Craft Education in Finland: Definitions,Rationales and the Future

The status, content, and social factors influencing craft education in Finland, a standard subject in comprehensive schools, were examined during interviews with craft teachers, craft teacher preparers, and educational administrators. In this paper, the following areas are examined: How are crafts defined? What rationales and cultural and social factors keep craft education robust and what factors threaten it? What is perceived as the future of craft education? The status, content, and social factors influencing craft education in Finland, a standard subject in comprehensive schools, were examined during interviews with craft teachers, craft teacher preparers, and educational administrators. In this paper, the following areas are examined: How are crafts defined? What rationales and cultural and social factors keep craft education robust and what factors threaten it? What is perceived as the future of craft education? interviewees for teaching craft in schools fell into five categories: craft provides 1) cognitive development in several dimensions, 2) learning about living in the world, 3) Finnish traditions and culture, 4) social and individual growth, and 5) a break from the demands of academic subjects. All interviewees seemed to agree that teaching crafts in Finland is changing in terms of how teachers are prepared, who writes curriculum, the content of the curriculum, and the configuration of craft in the comprehensive school curriculum. Some interviewees portended a decline in craft education in public schooling, while others embraced change as part of nation building.     

The Accreditation of Prior Experiential Learning in Higher Education: A Discourse on Rationales and Assumptions

This paper explores some of the issues and benefits surrounding the process of accreditation of prior experiential learning (APEL) as one key institutional 'building block' for meeting the needs of adults who wish access to UK higher education institutions (HEIs) course provision. Arguments are advanced whereby APEL could help to 'unlock doors' to HEIs for those (mostly part-time students), who have traditionally been denied access or advanced standing to HE courses because of personal, socio-economic or institutional constraints. The paper also provides a basis for APEL based on educational grounds. Reference to a three year study/project in a Canadian institution, where criteria were evolved that eventually led to the establishment of APEL policy and procedures along with the evolution of the necessary infrastructure, is also made. APEL is also presented as a human resource/career development process that can gather momentum, gain commitment and support from the private sector.     

Missed Opportunities for Science Learning: Unacknowledged Unscientific Arguments in Asynchronous Online and Face-to-Face Discussions

We explored the scientific argumentation that occurs among university biology students during an argumentation task implemented in two environments: face-to-face in a classroom and online in an asynchronous discussion. We observed 10 student groups, each composed of three students. Our analysis focused on how students respond to their peers’ unscientific arguments, which we define as assertions, hypotheses, propositions, or explanations that are inaccurate or incomplete from a scientific perspective. Unscientific arguments provide opportunities for productive dissent, scientific argumentation, and conceptual development of scientifically desirable conceptions. We found that students did not respond to the majority of unscientific arguments in both environments. Challenges to unscientific arguments were expressed as a question or through explanation, although the latter was more common online than face-to-face. Students demonstrated significantly more epistemic distancing in the face-to-face environment than the online environment. We discuss the differences in discourse observed in both environments and teaching implications. We also provide direction for future research seeking to address the challenges of engaging students in productive scientific argumentation in both face-to-face and online environments.     

“中国美国新加坡”小学数学教材中的“分数定义”

选取中国、新加坡、美国的小学数学主流教材,比较教材中分数定义的相关内容。发现3个国家教材中出现的定义种类大体相同,都包含4种：份数定义、商的定义、数线定义、比的定义,但定义的表征形式及呈现顺序有很大不同,对中国的教材编写及教学设计有一定的借鉴意义。     

Learning 'Peace Talk' in Northern Ireland: Peer Mediation and Some Conceptual Issues Concerning Experiential Social Education

Experiential learning is often seen as a central component of social education and pastoral programmes such as peer mediation; but the precise nature of experience as an educational, social and pedagogic/cultural process in schools is complex. This paper uses the notion of experiential learning to explore the impact of a peer mediation programme in a transforming integrated school in Northern Ireland. The programme was intended to mainstream the involvement of pupils in the process of creating a more integrated school ethos and was implemented by youth workers working as members of the school staff.
The paper begins with a review of the theoretical basis of experience as educational. This is followed by an interpretative review of the results of a survey of pupils' attitudes to peer mediation and semi-structured interviews with pupils and school and project staff about their perception of the impact of the programme on ideas of social learning. One issue is the extent to which developing pupils' capacity for interactive dialogue can be seen as an experiential process, like learning a foreign language – hence 'peace talk'. Another is the process by which the perception of peer mediation training as 'experiential' constituted an enabling 'pedagogic discourse' which legitimized the programme for teachers and affirmed its beneficial impact on pupils.     

美国研究生教育发展中的若干关键问题

美国虽然不是世界上最先发展研究生教育的国家,但却是20世纪以来研究生教育最为发达的国家。从19世纪中期现代研究生教育在国内落地生根开始,美国就在业内讨论发展研究生教育的目的,并很快得到各大学的认同及长期落实;在确定目标的基础上,美国大学成为研究生教育发展的主体,它们从理想和现实层面落实研究生教育的目标;与研究生教育相关的其他利益群体,也从维护自身利益出发,积极参与大学关于研究生教育发展方向的讨论。有目标、有行动、有监督的美国研究生教育体系很快就得到了社会各界的认可,并成为世界研究生教育发展的典范。     

Pendulum Activities in the Israeli Physics Curriculum: Used and Missed Opportunities

In light of the established validity of the pendulumas a topic in physics curricula (Matthews 2000),the study looked at the place of pendulum motion inthe physics curriculum of the high school in Israel.The data is available through presenting results ofthe nationwide matriculation examination in its unitsof Mechanics and Research Laboratory for the AdvancedPlacement (several thousands students). Although the assessment questions and problems mainlytested students' performance, and less their understandingof the subject, the study, by discussing these problemsand questions, allows a perception of the extent towhich the pendulum topic is addressed in High Schoolphysics instruction. The results can support a discussionon the nature of the requirements and values encouragedby the particular educational system and the strengthsand weaknesses of the adopted educational policies.     

美国终身学习学院的建设逻辑、困境与启示

高等院校是开展终身学习的主阵地.美国奥舍终身学习学院网络中多所学院借助所在高校资源,在创设外部环境、建构终身学习者身份、多方合作和远程学习领域贡献了丰富的实践经验,但很多学院在发展过程中面临着学习群体同质化、时空限制、教学信息化不足的困境.在我国高校终身学习学院的未来发展中,建设包容友好的环境是基础,促进老年人自我完善是关键,推进远程学习是发展重点.     

美国惩罚性赔偿适用若干法律问题探析

惩罚性赔偿是普通法上一项独特的制度，在适用中衍生出若干法律问题。针对惩罚性赔偿金数额的不确定性、惩罚性赔偿金的归属以及惩罚性赔偿的可保性问题，探讨美国法上的各种解决方案，以资为我国相关制度的完善提供借鉴。     

Legislating for change: Missed Opportunities in the Further and Higher Education Act

Abstract

This paper considers the likely impact of the FE and HE Act (1992) in conferring corporate status on Further Education. It takes a critical look at the present pre‐occupation with market forces as the means of improving Post 16 participation, raising skill levels and meeting national training targets. Its principal argument is that the FE and HE Act has more to do with politically and administratively repositioning FE in the market, than with establishing a coherent curricular framework to secure its future. It also argues that the current national obsession with qualifications has confused the relationship between qualifications and curriculum and, as a consequence, has restricted new thinking about Post 16 Education and Training practice. Lost in all this is any serious consideration of what remains the most pressing issue, namely the further education of young people, and what constitutes effective teaching, learning and curriculum change. The paper maintains that legislation, competition and quality assurance alone determine neither the content, quality or delivery of Post 16 curriculum. In the wider policy vacuum now characterising Post 16 provision there is, the paper concludes, a need to go beyond markets, and to give more thought to the qualitative determinants of FE practice. First, background issues to the recent debate are considered.     

The Current State of Criminological Research in the United States: An Examination of Research Methodologies in Criminology and Criminal Justice Journals

A recurring concern within criminology and criminal justice (CCJ) is how to best investigate criminological theory and criminal justice policy. To assess the current state of research, we conducted a content analysis of articles that appeared in seven CCJ journals over a two-year period (2013–2014). We then examined types and frequencies of data sources, analytic techniques, methodological approaches, and subject matters. Findings demonstrate that articles are predominantly employing quantitative methodologies and data where there is no participant contact. From these findings, we discuss the current state of research and how this could be used to guide graduate education, by recommending a variety of subject matters that graduate schools should emphasize in training new academics.     

美国角色换位模式的学习概论

角色换位模式的学习正在当今美国的中小学里进行广泛而生动的实践.本文主要对这种模式的学习的理论基础、设计原则以及实践案例作一剖析和阐述.     

早期学习标准与教育质量:美国的经验及启示

美国各州继制定了早期学习标准之后,政府和学界开始对如何运用早期学习标准提升教育质量进行深入思考。本文主要介绍早期学习标准的具体运用,以及将早期学习标准与质量评定和推进系统相结合的系统化的质量提升策略,并提出相关启示。     

Internet Learning in the United States: Where It is and Where It is Going

The author briefly describes the activity of the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation in support of asynchronous learning networks (ALNs) in universities, an activity that goes back to 1992. These networks can provide the essentials of the traditional learning experience electronically, delivering the same ultimate result at roughly the same cost as traditional classroom delivery. However, asynchronous learning networks can assemble a diversity of students and teaching staffs and offer a flexibility of delivery and of outreach that permit a vast extension of educational possibilities.     

基于学习结果的美国通识教育评价

通识教育一直是美国高等教育关注的重要内容,"为生活和个人的发展做准备"已成为美国高校对人才培养的共识。从美国通识教育评价内容来看,通常需要各个高校根据自身办学特色与人才培养目标进行总结分析,制定出适合于学校学生发展的通识教育目标,从而制定出特色化的通识教育评价内容。由于"评估运动"引发了人们从学生学习结果的角度思考高等教育质量问题:通过使用标准化测试来评价学生通识教育结果的方法具有悠久历史,标准化测试实现了对不同地区和学校学生的通识教育质量进行比较的可能,评价结果可以作为说明高校教育质量问责的有力证据。另一方面,课程嵌入式的通识教育评价方法得到越来越多的关注。源于评价结果不仅可以体现学生的学习成果情况,而且可以作为教学改革的重要依据。标准化测试与课堂嵌入式评价的配合使用,共同有效地保障了美国通识教育质量。     

美国网络高等教育的学习支持服务研究

目前,美国有近90%的传统高校开展网络教育,而且对学术质量的要求与在校生完全相同,其中网络教育中的学习支持服务为其质量保障做出了巨大的贡献.同时,学习支持服务也是远程教育中一个非常重要的研究方向.本文着重研究了美国网络高等教育的学习支持服务情况,将美国网络高等院校的学习支持服务分为学术支持服务、对网络学习者的管理服务和对学习者提供学习资源及技术支持服务三种类型.并分别加以论述.