Confronting the learning contract

This paper describes the results of exploratory research into learning contract planning at Empire State College, State University of New York. At Empire State College the learning contract is the academic process for organizing individualized study plans. A paradigm was designed for describing and analyzing conferences between mentors and their students which focused on the functional tasks of contract planning and the decision-making process. The environment that emerged is compatible with a student-centered philosophy. Case materials are included to illustrate elements of the learning contract process.This paper is extrapolated from a research project partially funded by the Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education.     

Adult development: Implications for teaching and learning

This paper presents the background and issues emanating from an adult studies curriculum for adult students. The experimental nature of this program is analyzed in the context of three recent trends in higher education. First, individuals in their thirties, forties, and fifties are returning to college in increasing numbers. Second, adult development theory and research is a fairly new body of knowledge suggesting interesting implications for teaching and learning. Third, adults returning to college tend to seek out nontraditional models of higher education. Empire State College, established in 1971 as the alternative unit of the State University of New York, illustrates this trend.The adult studies curriculum and instructional design are subsequently analyzed in terms of four theoretical perspectives: (1) life cycle theory, (2) ego development, (3) moral development, and (4) adult learning style. Implications for teaching and learning and issues for further research conclude the article.     

The adult learner and performance in introductory economics,a personalized system of instruction

The primary goal of this study is to determine the effectiveness of the personalized system of instruction format which is currently utilized in the introductory economics course at Empire State College, State University of New York. It will attempt to determine if adult students working in a personalized instruction system can learn as much as students in conventional settings. The study will also explore the broader objective of explaining and predicting adult student performance in the introductory economics course. In addition, an analysis will be made of any patterns which have emerged in the level of learning and the types of competencies aquired by students.     

Casting the assessment net wide: Capturing all student learning

North Georgia College and State University has joined a national effort to move away from the isolated approach to measuring student learning. Educators from three divisions offer their perspectives.     

The mentor role in individualized education at Empire State College

This paper discusses the role of mentors in individualized learning at Empire State College, New York State. The discussion implicitly questions roles and procedures in distance education.

This individualized learning programme is defined and illustrated. The components of the role of mentor are likewise defined and illustrated. Then the implications of being a mentor working with individual students are spelt out as they illuminate the relationships of mentors in academia.

The conclusion is offered that the mentor's commitment to his/her students is an exhibition of his/her fundamental commitment to a philosophical stance in education which surmounts primary loyalty to one's academic faculty.

The final whimsical question is whether or not individualized learning and distance education are compatible or conflicting.     

Across the desk: Teaching through independent study

As academic budgets become more stringent, independent study may provide curricular flexibility in higher education. This paper addresses independent study as a creative and alternative mode of learning. The authors explore its unique advantages and strengths, its planning and structure, the student/instructor interaction, the use of learning resources, examples of disciplinary and interdisciplinary approaches, the products of such study, and methods of evaluation.She is the co-editor ofThe Ghetto Reader and co-author of CAEL Institutional Report #2,Interpersonal Learning in an Academic Setting: Theory and Practice.Diana Worby is a Mentor in English and the Humanities at Empire State College, Suffern, New York, and teaches Freshman Composition at Rockland Community College.     

Personalizing instruction in business and economics

This paper examines personalized instruction in business and economics at the Long Island Learning Center, Empire State College, State University of New York. In this mode of instruction the course of study is tailored to the individual background, interests, needs, and abilities of the student. Learning activities often incorporate some aspect of the student's academic or professional experience. Most of the students have fairly well-established goals, are highly motivated, have jobs, and have enjoyed considerable success in their fields. Various examples are provided that indicate how the subject matter gains relevance when basic theoretical concepts are applied to real-life situations.     

Educating the child care administrator

ABSTRACT

There is a strong national movement to improve the quality in child care programs nationwide and an important part of this movement includes professional preparation standards. Stakeholders in New York State (NYS) have developed the NYS Children’s Program Administrator Credential (CPAC), designed to meet the need for increased knowledge in child care administration. In response, Empire State College, part of the State University of New York (SUNY), developed four models to help practitioners meet the new requirement: study group, independent study, residency, and online. The purpose of this article is to examine the development of the credential, discuss the collaborative process involved in the development of the different modes of study, followed by a discussion of the strengths and challenges of each model.     

Problem-based learning in distance education: Practitioners' beliefs about an action learning project

Despite the advantages of problem based learning (PBL) and the fact that it has been utilised for some time in conventional higher education settings, it is not widely used in distance education in Hong Kong. Recently, a small group of course co‐ordinators at the Open University of Hong Kong engaged in a series of action learning projects to explore ways in which it could be incorporated into their courses. The purpose of this paper is to report the opinions of these academics about the suitability of PBL for a distance education environment. Generally, they concluded that it is possible, and perhaps desirable, to consider implementing PBL as one learning approach. However, most of the projects focussed on a fairly narrow application of PBL, namely in face‐to‐face tutorials. The limitations of the participants’ interpretations are discussed in the light of the constraints they face, and some recommendations are made for other ways of implementing PBL into distance education.     

Community-embedded learning experiences: putting the pedagogy of service-learning to work in online courses

This paper considers the applicability and adaptability of service-learning pedagogy to online and distance education teaching environments. More specifically, it looks at the community-embedded learning model (CEL), which asks distance students to conduct service projects in their local communities, as manifested in a project undertaken by online graduate students in the library science programme at Appalachian State University, a mid-sized university in the United States of America. For this assignment, students, who are located throughout the state of North Carolina and surrounding areas, performed service work in libraries located within their own communities and neighbourhoods, coming together to discuss their experiences in regular synchronous course meetings conducted online. In addition to describing this project, this paper will offer analysis of student reflections, describing what students perceived as challenging, important and rewarding about the experience. Through this study, the researchers highlight the potential value of community-embedded learning experiences for classes conducted in online environments.     

Some instructional strategies for improved learning from distance teaching materials

In distance teaching we are usually concerned with indirect methods of interacting with learners, using for the most part, the written word. Quality of learning in distance education ought therefore to be closely related to the quality of textual materials provided to students. In this paper we examine some ways of facilitating learning at a distance. We begin by noting the current dearth of models for teaching through text and make a plea for diversity and experimentation in this area. Some traditional instructional strategies (including advance organizers, overviews, pretests, objectives and inserted questions) from the dominant approach to distance teaching are examined along with devices in typoraphy and graphics. Guidelines for their use are developed, based on research, everyday rationality, and from an embryonic conceptualization of distance learning.     

艺术院校大学生英语自主学习能力的培养

英语学习的关键是自主学习,大学英语教学的目的不仅是要传授知识,更重要的是要培养学习者自主学习的能力,自主学习能力的强弱直接关系着英语学习的成效.本文分析了艺术类院校学生英语自主学习及大学英语教学过程中存在的问题,并对艺术类学生英语自主学习能力的培养提出若干建议.     

医学教育中“团队学习”的初步经验

本文介绍了2000年春在培勒（Baylor）医学院进行的一次以内科住院医师午间小讲课为主要内容的团队学习现场试验。通过对团队学习方法的应用,作者指出“团队学习”可能是医学教育中一种新的有用的教学工具。     

Affective development of adult students

In a study of affective development in the adult, non-residential students of Empire State College, samples of students were pretested with Q-sort and paired-comparison instruments and posttested 10–11 months later. Increases in average total scores for 63 students were significant at the .02 level. Older students and men rated themselves higher in affective development on the pretest, but women and younger students showed greater gains. There were no significant changes in any of the four comparison groups of students in evening or extension classes in traditional institutions who were tested during the same period.     

Decoding learning in law: collaborative action towards the reshaping of university teaching and learning

At the University of the Free State (UFS) in South Africa, professional development is characterised by its focus on the advancement of scholarly teaching in the disciplines. Practices followed are informed by the scholarship of teaching and learning movement. Within learning communities, special attention is given to the motivational conditions for optimal development, which are intentionally and collaboratively created or enhanced. An action research approach is adhered to, with action learning always an underlying ingredient. The approach has already shown promising signs in advancing personal growth and scholarly teaching practices among lecturers in the Decoding Learning in Law project. The decoding idea originated in the USA and follows a process of identifying and addressing the discipline-specific learning problems of undergraduate students. As precursor to the more formal phase of decoding, the Centre for Teaching and Learning at the UFS has embarked on a process of empowering a group of lecturers in law to address the challenges they experience in their teaching environment. During meetings and workshops, the members of the newly established learning community act as collaborators in the construction of new knowledge on the theory and practice of good teaching and learning (with a special focus on student engagement); they reflect critically on obstacles in their own courses and take part actively in conversations on the application of innovative strategies in law teaching. Special attention is given to the use of educational technology. In the project, development of relevant technological skills was preceded by a technology-needs survey and discussions in which prevailing perceptions about the use of technology in law education were brought to light. Although the project is still in its first year, the motivational context of community and collaboration has already given rise to a synergy that promises to reshape the teaching and learning environment in law at the UFS. In an informal way, progress has also been made with the decoding process of identifying “bottlenecks” in the teaching and learning of law at the institution.     

Simulations: Using experiential learning to add relevancy and meaning to introductory courses

Over the past two years the authors have provided experiential learning in the form of a simulation exercise to help 240 college students relate personally to the foundations of education. Introductory courses, with a preponderance of facts and breadth of content, can easily overwhelm students. The simulation not only energized the students but also personalized an in-depth understanding of educational issues. This theoretical knowledge was applied practically, a link which may often be missing in many introductory courses.Kathleen K. Montgomery holds a D. Ed. from The Pennsylvania State University. She is Assistant Professor of Education at Elmira College, where she teaches Introduction to Education, Instructional Strategies, and Curriculum and Instruction for Elementary Education. Professor Montgomery's research interests include the design of experiential learning and assessment methods used to evaluate such learning. She is currently working on a book about authentic assessment methods useful for elementary teachers. Susan C. Brown holds an Ed.D. from the University of Central Florida. She is the Assistant Director/Assistant Professor of Education at Elmira College, where she teaches Introduction to Education, Instructional Strategies, and Multicultural Education. Professor Brown has recently published articles on multicultural education for perservice teachers in theJournal of Curriculum and Supervision andCurriculum, a British Journal of educators. She is on the Editorial Board of the Educational Forum. Cathleen M. Deery holds the M.S. degree for Syracuse University. She is lecturer at Elmira College, where she teaches Introduction to Education, Educational Psychology, and Inclusionary Education. Professor Deery has designed numerous experiential learning components for her classes, and she is currently working on a book with Kathleen Montgomery about authentic assessment methods.     

学习服务网路化

随着时代的进步及消费者导向的理念兴盛,一般教育机构均努力强化对学习者的服务,以满足学生需求。现代的远距教育机构已经能够体会良好的学习支持系统在远距教育体系中的重要性,并已经了解建立学习支持系统给予学生帮助的必要性。在现今的电子时代里,电脑网路的发达不但为远距教育带来教学实施方面许多好处,同时也提供了远距教育学习支持系统更大的发展空间。基于对学生学习支持系统的认知,以及远距教育的发展远景,发展网路化的学习服务是远距教育机构的热门主题。     

Interactive learning and technology in the US science and mathematics reform movement

This article presents an overview of the science/mathematics reform movement in the secondary/elementary schools and higher education institutions of the United States. It describes the research and views of educational practitioners regarding the need for change, as well as the particular changes which appear to be required. Emphasis is placed on the roles of interactive learning and technology in meeting reform goals.
Details of a recently completed curricular innovation project in science and mathematics are provided. Funded by the National Science Foundation, the project brought five faculty in the natural sciences together with a learning theorist at Florida Community College at Jacksonville, a large, multi-campus, public institution. The group developed and taught two basic integrated science/mathematics courses in which cooperative and discovery learning, supported by multimedia technology and distance learning, were major components. Details of results are provided as they relate to meeting the goals of the reform movement.     

关于现代远程教育学习者对学习支持服务需求的调查分析

本文以中南大学网络教育学院2006年专升本应届毕业生为研究对象,设计了网上问卷调查以收集现代远程教育学习者对学习支持服务需求的相关数据,通过数据分析,我们对学习者进入现代远程教育学习之后的困难及需求有了一个比较清楚的认识。针对存在的问题,本文提出了相应的建议和对策,以期望学习支持服务能真正满足学习者个性化的自主学习需要。     

Contributions of active and dynamic self-regulation to learning

Most modern cognitive theories postulate that active executive control is the only internal source of self-regulation of learning processes. To account for incidental and other categories of unintentional learning, this study explored the hypothesis that two independent sources of internal control regulate academic learning: (a) active (or executive) and (b) dynamic (or nonexecutive). College undergraduates completed an inventory of active and dynamic learning processes. The findings supported the twosource hypothesis. Moreover, when the contribution of dynamic self-regulation was removed, the correlation between active self-regulation and learning was no longer significant. When active self-regulation was removed, the correlation between dynamic self-regulation and learning remained basically the same.Asghar Iran-Nejad received his Ph.D. in 1983 from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He is Associate Professor of Educational Psychology at The University of Alabama. His research interests and publications include the multisource nature of learning, cognitive and affective causes of interest, and sources of self-regulation. Brad S. Chissom received his Ed.D. in 1969 from Florida State University. He is Professor and Program Chair in Educational Research at The University of Alabama. He has written in the areas of educational research methodology, measurement and statistical applications.