links for 2009-04-17

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Thorium-fuelled exports coming from India "The original design is fuelled by a mix of uranium-233 and plutonium bred from thorium using fast neutron power reactors earlier in a thorium fuel cycle. The LEU variant is suitable for export because it does away with the plutonium, replacing it with…
Hope in a box: The A.V. Club's guide to holiday gifts for the new era of good feelings | The A.V. Club "Words like "need" or "necessary" lose all meaning around Christmas, even when the economy is collapsing. For example, does anyone actually need a flexible plastic case to prevent their bananas…
NASA Unveils Images From Repaired Hubble Telescope - NYTimes.com "Dr. Weiler noted that the telescope was now in the best shape of its 19-year life in orbit, far surpassing the ambitions of its founders, and that it could last for at least another five years. "Hubble gets better and better and…
The Art of SATergy - Freakonomics Blog - NYTimes.com "Consider the following question for the GMAT (the test given to MBA applicants). Unfortunately, issues of copyright clearance have prevented us from reproducing the question, but that shouldn't stop us. " (tags: science education academia…

On the Ohio State thing...so students who are proactive and self motivated do better than those who aren't? Not saying its a bad idea (actually, its a wonderful idea, and hopefully not just available to 'at risk' students), just that these kind of things are hard to measure.

About the only thing they don't control is the tiny bit of "proactive" behavior needed to enroll in the class, which isn't much compared to what it takes to pass: writing over 20 assignments each week.

What is interesting to me about that OSU article is that this is not an example of a study of a pilot class where its success is dependent on a particular instructor. Our class of that type does not seem to have fared as well as its enrollment has expanded with many sections being taught by first-time adjuncts.

I'd be interested to see what grading tools they give the people looking at those 216,000 submissions!