Technology, Knowledge and Learning 16 (1): 3-34, Apr 2011
In this paper, we describe the design and implementation of computer programming activities aimed... more In this paper, we describe the design and implementation of computer programming activities aimed at introducing young students (9–13 years old) to the idea of infinity, and in particular, to the cardinality of infinite sets. This research was part of the WebLabs project where students from several European countries explored topics in mathematics and science by building computational models and programs, which they shared and discussed. We focus on a subset of the work in which students explored concepts of cardinality of infinite sets by interpreting and constructing computer programs in ToonTalk, a programming language and environment that is especially well-suited for young students. Our hypothesis is that via carefully designed computational explorations within an appropriately constructed medium, infinity can be approached in a learnable way that does not sacrifice the rigour necessary for mathematical understanding of the concept, and at the same time contributes to introducing the real spirit of mathematics to the school classroom.
A workshop on" Future Directions of Parallel Programming and Architiecture&q... more A workshop on" Future Directions of Parallel Programming and Architiecture" was held on June 6th, 1992, as one of the post-conference workshops of FGCS'92 (International Conference on Fifth Generation Computer Systems 1992 June 1-5). The workshop was organized by Jiro Tanaka, Jonas Barklund, Doug DeGroot, Nobuyuki Ichiyoshi and Ken Kahn. The workshop was intended to focus on" discussions" of the future directions of parallel programming and architecture rather than showing-andtelling one's own research ...
Search all the public and authenticated articles in CiteULike. Include unauthenticated results to... more Search all the public and authenticated articles in CiteULike. Include unauthenticated results too (may include "spam") Enter a search phrase. You can also specify a CiteULike article id (123456),. a DOI (doi:10.1234/12345678). or a PubMed ID (pmid:12345678). Click Help for advanced usage. CiteULike, Group: dtl, Search, Register, Log in, ...
Proceeding of the 2004 conference on Interaction design and children building a community - IDC '04, 2004
Abstract Providing a child-appropriate interface to an arithmetic package with large numbers and ... more Abstract Providing a child-appropriate interface to an arithmetic package with large numbers and exact fractions is surprisingly challenging. We discuss solutions to problems ranging from how to present fractions such as 1/3 to how to deal with numbers with tens of thousands of digits. As with other objects in ToonTalk��, we strive to make the enhanced numbers work in a concrete and playful manner.
Proceedings of the 2006 ACM symposium on Software visualization - SoftVis '06, 2006
Abstract Visualizations of program executions are often generated on the fly. This has many advan... more Abstract Visualizations of program executions are often generated on the fly. This has many advantages relative to off-line generation of animated video files. Video files, however, trivially support flexible viewing via controls that include reverse and fast forward. Here we report on an implementation of time travel that combines the best of both techniques. In ToonTalk both the construction and execution of programs are animated. Time travel enables the user to move back in time and replay animated executions. The replay can be ...
Designing digital technologies for deep learning is a highly non-trivial enterprise. In this pape... more Designing digital technologies for deep learning is a highly non-trivial enterprise. In this paper, we discuss one approach we have adopted that seeks to exploit the possibility of affording diverse layers of engagement that exploit the interconnectivity available on the web. In a nutshell, we describe a system that offers learners the possibility of engaging with difficult scientific and mathematical ideas without the necessity of interacting with complex layers of symbolic code���while making that interaction available at all times.
Anais do Simp��sio Brasileiro de Inform��tica na Educa����o, 2010
Resumo Este trabalho discute algumas ideias sobre modelagem e ensino de ci��ncias e apresenta o P... more Resumo Este trabalho discute algumas ideias sobre modelagem e ensino de ci��ncias e apresenta o Projeto Modelling4all, um ambiente baseado na Web para constru����o, visualiza����o, an��lise e compartilhamento de modelos baseados em agentes. O Projeto e sua linguagem���BehaviourComposer���foram constru��das utilizando ferramentas da Web 2.0 com o objetivo de permitir que n��o especialistas���estudantes e professores���explorem t��picos relacionados aos curr��culos dos ensinos m��dio e superior. Al��m disso, este artigo ...
A workshop on" Future Directions of Parallel Programming and Architiecture&q... more A workshop on" Future Directions of Parallel Programming and Architiecture" was held on June 6th, 1992, as one of the post-conference workshops of FGCS'92 (International Conference on Fifth Generation Computer Systems 1992 June 1-5). The workshop was organized by Jiro Tanaka, Jonas Barklund, Doug DeGroot, Nobuyuki Ichiyoshi and Ken Kahn. The workshop was intended to focus on" discussions" of the future directions of parallel programming and architecture rather than showing-andtelling one's own research ...
We believe that computers should be introduced in kindergarten education under the same philosoph... more We believe that computers should be introduced in kindergarten education under the same philosophy and methods employed for other elements of modern society. Children should be familiar with computers in general, not just with specific sets of skills. We see computer programming in particular as a way to empower children, allowing them to grasp fundamental computing concepts, and not fearing to use a computer in novel ways; they should be able to approach the computer-tool as an adaptable tool, without limited purposes. For the past three years, we conducted exploratory activities, to grasp overall problems and requirements
It is shown that the total number of walks, starting and ending at the same point and having the ... more It is shown that the total number of walks, starting and ending at the same point and having the same number of steps, is the same for all polytype structures in the fcc, hcp series and in the zincblende, wurtzite series and is independent of the starting point. This result is proved by showing that the eigenvalues of a simple Hamiltonian are the same within the two series considered. A relation is found between random walks in the two series of structures that is useful in extending currently available tables of random walks for the zincblende structure.
Technology, Knowledge and Learning 16 (1): 3-34, Apr 2011
In this paper, we describe the design and implementation of computer programming activities aimed... more In this paper, we describe the design and implementation of computer programming activities aimed at introducing young students (9–13 years old) to the idea of infinity, and in particular, to the cardinality of infinite sets. This research was part of the WebLabs project where students from several European countries explored topics in mathematics and science by building computational models and programs, which they shared and discussed. We focus on a subset of the work in which students explored concepts of cardinality of infinite sets by interpreting and constructing computer programs in ToonTalk, a programming language and environment that is especially well-suited for young students. Our hypothesis is that via carefully designed computational explorations within an appropriately constructed medium, infinity can be approached in a learnable way that does not sacrifice the rigour necessary for mathematical understanding of the concept, and at the same time contributes to introducing the real spirit of mathematics to the school classroom.
A workshop on" Future Directions of Parallel Programming and Architiecture&q... more A workshop on" Future Directions of Parallel Programming and Architiecture" was held on June 6th, 1992, as one of the post-conference workshops of FGCS'92 (International Conference on Fifth Generation Computer Systems 1992 June 1-5). The workshop was organized by Jiro Tanaka, Jonas Barklund, Doug DeGroot, Nobuyuki Ichiyoshi and Ken Kahn. The workshop was intended to focus on" discussions" of the future directions of parallel programming and architecture rather than showing-andtelling one's own research ...
Search all the public and authenticated articles in CiteULike. Include unauthenticated results to... more Search all the public and authenticated articles in CiteULike. Include unauthenticated results too (may include "spam") Enter a search phrase. You can also specify a CiteULike article id (123456),. a DOI (doi:10.1234/12345678). or a PubMed ID (pmid:12345678). Click Help for advanced usage. CiteULike, Group: dtl, Search, Register, Log in, ...
Proceeding of the 2004 conference on Interaction design and children building a community - IDC '04, 2004
Abstract Providing a child-appropriate interface to an arithmetic package with large numbers and ... more Abstract Providing a child-appropriate interface to an arithmetic package with large numbers and exact fractions is surprisingly challenging. We discuss solutions to problems ranging from how to present fractions such as 1/3 to how to deal with numbers with tens of thousands of digits. As with other objects in ToonTalk��, we strive to make the enhanced numbers work in a concrete and playful manner.
Proceedings of the 2006 ACM symposium on Software visualization - SoftVis '06, 2006
Abstract Visualizations of program executions are often generated on the fly. This has many advan... more Abstract Visualizations of program executions are often generated on the fly. This has many advantages relative to off-line generation of animated video files. Video files, however, trivially support flexible viewing via controls that include reverse and fast forward. Here we report on an implementation of time travel that combines the best of both techniques. In ToonTalk both the construction and execution of programs are animated. Time travel enables the user to move back in time and replay animated executions. The replay can be ...
Designing digital technologies for deep learning is a highly non-trivial enterprise. In this pape... more Designing digital technologies for deep learning is a highly non-trivial enterprise. In this paper, we discuss one approach we have adopted that seeks to exploit the possibility of affording diverse layers of engagement that exploit the interconnectivity available on the web. In a nutshell, we describe a system that offers learners the possibility of engaging with difficult scientific and mathematical ideas without the necessity of interacting with complex layers of symbolic code���while making that interaction available at all times.
Anais do Simp��sio Brasileiro de Inform��tica na Educa����o, 2010
Resumo Este trabalho discute algumas ideias sobre modelagem e ensino de ci��ncias e apresenta o P... more Resumo Este trabalho discute algumas ideias sobre modelagem e ensino de ci��ncias e apresenta o Projeto Modelling4all, um ambiente baseado na Web para constru����o, visualiza����o, an��lise e compartilhamento de modelos baseados em agentes. O Projeto e sua linguagem���BehaviourComposer���foram constru��das utilizando ferramentas da Web 2.0 com o objetivo de permitir que n��o especialistas���estudantes e professores���explorem t��picos relacionados aos curr��culos dos ensinos m��dio e superior. Al��m disso, este artigo ...
A workshop on" Future Directions of Parallel Programming and Architiecture&q... more A workshop on" Future Directions of Parallel Programming and Architiecture" was held on June 6th, 1992, as one of the post-conference workshops of FGCS'92 (International Conference on Fifth Generation Computer Systems 1992 June 1-5). The workshop was organized by Jiro Tanaka, Jonas Barklund, Doug DeGroot, Nobuyuki Ichiyoshi and Ken Kahn. The workshop was intended to focus on" discussions" of the future directions of parallel programming and architecture rather than showing-andtelling one's own research ...
We believe that computers should be introduced in kindergarten education under the same philosoph... more We believe that computers should be introduced in kindergarten education under the same philosophy and methods employed for other elements of modern society. Children should be familiar with computers in general, not just with specific sets of skills. We see computer programming in particular as a way to empower children, allowing them to grasp fundamental computing concepts, and not fearing to use a computer in novel ways; they should be able to approach the computer-tool as an adaptable tool, without limited purposes. For the past three years, we conducted exploratory activities, to grasp overall problems and requirements
It is shown that the total number of walks, starting and ending at the same point and having the ... more It is shown that the total number of walks, starting and ending at the same point and having the same number of steps, is the same for all polytype structures in the fcc, hcp series and in the zincblende, wurtzite series and is independent of the starting point. This result is proved by showing that the eigenvalues of a simple Hamiltonian are the same within the two series considered. A relation is found between random walks in the two series of structures that is useful in extending currently available tables of random walks for the zincblende structure.
We aim to find ways, tools and/or techniques that allow children in this age span to use programm... more We aim to find ways, tools and/or techniques that allow children in this age span to use programming language concepts to express rules and play with them. ToonTalk, with its visual, animated environment, and program-by-example methodology, seemed a very nice tool to start with. On this paper, we will present our experience using Portuguese ToonTalk with 7 children (5 were 4-year olds, 2 were 5- year olds), in Vila Real (Portugal) kindergartens, from May to June of 2000. The most encouraging results, including the children's enthusiasm and the robots they managed to program, will be presented, along with some of the hurdles that require longer, broader research.
Religion is, at the very least, a highly complex social phenomenon. The theories we use to unders... more Religion is, at the very least, a highly complex social phenomenon. The theories we use to understand religion and sociocultural systems more generally are often so complex that even experts in the field may not be able to see all their consequences. Social simulations can help us understand and communicate the consequences of a theory, provided we can describe the theory with sufficient precision and comprehensiveness in order to run it on a computer. In this article we demonstrate the benefits of simulating the predictions of a well-known theory in the Cognitive Science of Religion, the theory of Divergent Modes of Religiosity. Many of these predictions have already been tested against contemporary and longitudinal evidence, using the methods of both qualitative case study and large- scale survey, and some of the mechanisms responsible for the patterns observed have been investigated by means of controlled experiments. Nevertheless, in simulating the patterns of religious transmission and transformation predicted by the modes theory we discovered numerous aspects that were underspecified, generating new hypotheses for investigation in future empirical research. This back-and-forth between simulation and theory testing has the potential to accelerate progress in the scientific study of religion.
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