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Chaotic He-Ne laser

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A He-Ne laser is an example of a class A laser, which can be described by a single nonlinear
differential equation of the complex electric field. This laser system has only one degree of
freedom and is thus inherently stable. A He-Ne laser can be dri…

The physics of osmotic pressure

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Osmosis drives the development of a pressure difference of many atmospheres between a dilute
solution and pure solvent with which it is in contact through a semi-permeable membrane. The
educational importance of this paper is that it presents a novel…

The physics of osmotic pressure

by

Osmosis drives the development of a pressure difference of many atmospheres between a dilute
solution and pure solvent with which it is in contact through a semi-permeable membrane. The
educational importance of this paper is that it presents a novel…

Chaotic He-Ne laser

by

A He-Ne laser is an example of a class A laser, which can be described by a single nonlinear
differential equation of the complex electric field. This laser system has only one degree of
freedom and is thus inherently stable. A He-Ne laser can be dri…

Nonnative English-Speaking Students’ Lived Learning Experiences With MOOCs in a Regular College Classroom

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The goal of this study was to gain in-depth understanding about nonnative English-speaking students’ lived experiences with massive open online courses (MOOCs) in a regular college classroom. Phenomenological methodology was used to examine those experiences in 24 Korean college students. Individual interviews, an open-ended online survey, observation notes, online weekly journal entries, and social media constituted the data sources. Findings show that students’ lived experiences included (a) wonder and interest, (b) novel learning and teaching practices, (c) preference for video style, (d) learning strategies, (e) motivation to learn, and (f) need for face-to-face interaction. Implications for integrating a MOOC into a regular college course are also presented.

Learner Behaviour in a MOOC Practice-oriented Course: In Empirical Study Integrating TAM and TPB

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Few practice-oriented courses are currently integrated into online learning platforms, such as OpenCourseWare, Khan Academy, and Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs). It is worthwhile to explore how learners respond to information technology and new teaching methods when practice-oriented course are placed online. Therefore, this study probes learner willingness to participate in a practice-oriented course distributed through a MOOC platform, investigating relationships among perceptions, behavioural intentions, and actual behaviour. The current research framework integrates the Technology Acceptance Model and the Theory of Planned Behavior as its core theoretical basis. Empirical data were collected through a cross-section survey. All participants were students of 2D Animation Production, with a total of 272 respondents. The questionnaire data used Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) analysis. Results show: (a) attitude exerted the greatest influence on learners’ behavioural intention; (b) learners’ perceived behaviour control, subjective norm, and attitude, which directly and positively influence their behavioural intention; (c) behavioural intention exhibited dual mediation effects; (d) behavioural intention positively influenced actual behaviour in the C-TAM-TPB model, with a high level of overall model fit.

Using Learning Analytics for Preserving Academic Integrity

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This paper presents the results of integrating learning analytics into the assessment process to enhance academic integrity in the e-learning environment. The goal of this research is to evaluate the computational-based approach to academic integrity. The machine-learning based framework learns students’ patterns of language use from data, providing an accessible and non-invasive validation of student identities and student-produced content. To assess the performance of the proposed approach, we conducted a series of experiments using written assignments of graduate students. The proposed method yielded a mean accuracy of 93%, exceeding the baseline of human performance that yielded a mean accuracy rate of 12%. The results suggest a promising potential for developing automated tools that promote accountability and simplify the provision of academic integrity in the e-learning environment.

Student and Faculty Perceptions of OpenStax in High Enrollment Courses

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As public funding for higher education decreases and the cost to students to attend college increases, universities are searching for strategies that save students money while also increasing their chances for success. Using free online textbooks is one such strategy, and the OpenStax College initiative at Rice University is one of the most widely recognized producers of such materials. Through a mixed method approach, this article examines the student and faculty experiences of adopting and using an OpenStax textbook. With 1,299 student participants, it was found that students greatly value the quality, attributes, and the cost of the OpenStax Biology textbook, though minor concerns were raised about its online format. Faculty adoption of a free textbook provides unique opportunities for course redesign and improvement, and the approach employed in this course transformation context resulted in clearly articulated learning outcomes, a fully realized structure in the course’s learning management system, and improvements to instructional practice. The student, faculty, and course benefits of this study offer a compelling argument for the adoption of high quality open education resources (OER) in public higher education contexts.

An Evaluation of the Impact of “Learning Design” on the Distance Learning and Teaching Experience

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This paper evaluates the implementation of Learning Design on the production of a core FHEQ level 6 (QAA, 2008)[1] unit of study at a UK distance learning institution.  By comparing student (n=656) and tutor (n=42) survey data with questionnaire responses (n=9) from the unit of study’s core production team, this paper assesses the impact of incorporating the Open University Learning Design Initiative (OULDI) methodology into curriculum production by looking specifically at barriers and facilitators in the application of Learning Design and its impact on module development, delivery, and the resulting student and tutor learning experience.  With a focus on developing and embedding Learning Design into the curriculum planning and production process, the paper explores how lessons learned from this experience have helped to guide and inform the future implementation of Learning Design into module and qualification level frameworks. 

[1] Frameworks for Higher Education Qualifications in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, produced by the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (2008) – this framework provides a reference point for all Higher Education providers for the setting and assessing of academic standards.

Investigating Students’ Perceptions of Motivating Factors of Online Class Discussions

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One of the goals of teacher education is to prepare our citizens to communicate in a variety of ways. In our present society, communication using digital media has become essential. Although online discussions are a common component of many online courses, engaging students in online discussions has been a challenge. This study queried 86 educators in a math/science teacher education graduate program to examine their perceptions on the factors that motivate them to participate in online discussions.

The results revealed a pragmatic outlook on online education. In terms of intrinsic versus extrinsic motivation, the participants’ main motivation to participate in online class discussions was extrinsic (85.88%), specifically so that they could earn an acceptable participation grade. With regards to discussion grouping formats, they preferred small group discussions (81%) which could facilitate their ability to develop rapport with a small group of fellow classmates over whole class discussion (38.83%). With respect to discussion facilitation, they focused on the practical need to have the instructor to answer their questions about course assignments (67.06%) over online open discussion without a given topic (35.72%). Next, when asked about discussion question types based on Bloom’s taxonomy, their strongest preference reflected a desire for application (89.54%) questions which would facilitate their ability to use theories discussed in class in their daily work as educators. Through collaboration with twenty-first-century learners, online education can use data-driven decision making to help transform online discussion from being the least desirable component of online courses to a more relevant, instructional medium.    

Openness and Praxis: Exploring the Use of Open Educational Practices in Higher Education

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Open educational practices (OEP) is a broad descriptor of practices that include the creation, use, and reuse of open educational resources (OER) as well as open pedagogies and open sharing of teaching practices. As compared with OER, there has been little empirical research on individual educators’ use of OEP for teaching in higher education. This research study addresses that gap, exploring the digital and pedagogical strategies of a diverse group of university educators, focusing on whether, why, and how they use OEP for teaching. The study was conducted at one Irish university; semi-structured interviews were carried out with educators across multiple disciplines. Only a minority of educators used OEP. Using constructivist grounded theory, a model of the concept “Using OEP for teaching” was constructed showing four dimensions shared by open educators: balancing privacy and openness, developing digital literacies, valuing social learning, and challenging traditional teaching role expectations. The use of OEP by educators is complex, personal, and contextual; it is also continually negotiated. These findings suggest that research-informed policies and collaborative and critical approaches to openness are required to support staff, students, and learning in an increasingly complex higher education environment.

Repositories of Open Educational Resources: An Assessment of Reuse and Educational Aspects

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This article provides an overview of the current state of repositories of open educational resources (ROER) in higher education at international level. It analyses a series of educational indicators to determine whether ROER can meet the specific needs of the education context, and to clarify understanding of the reuse of open educational resources (OER) provided by ROER. The aim of the study is to assess ROER by combining these two perspectives, and to form a basis for discussion among the universities that are responsible for these repositories.

The method was based on content analysis and consisted of two phases: an exploration of international sources, and an analysis of 110 ROER using the proposed set of indicators. The results focus on data from the analysis of ROER websites and some models of good practices. They are presented according to three core dimensions for evaluating ROER: general factors to establish types of ROER, a focus on drivers for OER reuse, and a focus on educational aspects.  It was found that most of the ROER that included one or more of the proposed reuse indicators were created exclusively for educational resources. Educational aspects are not yet firmly embedded into ROER. The few repositories that seem to have successfully included them are those that provide other educational metadata and use educational standards.

Thermal Conductance of a Single-Electron Transistor

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Author(s): B. Dutta, J. T. Peltonen, D. S. Antonenko, M. Meschke, M. A. Skvortsov, B. Kubala, J. König, C. B. Winkelmann, H. Courtois, and J. P. Pekola

A single-electron transistor carries more heat than that predicted by the Wiedemann-Franz law linking thermal and electrical conductivities.


[Phys. Rev. Lett. 119, 077701] Published Tue Aug 15, 2017

Rotationally Cold ${\mathrm{OH}}^{−}$ Ions in the Cryogenic Electrostatic Ion-Beam Storage Ring DESIREE

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Author(s): H. T. Schmidt, G. Eklund, K. C. Chartkunchand, E. K. Anderson, M. Kamińska, N. de Ruette, R. D. Thomas, M. K. Kristiansson, M. Gatchell, P. Reinhed, S. Rosén, A. Simonsson, A. Källberg, P. Löfgren, S. Mannervik, H. Zettergren, and H. Cederquist

Two research teams have created the coldest molecular beams ever, putting molecules in their ground states of rotation and providing improved experimental stand-ins for interstellar gas clouds.


[Phys. Rev. Lett. 119, 073001] Published Mon Aug 14, 2017

Stress Transmission and Failure in Disordered Porous Media

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Author(s): Hadrien Laubie, Farhang Radjai, Roland Pellenq, and Franz-Josef Ulm

Simulations of porous materials exhibit internal stress patterns like those in granular materials, despite the fact that these two systems are practically “negative images” of each other.


[Phys. Rev. Lett. 119, 075501] Published Mon Aug 14, 2017

Sweltering south

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Southern Europe is in the grip of a heatwave, fuelling wildfires and water shortages. Information from the Copernicus Sentinel-3A satellite has been used to map the sweltering heat across the region

Sweltering south

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Southern Europe is in the grip of a heatwave, fuelling wildfires and water shortages. Information from the Copernicus Sentinel-3A satellite has been used to map the sweltering heat across the region

Proton-Proton Fusion and Tritium $β$ Decay from Lattice Quantum Chromodynamics

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Author(s): Martin J. Savage, Phiala E. Shanahan, Brian C. Tiburzi, Michael L. Wagman, Frank Winter, Silas R. Beane, Emmanuel Chang, Zohreh Davoudi, William Detmold, and Kostas Orginos (NPLQCD Collaboration)

A quark-based model called lattice QCD provides theoretical predictions for two weak-force-driven reactions—proton fusion and tritium decay.


[Phys. Rev. Lett. 119, 062002] Published Thu Aug 10, 2017

Greenland wildfire

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Greenland is usually associated with ice and snow, but over the last couple of weeks a wildfire, captured here by the Copernicus Sentinel-2A satellite, has been raging in the western part of the country

Tanks for the lift

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Human spaceflight image of the week: Propellant tanks that will fuel NASA’s Space Launch System deep-space rocket are ready for testing

Femtosecond Probing of Plasma Wakefields and Observation of the Plasma Wake Reversal Using a Relativistic Electron Bunch

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Author(s): C. J. Zhang, J. F. Hua, Y. Wan, C.-H. Pai, B. Guo, J. Zhang, Y. Ma, F. Li, Y. P. Wu, H.-H. Chu, Y. Q. Gu, X. L. Xu, W. B. Mori, C. Joshi, J. Wang, and W. Lu

The electric-field structure in plasma wakefield accelerators has been detected experimentally with femtosecond resolution for the first time.


[Phys. Rev. Lett. 119, 064801] Published Wed Aug 09, 2017

Nanosecond X-Ray Photon Correlation Spectroscopy on Magnetic Skyrmions

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Author(s): M. H. Seaberg, B. Holladay, J. C. T. Lee, M. Sikorski, A. H. Reid, S. A. Montoya, G. L. Dakovski, J. D. Koralek, G. Coslovich, S. Moeller, W. F. Schlotter, R. Streubel, S. D. Kevan, P. Fischer, E. E. Fullerton, J. L. Turner, F.-J. Decker, S. K. Sinha, S. Roy, and J. J. Turner

A new x-ray spectroscopy technique can measure magnetic fluctuations in vortex-like structures called Skyrmions with nanosecond resolution.


[Phys. Rev. Lett. 119, 067403] Published Wed Aug 09, 2017

Approaching Asteroid

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Operations image of the week: an international campaign has revealed that an asteroid will come within 43 000 km of our planet in October, providing a rare opportunity for intensive studies

Approaching Asteroid

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Operations image of the week: an international campaign has revealed that an asteroid will come within 43 000 km of our planet in October, providing a rare opportunity for intensive studies

Fourth Exception in the Calculation of Relic Abundances

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Author(s): Raffaele Tito D’Agnolo, Duccio Pappadopulo, and Joshua T. Ruderman

A proposal for a new mechanism of dark matter production suggests that the abundance of dark matter may be set by its inelastic scattering rate, instead of its annihilation rate.


[Phys. Rev. Lett. 119, 061102] Published Tue Aug 08, 2017

Investigating wireless power transfer

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Understanding Physics is a great end in itself, but is also crucial to keep pace with developments
in modern technology. Wireless power transfer, known to many only as a means to charge electric
toothbrushes, will soon be commonplace in charging phon…