Open University

About: Open University is a education organization based out in Milton Keynes, United Kingdom. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Context (language use) & Population. The organization has 11702 authors who have published 35020 publications receiving 1110835 citations. The organization is also known as: Open University, The & Open University.

The role of laboratory work in university chemistry

Abstract: The place of experimental work in laboratories has always assumed a high profile at all levels of chemical education. This paper seeks to review the main strands of evidence available today and argues that the place of experimental work needs to be reconsidered at higher education levels. There is a need for a clarification of aims and objectives, and these need to be communicated to learners. It argues that higher education needs to be acutely aware of what goes on at school and to build on these skills. Pre-laboratory exercises are strongly supported by the evidence, while there needs to be a radical re-thinking of the use of laboratory manuals, with assessment being explored afresh. In addition, seeing the laboratory experience in the context of what goes on before and after, as well as other learning, will enhance the learning potential of this time. Examples of some ways forward are presented. Overall, it is argued that much more could be gained by the students if the laboratory experience, using similar experiments, was radically re- thought. [Chem. Educ. Res. Pract., 2007, 8 (2), 172-185]

A Motivational Perspective on the Relation Between Mental Effort and Performance: Optimizing Learner Involvement in Instruction

Abstract: Motivation can be identified as a dimension that determines learning success and causes the high dropout rate among online learners, especially in complex e-learning environments. It is argued that these learning environments represensent a new challenge to cognitive load researchers to investigate the motivational effects of instructional conditions and help instructional designers to predict which instructional configurations will maximize learning and transfer. Consistent with the efficiency perspective introduced by Paas and Van Merrienboer (1993), an alternative motivational perspective of the relation between mental effort and performance is presented. We propose a procedure to compute and visualize the differential effects of instructional conditions on learner motivation, and illustrate this procedure on the basis of an existing data set. Theoretical and practical implications of the motivational perspective are discussed.

On some classes of bi-univalent functions

Abstract: Publisher Summary This chapter discusses some classes of bi-univalent functions. It presents several classes of functions f(z) = z + ∑anzn that are analytic and univalent in the unit disc U = {z : | z | < l}. The class of all such functions is denoted by S. The σ denotes the class of all functions of the form f(z) = z + ∑anzn that are analytic and bi-univalent in the unit disc, that is, f ∈ S and f−1 has a univalent analytic continuation to {| w | < l}. The chapter also introduces the following classes: (1) the class S*σ [α] of strongly bi-starlike functions of order α, 0 < α ≤ 1; (2) the class S*σ(β) of bi-starlike functions of order β, 0 ≤ β < 1; and (3) the class Cσ(β) of bi-convex functions of order β, 0 ≤ β < 1.

A skew extension of the t -distribution, with applications

Abstract: Summary: A tractable skew t-distribution on the real line is proposed. This includes as a special case the symmetric t-distribution, and otherwise provides skew extensions thereof. The distribution is potentially useful both for modelling data and in robustness studies. Properties of the new distribution are presented. Likelihood inference for the parameters of this skew t-distribution is developed. Application is made to two data modelling examples.