Delivering Advanced Technical Education Using Online,Immersive Classroom Technology

ABSTRACT

Vacuum and thin film technologies are critical to advanced manufacturing industries. With a grant from the National Science Foundation (DUE #14004080), Normandale Community College has developed courses that are delivered online and via telepresence to provide a formal education to vacuum technician students around the country. Telepresence technology supports real-time interactions, which are crucial for instructors to help students understand this complicated topic. Designing the courses with active learning and flipped classroom principles encourages students to be prepared and to use class time for resolving questions. An unanticipated project outcome is that it has proven easier to partner with industry than with other educational institutions.     

Three AMIGO<Superscript>3</Superscript>s: Using “Anchored modular inquiry” to help prepare future teachers

We discuss three case studies associated with Vanderbilt’s PT3 (Preparing Tomorrow’s Teachers to Use Technology) grant. The studies explore some initial effects of attempts to enhance the education of preservice teachers in three areas: (a) How People Learn, (b) Mathematics, and (c) Adolescent Psychology. The case studies to be described each build on Vanderbilt’s AMIGO³ project, which involves technology architecture for flexible modular design that was developed to be consistent with principles of How People Learn. Three different research teams used the AMIGO³ architecture and rationale to design, implement, and study their own courses. All teams agreed on some basic guidelines, but then proceeded independently of one another. The purpose of this report is to compare similarities and differences in the experiences of the teams. The PT3 group: Primary Investigator—John Bransford; Project Director—Bob Plants; How People Learn Course—John Bransford, Nancy Vye, Kay Burgess, and Sean Brophy; Adolescent Psychology—Helen Bateman, and Christopher J. Bateman; Mathematics—Paul Cobb, Chrystal Dean, and Lori Tyler; Development Team—Tim Altman, Jason Adair, Hank Clark, Bill Corbin, John Harwood, Elliott Mitchell, and Carolyn Stalcup. Vanderbilt PT3 Partners: AACTE, Apple Computers, Bankstreet College, Concord Consortium, Little Planet Software, Middle Tennessee University, University of Illinois-Chicago, University of Minnesota, and University of Vermont. Research presented in this article was supported by grants: The Department of Education Preparing tomorrow’s teachers to use technology (PT3) Catalyst grant, #P342A990348, The National Science Foundation VaNTH Bioengineering grant, #EEC 9876363, and the Atlantic Philanthropic Association K-12 Learning Consortium (no assigned grant number).     

校际文化素质教育选修课程资源共享的实践与思考——以湖南大学与湖南师范大学为例

校际文化素质教育选修课的开设既有利于大学生综合素质的提高,又有利于学校优秀课程的建设。湖南大学与湖南师范大学充分发掘校际资源共享的有利条件,进一步整章建制,突出特色,监督管理,建立校际选修课的教务管理信息系统,加强对教学过程的管理,强化选课和学习指导,完善校际文化素质教育选修课优质资源共享,建立校际共享文化。     

Challenges in Linguistically and Culturally Diverse Elementary Settings with Math Instruction using Learning Technologies

This research effort reports the findings of an empirical study focusing on the ways in which technological tools are implemented specifically in mathematics education in a Title I school. The purpose was to identify the perspectives and actions of the school’s mathematics specialist and the multi-graded (grades 2–3) classroom teacher as they attempted to deliver instruction with technology for both English Language Learners¹ (ELL) and non-ELL students. Findings showed that a critical factor in access to mathematics education and technology for ELL students in a multi-graded 2–3 classroom in a Title I (K-5) school setting was language. Although potentially powerful technologies—analog (concrete objects) and digital (software) were used, many ELL students could not access the content solely because of language difficulties. Teachers used the concrete objects as modeling tools, to reveal students’ thinking, and for communication of foundational mathematics. Conversely, the software used served none of these functions because the available software did not do the kinds of things the manipulatives did, teachers’ knowledge of exemplary software was insufficient, the school used an impoverished model of technology integration, and teachers were constrained by the school district’s policies of English immersion for ELL students.This paper was presented at the American Educational Research Association Annual Meeting, 2005, Montreal, Canada, on Tuesday, April 12, 2005, 4:05–5:35 pm, in Le Centre Sheraton Montreal/Salon 7, in a session titled, “Science and Mathematics Teaching for Linguistically and Culturally Diverse Students” sponsored by Division K-Teaching and Teacher Education/Section 1—Research on Teaching Practices, Teacher Knowledge, and Teacher Education in Math and Science.Tirupalavanam G. Ganesh is a December 2003 graduate of the Interdisciplinary Ph.D. program in Educational Media and Computers, Division of Curriculum and Instruction, at the College of Education, Arizona State University. He also holds a Master of Computer Science degree from Arizona State University. His teaching interests include graduate and undergraduate courses for in-service and pre-service teachers in the use of learning technologies for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education and technology integration. His research interests include studying the impact of informal learning experiences in settings such as museums and after-school programs, technology integration, and teacher’s practices in elementary/middle schools. Address correspondence to Tirupalavanam G. Ganesh, Assistant Professor, Instructional Technology, College of Education, Curriculum and Instruction, University of Houston, 256 Farish Hall, Houston, TX 77204-5027. Tel.: +1-713-743-0574; e-mail: tganesh@uh.edu.James A. Middleton is Division Director of Curriculum and Instruction at the College of Education, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ. He obtained his Ph.D. in 1992, in Educational Psychology from the University of Wisconsin, Madison. His teaching interests include mathematics methods for secondary teachers and graduate courses in children’s mathematical thinking and technological innovation. His research interests include motivational processes in education, children’s mathematical thinking especially in the area of rational number and geometry, and technological innovation in mathematics instruction and assessment. James A. Middleton, Director, Division of Curriculum and Instruction, College of Education, Arizona State University, Box 871011, Tempe, AZ 85287-1011. Tel.: +1-480-965-9644; e-mail: james.middleton@asu.edu.     

Teaching-for-Learning (TFL): A Model for Faculty to Advance Student Learning

In light of the widespread recognition of the enduring challenge of enhancing the learning of all students—including a growing number of students representing diverse racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic backgrounds—there has been an explosion of literature on teaching, learning, and assessment in higher education. Notwithstanding scores of promising new ideas, individual faculty in higher education need a dynamic and inclusive model to help them engage in a systematic and continuous process of exploring and testing various teaching and assessment practices to ensure the learning of their students. This paper introduces a model—Teaching-for-Learning (TFL)—developed to meet this need. Clifton F. Conrad received his bachelor’s degree in History and his master’s degree in Political Science from the University of Kansas and his Ph.D. in Higher Education from the University of Michigan. He is Professor of Higher Education at the University of Wisconsin-Madison; and his research focus is on college and university curricula with particular emphases on program quality, liberal education, and teaching and learning. Jason Johnson received his bachelor’s degree in Comparative History of Ideas and his master’s degree in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies at the University of Washington. He is nearing completion of his Ph.D. and working as a Teaching Assistant in Higher Education at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and his research focuses on rhetoric in higher education. Divya Malik Gupta received her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Human Development and Family Studies from Maharaja Sayajirao University in Gujarat, India. She is currently a Ph.D. student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.     

A teacher education program in elementary science that connects content,methods, practicum,and student teaching

Conclusion To educate teachers who have adequate content knowledge, possess the necessary skills to implement effective teaching strategies, and are confident and have positive attitudes toward science and the teaching of science, alternative teaching models are necessary. The University of Wyoming model provides such an alternative. Based on observations and interviews of students and the mentor teachers, it is apparent that it has created a very positive response in prospective teachers who have participated in it. The Wyoming model provided an effective process to train future elementary teachers. Even though it focused on science, the basis is general enough that it could be successfully extended to other disciplines with only minor modifications; however, all of the major components of the Wyoming model are vital to its success. Content courses designed specifically for prospective teachers have been successful in giving the students the content knowledge and providing opportunities for effective modeling. The seminars provide strong mechanisms to connect content to methodology and make the content relevant to teaching and to children. Because of their modeling, peer coaching, and sharing their time and students, the mentor teachers are essential partners in helping the university educate future teachers. Finally, the cooperation of all partners—district administrators, teachers, science content and science education university faculty, and students—is necessary to provide early and continuous experiences to prospective teachers. This material is based upon work supported in part by a grant from the National Science Foundation (Grant No. TTE-8851105). Any opinions, findings, conclusions, and/or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the NSF.     

Differences in competencies between doctoral students on‐campus and at a distance

Abstract

This article describes differences between on‐campus and distance learners by knowledge, skills, and abilities. On‐campus doctoral students at Texas A&M University were compared with doctoral students enrolled in a distance education program offered jointly with Texas Tech University. Student perceptions of their competency levels were gathered using a mixed mailed/Internet questionnaire. On‐campus and distance education students had different levels of competence. Competency models can serve faculty and administrators as an assessment tool for strategic decision making and development of courses and curricula. This study provides a model for benchmarking competencies and provides baseline data for making such changes.     

高校数据科学教育生态系统建构——以美国普渡大学为例

作为智能化社会的学科基础要素,大数据正在驱动着高等教育系统的范式变革。美国普渡大学一体化数据科学首倡计划发起的跨学科学术组织变革,强调以跨学科学位项目与学科交叉课程、学科会聚研究计划与研究团队、服务性学习数据社区与主题工作坊、产教融合的数据科学校企合作模式构建高校数据科学教育生态系统。值此加强新时代教育科学研究的战略契机,以"数据+"引导多学科会聚和教育模式创新,打造面向真实世界的数据科学实践社区,建设校企协同产教融合共同体,加快培育大学生数据思维和校园数据文化,将有助于高等教育治理体系改革和治理能力现代化的实现。     

Grass roots: Natural resources education through videoconferencing

Abstract

This article briefly reviews and compares three offerings of graduate degrees via the Internet—two Master's programs in the field of Management and one Master's program in the area of Library and Information Science. Three different management degrees offered by the University of Phoenix, the Master of Arts in Management offered by The Graduate School of America, and the Master of Science in Library and Information Science offered by the University of Illinois at Urbana‐Champaign are described according to each program's online and printed prospectus. Based on this information, the three programs are compared and evaluated. The article concludes with a “Consumer's Guide” that formulates some key questions that any potential student of these types of programs should ask before enrolling in such a program.     

Information Literacy: The Missing Link in Early Childhood Education

The rapid growth of information over the last 30 or 40 years has made it impossible for educators to prepare students for the future without teaching them how to be effective information managers. The American Library Association refers to those students who manage information effectively as information literate. Information literacy instruction has been a priority in many secondary schools since the American Association of School Libraries published the Information Literacy Standards for Student Learning in 1998. Although these standards were written for grades K-12, information literacy is still not the focus in many early childhood classrooms. This article discusses the importance of information literacy instruction in early childhood education. Research suggests that early information literacy instruction, using informational texts and collaborative, teacher–librarian curriculum planning, promotes critical thinking and increases the ability to problem-solve—two skills necessary for survival in today’s Information Age.     

Liberal Arts Core Curriculum Quality Assurance Based on Teaching Evaluation by Students: A Case Study of Fudan University

Abstract

After more than 20 years of exploring liberal arts education in Chinese universities, its curriculum development has been institutionalized. Efforts to build localized curricula that fit the realities at each institution have shifted from focusing on quantity and structure to emphasizing curriculum quality assurance based on teaching evaluation by students. An empirical analysis using Fudan University’s teaching evaluation data shows that some liberal arts core courses offered by technical and engineering departments are too specialized, while some offered by social sciences and humanities and languages departments lack rigor. Student evaluations of such courses therefore tend to be low. Improving the quality of liberal arts courses can begin by examining both teaching evaluations by students and course grading, starting with the less rigorous courses for non-majors. Improving the quality of liberal arts courses can begin with the courses that are too specialized or lacking rigor based on both teaching evaluations by students and grade distribution.     

创造教育在师范教育中的实施现状及对策

本文主要运用问卷调查和结构访谈的研究方法,对西华师范大学、四川师范大学、青岛大学的创造教育实施现状进行了调查。结果发现：在创造教育的实施方面,师范类专业与医学类、理工类、社科类专业相比尤为薄弱。（1）师范类专业创造学课程的开课率最低;（2）55%的师范专业没有专门进行创造教育的教师,远高于平均水平（29%）;其外聘教师在四大类专业中也最少,远低于平均水平;（3）65%的师范专业学生很少或从没参加过探究性实验或课题研究;（4）16%的师范类专业没有与创新相关的组织,而社科类所有专业都有,理工类仅有4%的专业没有设立创新组织;（5）师范类专业学生创新意识较其他专业的更弱,学校对其创造教育的重视程度明显低于其他专业。对此,我们探讨了影响师范专业学生创新能力的因素,并在此基础上提出了培养师范生进行创造教育能力的对策,希望能为我国新形势下师范教育改革提供资料信息。     

The Journey Toward Transformational Learning in a Statewide Doctoral Program

This article describes strategies for redesigning the University of Missouri's Statewide Cooperative Ed.D. Cohort Program in educational leadership. Results had suggested a need to redesign aspects of the program in order to achieve higher levels of cognitive learning outcomes inclusive of transformational learning. To help meet this objective, the areas targeted for redesign were the curriculum as it relates to issues of diversity and ethics, instruction as it relates to group dynamics and cohort models, and increased time and a forum for students to reflect on their leadership practices. This forum also allowed faculty to monitor and assess the transformational learning outcomes of their students. This article is meant to assist others who are interested in fostering higher levels of transformational learning outcomes within their programs. Meredith L. Mountford holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Illinois State University, a Master of Science degree in educational administration from Northern Illinois University and a Philosophy of Science degree in educational administration from the University of Wisconsin—Madison. She is an Assistant Professor and has served as Director for the Statewide Cooperative Ed.D. Cohort Program in educational leadership at the University of Missouri—Columbia.     

Internationalising a learning environment instrument for evaluating transnational online university courses

This article describes the adaptation and validation of the Constructivist OnLine Learning Environment Survey (COLLES) for use in the transnational higher education context. As higher education becomes a more global phenomenon, ‘borderless’ education, either online or by distance education, is becoming a reality and there is a need for remote evaluation of course delivery and student learning. Curtin University of Technology is managing supported online delivery of Business Studies Degree and Diploma courses to four partner institutions of the African Virtual University, an initiative based in Nairobi, Kenya. Evaluation of students’ learning has included an online survey about the provision of resources and the quality of the learning environment in the various computer-based classrooms. Embedded in this instrument has been the adapted COLLES, providing a concomitant opportunity to test the properties and usefulness of the learning environment instrument. Problematic issues surrounding adaptation of the instrument have included the consequences of modifying the wording and establishing or confirming the meaning of the latent constructs in partially online courses and for transnational students. The process of establishing the validity and reliability of the scales is discussed.     

学生角度初探高校公选课的问题与改革——以贵州师范学院《简谱视唱》课程为例

开设公选课是高校课程建设的重要环节,对丰富学生爱好、开阔学生眼界发挥着重要作用。然而,公选课讲授中存在的问题及开设效果,因开设课程和单位不同存在较大差异。作者以贵州师范学院开设的《简谱视唱》公选课为例,从学生视角分析了该课程在本校教学过程中存在的问题。同时,结合教学实践对该课程及未来公选课的改革进行讨论。     

The delivery of business courses via the African Virtual University: a case study

In this case study the delivery of business courses as a result of the partnership between the African Virtual University (AVU) and Curtin University in Western Australia is described. From 2004 to 2008, degree and diploma business courses were delivered using WebCT in the four AVU partner locations: Addis Ababa University (Ethiopia), Kigali Institute of Science & Technology (Rwanda), Kenyatta University (Kenya) and University of Dar es Salaam (Tanzania). In spite of significant hurdles that made delivery of the business courses challenging, 188 students graduated as a result of this initiative. This case study is significant because it describes the outcomes of an AVU Phase 2 initiative.     

来华留学生教育系统生态位测度及分析——基于云南省的实证研究

＂生态位过窄＂和＂生态位重叠度＂过高是当前云南各留学生招收高校普遍存在的问题。云南师范大学、昆明理工大学、西南林业大学、云南财经大学、云南中医学院以及昆明医学院的留学生招收生态位均处于2.0以下的较低水平;红河学院与云南师范大学之间,西南林学院与西双版纳职业技术学院之间两两生态位重叠度明显过高。这些问题严重影响着云南来华留学生教育系统的生态平衡,必要的生态质量控制不可或缺。     

Human Anatomy: Teaching–Learning Experience of a Support Teacher and a Student with Low Vision and Blindness

In Brazil, a federal law ensures that all students with disabilities are entitled to enrollment in higher education institutions. Higher courses in human anatomy stand out for their complexity in both theoretical and practical contents. Therefore, adaptation is required to accommodate students with special educational needs. This study aimed to describe the experience of a Support Teacher in the development of inclusive pedagogical practices for the discipline of Human Anatomy offered in the physiotherapy course for a student with low vision and blindness. The challenges and learning difficulties faced by a visually impaired student are reported. Qualitative analysis was performed by interviewing a student with low vision and blindness and a Support Teacher. The audio recordings were transcribed, categorized, and analyzed using content analysis. The Support Teacher created schematics and drawings of anatomical structures, reviewed theoretical and practical contents, developed adaptations of the examinations, and applied palpatory anatomy to facilitate the student’s learning process. The findings illustrate that the student faced the greatest difficulty in dealing with the emotional aspects, due to the inability to visualize the anatomical details in human cadavers. Thus, the presence of a Support Teacher was fundamental to ensure that the student could learn the content and overcome this limitation. In conclusion, personalized adaptation, commitment, and collaborative work between the Support Teacher and students with low vision and blindness improve their learning conditions.