Strategic Developments in Open and Distance Learning in Central and Eastern Europe

This article provides a synopsis of the findings of a strategic study on developments in open and distance learning in Central and Eastern Europe. The study was undertaken during 1999 under the aegis of the PHARE Multi-country Programme in Distance Education. The aim of this article is to provide an overview of the issues addressed by the study. These include contextual issues relating to the development of open and distance learning and the changing nature of higher education, an exploration of developments across Europe and the problems associated with those developments, and a discussion of possible solutions to those problems in Central and Eastern Europe with particular reference to legislation, quality assurance and recognition, and strategic management.     

The Inside Story of Science City—An Outdoor Public Science Exhibition

Science City is an outdoor exhibition, supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF) and created by the New York Hall of Science (NYHS). It was designed to increase public awareness of, and interest in, the science and technology of daily life by creating a series of exhibits that people would “find” in public places in New York City. Using the streets and structures of the city to present the science and technology of everyday life in order to reach the non-museum-going public, eye-catching exhibits and signs were placed along fences, on streets and buildings and in subway stations and parks. The development and installation of museum exhibits for public urban spaces requires skills and experience that stretch beyond the expertise of a science-technology museum exhibition staff. This article discusses and compares on- and off-site exhibition development.     

Is it natural or processed? Elementary school teachers and conceptions about materials

This paper explores the science content knowledge of elementary school teachers, and its possible role in helping them teach effectively. These issues are explored in the context of an investigation of the views of 106 elementary school teachers who had participated in professional development courses which focused on the topic “natural and processed materials.” These practising teachers revealed a range of conceptions about materials, which have been categorized into broad types. Some of the teachers showed shifts in conceptions, from what could be described as “naïve” conceptions to more scientific views, after a 2‐day professional development activity. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 37: 1154–1170, 2000     

Information,Instruction, and Learning: A Hypermedia Perspective

Hypermedia as defined by Osgood (1987) is a tool for linking nonlinear information presented in the form of graphics, animation, video, and sound. One important question for instructional designers regarding hypermedia is how it can be used as an instructional or learning tool that enhances rather than inhibits learning. Creating hypermedia applications is a quick and easy alternative to creating courseware with older authoring systems and languages which took many hours to learn. This ease of application creation, combined with a tremendous increase in information available to our society, has resulted in a proliferation of hypermedia databases in school, university, and industry settings that is gradually moving into homes. Many of these databases are simply information media. This paper identifies important issues related to classifying a hypermedia–based information system appropriately. Based on a discussion of these issues, a call for systematic research which clarifies the role that hypermedia–based information systems can and should play in an instructional or learning environment is set forth.     

Development of teaching in ni-Vanuatu children

Teaching is an important mechanism of social learning. In industrialized societies, 3-year-olds tend to teach through demonstrations and short commands, while 5-year-olds use more verbal communication and abstract explanations. However, it remains unclear whether this generalizes to other cultures. This study presents results from a peer teaching game with 55 Melanesian children (4.7–11.4 years, 24 female) conducted in Vanuatu in 2019. Up to age 8, most participants taught through a participatory approach, emphasizing learning-by-doing, demonstrations, and short commands (57.1% of children aged 4–6 and 57.9% of children aged 7–8). Contrary to Western findings, abstract verbal communication only became common in children aged 9–11 (63.6%), suggesting that the ontogeny of teaching is shaped by the socio-cultural environment.