Surprises in Theoretical Physics

Surprises in Theoretical Physics

Author: Rudolf Ernst Peierls

Publisher: Princeton University Press

Published: 1979-11-21

Total Pages: 180

ISBN-13: 9780691082424

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Problems in theoretical physics often lead to paradoxical answers; yet closer reasoning and a more complete analysis invariably lead to the resolution of the paradox and to a deeper understanding of the physics involved. Drawing primarily from his own experience and that of his collaborators, Sir Rudolf Peierls selects examples of such "surprises" from a wide range of physical theory, from quantum mechanical scattering theory to the theory of relativity, from irreversibility in statistical mechanics to the behavior of electrons in solids. By studying such surprises and learning what kind of possibilities to look for, he suggests, scientists may be able to avoid errors in future problems. In some cases the surprise is that the outcome of a calculation is contrary to what physical intuition seems to demand. In other instances an approximation that looks convincing turns out to be unjustified, or one that looks unreasonable turns out to be adequate. Professor Peierls does not suggest, however, that theoretical physics is a hazardous game in which one can never foresee the surprises a detailed calculation might reveal. Rather, he contends, all the surprises discussed have rational explanations, most of which are very simple, at least in principle. This book is based on the author's lectures at the University of Washington in the spring of 1977 and at the Institut de Physique Nucleaire, University de Paris-Sud, Orsay, during the winter of 1977-1978.


Perspectives on Conceptual Change

Perspectives on Conceptual Change

Author: Barbara J. Guzzetti

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2013-12-16

Total Pages: 269

ISBN-13: 1135454582

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Perspectives on Conceptual Change presents case study excerpts illustrating the influence on and processes of students' conceptual change, and analyses of these cases from multiple theoretical frameworks. Researchers in reading education have been investigating conceptual change and the effects of students' prior knowledge on their learning for more than a decade. During this time, this research had been changing from the general and cognitive--average effects of interventions on groups of students--to the specific and personal--individuals' reactions to and conceptual change with text structures. Studies in this area have begun to focus on the social, contextual, and affective influences on conceptual change. These studies have potential to be informed by other discourses. Hence, this book shows the results of sharing data--in the form of case study excerpts--with researchers representing varying perspectives of analyses. Instances of learning are examined from cross disciplinary views. Case study authors in turn respond to the case analyses. The result is a text that provides multiple insights into understanding the learning process and the conditions that impact learning.


Handbook of Research on Effective Electronic Gaming in Education

Handbook of Research on Effective Electronic Gaming in Education

Author: Ferdig, Richard E.

Publisher: IGI Global

Published: 2008-07-31

Total Pages: 1762

ISBN-13: 1599048116

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"This book presents a framework for understanding games for educational purposes while providing a broader sense of current related research. This creative and advanced title is a must-have for those interested in expanding their knowledge of this exciting field of electronic gaming"--Provided by publisher.


The Psychology of Science Text Comprehension

The Psychology of Science Text Comprehension

Author: José Otero

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2014-04-04

Total Pages: 472

ISBN-13: 1135647178

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This volume's goal is to provide readers with up-to-date information on the research and theory of scientific text comprehension. It is widely acknowledged that the comprehension of science and technological artifacts is very difficult for both children and adults. The material is conceptually complex, there is very little background knowledge for most individuals, and the materials are often poorly written. Therefore, it is no surprise that students are turned off from learning science and technology. Given these challenges, it is important to design scientific text in a fashion that fits the cognitive constraints of the learner. The enterprise of textbook design needs to be effectively integrated with research in discourse processing, educational technology, and cognitive science. This book takes a major step in promoting such an integration. This volume: *provides an important integration of research and theory with theoretical, methodological, and educational applications; *includes a number of chapters that cover how science text information affects mental representations and strategies; *introduces important suggestions about how text design and new technologies can be thought of as pedagogical features; and *establishes academic text taxonomies and a consensus of the criteria to organize inferences and other mental mechanisms.


Proceedings of the European Cognitive Science Conference 2007

Proceedings of the European Cognitive Science Conference 2007

Author: Stella Vosniadou

Publisher: Taylor & Francis

Published: 2017-09-29

Total Pages: 976

ISBN-13: 1317705564

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This volume contains the invited lectures, invited symposia, symposia, papers and posters presented at the 2nd European Cognitive Science Conference held in Greece in May 2007. The papers presented in this volume range from empirical psychological studies and computational models to philosophical arguments, meta-analyses and even to neuroscientific experimentation. The quality of the work shows that the Cognitive Science Society in Europe is an exciting and vibrant one. There are 210 contributions by cognitive scientists from 27 different countries, including USA, France, UK, Germany, Greece, Italy, Belgium, Japan, Spain, the Netherlands, and Australia. This book will be of interest to anyone concerned with current research in Cognitive Science.


EBOOK: Good Practice in Science Teaching: What Research Has to Say

EBOOK: Good Practice in Science Teaching: What Research Has to Say

Author: Jonathan Osborne

Publisher: McGraw-Hill Education (UK)

Published: 2010-05-16

Total Pages: 256

ISBN-13: 0335238599

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"The book has wide appeal in that the issues investigated - for example, the nature of science, practical work, the role of language, of technology and formative and summative assessment - are relevant and pertinent to science teachers' work in all school systems." Professor David F Treagust, Curtin University of Technology, Australia This new edition of Good Practice in Science Teaching offers a comprehensive overview of the major areas of research and scholarship in science education. Each chapter summarizes the research work and evidence in the field, and discusses its significance, reliability and implications for the practice of science teaching. Thoroughly revised throughout, the new edition includes: Three new chapters covering: the learning of science in informal contexts; teacher professional development; and technology-mediated learning Updates to every chapter, reflecting the changes and developments in science education Further reading sections at the end of each chapter Each chapter has been written by science education researchers with national or international reputations. Each topic is approached in a straight-forward manner and is written in a concise and readable style. This invaluable guide is ideal for science teachers of children of all ages, and others who work in teaching and related fields. It is an essential text for teachers in training and those studying for higher degrees. Contributors: Philip Adey, Paul Black, Maria Evagorou, John Gilbert, Melissa Glackin, Christine Harrison, Jill Hohenstein, Heather King, Alex Manning, Robin Millar, Natasha Serret, Shirley Simon, Julian Swain, Mary Webb.


Intentional Conceptual Change

Intentional Conceptual Change

Author: Gale M. Sinatra

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2003-01-30

Total Pages: 518

ISBN-13: 1135648913

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This volume brings together a distinguished, international list of scholars to explore the role of the learner's intention in knowledge change. Traditional views of knowledge reconstruction placed the impetus for thought change outside the learner's control. The teacher, instructional methods, materials, and activities were identified as the seat of change. Recent perspectives on learning, however, suggest that the learner can play an active, indeed, intentional role in the process of knowledge restructuring. This volume explores this new, innovative view of conceptual change learning using original contributions drawn from renowned scholars in a variety of disciplines. The volume is intended for scholars or advanced students studying knowledge acquisition and change, including educational psychology, developmental psychology, science education, cognitive science, learning science, instructional psychology, and instructional and curriculum studies.