Academic maturity of students in an extended programme in mathematics

ABSTRACT

This paper focuses on the students who are registered in the University of Pretoria’s academic development programme, named the Four-year Programme (FYP). The programme was introduced as a gateway for students who are underprepared but have the potential to succeed and then continue their studies into the mainstream science programmes. Our research focuses on measuring the change in the academic maturity of these students. In the theoretical framework that we developed, academic maturity is subdivided into two components namely non-subject based maturity and subject based maturity (mathematical maturity). This paper focuses on measuring non-subject based academic maturity. The survey used for this purpose is called the Student Academic Readiness Survey (STARS), taken at the beginning of the year and after the first semester respectively. The results of the surveys are compared to measure the change in students’ views. Results show that in all constructs there is a surprising decline in students’ perceptions regarding their own abilities over the first semester at university. We use the Dunning–Kruger effect to explain this unexpected decline, in that students seem to develop a more realistic view of their own maturity, which in itself can be seen as a growth in academic maturity.     

虚拟RLC电参量测试仪

虚拟仪器在测试测量领域、自动控制和工业控制领域有着广泛的应用.为提高本科生普通物理实验训练的起点,北京大学基础物理实验中心将虚拟仪器引入到物理实验教学中.本文以虚拟RLC电参量的测量为例,介绍了虚拟仪器在物理实验中的具体应用.     

西部开发中能源配置模型的研究

开发西部丰富的能源资源,解决东部地区能源紧缺的矛盾,是东西部经济合作、优势互补、东西联动双赢战略研究的一项重要课题.在国家投资主体和市场经济条件下,以能源消费效益最大为目标,建立了基于边际效益均衡的能源空间配置优化模型;兼顾经济效益与环境效益的能源部门配置优化模型.结果显示,各地区、部门要获得更多的能源,就必须提高能源的使用效率,提高能源消费的边际效益,降低污染排放水平.     

基于LabVIEW的高温超导材料特性测试实验

高温超导体临界特性的测量是近代物理实验中最为经典的实验之一,本文通过使用GM制冷机,利用Lab-VIEW虚拟仪器软件和高性能采集卡,改进了传统的测量高温超导材料临界特性的实验装置.本测试系统不仅可以测量高温超导体在不同温度下的临界电流,还可以测量其失超传播特性.该实验对于学生了解超导体特性和培养严谨的科学作风十分有益.     

气垫导轨在刚体转动惯量测定实验中的应用

本文介绍了一种测量刚体转动惯量的新方法。即把气垫导轨和刚体转动仪结合起来来测量刚体的转动惯量,使传统的气垫导轨实验和刚体转动惯量测定实验得以更新,提高了实验测量的精度,拓展了实验内容。     

激光二极管反馈干涉的实验观测

利用LabView软件虚拟示波器和信号源,观测了激光二极管反馈干涉实验现象．实验证明反馈回激光二极管的光的入射方向和入射光强以及信号处理电路的带宽,对反馈干涉信号有很大的影响．     

多普勒效应测试仪的改进

为了解决电磁波多普勒效应在实验室演示的困难，采用单片机和一系列大规模集成电路设计了一种演示电磁波多普勒效应的测试仪器，分析了电磁波的多普勒效应原理，给出了该仪器的组成结构，介绍了该仪器铁特点。     

Designing an effective federal biomass program

This article addresses two questions: Has the effectiveness of the US governments federal research and development (R&;D) spending suffered from the post-1980 strategic change from freely shared and publicly owned to privately owned scientific advances? What criteria would a federal R&;D program use to design a strategy that most effectively enhances the well-being of farmers and rural communities? Several studies found that the pre-1980 US Department of Agriculture research strategy was very effective. No comparable studies have analyzed the comparative effectiveness of the post-1980 strategy of restricting access to the results of public research. Recent experience and several analytical studies suggest that to significantly enhance the health of rural economies from an expanded use of plant matter as an industrial material, federal policy should channel scientific and engineering research into small- and medium-sized production and processing technologies and should encourage farmer-owned, value-added enterprises.     

基于虚拟仪器的人体皮肤组织吸收光谱检测平台

本文运用光电无损检测技术,采用皮外反射式测量方法,通过光纤光谱仪和虚拟仪器构建人体皮肤组织吸收光谱检测平台.该平台适合于光子-组织相互作用基础研究及激光美容临床检测,可协助医师进行病理诊断和病变程度判别.文中给出几个吸收光谱的检测结果.     

Dynamic Model of R&D,Spillovers, and Efficiency of Bertrand and Cournot Equilibria

Using an infinite-horizon two-player differential game, we derive and compare Bertrand and Cournot equilibria for a differentiated duopoly engaging in the process of R&D competition. The main findings of this study are as follows. First, Bertrand competition is more efficient if either R&D productivity is low or products are very different. Second, Cournot competition is more efficient provided that R&D productivity is high, products are close substitutes, and spillovers are not close to zero. This last result is different from what has been obtained in the literature. Hence, this shows that considering a dynamic model and more general investment costs does have an impact on the efficiency results.