Effects of graduate teaching assistant attire on student learning,misbehaviors, and ratings of instruction

This study examined the influence of teaching assistant attire in the university classroom. Significant relationships were found between instructor attire and student cognitive learning, affective learning, and ratings of instruction. Analysis of variance indicated significant differences in these variables by levels of teaching assistant dress. Significant negative relationship was found between instructor attire and student likelihood of misbehavior. Analysis of variance revealed that student misbehaviors were less likely for teaching assistants with high professional dress.     

Convergence of observer ratings and student perceptions of reform practices in sixth-grade mathematics classrooms

As part of a research project examining relationships between instructional practices and student cognitive and social outcomes in middle-school mathematics classes, external observers and students reported perceptions of teachers’ instructional practices. The extent to which students in classrooms identified by external raters as reform-oriented actually perceive instruction in ways aligned with reform principles has not been established. A 25-item observation protocol aligned with the reform practices called for in the Standards of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) was used to develop a quantitative profile of instructional practices across two lessons in each of 28 classes of 15 participating teachers. Students in each of the observed classes completed a 49-item survey of their perceptions of instructional practices. As items for both the observation protocol and Student Survey were designed to measure alignment with the same dimensions of reform practice, the convergence of these two data sets was examined as a means to confirm the observation ratings. The findings show moderately strong correlations between ratings of external observers and perceptions of sixth-grade students across three dimensions (pedagogy, tasks and mathematical interactions) of reform-oriented teacher practice in mathematics classrooms. Implications of these findings for future research are discussed. The research in this article was supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF) under grant REC 0125868. The opinions expressed here are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the view of NSF. The research was also supported by the Roysters’ Fellowship to Mark Ellis from the Graduate School at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.     

Usages and impacts of the integration of information and communication technologies (ICTs) in elementary classrooms: case study of Swedish municipality schools

During recent years, many schools have started to implement information and communication technologies (ICTs)-based learning devices (such as laptops, tablets, mobile phones, and active boards) in the classroom settings in order to increase learning outcomes. The aim of this study is to find which activities and outcomes are evident in the usages of computing devices and how those devices aid elementary-level students in their learning activities. The study includes five overt participant observations at some schools in a Swedish municipality including unstructured interviews and explains the findings through activity theory and the Alberta Education Framework for Student Learning . The major activities found were dealing with the (1) educational application assignments, (2) storytelling, (3) report writing and (4) practical interaction assignments. We concluded that ICTs aid students in becoming more concentrated, focus driven, engaged and amused, thus learning becomes more interesting.     

Towards learning analytics adoption: A mixed methods study of data-related practices and policies in Latin American universities

In Latin American universities, Learning Analytics (LA) has been perceived as a promising opportunity to leverage data to meet the needs of a diverse student cohort. Although universities have been collecting educational data for years, the adoption of LA in this region is still limited due to the lack of expertise and policies for processing and using educational data. In order to get a better picture of how existing data-related practices and policies might affect the incorporation of LA in Latin American institutions, we conducted a mixed methods study in four Latin American universities (two Chilean and two Ecuadorian). In this paper, the qualitative data were based on 37 interviews with managers and 16 focus groups with 51 teaching staff and 45 students; the quantitative data were collected through two surveys answered by 1884 students and 368 teachers, respectively. The findings reveal opportunities to incorporate LA services into existing data practices in the four case studies. However, the lack of reliable information systems and policies to regulate the use of data imposes challenges that need to be overcome for future LA adoption.     

美国城市青年教师自我认同危机及其原因初探

青年教师自我认同感的危机是美国城市学校普遍面临的一个较为严重的问题。文章通过对自我认同及其相关概念进行阐释和例举美国城市青年教师自我认同危机的一些具体体现，初步分析了美国城市学校中形成青年教师自我认同危机的两个主要原因：社会心理因素和经济因素。     

A comparison of influence strategies utilized by managers in American and Japanese organizations

This study is a preliminary investigation of computer‐mediated communication (CMC) as a functional alternative to face‐to‐face communication. We examined the relationships between motives for using the Internet as a CMC channel and motives for face‐to‐face interactions as well as the influence of locus of control and communication apprehension as antecedents of face‐to‐face and mediated interactions. We surveyed a sample (N=132) of Internet users and tested the hypothesis that no differences exist between CMC and interpersonal communication motives (i.e., that they would be functional alternatives). We also used MANOVA and ANOVA procedures to see if main and interaction effects existed for high and low locus of control and high and low CMC apprehension respondents on interpersonal and media motives. Results indicated CMC Apprehension main effect differences for communication motives, and that use of the Internet as a communication channel is not perceived as a functional alternative to face‐to‐face communication.     

我国英汉学习词典中英美变体处理初探

英国英语和美国英语是最主要的两种英语变体,它们在发音、拼写、词汇、语法、语用层面上都存在着差异。但我国现有英汉学习词典对此处理较随意。本文以英国英语和美国英语介词用法的差异为例探讨英美语体信息在英汉学习词典中的信息标注问题,并提出两点建议:(1)借鉴国外编纂英语词典的体例模式,全面地标注英国英语和美国英语的用法差异;(2)建立完整的参见系统,避免参见扑空。     

高校学生党员培养考察工作模式创新探究

学生党员培养考察是学生党员组织发展工作中的关键环节。学生党员培养考察工作面临着数量与质量、党务队伍建设的滞后与党员发展工作要求、传统的培养考察工作模式与学生党建工作发展需要之间的挑战。在新时期,构建学生党员培养"四级教育培养模式"和"四级信息数据库",形成"过程梯级教育培养"和"‘实时-立体-动态’考察"工作模式是高校学生党员培养考察工作模式有益的探索。     

A comparison of sentence-learning errors in children of different achievement levels

Theoretical analyses of the multiple-choice test format suggest that a test constructor should give serious consideration to the form in which correct and incorrect alternatives are presented. In this experiment, third and fourth graders were tested for previously exposed information by multiple-choice items in which: (a) correct alternatives were stated in either verbatim or synonym form; and (b) incorrect alternatives consisted of plausible responses that were either familiar or new. Comparisons of errors and error patterns were made between high and low achieving students who had been given one of two different information-processing strategies. Based on a dual test function argument, it was concluded that synonym correct alternatives combined with plausible new responses are the most desirable of the four multiple-choice variations studied here. In particular, such items were sensitive to achievement level and strategy differences without systematically increasing students' likelihood of retaining misinformation.     

中美政府国防白皮书与国家身份的构建

国防白皮书是构建国家身份、对外宣传的一条重要渠道和语篇形式,是一国国家政策的重要组成部分。选取2004年至2008年间中国和美国发布的国防白皮书为语料,采用定性和定量相结合的话语分析方法,对中美国防白皮书在选词、分类和情态以及语篇结构等方面进行比较分析,重点考察中美国防白皮书是如何构建各自的国家身份及其蕴含的社会文化价值观,可以发现在国防白皮书中,中国努力构建热爱和平、促进共同发展的国家形象和身份,美国则将自己塑造成一个具有全球战略利益的霸权国家。     

高校惩戒权解释规则研究

高校惩戒权规定过于抽象,同时高校欠缺实施惩戒权的必要性知识,因而需要对惩戒权进行规范性解释。将待处理事项“嵌套”于惩戒规范之内时,需要高校自觉遵守法解释的基本准则。高校惩戒权的实施应建立在科学解释规则之上,采用客观解释、形式解释、严格解释与灵活解释相结合的路径阐释高校惩戒权,将“目的至上”作为高校惩戒权解释的最高准则。高校惩戒权的目的是“育人”,动辄“开除学籍”“不授予学位”是违背“育人”目的的惩戒,不具有正当性。