Cooperative Learning for Academic and Social Gains: valued pedagogy,problematic practice

A growing number of governments, seeking to modernise their country's education system, adapt cooperative learning (CL) as a major component of their educational policy. Since the 1960s, when CL re-emerged to become a systematic pedagogy, CL practice has been constantly refined on the basis of ongoing research. Research results have consistently shown that CL improves students' academic achievement as well as social interaction when carried out responsibly. CL methods and procedures are designed to promote cooperation and mutual assistance among learners and often carry over to relationships outside the school. Translating the promise of CL to practice is more complicated than meets the eye, and does not always guarantee that its desired goals are achieved. This article sets out to explore some of the causes of the discrepancy between the promise and practice of CL, such as confusion about methods, lack of adequate preparation, and teachers' perceptions of teaching in general and of CL in particular.     

Threshold capabilities: threshold concepts and knowledge capability linked through variation theory

The Threshold Capability Integrated Theoretical Framework (TCITF) is presented as a framework for the design of university curricula, aimed at developing graduates’ capability to deal with previously unseen situations in their professional, social, and personal lives. The TCITF is a new theoretical framework derived from, and heavily dependent upon, the ideas of the Threshold Concepts Framework (Meyer and Land 2003a; Land et al. 2006) and Capability Theory (Bowden and Marton 1998; Bowden et al. 2000; Bowden 2004). Capability theory is firmly based in phenomenography and variation theory, is concerned with the development of knowledge capability, but has had limited application in practice. The threshold concepts framework has enjoyed greater acceptance by a large range of academics in many fields. This acceptance has initially focussed on analytic studies of what constitutes a threshold concept—and the location and distribution of such concepts—in a given domain. In many instances subsequent attention has focussed on issues of pedagogy and assessment, including the design of curricula. We propose a merging of capability theory and the threshold concepts framework and argue that capability and variation theories provide the ideal mechanism for developing a strong pedagogical approach based on newly emerging knowledge of the critical features of threshold concepts within different domains.     

Action learning: developing critical competencies for knowledge era workers

For most of the twentieth century, the goal in education was the generation and dissemination of information. With the rise of technology and unlimited access to information, it is the ability to apply knowledge and learn from experience that is the new priority for employee development. Action learning, with its emphasis on action and reflection, provides an effective means to develop the learning competencies our new world requires. This article describes the action learning process used in a Fortune 500 company and highlights the findings of a learning competencies evaluation survey.     

Learning Communities,Academic Performance,Attrition, and Retention: A Four-Year Study

This study extends and makes unique methodological contributions to research on the impact of learning communities (LCs) on community college students. Much of the previous research was short-term, lacked adequate comparison groups, and focused on four-year college students. This four-year study controlled for instructor-related variables by comparing academic outcomes of LC students with those of non-LC students taught by the same instructor during the same semester. Differences in grades, attrition, and retention were compared between students enrolled in two pairs of linked English 101 and Psychology 101 LC classes and students enrolled in non-LC courses with the same professor. Student enrollment in the LC courses was associated with higher grade point averages, lower course attrition rates, and higher fall-to-spring semester retention rates. Reasons for the relative scarcity of LCs in community colleges is discussed, along with recommendations as to how institutions can encourage the growth of LCs on their campuses.     

Global inequality,capabilities, social justice: The millennium development goal for gender equality in education

The Millennium Development Goal (MDG) for gender equality in education by 2005 has been criticised for its grandiose ambition, its failure to adequately conceptualise the nature of gender inequality or the diverse forms this takes, the inadequate policies developed to put the goal into practice and the limited measurements used for monitoring. The paper argues for a strategic defence of the MDG as an opportunity to think more widely about what the contents of rights in education are and how gender equality might be advanced. Drawing on the capability approach of Amartya Sen and Martha Nussbaum it considers gender equality in education in relation to wellbeing and agency freedom and achievement. Utilising Thomas Pogge's taxonomy of institutional conditions for human flourishing the paper considers how global, national and local policy might better measure gender equality in pursuit of the MDG.     

Letter knowledge, phonological processing, and print knowledge: skill development in nonreading preschool children

Development of reading skills was examined in 4-year-old children from low-income homes attending a prekindergarten program. Fall to spring gains in letter identification were examined and compared with skills in phonological processing, rhyme detection, and environmental print, and with performance on a screening tool (Get Ready to Read). It was anticipated that participants might show slow skill development. However, the identification of a large group of children (n = 30) who made little or no gains in letter identification compared to their classmates (n = 27), whose gains averaged 7 letters, was not anticipated. Fall to spring gains in letter identification correlated with phonological processing, rhyme detection, environmental print, and Get Ready to Read! scores. Age and general cognitive skills influenced performance on some tasks. More knowledge of the characteristics of children who show the most variations in skill development may lead to insights on using classroom curriculum to focus on skill development.     

Academic development,SoTL and educational research

This essay considers the relation between academic development, the scholarship of teaching and learning, and educational research. It does so with reference to questions of academic identity and disciplinary expertise, arguing that as developers we need to consider carefully the ways in which we frame how we approach attempts to foster reflective practice through the scholarship of teaching and learning. Rather than positioning SoTL as educational research, it may make more sense to approach it strategically as a means of development oriented towards more local levels of practice.     

RULER: A Theory-Driven,Systemic Approach to Social,Emotional, and Academic Learning

Social and emotional learning (SEL) is the process of integrating cognition, emotion, and behavior in our lives. In school settings, it involves systemic practices to incorporate SEL into leading, teaching, learning such that adults and children build self- and social awareness, learn to manage their own and other’s emotions and behavior, make responsible decisions, and build positive relationships. Here, we describe RULER, a systemic evidence-based approach to SEL, including its Theory of Change, and key theories that are foundational to the approach. RULER’s implementation model also is described, which involves training for school leaders, educators, and staff; integrating SEL into the curriculum across grade levels; infusing SEL into schoolwide practices and policies; and engaging families and the broader community. RULER’s current and expected outcomes for children and adults are reviewed, including both proximal (e.g., more developed emotion skills and enhanced classroom climate) and distal (e.g., reduced teacher stress and burnout and greater academic performance) outcomes. RULER’s future directions also are discussed.     

Collaborative research for sustainable learning: the case of developing innovation capabilities at Volvo Cars

This paper aims to make a contribution to the stream of literature on action research by describing a longitudinal collaborative research project which evolved out of a long-term, participation partnership with Volvo Cars. The collaboration was aimed at developing innovation capabilities in the company and accumulating knowledge on how capabilities are developed. The paper provides insights into the design of collaborative research projects to enable mutual, sustainable learning. It draws on key notions in the literature on collaborative management research and action learning, highlighting the research design of the project at Volvo Cars and its relations to action learning. The paper describes how the research design opened the way to establishing a learning system at Volvo Cars while simultaneously generating new scientific knowledge within the area of innovation capabilities. The paper provides rich and detailed data on a collaborative research setting and highlights key aspects related to organizing and undertaking collaborative research.     

Characterising and developing vocational mathematical knowledge

In this introductory article, I argue why this special issue focuses on the question of how the mathematical knowledge required at work can be characterised and developed in vocational education and workplace training. After some words on the importance of this subfield of mathematics education and the need to rethink metaphors of learning in this area, I summarise the structure of the special issue and highlight a few main points raised in the various contributions.     

Learning Style,Academic Belief Systems,Self-report Student Proficiency and Academic Achievement in Higher Education

Both learning style and academic belief systems have been identified as significant factors contributing to academic achievement. This paper evaluates the efficacy of teaching and learning in higher education by investigating the relationship between students assessment of their own academic proficiency (in this case Research Methods Proficiency [RMP]), learning style, academic locus of control, academic self-efficacy and academic achievement. First and second year undergraduate students' RMP was measured before and after completing modules in Research Methods. Students also completed measures of approaches to learning, academic self-efficacy and academic locus of control. Academic achievement (module mark) was also recorded. Results showed that perceived proficiency increased after completing the taught modules and that perceived proficiency was positively correlated with academic performance. Level 1 students, taught under the recently modified programme, reported significantly higher perceived proficiency than Level 2 students taught under the previous programme. Perceived proficiency was positively correlated with a strategic learning approach and negatively correlated with a surface learning approach and external locus of control beliefs. Academic achievement was also positively correlated with a strategic learning approach and negatively correlated with an apathetic learning approach. A deep learning approach failed to be associated with either RMP or academic achievement. It is suggested that: (i) these findings confirm, to some degree, the suggestion that there is an emphasis in later education on performance rather than learning (Lyddy, 1998); and (ii) perceived proficiency is a useful evaluation measure and is likely to contribute to effective and productive teaching and learning within higher education.     

Perceived Classroom Control,Self-Regulated Learning Strategies,and Academic Achievement

Relations between perceived classroom control, self-regulation strategies and academic achievement were investigated in a sample of 302 sixth grade students. Four distinct perceived classroom control styles were determined, based on the balance between teacher and student control over learning. It was hypothesised that student mathematics achievement would be contingent on the combined effects of teacher and student control: it would be highest when both teacher and student control is high, and would be lowest when both of them are low. Student adoption of self-regulated learning strategies would be linked to the net effect of student control: they would be highest when student control is high and teacher control is low, and would be lowest when teacher control is high and student control is low. The data tended to support these hypotheses, indicating that both achievement and self-regulation strategies were contingent on classroom processes.     

谴责学术腐败 加强学风建设

近几年来，在对知识分子价值评价的某些环节上，采用简单数字量化的管理模式和形式主义的操作方法，评职称、提工资等涉及个人名利的精神压力过重，助长了一些人们急功近利、浮躁轻薄之风．以致弄虚作假、抄袭剽窃他人研究成果的丑闻屡见不鲜。少数人学风文风的败坏，也损害了学术界整体的声誉和形象。