Cross-National Commonalities and Differences in the Intended Curriculum in Primary School Reading and Mathematics

Abstract:: The overarching purpose of the present study, commissioned by UNESCO's Institute for Statistics, is to compile, analyze and describe commonalities and differences in the intended primary curriculum in reading and mathematics across a diverse set of developing countries. The specific activities to be carried out include the following: Compile materials on the intended reading and mathematics curriculum in the final grades of primary education from a significant number of developing countries (around 25-30), and ensure adequate coverage by region and language (i.e., at least in English, Arabic, Spanish and French); Develop and validate a coding scheme to systematically record, retrieve and compare the intended reading and mathematics curriculum in different primary education systems; Discuss an interim set of products emerging from the aforementioned project activities, including the coding scheme, with the IWG through electronic means and IWG meetings; Complete all compilation activities and cross-national analyses of the intended reading and mathematics curriculum and submit a draft report for review by the IWG and UNESCO colleagues. Submit a final report with the study's main findings.

Drawings & Numbers: Five Centuries of Digital Design, Fall 2002

Abstract:: Seminar on a selected topic from Renaissance architecture. Requires original research and presentation of a report. The aim of this course is to highlight some technical aspects of the classical tradition in architecture that have so far received only sporadic attention. It is well known that quantification has always been an essential component of classical design: proportional systems in particular have been keenly investigated. But the actual technical tools whereby quantitative precision was conceived, represented, transmitted, and implemented in pre-modern architecture remain mostly unexplored. By showing that a dialectical relationship between architectural theory and data-processing technologies was as crucial in the past as it is today, this course hopes to promote a more historically aware understanding of the current computer-induced transformations in architectural design.

Abstract:: " This course develops logical, empirically based arguments using statistical techniques and analytic methods. Elementary statistics, probability, and other types of quantitative reasoning useful for description, estimation, comparison, and explanation are covered. Emphasis is on the use and limitations of analytical techniques in planning practice."