or not. The approach presented in this paper provided this opportunity and received positive feedback from stakeholders.

Enhancing endorsement of scientific inquiry increases support for pro-environment policies.

PubMed

Drummond, Aaron; Palmer, Matthew A; Sauer, James D

2016-09-01

Pro-environment policies require public support and engagement, but in countries such as the USA, public support for pro-environment policies remains low. Increasing public scientific literacy is unlikely to solve this, because increased scientific literacy does not guarantee increased acceptance of critical environmental issues (e.g. that climate change is occurring). We distinguish between scientific literacy (basic scientific knowledge) and endorsement of scientific inquiry (perceiving science as a valuable way of accumulating knowledge), and examine the relationship between people's endorsement of scientific inquiry and their support for pro-environment policy. Analysis of a large, publicly available dataset shows that support for pro-environment policies is more strongly related to endorsement of scientific inquiry than to scientific literacy among adolescents. An experiment demonstrates that a brief intervention can increase support for pro-environment policies via increased endorsement of scientific inquiry among adults. Public education about the merits of scientific inquiry may facilitate increased support for pro-environment policies.

Enhancing endorsement of scientific inquiry increases support for pro-environment policies

PubMed Central

Palmer, Matthew A.; Sauer, James D.

2016-01-01

Pro-environment policies require public support and engagement, but in countries such as the USA, public support for pro-environment policies remains low. Increasing public scientific literacy is unlikely to solve this, because increased scientific literacy does not guarantee increased acceptance of critical environmental issues (e.g. that climate change is occurring). We distinguish between scientific literacy (basic scientific knowledge) and endorsement of scientific inquiry (perceiving science as a valuable way of accumulating knowledge), and examine the relationship between people's endorsement of scientific inquiry and their support for pro-environment policy. Analysis of a large, publicly available dataset shows that support for pro-environment policies is more strongly related to endorsement of scientific inquiry than to scientific literacy among adolescents. An experiment demonstrates that a brief intervention can increase support for pro-environment policies via increased endorsement of scientific inquiry among adults. Public education about the merits of scientific inquiry may facilitate increased support for pro-environment policies. PMID:27703700

NASA/DOD Aerospace Knowledge Diffusion Research Project. Paper 16: Aerospace knowledge diffusion research

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pinelli, Thomas E.; Kennedy, John M.; Barclay, Rebecca O.; White, Terry F.; Jones, Ray (Editor)

1991-01-01

The project is a cooperative US effort between NASA, DoD, and Indiana University. This research was endorsed by the AGARD Technical Information Panel and the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) Technical Information Committee. The four-phase inquiry focuses on scientific and technical information (STI) as knowledge, the channels through which this knowledge is communicated, and the members of the social system associated with and involved in diffusing this knowledge throughout the aerospace community. The project is based on two premises: (1) although STI is essential to innovation, STI by itself does not ensure innovation; and (2) utilizing existing STI or creating new STI, does often facilitate technological innovation. The topics covered include the following: information-seeking habits, knowledge transfer, academic sector, non-US organizations, present status, comparative study, and timetable.

On the Tacit Aspects of Science Pedagogy in Higher Education.

PubMed

Sitaraman, Ramakrishnan

2017-01-01

In this article, we examine the concept of tacit knowledge and its implications for science education. We suggest that the history of scientific ideas and the personal nature of learning imply that higher education in scientific fields, wherein the generation of new knowledge, insights and understanding is paramount, would greatly benefit by acknowledging the irreducible role of the non-formal and the incidental in scientific innovation and advances.

"An Experiment Is When You Try It and See if It Works": A Study of Junior High School Students' Understanding of the Construction of Scientific Knowledge.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Carey, Susan; And Others

Developing a constructivist view of scientific inquiry and knowledge is considered to be important to the training of future scientists, as well as to the understanding of scientific information by all citizens. The research reported targets the junior high school grades. Curricular materials that introduce seventh graders to the constructivist…

NASA/DOD Aerospace Knowledge Diffusion Research Project. Paper 5: Aerospace librarians and technical information specialists as information intermediaries: A report of phase 2 activities of the NASA/DOD Aerospace Knowledge Diffusion Research Project

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pinelli, Thomas E.; Kennedy, John M.

1990-01-01

The objective of the NASA/DOD Aerospace Knowledge Diffusion Research Project is to provide descriptive and analytical data regarding the flow of scientific and technical information (STI) at the individual, organizational, national, and international levels, placing emphasis on the systems used to diffuse the results of federally funded aerospace STI. An overview of project assumptions, objectives, and design is presented and preliminary results of the phase 2 aerospace library survey are summarized. Phase 2 addressed aerospace knowledge transfer and use within the larger social system and focused on the flow of aerospace STI in government and industry and the role of the information intermediary in knowledge transfer.

Michael Polanyi on the Education and Knowledge of Scientists

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jacobs, Struan

Rich in insights, groundbreaking in its interpretations, Personal Knowledge deserves to be better known. Modestly contributing to this end, the present paper explains why teachers addressing the nature of science should spend time on Polanyi. Outlining his intellectual career (from medicine to the cutting edge of chemical research, to the analysis of science and society), his ideas on education of scientists, on research and knowledge are then examined. Much of what he found in science - personal knowledge, intellectual passion, faith, trust, tacit understanding, method rules embodied in practice but seldom amenable to formulation - contradicted the orthodox understanding of it. He presaged Kuhn, Feyerabend, and the constructivists, yet insisted that science produces true knowledge about reality. Tension between tradition and innovation characterizes Polanyi's thought, as it does Polanyian scientific research.

[Quality and integrity in the production and publication of scientific results: data trimming, manipulation and (self) plagiarism].

PubMed

Lüscher, T F

2014-08-01

The publication of scientific manuscripts is an essential part in the research process and in the attempt to produce novel knowledge: only what is published exists. It is the aim of research to produce reproducible and sustainable knowledge. Reproducible knowledge is based on precise observation, the use of modern methodologies and an appropriate statistical analysis. As a consequence, it must be the intention of any scientist to report the truth and nothing but the truth. This principle requires precision and honesty. Deviation from such a behavior may lead to scientific misconduct: It encompasses the use of inappropriate methods and/or statistics, double publication of data, sloppy data presentation and processing, up to data massaging, manipulation, data theft or fabrication. Famous examples can be found throughout the history of research but it appears that such behavior has recently become more common possibly due to excessive competition, the crucial role of grants for scientific productivity and funding as well as promotion. Accordingly, in the training of researchers it seems essential to emphasize the importance of precise data acquisition and analysis to ascertain reproducible data. Similarly, it must be assured that data sets are only published once, that authors have contributed technically and/or intellectually in an important manner and that the work of other scientists is cited appropriately. Editors and reviewers should carefully assess the quality of submitted manuscripts. In fact, it is the aim of the peer review process to assure as much as possible that the quality of submitted manuscripts meets current methodological as well as ethical standards.

Scientific Ethics: A New Approach.

PubMed

Menapace, Marcello

2018-06-04

Science is an activity of the human intellect and as such has ethical implications that should be reviewed and taken into account. Although science and ethics have conventionally been considered different, it is herewith proposed that they are essentially similar. The proposal set henceforth is to create a new ethics rooted in science: scientific ethics. Science has firm axiological foundations and searches for truth (as a value, axiology) and knowledge (epistemology). Hence, science cannot be value neutral. Looking at standard scientific principles, it is possible to construct a scientific ethic (that is, an ethical framework based on scientific methods and rules), which can be applied to all sciences. These intellectual standards include the search for truth (honesty and its derivatives), human dignity (and by reflection the dignity of all animals) and respect for life. Through these it is thence achievable to draft a foundation of a ethics based purely on science and applicable beyond the confines of science. A few applications of these will be presented. Scientific ethics can have vast applications in other fields even in non scientific ones.

Preface: Proceedings of the 11th International Conference on Magnetic Fluids (ICMF 11) (Košice, Slovakia, 23 27 July 2007)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kopčanský, Peter; Timko, Milan; Kováč, Josef; Václavíková, Miroslava; Odenbach, Stefan

2008-05-01

The 11th International Conference on Magnetic Fluids (ICMF 11) was held in Košice, Slovakia between 23-27 July 2007. Attendance at the conference was high and its motivation was in line with the ten previous ICMF conferences organized in Udine, Orlando, Bangor, Sendai-Tokyo, Riga, Paris, Bhavnagar, Timisoara, Bremen and Guarujá. The conference in Slovakia reflected the scientific community's enthusiasm and worldwide support, with 256 participants, from 30 countries attending.The main objective of ICMF 11 was to promote progress and knowledge in the field of magnetic fluids regarding their chemistry, physical and magnetic properties, heat and mass transfer, surface phenomena, as well as their technological and biomedical applications. As research on magnetic fluids is essentially interdisciplinary, experts from related areas were invited to present their contributions with a view to increasing knowledge in the field and highlighting new trends. Submitted communications were refereed by members of the Scientific Organizing Committee and abstracts were assembled in a book of abstracts. Participants presented 180 posters in two poster sessions and 56 oral presentations. All presentations contributed to a greater understanding of the area, and helped to bridge the gap between physics, chemistry, technology, biology and medical sciences. Contributions to this conference are presented in 115 scientific papers, with some published in Journal of Physics: Condensed Matter and the rest in Magnetohydrodynamics. The organization of the conference was made possible by generous support from the Institute of Experimental Physics and Institute of Geotechnics of the Slovak Academy of Sciences, the University of Pavol Jozef Šafárik and the Slovak Physical Society. Financial support from Ferrotec, Cryosoft Ltd, Mikrochem, Liquids Research Ltd, Askony and US Steel Košice, is also gratefully acknowledged.

Proceedings of the 11th International Conference on Magnetic Fluids (ICMF 11) (Košice, Slovakia, 23-27 July 2007).

PubMed

Kopčanský, Peter; Timko, Milan; Kováč, Josef; Václavíková, Miroslava; Odenbach, Stefan

2008-05-21

The 11th International Conference on Magnetic Fluids (ICMF 11) was held in Košice, Slovakia between 23-27 July 2007. Attendance at the conference was high and its motivation was in line with the ten previous ICMF conferences organized in Udine, Orlando, Bangor, Sendai-Tokyo, Riga, Paris, Bhavnagar, Timisoara, Bremen and Guarujá. The conference in Slovakia reflected the scientific community's enthusiasm and worldwide support, with 256 participants, from 30 countries attending.The main objective of ICMF 11 was to promote progress and knowledge in the field of magnetic fluids regarding their chemistry, physical and magnetic properties, heat and mass transfer, surface phenomena, as well as their technological and biomedical applications. As research on magnetic fluids is essentially interdisciplinary, experts from related areas were invited to present their contributions with a view to increasing knowledge in the field and highlighting new trends. Submitted communications were refereed by members of the Scientific Organizing Committee and abstracts were assembled in a book of abstracts. Participants presented 180 posters in two poster sessions and 56 oral presentations. All presentations contributed to a greater understanding of the area, and helped to bridge the gap between physics, chemistry, technology, biology and medical sciences. Contributions to this conference are presented in 115 scientific papers, with some published in Journal of Physics: Condensed Matter and the rest in Magnetohydrodynamics. The organization of the conference was made possible by generous support from the Institute of Experimental Physics and Institute of Geotechnics of the Slovak Academy of Sciences, the University of Pavol Jozef Šafárik and the Slovak Physical Society. Financial support from Ferrotec, Cryosoft Ltd, Mikrochem, Liquids Research Ltd, Askony and US Steel Košice, is also gratefully acknowledged.

Clinical pictures of unknown origin in neurology: past, present and future usefulness of artificial intelligence.

PubMed

Conti, Andrea A; Conti, Antonio; Masoni, Marco; Gensini, Gian Franco

2005-01-01

Although, in the course of the last 50 years, the achievements in the medical field have been astonishing, at the beginning of the third millennium a number of clinical pictures are still left without a precise nosographic origin. In the past, the delay in scientific communication was the main explanation presented for the lack of understanding of clinical pictures of unknown nosographic origin. The history of medicine provides excellent examples of this dispersion of human capital, even if the history of clinical neurology presents "exceptions" (the pictures that we now call de la Tourette's syndrome and Parkinson's disease) that indicate that major clinical syndromes could be clearly detected and relatively rapidly diffused even in the 19th century. Contrary to the past, the delay in scientific communication no longer seems an obstacle to the sharing of medical knowledge. Nevertheless, the problem of the in-depth comprehension of clinical pictures of unknown nosographic origin still remains dominant, mainly because of the limited spread of ample and flexible online accessible databases of unknown nosographic origin clinical syndromes. The need for interactive electronic archives and other artificial intelligence resources in order to promote progress in clinical knowledge is discussed in this paper.

US Urban Elementary Teachers' Knowledge and Practices in Teaching Science to English Language Learners: Results from the First Year of a Professional Development Intervention

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Santau, Alexandra O.; Secada, Walter; Maerten-Rivera, Jaime; Cone, Neporcha; Lee, Okhee

2010-01-01

The study examined US elementary teachers' knowledge and practices in four key domains of science instruction with English language learning (ELL) students. The four domains included: (1) teachers' knowledge of science content, (2) teaching practices to promote scientific understanding, (3) teaching practices to promote scientific inquiry, and (4)…

Project BudBurst - Meeting the Needs of Climate Change Educators and Scientists

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Henderson, S.

2015-12-01

It is challenging for many to get a sense of what climate change means as long periods of time are involved - like decades - which can be difficult to grasp. However, there are a number of citizen science based projects, including NEON's Project BudBurst, that provide the opportunity for both learning about climate change and advancing scientific knowledge. In this presentation, we will share lessons learned from Project BudBurst. Project BudBurst is a national citizen science initiative designed to engage the public in observations of phenological (plant life cycle) events and to increase climate literacy. Project BudBurst is important from an educational perspective, but also because it enables scientists to broaden the geographic and temporal scale of their observations. The goals of Project BudBurst are to 1) increase awareness of phenology as an area of scientific study; 2) Increase awareness of the impacts of changing climates on plants at a continental-scale; and 3) increase science literacy by engaging participants in the scientific process. It was important to better understand if and how Project BudBurst is meeting its goals. Specifically, does participation by non-experts advance scientific knowledge? Does participation advance educational goals and outcomes? Is participation an effective approach to advance/enhance science education in both formal and informal settings? Critical examination of Project BudBurst supports advancement of scientific knowledge and realization of educational objectives. Citizen science collected observations and measurements are being used by scientists as evidenced by the increase of such data in scientific publication. In addition, we found that there is a significant increase in educators utilizing citizen science as part of their instruction. Part of this increase is due to the resources and professional development materials available to educators. Working with partners also demonstrated that the needs of both science and education are being met. Project BudBurst, partners with the PhenoCam Network, National Geographic Society, US Fish and Wildlife Service, National Park Service botanic gardens, science centers and other organizations with both a scientific and educational mission.

A brief history of the evolution of the medical research article.

PubMed

Marta, Monica Mihaela

2015-01-01

Given the current importance of publishing medical research articles in high-impact international journals, this article briefly presents key moments in the evolution of this reporting genre for a better understanding of the diachronic changes that have shaped it into a highly useful tool for creating and spreading knowledge, as well as for establishing academic hierarchies at both individual and institutional level. Therefore, focus will be placed not only on the evolution of its structure and purpose, but also on issues such as knowledge construction, knowledge claims, writer-reader interaction and the appropriate writing conventions and rhetorical strategies required for successful scientific communication.

Scientific Knowledge Discovery in Complex Semantic Networks of Geophysical Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fox, P.

2012-04-01

The vast majority of explorations of the Earth's systems are limited in their ability to effectively explore the most important (often most difficult) problems because they are forced to interconnect at the data-element, or syntactic, level rather than at a higher scientific, or semantic, level. Recent successes in the application of complex network theory and algorithms to climate data, raise expectations that more general graph-based approaches offer the opportunity for new discoveries. In the past ~ 5 years in the natural sciences there has substantial progress in providing both specialists and non-specialists the ability to describe in machine readable form, geophysical quantities and relations among them in meaningful and natural ways, effectively breaking the prior syntax barrier. The corresponding open-world semantics and reasoning provide higher-level interconnections. That is, semantics provided around the data structures, using semantically-equipped tools, and semantically aware interfaces between science application components allowing for discovery at the knowledge level. More recently, formal semantic approaches to continuous and aggregate physical processes are beginning to show promise and are soon likely to be ready to apply to geoscientific systems. To illustrate these opportunities, this presentation presents two application examples featuring domain vocabulary (ontology) and property relations (named and typed edges in the graphs). First, a climate knowledge discovery pilot encoding and exploration of CMIP5 catalog information with the eventual goal to encode and explore CMIP5 data. Second, a multi-stakeholder knowledge network for integrated assessments in marine ecosystems, where the data is highly inter-disciplinary.

The Process of Science Communications at NASA/Marshall Space Flight Center

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Horack, John M.; Treise, Deborah

1998-01-01

The communication of new scientific knowledge and understanding is an integral component of science research, essential for its continued survival. Like any learning- based activity, science cannot continue without communication between and among peers so that skeptical inquiry and learning can take place. This communication provides necessary organic support to maintain the development of new knowledge and technology. However, communication beyond the peer-community is becoming equally critical for science to survive as an enterprise into the 21st century. Therefore, scientists not only have a 'noble responsibility' to advance and communicate scientific knowledge and understanding to audiences within and beyond the peer-community, but their fulfillment of this responsibility is necessary to maintain the survival of the science enterprise. Despite the critical importance of communication to the viability of science, the skills required to perform effective science communications historically have not been taught as a part of the training of scientist, and the culture of science is often averse to significant communication beyond the peer community. Thus scientists can find themselves ill equipped and uncomfortable with the requirements of their job in the new millennium. At NASA/Marshall Space Flight Center, we have developed and implemented an integrated science communications process, providing an institutional capability to help scientist accurately convey the content and meaning of new scientific knowledge to a wide variety of audiences, adding intrinsic value to the research itself through communication, while still maintaining the integrity of the peer-review process. The process utilizes initial communication through the world-wide web at the site http://science.nasa.gov to strategically leverage other communications vehicles and to reach a wide-variety of audiences. Here we present and discuss the basic design of the science communications process, now in operation for nearly two years. Serving scientists in Earth Science, Microgravity Science, and Space Science. Critical features of the design are illustrated, and essential skills required to operate the process are defined. Measures of success will also be presented.

An e-learning application on electrochemotherapy

PubMed Central

Corovic, Selma; Bester, Janez; Miklavcic, Damijan

2009-01-01

Background Electrochemotherapy is an effective approach in local tumour treatment employing locally applied high-voltage electric pulses in combination with chemotherapeutic drugs. In planning and performing electrochemotherapy a multidisciplinary expertise is required and collaboration, knowledge and experience exchange among the experts from different scientific fields such as medicine, biology and biomedical engineering is needed. The objective of this study was to develop an e-learning application in order to provide the educational content on electrochemotherapy and its underlying principles and to support collaboration, knowledge and experience exchange among the experts involved in the research and clinics. Methods The educational content on electrochemotherapy and cell and tissue electroporation was based on previously published studies from molecular dynamics, lipid bilayers, single cell level and simplified tissue models to complex biological tissues and research and clinical results of electrochemotherapy treatment. We used computer graphics such as model-based visualization (i.e. 3D numerical modelling using finite element method) and 3D computer animations and graphical illustrations to facilitate the representation of complex biological and physical aspects in electrochemotherapy. The e-learning application is integrated into an interactive e-learning environment developed at our institution, enabling collaboration and knowledge exchange among the users. We evaluated the designed e-learning application at the International Scientific workshop and postgraduate course (Electroporation Based Technologies and Treatments). The evaluation was carried out by testing the pedagogical efficiency of the presented educational content and by performing the usability study of the application. Results The e-learning content presents three different levels of knowledge on cell and tissue electroporation. In the first part of the e-learning application we explain basic principles of electroporation process. The second part provides educational content about importance of modelling and visualization of local electric field in electroporation-based treatments. In the third part we developed an interactive module for visualization of local electric field distribution in 3D tissue models of cutaneous tumors for different parameters such as voltage applied, distance between electrodes, electrode dimension and shape, tissue geometry and electric conductivity. The pedagogical efficiency assessment showed that the participants improved their level of knowledge. The results of usability evaluation revealed that participants found the application simple to learn, use and navigate. The participants also found the information provided by the application easy to understand. Conclusion The e-learning application we present in this article provides educational material on electrochemotherapy and its underlying principles such as cell and tissue electroporation. The e-learning application is developed to provide an interactive educational content in order to simulate the "hands-on" learning approach about the parameters being important for successful therapy. The e-learning application together with the interactive e-learning environment is available to the users to provide collaborative and flexible learning in order to facilitate knowledge exchange among the experts from different scientific fields that are involved in electrochemotherapy. The modular structure of the application allows for upgrade with new educational content collected from the clinics and research, and can be easily adapted to serve as a collaborative e-learning tool also in other electroporation-based treatments such as gene electrotransfer, gene vaccination, irreversible tissue ablation and transdermal gene and drug delivery. The presented e-learning application provides an easy and rapid approach for information, knowledge and experience exchange among the experts from different scientific fields, which can facilitate development and optimisation of electroporation-based treatments. PMID:19843322

An e-learning application on electrochemotherapy.

PubMed

Corovic, Selma; Bester, Janez; Miklavcic, Damijan

2009-10-20

Electrochemotherapy is an effective approach in local tumour treatment employing locally applied high-voltage electric pulses in combination with chemotherapeutic drugs. In planning and performing electrochemotherapy a multidisciplinary expertise is required and collaboration, knowledge and experience exchange among the experts from different scientific fields such as medicine, biology and biomedical engineering is needed. The objective of this study was to develop an e-learning application in order to provide the educational content on electrochemotherapy and its underlying principles and to support collaboration, knowledge and experience exchange among the experts involved in the research and clinics. The educational content on electrochemotherapy and cell and tissue electroporation was based on previously published studies from molecular dynamics, lipid bilayers, single cell level and simplified tissue models to complex biological tissues and research and clinical results of electrochemotherapy treatment. We used computer graphics such as model-based visualization (i.e. 3D numerical modelling using finite element method) and 3D computer animations and graphical illustrations to facilitate the representation of complex biological and physical aspects in electrochemotherapy. The e-learning application is integrated into an interactive e-learning environment developed at our institution, enabling collaboration and knowledge exchange among the users. We evaluated the designed e-learning application at the International Scientific workshop and postgraduate course (Electroporation Based Technologies and Treatments). The evaluation was carried out by testing the pedagogical efficiency of the presented educational content and by performing the usability study of the application. The e-learning content presents three different levels of knowledge on cell and tissue electroporation. In the first part of the e-learning application we explain basic principles of electroporation process. The second part provides educational content about importance of modelling and visualization of local electric field in electroporation-based treatments. In the third part we developed an interactive module for visualization of local electric field distribution in 3D tissue models of cutaneous tumors for different parameters such as voltage applied, distance between electrodes, electrode dimension and shape, tissue geometry and electric conductivity. The pedagogical efficiency assessment showed that the participants improved their level of knowledge. The results of usability evaluation revealed that participants found the application simple to learn, use and navigate. The participants also found the information provided by the application easy to understand. The e-learning application we present in this article provides educational material on electrochemotherapy and its underlying principles such as cell and tissue electroporation. The e-learning application is developed to provide an interactive educational content in order to simulate the "hands-on" learning approach about the parameters being important for successful therapy. The e-learning application together with the interactive e-learning environment is available to the users to provide collaborative and flexible learning in order to facilitate knowledge exchange among the experts from different scientific fields that are involved in electrochemotherapy. The modular structure of the application allows for upgrade with new educational content collected from the clinics and research, and can be easily adapted to serve as a collaborative e-learning tool also in other electroporation-based treatments such as gene electrotransfer, gene vaccination, irreversible tissue ablation and transdermal gene and drug delivery. The presented e-learning application provides an easy and rapid approach for information, knowledge and experience exchange among the experts from different scientific fields, which can facilitate development and optimisation of electroporation-based treatments.

48 CFR 35.002 - General.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... programs is to advance scientific and technical knowledge and apply that knowledge to the extent necessary... are directed toward objectives for which the work or methods cannot be precisely described in advance... to encourage the best sources from the scientific and industrial community to become involved in the...

48 CFR 35.002 - General.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... programs is to advance scientific and technical knowledge and apply that knowledge to the extent necessary... are directed toward objectives for which the work or methods cannot be precisely described in advance... to encourage the best sources from the scientific and industrial community to become involved in the...

48 CFR 35.002 - General.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... programs is to advance scientific and technical knowledge and apply that knowledge to the extent necessary... are directed toward objectives for which the work or methods cannot be precisely described in advance... to encourage the best sources from the scientific and industrial community to become involved in the...

Measuring science or religion? A measurement analysis of the National Science Foundation sponsored science literacy scale 2006-2010.

PubMed

Roos, J Micah

2014-10-01

High scientific literacy is widely considered a public good. Methods of assessing public scientific knowledge or literacy are equally important. In an effort to measure lay scientific literacy in the United States, the National Science Foundation (NSF) science literacy scale has been a part of the last three waves of the General Social Survey. However, there has been debate over the validity of some survey items as indicators of science knowledge. While many researchers treat the NSF science scale as measuring a single dimension, previous work (Bann and Schwerin, 2004; Miller, 1998, 2004) suggests a bidimensional structure. This paper hypothesizes and tests a new measurement model for the NSF science knowledge scale and finds that two items about evolution and the big bang are more measures of a religious belief dimension termed "Young Earth Worldview" than they are measures of scientific knowledge. Results are replicated in seven samples. © The Author(s) 2013.

Knowledge first, critique later: why it is a mistake for science education to encourage junior students to discuss, challenge and debate scientific knowledge.

PubMed

Charlton, Bruce G

2010-02-01

In UK educational circles it has long been regarded as a platitude that a good scientific education at school and undergraduate level should aim to teach critical thinking and encourage students to challenge mainstream science, debate scientific issues and express their personal opinions. However, I believe that this strategy is usually mistaken, and that such educational strategies probably do more harm than good. For most students, at most levels, for most of the time; science education should be focused on the inculcation of established knowledge. This is for the simple reason that critique is educationally-counterproductive and scientifically-worthless unless or until underpinned by adequate knowledge and competence. Instead, for the early years of science teaching, the basic assumption ought to be that the student is there to learn science; not to confront science. The basic attitude being taught should be one of humility before the science being studied.

A toolbox and record for scientific models

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ellman, Thomas

1994-01-01

Computational science presents a host of challenges for the field of knowledge-based software design. Scientific computation models are difficult to construct. Models constructed by one scientist are easily misapplied by other scientists to problems for which they are not well-suited. Finally, models constructed by one scientist are difficult for others to modify or extend to handle new types of problems. Construction of scientific models actually involves much more than the mechanics of building a single computational model. In the course of developing a model, a scientist will often test a candidate model against experimental data or against a priori expectations. Test results often lead to revisions of the model and a consequent need for additional testing. During a single model development session, a scientist typically examines a whole series of alternative models, each using different simplifying assumptions or modeling techniques. A useful scientific software design tool must support these aspects of the model development process as well. In particular, it should propose and carry out tests of candidate models. It should analyze test results and identify models and parts of models that must be changed. It should determine what types of changes can potentially cure a given negative test result. It should organize candidate models, test data, and test results into a coherent record of the development process. Finally, it should exploit the development record for two purposes: (1) automatically determining the applicability of a scientific model to a given problem; (2) supporting revision of a scientific model to handle a new type of problem. Existing knowledge-based software design tools must be extended in order to provide these facilities.

[The reception of psychoanalysis in Rio de Janeiro: input for the debates on hysteria, nervousness and sexuality, 1908-1919].

PubMed

Castro, Rafael Dias de

2017-11-01

The research note presents the initial reception of psychoanalytic theory by psychiatric physicians in Rio de Janeiro in the first decades of the twentieth century before it became an institutionalized scientific tool. To understand the specificities of its reception, it examines, from the standpoint of the circulation of scientific knowledge and the process of adaptation to the local context, how the perceptions of psychiatrists regarding psychoanalytic theory were embedded in the then prevailing scientific theories and assumptions, initially in the dabates on the hysteria and nervousness categories. It also suggests that psychoanalytic theory should be used to deeply understand other debates of the time, such as sexuality and nervous diseases.

Of Pigs and Men: Understanding Students' Reasoning About the Use of Pigs as Donors for Xenotransplantation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lindahl, Mats Gunnar

2010-09-01

Two important roles of education are to provide students with knowledge for their democratic participation in society and to provide knowledge for a future profession. In science education, students encounter values that may be in conflict with their worldview. Such conflicts may, for example, lead to constructive reflections as well as rejection of scientific knowledge and technology. Students’ ways of reasoning are important starting points for discussing problematic issues and may be crucial for constructive dialogues in the classroom. This study investigates students’ reasoning about conflicting values concerning the human-animal relationship exemplified by the use of genetically modified pigs as organ donors for xenotransplantation. Students’ reasoning is analyzed using Giddens’ concepts of disembedded and embedded practices in parallel with moral philosophical theories in a framework based on human-animal relationships. Thirteen students were interviewed and their stances categorized. Kantian deontological and classical utilitarian ethics were found within the patronage and the partnership models. These students appreciated expert knowledge but those using the partnership model could not accept xenotransplantation if pigs were to be killed. Students using care ethics did not appreciate expert knowledge since it threatened naturalness. The results suggest that stances against the use of scientific knowledge are more problematic than knowledge per se, and that conflicting stances have similarities that present opportunities for understanding and development of students’ argumentation skills for future participation in societal discourse on utilizing expert knowledge. Furthermore it is argued that science education could benefit from a higher awareness of the presence of different morals.

Skylab Experiments, Volume I, Physical Science, Solar Astronomy.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Washington, DC.

Up-to-date knowledge about Skylab experiments is presented for the purpose of informing high school teachers about scientific research performed in orbit and enabling them to broaden their scope of material selection. The first volume is concerned with the solar astronomy program. The related fields are physics, electronics, biology, chemistry,…

Understanding Possibilities and Limitations of Abstract Chemical Representations for Achieving Conceptual Understanding

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Corradi, David M. J.; Elen, Jan; Schraepen, Beno; Clarebout, Geraldine

2014-01-01

When learning with abstract and scientific multiple external representations (MERs), low prior knowledge learners are said to have difficulties in using these MERs to achieve conceptual understanding. Yet little is known about what these limitations precisely entail. In order to understand this, we presented 101 learners with low prior knowledge…

Skylab Experiments, Volume 2, Remote Sensing of Earth Resources.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Washington, DC.

Up-to-date knowledge about Skylab experiments is presented for the purpose of informing high school teachers about scientific research performed in orbit and enabling them to broaden their scope of material selection. The second volume emphasizes the sensing of earth resources. The content includes an introduction to the concept and historical…

The National Eye Institute Annual Report: FY 1974.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Eye Inst. (DHEW/PHS), Bethesda, MD.

Presented is an annual report of research and supported by the National Eye Institute (NEI) during the 1974 fiscal year. It is explained that the purpose of NEI research programs is to develop scientific knowledge which can be applied to the improved prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of visual disorders. The section on extramural and…

Enhancing and Evaluating Scientific Argumentation in the Inquiry-Oriented College Chemistry Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

D'Souza, Annabel Nica

2017-01-01

The research presented in chapters 2, 3, and 4 in this dissertation uses a sociocultural and sociohistorical lens, particularly around power, authority of knowledge and identity formation, to investigate the complexity of engaging in, supporting, and evaluating high-quality argumentation within a college biochemistry inquiry-oriented classroom.…

Setting FIRES to Stem Cell Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Miller, Roxanne Grietz

2005-01-01

The goal of this lesson is to present the basic scientific knowledge about stem cells, the promise of stem cell research to medicine, and the ethical considerations and arguments involved. One of the challenges of discussing stem cell research is that the field is constantly evolving and the most current information changes almost daily. Few…

Communication Within the Educational Research and Development Community--Suggested Steps Toward Further Structure and Order

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nelson, Carnot E.

1973-01-01

Identifies two major problems--first, both the formal and informal communication networks are extremely diffuse; and second, the interval from the start of a piece of research until its integration into the archival body of scientific knowledge is long--and presents some suggestions for alleviating them. (Author/JM)

Collaborative-Group Testing Improves Learning and Knowledge Retention of Human Physiology Topics in Second-Year Medical Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vázquez-García, Mario

2018-01-01

The present study examined the relationship between second-year medical students' group performance and individual performance in a collaborative-learning environment. In recent decades, university professors in the scientific and humanistic disciplines have successfully put into practice different modalities of collaborative approaches to…

Discourse Anaphora in Turkish as Mother Tongue

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kyuchukov, Hristo

2009-01-01

The present paper researches the abilities of Turkish adults from Bulgaria to create narratives. It analyses the narratives of the adults using discourse strategies. The findings show some problems of bilingual adults in creating narratives which are not discussed in the scientific literature. This paper brings some new knowledge to the field of…

A Multidisciplinary Guided Practical on Type I Diabetes Engaging Students in Inquiry-Based Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mingueneau, M.; Chaix, A.; Scotti, N.; Chaix, J.; Reynders, A.; Hammond, C.; Thimonier, J.

2015-01-01

In the present article, we describe a 3-day experimental workshop on type I diabetes aimed at helping high school students to understand how fundamental research on glycemia regulation contributes to the development of scientific knowledge and therapeutic strategies. The workshop engaged students in open-ended investigations and guided…

TRAINING METHODS FOR OLDER WORKERS. EMPLOYMENT OF OLDER WORKERS, 2.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

BELBIN, R.M.

A SURVEY WAS PRESENTED OF SCIENTIFIC KNOWLEDGE ON AGE CHANGES IN HUMAN CAPACITIES, ESPECIALLY IN LEARNING ABILITY AND ADAPTABILITY, AND DESCRIBED VARIOUS METHODS USED TO TRAIN WORKERS OVER 40. THE ROLE OF MEMORY, MOTIVATION, RIGIDITY, AND INTELLIGENCE IN DETERMINING THE LEARNING EFFICIENCY OF MATURE ADULTS WAS ASSESSED, ALSO DIFFICULTIES CAUSED BY…

Skylab Experiments, Volume 3, Materials Science.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Washington, DC.

Basic knowledge about Skylab experiments is presented in this book, one of a series, for the purpose of informing high school teachers about scientific research performed in orbit and enabling the teachers to broaden their basis for material selection. This third volume is concerned with the effect of a weightless environment on melting and…

How Learning about Scientists' Struggles Influences Students' Interest and Learning in Physics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hong, Huang-Yao; Lin-Siegler, Xiaodong

2012-01-01

How does learning about scientists' struggles during their scientific knowledge building affect students' science learning? Two hundred and seventy-one high school students were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 conditions: (a) the struggle-oriented background information (n = 90) condition, which presented students with stories about 3 scientists'…

Science and the Making of the Modern World.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Marks, John

An account of the development of science and the growth of the scientific community is presented in this book. It aims to provide the reader with some of the background knowledge needed to make informed and intelligent contributions to contemporary debates on the interaction between science, technology, and society. Highlighted are the historical…

Proactive and Reactive Aggressive Behavior in Bullying: The Role of Values

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jara, Natalia; Casas, Jose A.; Ortega-Ruiz, Rosario

2017-01-01

The study of violence and bullying in schools is a line of scientific research that has contributed significantly to knowledge on human aggressiveness, especially in children and adolescents. This article shows that there are two patterns of aggressive behavior: proactive and reactive. Both are present in bullying, as are other psychological…

The Northern Goshawk: Ecology and management: Proceedings of a symposium of the Cooper Ornithological Society

Treesearch

William M. Block; Michael L. Morrison; Hildegard Reiser

1994-01-01

This collection of 22 papers summarizes the current state of knowledge on Northern Goshawks (Accipiter gentilis) within the scientific and management communities. The proceedings are presented in three sections. Research Approaches and Management Concepts contains overviews of research and management for goshawks, forest management to provide goshawk...

The Impact of a Citizen Science Program on Student Achievement and Motivation: A Social Cognitive Career Perspective

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hiller, Suzanne E.

2012-01-01

Citizen science programs are joint efforts between hobbyists and professional scientists designed to collect data to support scientific research. Through these programs, biologists study species population trends while citizen scientists improve their content knowledge and science skills. The purpose of the present mixed method quasi-experimental…

Integrative Education: Teaching Psychology with the Use of Literature and Informational Technology

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Toom, Anna

2013-01-01

In this work, a new method of teaching psychology based on the union of scientific, artistic, and information-technological knowledge is presented. The author teaches Cognitive Development in Early Childhood analyzing Anton Chekhov's short story "Grisha" and uses both traditional and computerized instructional methodology. In the authors' two…

Examining Teacher Framing, Student Reasoning, and Student Agency in School-Based Citizen Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Harris, Emily Mae

2017-01-01

This dissertation presents three interrelated studies examining opportunities for student learning through contributory citizen science (CS), where students collect and contribute data to help generate new scientific knowledge. I draw on sociocultural perspectives of learning to analyze three cases where teachers integrated CS into school science,…

The Notion of Scientific Knowledge in Biology

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Morante, Silvia; Rossi, Giancarlo

2016-01-01

The purpose of this work is to reconsider and critically discuss the conceptual foundations of modern biology and bio-sciences in general, and provide an epistemological guideline to help framing the teaching of these disciplines and enhancing the quality of their presentation in High School, Master and Ph.D. courses. After discussing the…

35ème congrès SFB, table ronde «nutrition»: transcription des communications

PubMed Central

Ravat, F.; Le Floch, R.

2015-01-01

Summary Each year, the SFB congress features a different topic, which in 2015 was nutrition. Eight speakers reviewed ongoing scientific knowledge, current practices in their centres and the latest recommendations, issued in 2013. The aim of this paper is to divulge these presentations PMID:27777551

Teaching Energy Using an Integrated Science Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Poggi, Valeria; Miceli, Cristina; Testa, Italo

2017-01-01

Despite its relevance to all scientific domains, the debate surrounding the teaching of energy is still open. The main point remains the problems students have in understanding some aspects of the energy concept and in applying their knowledge to the comprehension of natural phenomena. In this paper, we present a research-based interdisciplinary…

Cognitive Models of Scientific Work and Their Implications for the Design of Knowledge Delivery Systems.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mavor, A. S.; And Others

Part of a sustained program that has involved the design of personally tailored information systems responsive to the needs of scientists performing common research and teaching tasks, this project focuses on the procedural and content requirements for accomplishing need diagnosis and presents these requirements as specifications for an…

Contextualizing Action for the Abstraction of Scientific Knowledge

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Saglam, Yilmaz

2015-01-01

In this paper, abstraction is associated with an activity in the sense of activity theory by Vygotsky. To him, participation in social activities is a fundamental act for the child in order to achieve higher mental functions. The present paper aimed to experimentally investigate the abstraction process and illustrate how meaning emerges on social…

Historical and cultural aspects of the pineal gland: comparison between the theories provided by Spiritism in the 1940s and the current scientific evidence.

PubMed

Lucchetti, Giancarlo; Daher, Jorge C; Iandoli, Decio; Gonçalves, Juliane P B; Lucchetti, Alessandra L G

2013-01-01

Significance has been attached to the pineal gland in numerous different cultures and beliefs. One religion that has advanced the role of the pineal gland is Spiritism. The objective of the present study was to compile information on the pineal gland drawing on the books of Francisco Cândido Xavier written through psychography and to carry out a critical analysis of their scientific bases by comparing against evidence in the current scientific literature. A systematic search using the terms "pineal gland" and "epiphysis" was conducted of 12 works allegedly dictated by the spirit "André Luiz". All information on the pineal having potential correlation with the field of medicine and current studies was included. Specialists in the area were recruited to compile the information and draw parallels with the scientific literature. The themes related to the pineal gland were: mental health, reproductive function, endocrinology, relationship with physical activity, spiritual connection, criticism of the theory that the organ exerts no function, and description of a hormone secreted by the gland (reference alluding to melatonin, isolated 13 years later). The historical background for each theme was outlined, together with the theories present in the Spiritist books and in the relevant scientific literature. The present article provides an analysis of the knowledge the scientific community can acquire from the history of humanity and from science itself. The process of formulating hypotheses and scientific theories can benefit by drawing on the cultural aspects of civilization, taking into account so-called non-traditional reports and theories.

How to become a competent medical writer?

PubMed

Sharma, Suhasini

2010-01-01

Medical writing involves writing scientific documents of different types which include regulatory and research-related documents, disease or drug-related educational and promotional literature, publication articles like journal manuscripts and abstracts, content for healthcare websites, health-related magazines or news articles. The scientific information in these documents needs to be presented to suit the level of understanding of the target audience, namely, patients or general public, physicians or the regulators. Medical writers require an understanding of the medical concepts and terminology, knowledge of relevant guidelines as regards the structure and contents of specific documents, and good writing skills. They also need to be familiar with searching medical literature, understanding and presenting research data, the document review process, and editing and publishing requirements. Many resources are now available for medical writers to get the required training in the science and art of medical writing, and upgrade their knowledge and skills on an ongoing basis. The demand for medical writing is growing steadily in pharmaceutical and healthcare communication market. Medical writers can work independently or be employed as full time professionals. Life sciences graduates can consider medical writing as a valuable career option.

Uncovering the mechanism(s) of deep brain stimulation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gang, Li; Chao, Yu; Ling, Lin; C-Y Lu, Stephen

2005-01-01

Deep brain stimulators, often called `pacemakers for the brain', are implantable devices which continuously deliver impulse stimulation to specific targeted nuclei of deep brain structure, namely deep brain stimulation (DBS). To date, deep brain stimulation (DBS) is the most effective clinical technique for the treatment of several medically refractory movement disorders (e.g., Parkinson's disease, essential tremor, and dystonia). In addition, new clinical applications of DBS for other neurologic and psychiatric disorders (e.g., epilepsy and obsessive-compulsive disorder) have been put forward. Although DBS has been effective in the treatment of movement disorders and is rapidly being explored for the treatment of other neurologic disorders, the scientific understanding of its mechanisms of action remains unclear and continues to be debated in the scientific community. Optimization of DBS technology for present and future therapeutic applications will depend on identification of the therapeutic mechanism(s) of action. The goal of this review is to address our present knowledge of the effects of high-frequency stimulation within the central nervous system and comment on the functional implications of this knowledge for uncovering the mechanism(s) of DBS.

Introducing integrated product and process development into the education of science and engineering undergraduates: a lecture course with an accompanying case-study programme at the ETH chemistry department.

PubMed

Fenner, K; Jödicke, G; Alean-Kirkpatrick, P; Hungerbühler, K

2001-04-01

Increased quality requirements in the development of chemical products and a growing awareness within society of the activities of chemical companies present a new challenge to the education of young scientists. Nowadays, the teaching of chemists, chemical engineers and environmental scientists at universities has to go beyond the traditional, discipline-orientated knowledge acquisition. The students also have to learn to work and communicate in interdisciplinary teams, to solve application-oriented tasks and to integrate scientific, economical, ecological and social aspects into their work. For this reason, a case-study programme was launched at the chemistry department of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology. In this paper, we describe the organisational aspects of the programme, its inclusion into academic and industrial environments and summarise some of the scientific methodologies applied. One of the seven case-studies, an assessment of a modern insecticide, is presented in more detail. Finally, we discuss how far the case-study programme is suitable for introducing a new mode of knowledge production to universities.

On the Tacit Aspects of Science Pedagogy in Higher Education

PubMed Central

Sitaraman, Ramakrishnan

2017-01-01

In this article, we examine the concept of tacit knowledge and its implications for science education. We suggest that the history of scientific ideas and the personal nature of learning imply that higher education in scientific fields, wherein the generation of new knowledge, insights and understanding is paramount, would greatly benefit by acknowledging the irreducible role of the non-formal and the incidental in scientific innovation and advances. PMID:28515702

CHEMICAL REACTIONS AS PETITE RENDEZVOUS: THE USE OF METAPHOR IN MATERIALS SCIENCE EDUCATION

PubMed Central

Uskoković, Vuk

2015-01-01

Every time we communicate our science, we are involuntarily involved in an educational activity, affecting the listeners’ methodology and motivation. In a beautiful metaphor, late Nobel Laureate, Richard E. Smalley compared interacting atoms and molecules to boys and girls falling in love. Elaborated and exemplified with a couple of entertaining analogies in this discourse is the effectiveness of the use of metaphors in illustrating scientific concepts to both scientific novices and peers. Human brain has been considered to be a complex neural circuitry for the computation of metaphors, which explains the naturalness of their usage, especially when solid arguments could be given in support of the thesis that scientific imagery in general presents a collection of mathematically operable metaphors. On top of this, knowledge could be enriched through logic alone, but new concepts could be learned only through analogies. The greater pervasion of metaphors in scientific presentations could boost their inspirational potential, make the audience more attentive and receptive to their contents, and, finally, expand their educational prospect and enable their outreach to a far broader audience than it has been generally accomplished. PMID:26448680

Audio-visual assistance in co-creating transition knowledge

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hezel, Bernd; Broschkowski, Ephraim; Kropp, Jürgen P.

2013-04-01

Earth system and climate impact research results point to the tremendous ecologic, economic and societal implications of climate change. Specifically people will have to adopt lifestyles that are very different from those they currently strive for in order to mitigate severe changes of our known environment. It will most likely not suffice to transfer the scientific findings into international agreements and appropriate legislation. A transition is rather reliant on pioneers that define new role models, on change agents that mainstream the concept of sufficiency and on narratives that make different futures appealing. In order for the research community to be able to provide sustainable transition pathways that are viable, an integration of the physical constraints and the societal dynamics is needed. Hence the necessary transition knowledge is to be co-created by social and natural science and society. To this end, the Climate Media Factory - in itself a massively transdisciplinary venture - strives to provide an audio-visual connection between the different scientific cultures and a bi-directional link to stake holders and society. Since methodology, particular language and knowledge level of the involved is not the same, we develop new entertaining formats on the basis of a "complexity on demand" approach. They present scientific information in an integrated and entertaining way with different levels of detail that provide entry points to users with different requirements. Two examples shall illustrate the advantages and restrictions of the approach.

Deconstructing a state-of-the-art review of the asbestos brake industry.

PubMed

Egilman, David Steven; Ardolino, Emily Laura; Howe, Samantha; Bird, Tess

2011-01-01

State of the art is a legal concept that describes what was known as knowable by experts including manufacturer's state of knowledge about the potential hazards of their product(s) at a point in time. In 2004, Paustenbach et al. published a state-of-the-art review that describes the development of knowledge about asbestos hazards to brake mechanics performing asbestos brake installation and maintenance. Paustenbach et al.'s review, however, omits important pieces of corporate knowledge, dismisses several historical scientific conclusions and ignores the way experts have applied the results of scientific research to protect workers and consumers handling asbestos brakes. By taking their state-of-the-art review out of the legal liability context, Paustenbach et al. create a misleading version of events that fails to properly address the question of what asbestos brake manufacturers knew or should have known about the potential hazards of their brakes to mechanics over time. Without proper presentation of this information, judges and juries cannot adequately assess whether these companies had a duty to warn or take other action to prevent injury to those exposed to their asbestos brakes.

Linking environmental risk assessment and communication: An experiment in co-evolving scientific and social knowledge

USGS Publications Warehouse

Graffy, E.A.; Booth, N.L.

2008-01-01

Dissemination of information to decision-makers and enhanced methods of public participation are often put forward as antidotes to a perceived disconnect between risk assessment and risk communication in the public domain. However, mechanisms that support both the provision of routine, timely and relevant technical knowledge to the public and meaningful opportunities for public participation in the evaluation and management of risk are few. We argue for the need to re-conceptualise the institutional context in which risk research and communication occur as one in which scientific knowledge and public understanding are co-evolutionary instead of independent or sequential. Here, we report on an experiment to promote coevolution of environmental risk assessment and risk communication through the instrumental use of a web-based platform that dynamically links expert and public discourses through common information sources, linked scenario evaluations, and opportunities for iterative dialogue. On the basis of technical feasibility, research value and public communication capacity, we conclude that there is potential for further refinement of the methodologies presented here. Copyright ?? 2008 Inderscience Enterprises Ltd.

Acting in Light of the Future: How Do Future-Oriented Cultural Practices Evolve and How Can We Accelerate Their Evolution?

PubMed Central

Biglan, Anthony; Barnes-Holmes, Yvonne

2015-01-01

Despite extensive knowledge of how to prevent or ameliorate serious diseases, natural disasters, environmental degradation, and a wide range of other problems, we often fail to take action that that would prevent or mitigate these problematic outcomes. In short, although we may have sound scientific knowledge about threats to future wellbeing, we appear to have limited insight into how to benefit from this knowledge. With this paper, we argue that our current scientific understanding of how to act in light of the future is limited, but we offer a theoretical analysis of future-oriented behavior at both individual and organizational levels. Specifically, the paper draws on a functional contextualist account of human language and cognition, Relational Frame Theory (RFT), and its integrated therapeutic approach, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and extends this framework to analyzing the evolution of the practices of groups and organizations. This framework can provide an understanding of how human behavior may be modified in the present to serve improving human wellbeing in the future at individual, organizational, and even national levels. PMID:26693140

Science in a New Mode: Good Old (Theoretical) Science Versus Brave New (Commodified) Knowledge Production?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Knuuttila, Tarja

2013-10-01

The present transformation of the university system is conceptualized in terms of such terminologies as "Mode-2 knowledge production" and the "entrepreneurial university." What is remarkable about these analyses is how closely they link the generally accepted requirement of more socially relevant knowledge to the commercialization of university research. This paper critically examines the Mode-1/Mode-2 distinction through a combination of philosophical and empirical analysis. It argues that, from the perspective of actual scientific practice, this Mode-1/Mode-2 distinction and the related transition thesis do not stand closer scrutiny. Theoretical "Mode-1" science shares "Mode-2" features in being also problem-oriented, interventive and transdisciplinary. On the other hand, the empirical case on language technology demonstrates that even in "Mode-2"-like research, undertaken in the "context of application," scientists make a distinction between more difficult scientific problems and those that are considered more applied or commercial. Moreover, the case shows that the need to make such distinctions may even become more acute due to the compromises imposed by the commercialization of research.

Ethnomedicinal plants used for snake envenomation by folk traditional practitioners from Kallar forest region of South Western Ghats, Kerala, India

PubMed Central

Sulochana, Anaswara Krishnan; Raveendran, Dileepkumar; Krishnamma, Anoop Pushkaran; Oommen, Oommen V.

2015-01-01

Background: The traditional medicinal systems of Indian folklore abundantly use medicinal plants or its derivatives for the treatment of snakebites. However, this traditional knowledge is on the verge of extinction, and there is an immediate necessity to conserve this oral traditional knowledge primarily by proper documentation and scientific authentication. The present ethno botanical study carried out among the folk medicine practitioners in the rural settle mental areas of Kallar forest region of southern Kerala, aims to document the folk herbal knowledge particularly for snake envenomation. Materials and Methods: The survey was conducted during the period of June 2012-July 2013 in the rural and forest settlement areas of Kallar in the Thiruvananthapuram district of Kerala. Direct observation and oral communications with local folk medicine practitioners in this region were adopted to collect valid information regarding the herbal formulations used to treat snake bite patients. Results: The study enumerates a list of 24 plant species belonging to seventeen families with anti-venomous potential. The scientific, vernacular and family names of these plants, along with the part used and their application modes are also enumerated in this communication. Conclusions: Plants are believed to be potent snake bite antidotes from centuries back, and knowledge about the use of plants is strictly conserved among tribes through generations without recorded data. It is the need of the hour to document these old drug formulations and is the cardinal responsibility of the scientific community to validate it and come up with new potent drug molecule for the benefit of snake bite victims. PMID:26401384

[The relations between music and medicine in history and present].

PubMed

Gasenzer, E R; Neugebauer, E A M

2011-12-01

Since the ancient world relations exist between music and medicine. In the prehistoric music, dance, rhythm and religious practice were important parts of shamanism and early medical procedures. Important philosophers of the classic period already began with the scientific research of musical and medical questions. During the middle age convents conserved ancient knowledge. They offered medical care and taught the ancient knowledge of medicine, arts and music. The Gregorian choral was created. Traditions of popular believe expressed the relations between music and medicine. The Renaissance became the great époque of art, music and science. Leonardo da Vinci and Andreas Vesalius presented a new style of artistic working and scientific knowledge. Also the basics of western music, like tonality was developed. With the separation of scientific subjects in natural sciences and humanities, the relationships between music and medicine fall into oblivion. During the classic and romantic era music and art were important parts of cultural live of the well educated society. With the development of neurology, psychiatry and psychoanalysis more physicians and scientists were interested in musical questions. Questions about the role of music in human behavior and the ancient method to use music in medical treatment became popular. In the early 20th century the music therapy was developed. Today the effects of music to the human brain are investigated with radionuclear methods. A lot of investigations showed the effect of music and music performance to humans. Music plays an important part in psychotherapy, therapeutic pedagogy and medical care, the importance of music and music therapy increases. In the 80ies of the 20th century the performing arts medicine was developed, which asks for the medical problems of performing musicians. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

Best behaviour? Ontologies and the formal description of animal behaviour.

PubMed

Gkoutos, Georgios V; Hoehndorf, Robert; Tsaprouni, Loukia; Schofield, Paul N

2015-10-01

The development of ontologies for describing animal behaviour has proved to be one of the most difficult of all scientific knowledge domains. Ranging from neurological processes to human emotions, the range and scope needed for such ontologies is highly challenging, but if data integration and computational tools such as automated reasoning are to be fully applied in this important area the underlying principles of these ontologies need to be better established and development needs detailed coordination. Whilst the state of scientific knowledge is always paramount in ontology and formal description framework design, this is a particular problem with neurobehavioural ontologies where our understanding of the relationship between behaviour and its underlying biophysical basis is currently in its infancy. In this commentary, we discuss some of the fundamental problems in designing and using behaviour ontologies, and present some of the best developed tools in this domain.

Responsible healthcare innovation: anticipatory governance of nanodiagnostics for theranostics medicine.

PubMed

Fisher, Erik; Boenink, Marianne; van der Burg, Simone; Woodbury, Neal

2012-11-01

Theranostics signals the integrated application of molecular diagnostics, therapeutic treatment and patient response monitoring. Such integration has hitherto neglected another crucial dimension: coproduction of theranostic scientific knowledge, novel technological development and broader sociopolitical systems whose boundaries are highly porous. Nanodiagnostics applications to theranostics are one of the most contested and potentially volatile postgenomics innovation trajectories as they build on past and current tensions and promises surrounding both nanotechnology and personalized medicine. Recent science policy research suggests that beneficial outcomes of innovations do not simply flow from the generation of scientific knowledge and technological capability in a linear or automatic fashion. Thus, attempts to offset public concerns about controversial emerging technologies by expert risk assurances can be unproductive. Anticipation provides a more robust basis for governance that supports genuine healthcare progress. This article presents a synthesis of novel policy approaches that directly inform theranostics medicine and the future(s) of postgenomics healthcare.

What if Indigenous Knowledge Contradicts Accepted Scientific Findings?--The Hidden Agenda: Respect, Caring and Passion towards Aboriginal Research in the Context of Applying Western Academic Rules

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Witt, Norbert

2007-01-01

The statement in the title, what if Indigenous Knowledge contradicts accepted scientific findings (Fowler, 2000), is an expression of the dilemma people who research Indigenous Knowledge think they find themselves in when they are confronted with different interpretations of what it means to be human, or, as I may summarize it, with different…

The Relationship of Science Knowledge, Attitude and Decision Making on Socio-Scientific Issues: The Case Study of Students' Debates on a Nuclear Power Plant in Korea

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jho, Hunkoog; Yoon, Hye-Gyoung; Kim, Mijung

2014-01-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship of students' understanding of science knowledge, attitude and decision making on socio-scientific issues (SSI), especially on the issues of nuclear energy in Korea. SSI-focused instructions were developed to encourage students to understand and reflect on knowledge, attitude and…

NoSQL data model for semi-automatic integration of ethnomedicinal plant data from multiple sources.

PubMed

Ningthoujam, Sanjoy Singh; Choudhury, Manabendra Dutta; Potsangbam, Kumar Singh; Chetia, Pankaj; Nahar, Lutfun; Sarker, Satyajit D; Basar, Norazah; Das Talukdar, Anupam

2014-01-01

Sharing traditional knowledge with the scientific community could refine scientific approaches to phytochemical investigation and conservation of ethnomedicinal plants. As such, integration of traditional knowledge with scientific data using a single platform for sharing is greatly needed. However, ethnomedicinal data are available in heterogeneous formats, which depend on cultural aspects, survey methodology and focus of the study. Phytochemical and bioassay data are also available from many open sources in various standards and customised formats. To design a flexible data model that could integrate both primary and curated ethnomedicinal plant data from multiple sources. The current model is based on MongoDB, one of the Not only Structured Query Language (NoSQL) databases. Although it does not contain schema, modifications were made so that the model could incorporate both standard and customised ethnomedicinal plant data format from different sources. The model presented can integrate both primary and secondary data related to ethnomedicinal plants. Accommodation of disparate data was accomplished by a feature of this database that supported a different set of fields for each document. It also allowed storage of similar data having different properties. The model presented is scalable to a highly complex level with continuing maturation of the database, and is applicable for storing, retrieving and sharing ethnomedicinal plant data. It can also serve as a flexible alternative to a relational and normalised database. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Interdisciplinary Laboratory Course Facilitating Knowledge Integration, Mutualistic Teaming, and Original Discovery.

PubMed

Full, Robert J; Dudley, Robert; Koehl, M A R; Libby, Thomas; Schwab, Cheryl

2015-11-01

Experiencing the thrill of an original scientific discovery can be transformative to students unsure about becoming a scientist, yet few courses offer authentic research experiences. Increasingly, cutting-edge discoveries require an interdisciplinary approach not offered in current departmental-based courses. Here, we describe a one-semester, learning laboratory course on organismal biomechanics offered at our large research university that enables interdisciplinary teams of students from biology and engineering to grow intellectually, collaborate effectively, and make original discoveries. To attain this goal, we avoid traditional "cookbook" laboratories by training 20 students to use a dozen research stations. Teams of five students rotate to a new station each week where a professor, graduate student, and/or team member assists in the use of equipment, guides students through stages of critical thinking, encourages interdisciplinary collaboration, and moves them toward authentic discovery. Weekly discussion sections that involve the entire class offer exchange of discipline-specific knowledge, advice on experimental design, methods of collecting and analyzing data, a statistics primer, and best practices for writing and presenting scientific papers. The building of skills in concert with weekly guided inquiry facilitates original discovery via a final research project that can be presented at a national meeting or published in a scientific journal. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology. All rights reserved. For permissions please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Contemporary HIV/AIDS research: Insights from knowledge management theory

PubMed Central

Callaghan, Chris William

2017-01-01

Abstract Knowledge management as a field is concerned with the management of knowledge, including the management of knowledge in research processes. Knowledge management theory has the potential to support research into problems such as HIV, antibiotic resistance and others, particularly in terms of aspects of scientific research related to the contribution of social science. To date, however, these challenges remain with us, and theoretical contributions that can complement natural science efforts to eradicate these problems are needed. This paper seeks to offer a theoretical contribution grounded in Kuhn’s paradigm theory of innovation, and in the argument by Lakatos that scientific research can be fundamentally non-innovative, which suggests that social science aspects of knowledge creation may hold the key to more effective biomedical innovation. Given the consequences of ongoing and emerging global crises, and the failure of knowledge systems of scientific research to solve such problems outright, this paper provides a review of theory and literature arguing for a new paradigm in scientific research, based on the development of global systems to maximise research collaborations. A global systems approach effectively includes social science theory development as an important complement to the natural sciences research process. Arguably, information technology and social media technology have developed to the point at which solutions to knowledge aggregation challenges can enable solutions to knowledge problems on a scale hitherto unimaginable. Expert and non-expert crowdsourced inputs can enable problem-solving through exponentially increasing problem-solving inputs, using the ‘crowd,’ thereby increasing collaborations dramatically. It is argued that these developments herald a new era of participatory research, or a democratisation of research, which offers new hope for solving global social problems. This paper seeks to contribute to this end, and to the recognition of the important role of social theory in the scientific research process. PMID:28922967

Knowledge and institutional requirements to promote land degradation neutrality in drylands - An analysis of the outcomes of the 3rd UNCCD scientific conference

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Akhtar-Schuster, Mariam; Safriel, Uriel; Abraham, Elena; de Vente, Joris; Essahli, Wafa; Escadafal, Richard; Stringer, Lindsay

2015-04-01

Achieving land degradation neutrality (LDN) through sustainable land management (SLM) targets the maintenance or restoration of the productivity of land, and therefore has to include decision-makers, knowledge generators and knowledge holders at the different relevant geographic scales. In order to enhance the implementation of the Convention, the Conference of the Parties (COP) of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification therefore decided that each future session of its Committee on Science and Technology (CST) would be organized in a predominantly scientific and technical conference-style format. This contribution will outline the major outcomes of UNCCD's 3rd scientific conference that will be held in Cancún, Mexico, from 9 to 12 March 2015, on addressing desertification, land degradation and drought issues (DLDD) for poverty reduction and sustainable development. The conference follows an exceptional new round table conference format that will allow the various stakeholders to discuss scientific as well as the contribution of traditional knowledge and practices in combating land degradation. This format should provide two-way communication and enable deeper insight into the availability and contribution of all forms of knowledge for achieving LDN through the assessment of: • the vulnerability of lands to DLDD and climate change and the adaptive capacities of socio-ecosystems; • best examples of adapted, knowledge-based practices and technologies; • monitoring and assessment methods to evaluate the effectiveness of adaptation practices and technologies. The outcomes of UNCCD's 3rd scientific conference will serve as a basis for discussing: • contributions of science to diagnose the status of land; • research gaps that need to be addressed to achieve LDN for poverty reduction; • additional institutional requirements to optimally bridge knowledge generation, knowledge maintenance and knowledge implementation at the science-policy interface.

Creators, Transmitters, and Users: Women's Scientific Excellence at the Semiperiphery of Europe

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Blagojevic, Marina

2005-01-01

This paper explores the field of interconnectedness among knowledge production, semiperiphery, gender, and "scientific excellence," which is largely an undertheorized and underresearched field of "absence of knowledge." It will be tackled with a combination of theoretical ideas, research findings, personal observations, and…

Communicating uncertainties in assessments of future sea level rise

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wikman-Svahn, P.

2013-12-01

How uncertainty should be managed and communicated in policy-relevant scientific assessments is directly connected to the role of science and the responsibility of scientists. These fundamentally philosophical issues influence how scientific assessments are made and how scientific findings are communicated to policymakers. It is therefore of high importance to discuss implicit assumptions and value judgments that are made in policy-relevant scientific assessments. The present paper examines these issues for the case of scientific assessments of future sea level rise. The magnitude of future sea level rise is very uncertain, mainly due to poor scientific understanding of all physical mechanisms affecting the great ice sheets of Greenland and Antarctica, which together hold enough land-based ice to raise sea levels more than 60 meters if completely melted. There has been much confusion from policymakers on how different assessments of future sea levels should be interpreted. Much of this confusion is probably due to how uncertainties are characterized and communicated in these assessments. The present paper draws on the recent philosophical debate on the so-called "value-free ideal of science" - the view that science should not be based on social and ethical values. Issues related to how uncertainty is handled in scientific assessments are central to this debate. This literature has much focused on how uncertainty in data, parameters or models implies that choices have to be made, which can have social consequences. However, less emphasis has been on how uncertainty is characterized when communicating the findings of a study, which is the focus of the present paper. The paper argues that there is a tension between on the one hand the value-free ideal of science and on the other hand usefulness for practical applications in society. This means that even if the value-free ideal could be upheld in theory, by carefully constructing and hedging statements characterizing scientific uncertainty, it will in most cases not be very useful for society. Instead, it is argued that scientific assessments that are used to inform societal decision-making should try to anticipate applications and aim to construct statements that characterize knowledge and uncertainty in a way that are more useful for those anticipated applications, even if this means that the value-free ideal cannot be upheld. This means that scientific assessments should ideally be intertwined with societal applications, and that co-produced knowledge engaging both scientists and end-users are likely to provide better and more useful assessments. The argument is illustrated using real examples from scientific assessments of future sea level rise, with special emphasis on the approaches used by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change in the fourth assessment report from 2007, and the fifth assessment report due in September 2013. Finally, it is argued that recent developments in "bottom-up" and "robust" decision-making frameworks provide a way forward to remove many of the pitfalls and problems of communicating uncertainties in policy-relevant scientific assessments.

West Nile Virus workshop: scientific considerations for tissue donors.

PubMed

Brubaker, Scott A; Robert Rigney, P

2012-08-01

This report contains selected excerpts, presented as a summary, from a public workshop sponsored by the American Association of Tissue Banks (AATB) held to discuss West Nile Virus (WNV) and scientific considerations for tissue donors. The daylong workshop was held 9 July 2010 at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel at Tyson's Corner in McLean, Virginia, United States (U.S.). The workshop was designed to determine and discuss scientific information that is known, and what is not known, regarding WNV infection and transmission. The goal is to determine how to fill gaps in knowledge of WNV and tissue donation and transplantation by pursuing relevant scientific studies. This information should ultimately support decisions leading to appropriate tissue donor screening and testing considerations. Discussion topics were related to identifying these gaps and determining possible solutions. Workshop participants included subject-matter experts from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Health Canada, the Public Health Agency of Canada, AATB-accredited tissue banks including reproductive tissue banks, accredited eye banks of the Eye Bank Association of America, testing laboratories, and infectious disease and organ transplantation professionals. After all presentations concluded, a panel addressed this question: "What are the scientific considerations for tissue donors and what research could be performed to address those considerations?" The slide presentations from the workshop are available at: http://www.aatb.org/2010-West-Nile-Virus-Workshop-Presentations.

Constructing Scientific Explanations: a System of Analysis for Students' Explanations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

de Andrade, Vanessa; Freire, Sofia; Baptista, Mónica

2017-08-01

This article describes a system of analysis aimed at characterizing students' scientific explanations. Science education literature and reform documents have been highlighting the importance of scientific explanations for students' conceptual understanding and for their understanding of the nature of scientific knowledge. Nevertheless, and despite general agreement regarding the potential of having students construct their own explanations, a consensual notion of scientific explanation has still not been reached. As a result, within science education literature, there are several frameworks defining scientific explanations, with different foci as well as different notions of what accounts as a good explanation. Considering this, and based on a more ample project, we developed a system of analysis to characterize students' explanations. It was conceptualized and developed based on theories and models of scientific explanations, science education literature, and from examples of students' explanations collected by an open-ended questionnaire. With this paper, it is our goal to present the system of analysis, illustrating it with specific examples of students' collected explanations. In addition, we expect to point out its adequacy and utility for analyzing and characterizing students' scientific explanations as well as for tracing their progression.

Crossing Science-Policy-Societal Boundaries to Reduce Scientific and Institutional Uncertainty in Small-Scale Fisheries.

PubMed

Sutton, Abigail M; Rudd, Murray A

2016-10-01

The governance of small-scale fisheries (SSF) is challenging due to the uncertainty, complexity, and interconnectedness of social, political, ecological, and economical processes. Conventional SSF management has focused on a centralized and top-down approach. A major criticism of conventional management is the over-reliance on 'expert science' to guide decision-making and poor consideration of fishers' contextually rich knowledge. That is thought to exacerbate the already low governance potential of SSF. Integrating scientific knowledge with fishers' knowledge is increasingly popular and is often assumed to help reduce levels of biophysical and institutional uncertainties. Many projects aimed at encouraging knowledge integration have, however, been unsuccessful. Our objective in this research was to assess factors that influence knowledge integration and the uptake of integrated knowledge into policy-making. We report results from 54 semi-structured interviews with SSF researchers and practitioners from around the globe. Our analysis is framed in terms of scientific credibility, societal legitimacy, and policy saliency, and we discuss cases that have been partially or fully successful in reducing uncertainty via push-and-pull-oriented boundary crossing initiatives. Our findings suggest that two important factors affect the science-policy-societal boundary: a lack of consensus among stakeholders about what constitutes credible knowledge and institutional uncertainty resulting from shifting policies and leadership change. A lack of training for scientific leaders and an apparent 'shelf-life' for community organizations highlight the importance of ongoing institutional support for knowledge integration projects. Institutional support may be enhanced through such investments, such as capacity building and specialized platforms for knowledge integration.

Crossing Science-Policy-Societal Boundaries to Reduce Scientific and Institutional Uncertainty in Small-Scale Fisheries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sutton, Abigail M.; Rudd, Murray A.

2016-10-01

The governance of small-scale fisheries (SSF) is challenging due to the uncertainty, complexity, and interconnectedness of social, political, ecological, and economical processes. Conventional SSF management has focused on a centralized and top-down approach. A major criticism of conventional management is the over-reliance on `expert science' to guide decision-making and poor consideration of fishers' contextually rich knowledge. That is thought to exacerbate the already low governance potential of SSF. Integrating scientific knowledge with fishers' knowledge is increasingly popular and is often assumed to help reduce levels of biophysical and institutional uncertainties. Many projects aimed at encouraging knowledge integration have, however, been unsuccessful. Our objective in this research was to assess factors that influence knowledge integration and the uptake of integrated knowledge into policy-making. We report results from 54 semi-structured interviews with SSF researchers and practitioners from around the globe. Our analysis is framed in terms of scientific credibility, societal legitimacy, and policy saliency, and we discuss cases that have been partially or fully successful in reducing uncertainty via push-and-pull-oriented boundary crossing initiatives. Our findings suggest that two important factors affect the science-policy-societal boundary: a lack of consensus among stakeholders about what constitutes credible knowledge and institutional uncertainty resulting from shifting policies and leadership change. A lack of training for scientific leaders and an apparent `shelf-life' for community organizations highlight the importance of ongoing institutional support for knowledge integration projects. Institutional support may be enhanced through such investments, such as capacity building and specialized platforms for knowledge integration.

Ecology of Legionella: From Data to Knowledge with a Little Wisdom

PubMed

Fliermans

1996-07-01

The respiratory diseases produced by the Legionella genus of bacteria are collectively called Legionellosis. Presently more than 34 species of Legionella have been identified, 20 of which have been isolated from both environmental and clinical sources. The diseases produced by Legionella include the pneumonic form, Legionnaires' disease, and the flu-like form, Pontiac fever. Because the vast majority of Legionellosis is caused by the L. pneumophila species, this bacterium is the thrust of the discussion.Legionella is a global bacterium. The relationship of the bacterium to its environment has told us many things about infectious diseases. Not until Legionellosis and the discovery of its etiologic agent, Legionella, has such a successful modern-day marriage been consummated between the agent and its environment. Nearly two decades have passed since the term Legionellosis found its way into the vocabulary of the scientific journals, the popular press, and courtroom proceedings. Too often the scientific development, engineering implementation, and societal acceptance are disconnected. The focus of scientific research sometimes does not reflect engineering or societal needs and thus contributes little to the solution of immediate and important problems. At other times, scientific knowledge that could contribute to solutions is overlooked because of poor communication between the problem holders, the scientific community, regulatory agencies, the problem makers, and the public. The scope of this paper provides insights on the ecological niche of Legionella, describes the organism's ecological relationships in the natural world, and provides wisdom for effective control of the bacterium for the industrial and user communities.

Pre-service teachers' perceived value of general pedagogical knowledge for practice: Relations with epistemic beliefs and source beliefs.

PubMed

Merk, Samuel; Rosman, Tom; Rueß, Julia; Syring, Marcus; Schneider, Jürgen

2017-01-01

Pre-service teachers tend to devalue general pedagogical knowledge (GPK) as a valid source for deriving successful teaching practices. The present study investigated beliefs about knowledge sources and epistemic beliefs as predictors for students' perceived value of GPK. Three pre-registered hypotheses were tested. We expected beliefs that GPK originates from scientific sources to entail a devaluation of GPK (Hypothesis 1). Concerning epistemic beliefs, we expected absolute beliefs to positively, and multiplistic beliefs to negatively predict pre-service teachers' perceived practical value of GPK (Hypothesis 2). Finally, we expected relationships between epistemic beliefs and pre-service teachers' perceived practical value of GPK to be confounded by epistemic trustworthiness, perceived topic-specific consistency and topic-specific familiarity (Hypothesis 3). In a study using a split plot design, 365 pre-service teachers were presented with four texts on different educational research topics. For each topic, three text versions were constructed. Even though they were invariant in content, these versions varied in a way that the results were allegedly generated by a practitioner, an expert or by means of a scientific study. Unexpectedly, results showed that research findings allegedly generated by means of a scientific study were associated with a higher perceived value of (topic-specific) GPK for practice (Hypothesis 1). As expected, the perceived value of GPK for practice was predicted by topic-specific multiplism and domain-specific absolutism (Hypothesis 2). These predictive effects were confounded by expertise evaluations of the source and the consistency of prior beliefs with the presented research results (Hypothesis 3). In summary, our results suggest that source beliefs might not be responsible for the devaluation of GPK, but that beliefs on the nature and structure of GPK (i.e., epistemic beliefs) might play an even more important role in this respect. Implications for research and practice are discussed.

Pre-service teachers’ perceived value of general pedagogical knowledge for practice: Relations with epistemic beliefs and source beliefs

PubMed Central

Rosman, Tom; Rueß, Julia; Syring, Marcus; Schneider, Jürgen

2017-01-01

Pre-service teachers tend to devalue general pedagogical knowledge (GPK) as a valid source for deriving successful teaching practices. The present study investigated beliefs about knowledge sources and epistemic beliefs as predictors for students’ perceived value of GPK. Three pre-registered hypotheses were tested. We expected beliefs that GPK originates from scientific sources to entail a devaluation of GPK (Hypothesis 1). Concerning epistemic beliefs, we expected absolute beliefs to positively, and multiplistic beliefs to negatively predict pre-service teachers’ perceived practical value of GPK (Hypothesis 2). Finally, we expected relationships between epistemic beliefs and pre-service teachers’ perceived practical value of GPK to be confounded by epistemic trustworthiness, perceived topic-specific consistency and topic-specific familiarity (Hypothesis 3). In a study using a split plot design, 365 pre-service teachers were presented with four texts on different educational research topics. For each topic, three text versions were constructed. Even though they were invariant in content, these versions varied in a way that the results were allegedly generated by a practitioner, an expert or by means of a scientific study. Unexpectedly, results showed that research findings allegedly generated by means of a scientific study were associated with a higher perceived value of (topic-specific) GPK for practice (Hypothesis 1). As expected, the perceived value of GPK for practice was predicted by topic-specific multiplism and domain-specific absolutism (Hypothesis 2). These predictive effects were confounded by expertise evaluations of the source and the consistency of prior beliefs with the presented research results (Hypothesis 3). In summary, our results suggest that source beliefs might not be responsible for the devaluation of GPK, but that beliefs on the nature and structure of GPK (i.e., epistemic beliefs) might play an even more important role in this respect. Implications for research and practice are discussed. PMID:28934358

Status of the recommendations on the African cyberinfrastructure expressed by the scientific community written in 2007

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Petitdidier, M.

2009-04-01

In today's Information Age, an effective cyber-infrastructure and Internet access underpins development and human welfare by strengthening education and training, expanding science, technology and innovation capability, opening up collaboration opportunities with the rest of the world, and generating the knowledge base for decision-making. Poor Internet connectivity prevents many countries in Africa, especially Sub-Saharan ones, from taking advantage of these opportunities. There are many initiatives from local, governmental, African, European and international organisations to promote, survey and fund networking. The eGY (electronic Geophysical Year) and Sharing Knowledge Foundation initiatives are based on African scientific communities, and are complementary of other initiatives. Their bottom-up role is twofold: firstly to motivate and support the scientists in each country (1) to ask their government or organisations for a better Internet for research and for education and (2) to organize themselves to welcome new technologies, secondly to promote a better cyber-infrastructure for their universities towards international organisations. In 2007 during the IHY workshop that gathered African scientists from 20 countries eGY provided the results of the questionnaire sent to all the participants to describe the status of internet in the Universities and Research institutes. Then recommendations were written. In 2007 Sharing the knowledge foundation organized a meeting devoted to internet and Grids in Africa. The participants, scientists, industrialists and members of NGO originating from 14 countries wrote also recommendations. In 2009 the presentation in this session of R.L.A Cottrell and U. Kalim will provide an overview of the evolution of the networking. In parallel to the improvement of internet the development of scientific collaboration among African countries and with Europe by using ICT was considered as an essential point. This presentation will be focused on the recommendations, different achievements and plans (see presentation in this section by V. Ardizzone et al.) .

Co-production of knowledge: An Inuit Indigenous Knowledge perspective

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Daniel, R.; Behe, C.

2017-12-01

A "co-production of knowledge" approach brings together different knowledge systems while building equitable and collaborative partnerships from `different ways of knowing.' Inuit Indigenous Knowledge is a systematic way of thinking applied to phenomena across biological, physical, cultural and spiritual systems; rooted with a holistic understanding of ecosystems (ICC Alaska 2016). A holistic image of Arctic environmental change is attained by bringing Indigenous Knowledge (IK) holders and scientists together through a co-production of knowledge framework. Experts from IK and science should be involved together from the inception of a project. IK should be respected as its own knowledge system and should not be translated into science. A co-production of knowledge approach is important in developing adaptation policies and practices, for sustainability and to address biodiversity conservation (Daniel et al. 2016). Co-production of knowledge is increasingly being recognized by the scientific community at-large. However, in many instances the concept is being incorrectly applied. This talk will build on the important components of co-production of knowledge from an Inuit perspective and specifically IK. In this presentation we will differentiate the co-production of knowledge from a multi-disciplinary approach or multi-evidence based decision-making. We underscore the role and value of different knowledge systems with different methodologies and the need for collaborative approaches in identifying research questions. We will also provide examples from our experiences with Indigenous communities and scientists in the Arctic. References: Inuit Circumpolar Council of Alaska. 2016. Alaskan Inuit Food Security Conceptual Framework: How to Assess the Arctic From An Inuit Perspective, 201pp. Daniel, R., C. Behe, J. Raymond-Yakoubian, E. Krummel, and S. Gearhead. Arctic Observing Summit White Paper Synthesis, Theme 6: Interfacing Indigenous Knowledge, Community-based Monitoring and Scientific Methods for Sustained Arctic Observations. http://www.arcticobservingsummit.org/sites/arcticobservingsummit.org/files/Daniel_Laing_Kielsen%20Holm_et_al-AOS2016-Theme-6-IK-CBM-Synthesis-updated-2016-04.pdf

The role of innovative global institutions in linking knowledge and action.

PubMed

van Kerkhoff, Lorrae; Szlezák, Nicole A

2016-04-26

It is becoming increasingly recognized that our collective ability to tackle complex problems will require the development of new, adaptive, and innovative institutional arrangements that can deal with rapidly changing knowledge and have effective learning capabilities. In this paper, we applied a knowledge-systems perspective to examine how institutional innovations can affect the generation, sharing, and application of scientific and technical knowledge. We report on a case study that examined the effects that one large innovative organization, The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria, is having on the knowledge dimensions of decision-making in global health. The case study shows that the organization created demand for new knowledge from a range of actors, but it did not incorporate strategies for meeting this demand into their own rules, incentives, or procedures. This made it difficult for some applicants to meet the organization's dual aims of scientific soundness and national ownership of projects. It also highlighted that scientific knowledge needed to be integrated with managerial and situational knowledge for success. More generally, the study illustrates that institutional change targeting implementation can also significantly affect the dynamics of knowledge creation (learning), access, distribution, and use. Recognizing how action-oriented institutions can affect these dynamics across their knowledge system can help institutional designers build more efficient and effective institutions for sustainable development.

Towards AN Integrated Scientific and Social Case for Human Space Exploration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Crawford, I. A.

2004-06-01

I will argue that an ambitious programme of human space exploration, involving a return to the Moon, and eventually human missions to Mars, will add greatly to human knowledge. Gathering such knowledge is the primary aim of science, but science’s compartmentalisation into isolated academic disciplines tends to obscure the overall strength of the scientific case. Any consideration of the scientific arguments for human space exploration must therefore take a holistic view, and integrate the potential benefits over the entire spectrum of human knowledge. Moreover, science is only one thread in a much larger overall case for human space exploration. Other threads include economic, industrial, educational, geopolitical and cultural benefits. Any responsibly formulated public space policy must weigh all of these factors before deciding whether or not an investment in human space activities is scientifically and socially desirable.

The coexistence of alternative and scientific conceptions in physics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ozdemir, Omer F.

The purpose of this study was to inquire about the simultaneous coexistence of alternative and scientific conceptions in the domain of physics. This study was particularly motivated by several arguments put forward in opposition to the Conceptual Change Model. In the simplest form, these arguments state that people construct different domains of knowledge and different modes of perception in different situations. Therefore, holding different conceptualizations is unavoidable and expecting a replacement in an individual's conceptual structure is not plausible in terms of instructional practices. The following research questions were generated to inquire about this argument: (1) Do individuals keep their alternative conceptions after they have acquired scientific conceptions? (2) Assuming that individuals who acquired scientific conceptions also have alternative conceptions, how are these different conceptions nested in their conceptual structure? (3) What kind of knowledge, skills, and reasoning are necessary to transfer scientific principles instead of alternative ones in the construction of a valid model? Analysis of the data collected from the non-physics group indicated that the nature of alternative conceptions is framed by two types of reasoning: reasoning by mental simulation and semiformal reasoning. Analysis of the data collected from the physics group revealed that mental images or scenes feeding reasoning by mental simulation had not disappeared after the acquisition of scientific conceptions. The analysis of data also provided enough evidence to conclude that alternative principles feeding semiformal reasoning have not necessarily disappeared after the acquisition of scientific conceptions. However, in regard to semiformal reasoning, compartmentalization was not as clear as the case demonstrated in reasoning by mental simulation; instead semiformal and scientific reasoning are intertwined in a way that the components of semiformal reasoning can easily take their place among the components of scientific reasoning. In spite of the fact that the coexistence of multiple conceptions might obstruct the transfer of scientific conceptions in problem-solving situations, several factors stimulating the use of scientific conceptions were noticed explicitly. These factors were categorized as follows: (a) the level of individuals' domain specific knowledge in the corresponding field, (b) the level of individuals' knowledge about the process of science (how science generates its knowledge claims), (c) the level of individuals' awareness of different types of reasoning and conceptions, and (d) the context in which the problem is situated. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)

7 CFR 3400.21 - Scientific peer review for research activities.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 15 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Scientific peer review for research activities. 3400... § 3400.21 Scientific peer review for research activities. Scientific peer review is an evaluation of a... with the scientific knowledge and technical skills to conduct the proposed research work. Peer...

Distributed data mining on grids: services, tools, and applications.

PubMed

Cannataro, Mario; Congiusta, Antonio; Pugliese, Andrea; Talia, Domenico; Trunfio, Paolo

2004-12-01

Data mining algorithms are widely used today for the analysis of large corporate and scientific datasets stored in databases and data archives. Industry, science, and commerce fields often need to analyze very large datasets maintained over geographically distributed sites by using the computational power of distributed and parallel systems. The grid can play a significant role in providing an effective computational support for distributed knowledge discovery applications. For the development of data mining applications on grids we designed a system called Knowledge Grid. This paper describes the Knowledge Grid framework and presents the toolset provided by the Knowledge Grid for implementing distributed knowledge discovery. The paper discusses how to design and implement data mining applications by using the Knowledge Grid tools starting from searching grid resources, composing software and data components, and executing the resulting data mining process on a grid. Some performance results are also discussed.

NASA/DoD Aerospace Knowledge Diffusion Research Project. Paper 30: The electronic transfer of information and aerospace knowledge diffusion

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pinelli, Thomas E.; Bishop, Ann P.; Barclay, Rebecca O.; Kennedy, John M.

1992-01-01

Increasing reliance on and investment in information technology and electronic networking systems presupposes that computing and information technology will play a major role in the diffusion of aerospace knowledge. Little is known, however, about actual information technology needs, uses, and problems within the aerospace knowledge diffusion process. The authors state that the potential contributions of information technology to increased productivity and competitiveness will be diminished unless empirically derived knowledge regarding the information-seeking behavior of the members of the social system - those who are producing, transferring, and using scientific and technical information - is incorporated into a new technology policy framework. Research into the use of information technology and electronic networks by U.S. aerospace engineers and scientists, collected as part of a research project designed to study aerospace knowledge diffusion, is presented in support of this assertion.

Reflections on Darwinian Evolution – Is there a Jewish Perspective?

PubMed Central

Jacob, Chaim O.

2011-01-01

I present a realistic view of what Darwinian evolution is in its current form and what it is not. I argue that the Torah is not a source of scientific knowledge and all attempts to reconcile its plain text with the data of science are an exercise in futility. The article argues the position that science and the Torah are incommensurable. I argue against using the Torah for attaining knowledge about the nature of the world, or using science for enhancing or denying the truth of the Torah. PMID:23908802

Becoming Chemists through Game-Based Inquiry Learning: The Case of "Legends of Alkhimia"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chee, Yam San; Tan, Kim Chwee Daniel

2012-01-01

Traditional modes of chemistry education in schools focus on imparting chemistry knowledge to students via instruction. Consequently, students often acquire the mistaken understanding that scientific knowledge comprises a fixed body of "proven" facts. They fail to comprehend that the construction of scientific understanding is a human…

Silviculture research: The intersection of science and art across generations

Treesearch

Theresa B. Jain

2013-01-01

A research silviculturist's work is firmly grounded in the scientific method to acquire knowledge on forest dynamics. They also integrate information from numerous sources to produce new knowledge not readily identified by single studies. Results and interpretation subsequently provide the scientific foundation for developing management decisions and strategies....

Things You Should Not Believe in Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Taber, Keith S.

2017-01-01

This article considers the relationship between belief and learning science. It is argued that belief in science (as a process) needs to be distinguished from belief in particular scientific ideas and knowledge claims. Scientific knowledge is theoretical and provisional--something to be adopted for its utility, not as articles of faith. The…

The California spotted owl: current state of knowledge

Treesearch

R.J. Gutiérrez; Patricia N. Manley; Peter A. Stine

2017-01-01

This conservation assessment represents a comprehensive review by scientists of the current scientific knowledge about the ecology, habitat use, population dynamics, and current threats to the viability of the California spotted owl (Strix occidentalis). It is based primarily on peer-reviewed published information with an emphasis on new scientific...

Reprint 1987: Research Administration in a Time of Change

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brandt, Edward N.

2017-01-01

The field of biomedical research has undergone several changes in recent years. These include increased funding, the rapid development in scientific knowledge which speeds up the obsolescence of equipment, facilities and knowledge and the growing complexity of scientific problems. Research administrators can take steps to address these changes…

Lynda Barry Visits NASA Goddard

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-12-08

Cartoonist and professor of creativity Lynda Barry presented the benefits of creativity in everyday life as part of Goddard's Office of Communications Story Lab seminar series. Read more: www.nasa.gov/feature/goddard/2016/cartoonist-discusses-cr... Credit: NASA/Goddard/Rebecca Roth NASA image use policy. NASA Goddard Space Flight Center enables NASA’s mission through four scientific endeavors: Earth Science, Heliophysics, Solar System Exploration, and Astrophysics. Goddard plays a leading role in NASA’s accomplishments by contributing compelling scientific knowledge to advance the Agency’s mission. Follow us on Twitter Like us on Facebook Find us on Instagram

Producing More Actionable Science Isn't the Problem; It's Providing Decision-Makers with Access to Right Actionable Knowledge

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Trexler, M.

2017-12-01

Policy-makers today have almost infinite climate-relevant scientific and other information available to them. The problem for climate change decision-making isn't missing science or inadequate knowledge of climate risks; the problem is that the "right" climate change actionable knowledge isn't getting to the right decision-maker, or is getting there too early or too late to effectively influence her decision-making. Actionable knowledge is not one-size-fit-all, and for a given decision-maker might involve scientific, economic, or risk-based information. Simply producing more and more information as we are today is not the solution, and actually makes it harder for individual decision-makers to access "their" actionable knowledge. The Climatographers began building the Climate Web five years ago to test the hypothesis that a knowledge management system could help navigate the gap between infinite information and individual actionable knowledge. Today the Climate Web's more than 1,500 index terms allow instant access to almost any climate change topic. It is a curated public-access knowledgebase of more than 1,000 books, 2,000 videos, 15,000 reports and articles, 25,000 news stories, and 3,000 websites. But it is also much more, linking together tens of thousands of individually extracted ideas and graphics, and providing Deep Dives into more than 100 key topics from changing probability distributions of extreme events to climate communications best practices to cognitive dissonance in climate change decision-making. The public-access Climate Web is uniquely able to support cross-silo learning, collaboration, and actionable knowledge dissemination. The presentation will use the Climate Web to demonstrate why knowledge management should be seen as a critical component of science and policy-making collaborations.

Diffusion and utilization of scientific and technological knowledge within state and local governments

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Feller, I.; Flanary, P. E.

1979-01-01

The state-of-the-art is reviewed concerning current knowledge of processes by which technological innovation and scientific information are disseminated among state and local governments. The effectiveness of various mechanisms, strategies, and approaches by which federal agencies have sought to transfer technology to state, regional, and city governments are assessed. It is concluded that the existing relationships between the state and local governments, and the scientific communities are not adequate.

PVDaCS - A prototype knowledge-based expert system for certification of spacecraft data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wharton, Cathleen; Shiroma, Patricia J.; Simmons, Karen E.

1989-01-01

On-line data management techniques to certify spacecraft information are mandated by increasing telemetry rates. Knowledge-based expert systems offer the ability to certify data electronically without the need for time-consuming human interaction. Issues of automatic certification are explored by designing a knowledge-based expert system to certify data from a scientific instrument, the Orbiter Ultraviolet Spectrometer, on an operating NASA planetary spacecraft, Pioneer Venus. The resulting rule-based system, called PVDaCS (Pioneer Venus Data Certification System), is a functional prototype demonstrating the concepts of a larger system design. A key element of the system design is the representation of an expert's knowledge through the usage of well ordered sequences. PVDaCS produces a certification value derived from expert knowledge and an analysis of the instrument's operation. Results of system performance are presented.

The electronic transfer of information and aerospace knowledge diffusion

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pinelli, Thomas E.; Bishop, Ann P.; Barclay, Rebecca O.; Kennedy, John M.

1992-01-01

Increasing reliance on and investment in information technology and electronic networking systems presupposes that computing and information technology will play a motor role in the diffusion of aerospace knowledge. Little is known, however, about actual information technology needs, uses, and problems within the aerospace knowledge diffusion process. The authors state that the potential contributions of information technology to increased productivity and competitiveness will be diminished unless empirically derived knowledge regarding the information-seeking behavior of the members of the social system - those who are producing, transferring, and using scientific and technical information - is incorporated into a new technology policy framework. Research into the use of information technology and electronic networks by U.S. aerospace engineers and scientists, collected as part of a research project designed to study aerospace knowledge diffusion, is presented in support of this assertion.

Patella instability: building bridges across the ocean a historic review.

PubMed

Arendt, Elizabeth A; Dejour, David

2013-02-01

The diagnosis of and treatment for musculoskeletal disease and injuries have seen an explosion of new knowledge. More precise imaging, correlative injury anatomy, more focused physical examination features, among others, have led this upsurge of current insight. Crucial to this knowledge revolution is the expansion of international knowledge, which is aided by an adoption of a universal scientific language, electronic transfer of information, and personal communication of surgeons and scientists across national boundaries. One area where this is particularly evident is in our knowledge and treatment for patellofemoral disorders. This article will review the developments in the management of patellar dislocations by tracing their historical roots. This is not meant to be a comprehensive review, but rather to give current readers a "historical memory" upon which to judge and interpret our present-day bridge of knowledge. Level of evidence V.

Information and Communication Technologies, Genes, and Peer-Production of Knowledge to Empower Citizens' Health.

PubMed

Biggeri, Annibale; Tallacchini, Mariachiara

2018-06-01

The different and seemingly unrelated practices of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) used to collect and share personal and scientific data within networked communities, and the organized storage of human genetic samples and information-namely biobanking-have merged with another recent epistemic and social phenomenon, namely scientists and citizens collaborating as "peers" in creating knowledge (or peer-production of knowledge). These different dimensions can be found in joint initiatives where scientists-and-citizens use genetic information and ICT as powerful ways to gain more control over their health and the environment. While this kind of initiative usually takes place only after rights have been infringed (or are put at risk)-as the two cases presented in the paper show-collaborative scientists-and-citizens' knowledge should be institutionally allowed to complement and corroborate official knowledge-supporting policies.

[Utilization of tacit knowledge by maternal healthcare providers: a systematic mapping of the literature].

PubMed

Calderón Espinosa, Emmanuel; Becerril Montekio, Víctor; Alcalde Rabanal, Jacqueline; García Bello, Luis

2016-01-01

The search for efficient answers to strengthen maternal health care has included various sources of evidence for decision making. In this article, we present a systematic mapping of the scientific literature on the use of tacit knowledge in relation to maternal healthcare. A systematic mapping was conducted of scientific articles published in Spanish and English between 1971 and 2014 following the recommendations of the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses guidelines. Of 793 articles, 30 met the inclusion criteria; 60% were from high-income countries and 66.7% were focused on health professionals. We identified a predominance of qualitative methodologies (62%). Four categories regarding the use of tacit knowledge were generated: proposals to improve the organization of the maternal care system (30%) and to improve the care provided to women during the continuum of pregnancy, childbirth and postpartum (26.7%), determination of health workers' perception and skill levels (26.7%) and the interactions between tacit and explicit knowledge in clinical decision making (16.7%). This mapping shows that tacit knowledge is an emerging, innovative and versatile research approach used primarily in high-income countries and that includes interesting possibilities for its use as evidence to improve maternal healthcare, particularly in middle- and low-income countries, where it needs to be strengthened. Copyright © 2015 SESPAS. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.

Coordinating Council. Sixth Meeting: Who Are Our Key Users?

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1991-01-01

This NASA Scientific and Technical Information Program Coordinating Council meeting deals with the topic 'Who are our key users?' Presentations were made on the following subtopics: Key users: Who uses the system the most, Who orders the most documents, Users: What do we know about them?, NASA/DOD Aerospace Knowledge Diffusion research project on 'Potential key users', How we meet the user's needs, and STI Council user requirements update. Summaries of discussions after the presentations are included along with visuals for the presentations.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Mendell, Mark J.

This report briefly summarizes, based on recent review articles and selected more recent research reports, current scientific knowledge on two topics: assessing unhealthy levels of indoor D/M in homes and remediating home dampness-related problems to protect health. Based on a comparison of current scientific knowledge to that required to support effective, evidence-based, health-protective policies on home D/M, gaps in knowledge are highlighted, prior questions and research questions specified, and necessary research activities and approaches recommended.

A Scientific Software Product Line for the Bioinformatics domain.

PubMed

Costa, Gabriella Castro B; Braga, Regina; David, José Maria N; Campos, Fernanda

2015-08-01

Most specialized users (scientists) that use bioinformatics applications do not have suitable training on software development. Software Product Line (SPL) employs the concept of reuse considering that it is defined as a set of systems that are developed from a common set of base artifacts. In some contexts, such as in bioinformatics applications, it is advantageous to develop a collection of related software products, using SPL approach. If software products are similar enough, there is the possibility of predicting their commonalities, differences and then reuse these common features to support the development of new applications in the bioinformatics area. This paper presents the PL-Science approach which considers the context of SPL and ontology in order to assist scientists to define a scientific experiment, and to specify a workflow that encompasses bioinformatics applications of a given experiment. This paper also focuses on the use of ontologies to enable the use of Software Product Line in biological domains. In the context of this paper, Scientific Software Product Line (SSPL) differs from the Software Product Line due to the fact that SSPL uses an abstract scientific workflow model. This workflow is defined according to a scientific domain and using this abstract workflow model the products (scientific applications/algorithms) are instantiated. Through the use of ontology as a knowledge representation model, we can provide domain restrictions as well as add semantic aspects in order to facilitate the selection and organization of bioinformatics workflows in a Scientific Software Product Line. The use of ontologies enables not only the expression of formal restrictions but also the inferences on these restrictions, considering that a scientific domain needs a formal specification. This paper presents the development of the PL-Science approach, encompassing a methodology and an infrastructure, and also presents an approach evaluation. This evaluation presents case studies in bioinformatics, which were conducted in two renowned research institutions in Brazil. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The 1973 report and recommendations of the NASA Science Advisory Committee on Comets and Asteroids

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Atkins, K. (Editor)

1973-01-01

The present day knowledge is reported of comets and asteroids and recommendations for a development program needed to provide instruments to achieve certain scientific objectives are also presented. Discussions include reports on the primary experiments and instruments, the instruments of potential applicability, mission classes and parameters, mission opportunities, and vehicular technology. An annotated bibliography and recommendations for flight projects, propulsion systems, and experiment development are included.

Oral health knowledge and awareness among pregnant women in India: A systematic review

PubMed Central

Gambhir, Ramandeep Singh; Nirola, Ashutosh; Gupta, Tarun; Sekhon, Tegbir Singh; Anand, Samir

2015-01-01

Pregnancy is a unique period during a woman's life and is characterized by complex physiological changes, which may adversely affect oral health. The present systematic review was conducted to assess knowledge and awareness regarding oral health among pregnant women in India. Relevant cross-sectional observational studies were included in the systematic review to assess the level of knowledge and awareness regarding oral health among pregnant women in India. Seven studies out of 255 were finally included in the present review after conducting both electronic and manual search of scientific databases. Potential biases were reported and appropriate data were extracted by the concerned investigators. Almost 67% of the subjects had good knowledge and awareness regarding oral health in one of the study findings. Knowledge regarding effect of decayed teeth on the appearance of the people was significantly related to the parity status of the subjects (P = 0.024) in other study reports. Very few subjects (17.1% and 37.5%) felt the need for visiting a dentist during pregnancy in two studies. The results of the present review showed that pregnant women had poor knowledge and awareness regarding oral health. Therefore, there is an urgent need for education and motivation of expectant mothers regarding oral health through various health promotion interventions. PMID:26941509

Knowledge, beliefs and pedagogy: how the nature of science should inform the aims of science education (and not just when teaching evolution)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Taber, Keith S.

2017-03-01

Lisa Borgerding's work highlights how students can understand evolution without necessarily committing to it, and how learners may come to see it as one available way of thinking amongst others. This is presented as something that should be considered a successful outcome when teaching about material that many students may find incompatible with their personal worldviews. These findings derive from work exploring a cause célèbre of the science education community—the teaching of natural selection in cultural contexts where learners feel they have strong reasons for rejecting evolutionary ideas. Accepting that students may understand but not commit to scientific ideas that are (from some cultural perspectives) controversial may easily be considered as a form of compromise position when teaching canonical science prescribed in curriculum but resisted by learners. Yet if we take scholarship on the nature of science seriously, and wish to reflect the nature of scientific knowledge in science teaching, then the aim of science education should always be to facilitate understanding of, yet to avoid belief in, the ideas taught in science lessons. The philosophy of science suggests that scientific knowledge needs to be understood as theoretical in nature, as conjectural and provisional; and the history of science warns of the risks of strongly committing to any particular conceptualisation as a final account of some feature of nature. Research into student thinking and learning in science suggests that learning science is often a matter of coming to understand a new viable way of thinking about a topic to complement established ways of thinking. Science teaching should then seek to have students appreciate scientific ideas as viable ways of making sense of the currently available empirical evidence, but should not be about persuading students of the truth of any particular scientific account.

Learning Physics-based Models in Hydrology under the Framework of Generative Adversarial Networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Karpatne, A.; Kumar, V.

2017-12-01

Generative adversarial networks (GANs), that have been highly successful in a number of applications involving large volumes of labeled and unlabeled data such as computer vision, offer huge potential for modeling the dynamics of physical processes that have been traditionally studied using simulations of physics-based models. While conventional physics-based models use labeled samples of input/output variables for model calibration (estimating the right parametric forms of relationships between variables) or data assimilation (identifying the most likely sequence of system states in dynamical systems), there is a greater opportunity to explore the full power of machine learning (ML) methods (e.g, GANs) for studying physical processes currently suffering from large knowledge gaps, e.g. ground-water flow. However, success in this endeavor requires a principled way of combining the strengths of ML methods with physics-based numerical models that are founded on a wealth of scientific knowledge. This is especially important in scientific domains like hydrology where the number of data samples is small (relative to Internet-scale applications such as image recognition where machine learning methods has found great success), and the physical relationships are complex (high-dimensional) and non-stationary. We will present a series of methods for guiding the learning of GANs using physics-based models, e.g., by using the outputs of physics-based models as input data to the generator-learner framework, and by using physics-based models as generators trained using validation data in the adversarial learning framework. These methods are being developed under the broad paradigm of theory-guided data science that we are developing to integrate scientific knowledge with data science methods for accelerating scientific discovery.

The Nature Index: a general framework for synthesizing knowledge on the state of biodiversity.

PubMed

Certain, Grégoire; Skarpaas, Olav; Bjerke, Jarle-Werner; Framstad, Erik; Lindholm, Markus; Nilsen, Jan-Erik; Norderhaug, Ann; Oug, Eivind; Pedersen, Hans-Christian; Schartau, Ann-Kristin; van der Meeren, Gro I; Aslaksen, Iulie; Engen, Steinar; Garnåsjordet, Per-Arild; Kvaløy, Pål; Lillegård, Magnar; Yoccoz, Nigel G; Nybø, Signe

2011-04-22

The magnitude and urgency of the biodiversity crisis is widely recognized within scientific and political organizations. However, a lack of integrated measures for biodiversity has greatly constrained the national and international response to the biodiversity crisis. Thus, integrated biodiversity indexes will greatly facilitate information transfer from science toward other areas of human society. The Nature Index framework samples scientific information on biodiversity from a variety of sources, synthesizes this information, and then transmits it in a simplified form to environmental managers, policymakers, and the public. The Nature Index optimizes information use by incorporating expert judgment, monitoring-based estimates, and model-based estimates. The index relies on a network of scientific experts, each of whom is responsible for one or more biodiversity indicators. The resulting set of indicators is supposed to represent the best available knowledge on the state of biodiversity and ecosystems in any given area. The value of each indicator is scaled relative to a reference state, i.e., a predicted value assessed by each expert for a hypothetical undisturbed or sustainably managed ecosystem. Scaled indicator values can be aggregated or disaggregated over different axes representing spatiotemporal dimensions or thematic groups. A range of scaling models can be applied to allow for different ways of interpreting the reference states, e.g., optimal situations or minimum sustainable levels. Statistical testing for differences in space or time can be implemented using Monte-Carlo simulations. This study presents the Nature Index framework and details its implementation in Norway. The results suggest that the framework is a functional, efficient, and pragmatic approach for gathering and synthesizing scientific knowledge on the state of biodiversity in any marine or terrestrial ecosystem and has general applicability worldwide.

The Nature Index: A General Framework for Synthesizing Knowledge on the State of Biodiversity

PubMed Central

Certain, Grégoire; Skarpaas, Olav; Bjerke, Jarle-Werner; Framstad, Erik; Lindholm, Markus; Nilsen, Jan-Erik; Norderhaug, Ann; Oug, Eivind; Pedersen, Hans-Christian; Schartau, Ann-Kristin; van der Meeren, Gro I.; Aslaksen, Iulie; Engen, Steinar; Garnåsjordet, Per-Arild; Kvaløy, Pål; Lillegård, Magnar; Yoccoz, Nigel G.; Nybø, Signe

2011-01-01

The magnitude and urgency of the biodiversity crisis is widely recognized within scientific and political organizations. However, a lack of integrated measures for biodiversity has greatly constrained the national and international response to the biodiversity crisis. Thus, integrated biodiversity indexes will greatly facilitate information transfer from science toward other areas of human society. The Nature Index framework samples scientific information on biodiversity from a variety of sources, synthesizes this information, and then transmits it in a simplified form to environmental managers, policymakers, and the public. The Nature Index optimizes information use by incorporating expert judgment, monitoring-based estimates, and model-based estimates. The index relies on a network of scientific experts, each of whom is responsible for one or more biodiversity indicators. The resulting set of indicators is supposed to represent the best available knowledge on the state of biodiversity and ecosystems in any given area. The value of each indicator is scaled relative to a reference state, i.e., a predicted value assessed by each expert for a hypothetical undisturbed or sustainably managed ecosystem. Scaled indicator values can be aggregated or disaggregated over different axes representing spatiotemporal dimensions or thematic groups. A range of scaling models can be applied to allow for different ways of interpreting the reference states, e.g., optimal situations or minimum sustainable levels. Statistical testing for differences in space or time can be implemented using Monte-Carlo simulations. This study presents the Nature Index framework and details its implementation in Norway. The results suggest that the framework is a functional, efficient, and pragmatic approach for gathering and synthesizing scientific knowledge on the state of biodiversity in any marine or terrestrial ecosystem and has general applicability worldwide. PMID:21526118

STATUS OF CACAO WITCHES' BROOM: biology, epidemiology, and management.

PubMed

Purdy, L H; Schmidt, R A

1996-01-01

Origins of Theobroma cacao and Crinipellis perniciosa occurred in the Amazon Basin region of South America, and their interaction, the witches' broom disease, was first described in the late 1700s. The 100 years of scientific investigations of witches' broom of cacao that began in the 1890s developed the present state of knowledge of the biology and epidemiology of witches' broom that are discussed. Recommended management to reduce the deleterious effects of witches' broom on cacao production include the use of phytosanitation (removal of diseased plant parts), applications of chemical fungicides, and the use of host resistance. At present, there is a paucity of resistant planting materials, and efforts to evaluate germplasm for resistance to witches' broom are described. Research topics to augment present knowledge about witches' broom of cacao are presented with the hope that disease management can be improved.

Hazards mapping using local and scientific knowledge. A case in rural Mexico

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Solis, B.; Bocco, G.

2016-12-01

Natural hazards in rural areas in developing countries usually affect poor peasants and their infrastructure. This poses a problem of social vulnerability that coupled to the risk may cause severe hazards. Research oriented to prevention and adaptation is crucial. Other studies have proved that local knowledge and peasant's perception on hazards is a valuable tool to tackle prevention and mitigation. In the valley of Huahua river, at the Pacific coast of Mexico, landslides have directly affected rural roads hampering communication between villages. In addition some of their deposits have changed the morphology of river channels, resulting in flooding and avalanches threatening rural life and assets. At least 21 landslides are still active in the area. In this research the leading questions are: how do people perceive landslides hazard? What is the knowledge possessed by villagers facing such hazards? Could scientific and local knowledge be coupled in a hybrid format to formulate an adequate hazards map? The investigation used ethnographic techniques (participant observation, semi-structured and structured interviews, and participatory mapping) and multivariate statistical approaches based on empirical data. We will present the preliminary results, based principally on interview data and a first hazard zoning of the lower valley of the Huahua River. Our results suggest that the approach can be used in this and similar areas in developing countries.

Nine Criteria for a Measure of Scientific Output

PubMed Central

Kreiman, Gabriel; Maunsell, John H. R.

2011-01-01

Scientific research produces new knowledge, technologies, and clinical treatments that can lead to enormous returns. Often, the path from basic research to new paradigms and direct impact on society takes time. Precise quantification of scientific output in the short-term is not an easy task but is critical for evaluating scientists, laboratories, departments, and institutions. While there have been attempts to quantifying scientific output, we argue that current methods are not ideal and suffer from solvable difficulties. Here we propose criteria that a metric should have to be considered a good index of scientific output. Specifically, we argue that such an index should be quantitative, based on robust data, rapidly updated and retrospective, presented with confidence intervals, normalized by number of contributors, career stage and discipline, impractical to manipulate, and focused on quality over quantity. Such an index should be validated through empirical testing. The purpose of quantitatively evaluating scientific output is not to replace careful, rigorous review by experts but rather to complement those efforts. Because it has the potential to greatly influence the efficiency of scientific research, we have a duty to reflect upon and implement novel and rigorous ways of evaluating scientific output. The criteria proposed here provide initial steps toward the systematic development and validation of a metric to evaluate scientific output. PMID:22102840

[Open access to academic scholarship as a public policy resource: a study of the Capes database on Brazilian theses and dissertations].

PubMed

da Silva Rosa, Teresa; Carneiro, Maria José

2010-12-01

Access to scientific knowledge is a valuable resource than can inform and validate positions taken in formulating public policy. But access to this knowledge can be challenging, given the diversity and breadth of available scholarship. Communication between the fields of science and of politics requires the dissemination of scholarship and access to it. We conducted a study using an open-access search tool in order to map existent knowledge on a specific topic: agricultural contributions to the preservation of biodiversity. The present article offers a critical view of access to the information available through the Capes database on Brazilian theses and dissertations.

The changing role of history in restoration ecology

USGS Publications Warehouse

Eric Higgs,; Falk, Donald A.; Guerrini, Anita; Hall, Marcus; Harris, Jim; Hobbs, Richard J.; Jackson, Stephen T.; Rhemtulla, Jeanine M.; Throop, William

2014-01-01

In the face of rapid environmental and cultural change, orthodox concepts in restoration ecology such as historical fidelity are being challenged. Here we re-examine the diverse roles played by historical knowledge in restoration, and argue that these roles remain vitally important. As such, historical knowledge will be critical in shaping restoration ecology in the future. Perhaps the most crucial role in shifting from the present version of restoration ecology (“v1.0”) to a newer formulation (“v2.0”) is the value of historical knowledge in guiding scientific interpretation, recognizing key ecological legacies, and influencing the choices available to practitioners of ecosystem intervention under conditions of open-ended and rapid change.

"It's a Mystery!": A Case Study of Implementing Forensic Science in Preschool as Scientific Inquiry

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Howitt, Christine; Upson, Emily; Lewis, Simon

2011-01-01

Children have immense curiosity, a thirst for knowledge and a questioning attitude. They are innate scientists. The challenge for early childhood educators is to fuel this curiosity through the provision of appropriate learning experiences and an engaging environment within early learning centres. This paper presents a detailed case study of how a…

CAT Model with Personalized Algorithm for Evaluation of Estimated Student Knowledge

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Andjelic, Svetlana; Cekerevac, Zoran

2014-01-01

This article presents the original model of the computer adaptive testing and grade formation, based on scientifically recognized theories. The base of the model is a personalized algorithm for selection of questions depending on the accuracy of the answer to the previous question. The test is divided into three basic levels of difficulty, and the…