Abstracts - Earli

Data-texts in science educationRichard Duschl, GSE-Rutgers University, USALucy Avraamidou, Intercollege, CyprusContemporary policy documents seeking reforms in science education have called for substantialchanges in our thinking about instructional approaches and the design of learning environments.Built upon Giere’s views on model-based science, this paper proposes a contemporary approach toscience education which we call Evidence-Explanation approach. This approach places emphasison the epistemological conversations about data transformations in science. The process of datatransformation, which we refer to as data-texts, we claim, unfolds the processes of knowledgeconstruction and reveals the nature of scientific practice. Our claim is that a focus on theconversations surrounding the acquisition of data and the subsequent transformations of data toevidence, evidence to models, models to explanations (i.e. data-texts) can enhance the teachingand learning of and about science.Worry as a barrier to learning: What are New Zealand preadolescent students worrying about?Michael Townsend, Massey University, New ZealandNeil Burton, University of Auckland, New ZealandWorry in childhood has been linked to anxiety-related disorders and mental health conditions thatreduce the potential for learning in school. The incidence of these psychological conditionsappears to have risen in New Zealand over recent years. This study examined the content andfrequency of children’s worries in a sample of 111 ‘normal’ preadolescent (10 and 11 year-old)children in New Zealand. Children first listed their worries in a free-response task. They then ratedthe frequency of their worry about 42 specific issues representing seven themes (school, home,social acceptance, appearance, health and safety, the environment, and the future). Ten percent ofthe children were also interviewed about the worries of children their age. All children completeda trait anxiety scale. Statistical analyses of the ratings indicated modest and similar levels of worryacross all seven themes, with ratings significantly related to trait anxiety but largely unaffected bygender. Qualitative analyses suggested that worries were more likely to be about school, healthand safety, and social issues. Worries had implications for school motivation, in particular, selfworth,confidence and perceived control. The results are discussed with reference to prior researchoverseas, and in terms of their implications for teaching and parenting.TAO: architecture and use cases of a collaborative, internet-based platform for computer-assistedtestingRomain Martin, University of Luxembourg - EMACS research unit, LuxembourgThibaud Latour, CRP Henri Tudor, LuxembourgReginald Burton, University of Luxembourg - EMACS research unit, LuxembourgGilbert Busana, University of Luxembourg - EMACS research unit, LuxembourgUlrich Keller, University of Luxembourg - EMACS research unit, LuxembourgMonique Reichert, University of Luxembourg - EMACS research unit, LuxembourgPatrick Plichart, CRP Henri Tudor, LuxembourgRaynald Jadoul, CRP Henri Tudor, LuxembourgJudith Swietlik, CRP Henri Tudor, LuxembourgThe TAO framework is an open-source project which provides a very general and openarchitecture for computer-assisted test development and delivery. As upcoming evaluation needswill imply the collaboration among a large number of stakeholders situated at different– 435 –