Alternative Tasks for the Teaching and the Learning of functions: analysis of an intervention in the High School

In this paper we focus on the application of two mathematical alternative tasks to the teaching and learning of functions with high school students. The tasks were elaborated according to the following methodological approach: (i) Problem Solving and/or mathematics investigation and (ii) a pedagogical proposal, which defends that mathematical knowledge is developed by means of a balance between logic and intuition. We employed a qualitative research approach (characterized as a case study) aimed at analyzing the didactic pedagogical potential of this type of methodology in high school. We found that tasks such as those presented and discussed in this paper provide a more significant learning for the students, allowing a better conceptual understanding, becoming still more powerful when one considers the social-cultural context of the students.

The place of (explicit) grammar within the methods and approaches of foreign language teaching: in the north, in the centre or on the margins?

This article analyzes the role that has been attributed to grammar throughout the history of foreign language teaching, with special emphasis on methods and approaches of the twentieth century. In order to support our argument, we discuss the notion of grammar by proposing a conceptual continuum that includes the main meanings of the term which are relevant to our research. We address as well the issue of "pedagogical grammar" and consider the position of grammar in the different approaches of the "era of the methods" and the current "post-method condition" in the field of language teaching and learning. The findings presented at the end of the text consist of recognizing the central role that grammar has played throughout the history of the methods and approaches, where grammar has always been present by the definition of the contents' progression. The rationale that we propose for this is the recognition of the fact that the dissociation between what is said and how it is said can not be more than theoretical and, thus, artificial.

A critical analysis on "Active Learning" in the light of Cultural-Historical Activity Theory (CHAT): Implications to Physics Education and to experimental activities as a particular case.

This is a research paper in which we discuss “active learning” in the light of Cultural-Historical Activity Theory (CHAT), a powerful framework to analyze human activity, including teaching and learning process and the relations between education and wider human dimensions as politics, development, emancipation etc. This framework has its origin in Vygotsky's works in the psychology, supported by a Marxist perspective, but nowadays is a interdisciplinary field encompassing History, Anthropology, Psychology, Education for example.

DIGITAL LIBRARIES AND LEARNING OBJECTS REPOSITORIES

Discusses the technological changes that affects learning organizations as well as the human, technical, legal and sustainable aspects regarding learning objects repositories creation, maintenance and use. It presents concepts of information objects and learning objects, the functional requirements needed to their storage at Learning Management Systems. The role of Metadata is reviewed concerning learning objects creation and retrieval, followed by considerations about learning object repositories models, community participation/collaborative strategies and potential derived metrics/indicators. As a result of this desktop research, it can be said that not only technical competencies are critical to any learning objects repository implementation, but it urges that an engaged community of interest be establish as a key to support a learning object repository project. On that matter, researchers are applying Activity Theory (Vygostky, Luria y Leontiev) in order to seek joint perceptions and actions involving learning objects repository users, curators and managers, perceived as critical assets to a successful proposal.

VIBRATIONAL ANALYSIS OF COORDINATION COMPOUNDS OF NICKEL (II): AN APPROACH TO THE TEACHING OF POINT GROUPS

VIBRATIONAL ANALYSIS OF COORDINATION COMPOUNDS OF NICKEL (II): AN APPROACH TO THE TEACHING OF POINT GROUPS. This paper presents an IR and Raman experiment executed during the teaching of the course "Chemical Bonds" for undergraduated students of Science and Technology and Chemistry at the Federal University of ABC, in order to facilitate and encourage the teaching and learning of group theory. Some key aspects of this theory are also outlined. We believe that student learning was more significant with the introduction of this experiment, because there was an increase in the discussions level and in the performance during evaluations. This work also proposes a multidisciplinary approach to include the use of quantum chemistry tools.

Bias and learning in temporal binding: intervals between actions and outcomes are compressed by prior bias

It has consistently been shown that agents judge the intervals between their actions and outcomes as compressed in time, an effect named intentional binding. In the present work, we investigated whether this effect is result of prior bias volunteers have about the timing of the consequences of their actions, or if it is due to learning that occurs during the experimental session. Volunteers made temporal estimates of the interval between their action and target onset (Action conditions), or between two events (No-Action conditions). Our results show that temporal estimates become shorter throughout each experimental block in both conditions. Moreover, we found that observers judged intervals between action and outcomes as shorter even in very early trials of each block. To quantify the decrease of temporal judgments in experimental blocks, exponential functions were fitted to participants’ temporal judgments. The fitted parameters suggest that observers had different prior biases as to intervals between events in which action was involved. These findings suggest that prior bias might play a more important role in this effect than calibration-type learning processes.