Distance education and international social work education

As a result of the development of new communication technology, distance education has become a rapidly growing area over the last few decades. Market and commercial pressures are major factors in its developing impact. Distance education has also been applied to social work education. Because it is a small field it may be both positively and negatively affected. Social work education requires face-to-face communication training. Educators need to respond to the limitations of distance education technologies and processes to provide for cultural and linguistic diversity, through openness to joint work across different cultures, anti-standardisation and -discrimination, reflexivity, user control and resources, and cultural and language translation.     

地理距离、方言文化与劳动力空间流动

本文基于百度迁徙大数据研究中国劳动力的空间流动，系统考察地理和文化对劳动力流动的影响。通过构造流动机会比率，基于引力模型和普通最小二乘法的研究表明地理距离和方言距离阻碍劳动力流动。在空间距离上，劳动力偏好邻近城市，地理距离每增加1%，劳动力的流动机会比率降低约0.6%。在空间位置上，劳动力倾向于在方言文化相近地域范围流动，方言距离每增加1%，劳动力的流动机会比率下降2%左右。通过构造两地年均降水量差距和小麦种植适宜度差距作为方言距离的工具变量，以两阶段最小二乘法估计缓解内生性问题，估计显示结论稳健。考虑普通话因素后方言距离的抑制影响依然稳健，但目的地的高普通话普及率显著发挥促进劳动力流动的引力作用。最后，本文得出持续推广普通话、加强交通建设和深化中等教育的政策建议。     

Statistical mechanical analysis of the dynamics of learning in perceptrons

We describe the application of tools from statistical mechanics to analyse the dynamics of various classes of supervised learning rules in perceptrons. The character of this paper is mostly that of a cross between a biased non-encyclopaedic review and lecture notes: we try to present a coherent and self-contained picture of the basics of this field, to explain the ideas and tricks, to show how the predictions of the theory compare with (simulation) experiments, and to bring together scattered results. Technical details are given explicitly in an appendix. In order to avoid distraction we concentrate the references in a final section. In addition this paper contains some new results: (i) explicit solutions of the macroscopic equations that describe the error evolution for on-line and batch learning rules; (ii) an analysis of the dynamics of arbitrary macroscopic observables (for complete and incomplete training sets), leading to a general Fokker–Planck equation; and (iii) the macroscopic laws describing batch learning with complete training sets. We close the paper with a preliminary expose´ of ongoing research on the dynamics of learning for the case where the training set is incomplete (i.e. where the number of examples scales linearly with the network size).     

影响大学生学习积极性的因素及对策

当代大学生学习积极性具有六大动力因素,且具明显的时代特征;而学习积极性不足现象是由社会及学校环境,特别是由主观方面的价值观因素、情感因素等因素造成。因此提高大学生学习积极性一方面应从教育理念、培养目标以及管理等方面着手,另一方面更应从正确的价值观(正面输导、培育学习兴趣、利用道德责任等)、稳定的情感以及正确的归因理论方面提出有效措施。     

A case-based distance method for screening in multiple-criteria decision aid

Screening is a process of multiple-criteria decision aid (MCDA) in which a large set of alternatives is reduced to a smaller set that most likely contains the best choice. We propose screening using a distance model calibrated on the basis of the decision-maker's own judgement. Viewing MCDA as preference aggregation based on consequence data, we define consequence and preference expressions (values and weights) and describe how they are aggregated. Then we define screening and explain some of its properties. Using an appropriate definition of distance, our case-based distance method screens a set of alternatives using criterion weights and a distance threshold obtained by quadratic optimization using the decision-maker's selection of alternatives from a test set. This case-based method can elicit the decision maker's preferences more expeditiously and accurately than direct inquiry. An application in water supply planning is used to demonstrate the procedure.     

学生授课PK法在大学课堂教学中的运用

大学课堂大多以教师讲授为主,很难听到学生的观点与异议,学生的主动性与积极性难以激发,学习效果受到严重影响。本文提出一种提高大学课堂学习效果的学生授课PK法,这种方法将改变教师一贯唱主角的教学模式,同时提高学生参与学习的主动性、积极性。     

Newsvendor Problems with Demand Shocks and Unknown Demand Distributions

In today's competitive market, demand volume and even the underlying demand distribution can change quickly for a newsvendor seller. We refer to sudden changes in demand distribution as demand shocks. When a newsvendor seller has limited demand distribution information and also experiences underlying demand shocks, the majority of existing methods for newsvendor problems may not work well since they either require demand distribution information or assume stationary demand distribution. We present a new, robust, and effective machine learning algorithm for newsvendor problems with demand shocks but without any demand distribution information. The algorithm needs only an approximate estimate of the lower and upper bounds of demand range; no other knowledge such as demand mean, variance, or distribution type is necessary. We establish the theoretical bounds that determine this machine learning algorithm's performance in handling demand shocks. Computational experiments show that this algorithm outperforms the traditional approaches in a variety of situations including large and frequent shocks of the demand mean. The method can also be used as a meta‐algorithm by incorporating other traditional approaches as experts. Working together, the original algorithm and the extended meta‐algorithm can help manufacturers and retailers better adapt their production and inventory control decisions in dynamic environments where demand information is limited and demand shocks are frequent      

Encouraging Creativity in the Social Work Classroom: Insights from a Qualitative Exploration

Creativity is vital to the learning process of social work students. Despite its importance, educators are still uncertain of ways to enhance creativity and translate it from classroom to practice. Therefore, this study examines social work student perspectives on ways to define creativity, infuse it into the classroom, and apply it as practitioners. This study qualitatively explores the open-ended insights of 37 social work students. Through an unguided semantic analysis and application of Kolb’s experiential learning theory, the following themes emerged: classroom, creativity, performance, activities, and ideas. These themes indicate that students believe that additional creative opportunities in their classrooms would eventually benefit them as practitioners. Further pedagogical emphasis on increasing student creativity through experiential learning activities would be beneficial.     

Social Work Field Educators' Views on Student Specific Learning Needs

Each year a significant proportion of students withdraw from placement in time to avoid penalty, while others fail. This article reports on a small field education research project that identified common learning issues for first placement students. Eighteen experienced supervising field educators (FEs), participated in semi structured focus groups, and identified repeat areas of difficulty in student learning that they had managed as supervisors. They also identified strategies that had been efficacious in supporting student learning. The research undertaken in 2010–2011 identified three specific themes relating to difficulties in student learning: specific student characteristics that required additional support; the university/FE partnership; student proficiency in using supervision. The findings suggest that a students' right to privacy must be considered in the provision of educational support, and that support is most effective when there is a strong partnership between the FE and university. In addition, further development of field education pedagogy may be needed to embed theory and skills related to the use of supervision and reflective learning.     

依存距离最小化是人类语言的普遍规律吗？

麻省理工学院（ MIT ）大脑与认知科学系的弗特勒尔等人对 37 种自然语言的进行了基于语料库的大数据分析,为人类语言中的依存距离最小化倾向提供了最新的实证依据,在科学研究领域引起广泛关注。 MIT 这项研究可能是迄今为止含有语言最多的依存距离研究,在普遍性的验证上较先前研究更为全面,在方法上也有自身的一些特点。但其结论与看法有多处值得商榷。早在八年前,浙江大学刘海涛团队对依存距离最小化倾向进行了较为深入的研究,推动了人们了解人类语言如何在普遍认知机制制约下形成与演化,也帮助人们更深入地认识人类的认知机制。这些研究充分体现了语言研究是一个具有交叉学科特点的研究领域,是多语言、大数据技术、语言的普遍规律、认知科学充分融合的学科。这四大因素结合起来的研究将会展现当代科学研究的光芒,并将对当代语言科学的发展起到重要的推动作用。