Social media in higher education: understanding how colleges and universities use Facebook

This study provides an understanding of the current social media landscape for higher education institutions. While it is recognized that consistency in school branding across all communications with stakeholders is important to attract and retain students, relatively little work has been done to determine specifically what type of content should be included in a school’s social media campaign, nor has there been an investigation as to the relative frequency of the content. The authors use content analysis to examine Facebook posts from 66 top US colleges and universities and engagement from their constituents on these posts. Results show that there are significant differences in engagement received on posts across institution type. Additionally, media type and posting frequency are factors that contribute to engagement. This study provides direction on how university social media managers can better manage their social media content to improve engagement and increase the reach of their posts.     

Enhancing survey participation: Facebook advertisements for recruitment in educational research*

Surveys are commonly used to determine how people feel about a specific issue. The increasing availability of the internet and popularity of social networking sites have opened up new possibilities for conducting surveys and, with limited additional costs, enlarge the pool of volunteer respondents with the desired background, experience, or characteristics. In this paper, three different educational research studies are described. In each, a Facebook advertisement was among the methods used for recruitment of survey participants. In two of the studies, Facebook advertising was adopted to overcome obstacles encountered when more traditional sampling procedures failed; in the third study, Facebook was used to broaden representation to include international participants within project budget limitations. Details of the studies and of the recruitment approaches adopted, and the effectiveness of using Facebook advertising are presented. The limitations of using Facebook as a source of recruitment are also considered.     

Medical student use of Facebook to support preparation for anatomy assessments

The use of Facebook to support students is an emerging area of educational research. This study explored how a Facebook Page could support Year 2 medical (MBChB) students in preparation for summative anatomy assessments and alleviate test anxiety. Overall, Facebook analytics revealed that in total 49 (19.8% of entire cohort) students posted a comment in preparation for either the first (33 students) or second (34) summative anatomy assessments. 18 students commented in preparation for both. In total, 155 comments were posted, with 83 for the first and 72 for the second. Of the 83 comments, 45 related to checking anatomical information, 30 were requiring assessment information and 8 wanted general course information. For the second assessment this was 52, 14 and 6, respectively. Student perceptions on usage, and impact on learning and assessment preparation were obtained via a five‐point Likert‐style questionnaire, with 119 students confirming they accessed the Page. Generally, students believed the Page was an effective way to support their learning, and provided information which supported their preparation with increases in perceived confidence and reductions in anxiety. There was no difference between gender, except for males who appeared to be significantly less likely to ask a question as they may be perceived to lack knowledge (P < 0.05). This study suggests that Facebook can play an important role in supporting students in preparation for anatomy assessments. Anat Sci Educ 10: 205–214. © 2016 American Association of Anatomists.     

State intervention and teacher education for vocational educators in England and Scotland

Background:?The paper compares and contrasts the policy context of teacher training for vocational educators (VETT) in Scotland and England and locates this in its European setting. It explores the wider socio-economic context, one that emphasises lifelong learning, competitiveness and social justice.

Purpose:?In particular, it addresses the UK Coalition government‘s orientation to vocational teacher education and the way in which this impacts upon VETT in the two home nations.

Sources of evidence:?It draws on a small-scale illuminative case study of teacher educators in England and Scotland.

Main argument:?It explores the limits and possibilities for the development of radical and critical practices embedded in VETT policy and practice.     

高职院校班主任工作之我见

文章针对高职院校班主任教育管理所面临的现状提出了具体的管理策略。以提高高职院校学生的管理效率,为社会输送人才。     

Exploring the views of students on the use of Facebook in university teaching and learning

Facebook use among students is almost ubiquitous; however, its use for formal academic purposes remains contested. Through an online survey monitoring student use of module Facebook pages and focus groups, this study explores students’ current academic uses of Facebook and their views on using Facebook within university modules. Students reported using Facebook for academic purposes, notably peer–peer communication around group work and assessment – a use not always conceptualised by students as learning. Focus groups revealed that students are not ready or equipped for the collaborative style of learning envisaged by the tutor and see Facebook as their personal domain, within which they will discuss academic topics where they see a strong relevance and purpose, notably in connection with assessment. Students use Facebook for their own mutually defined purposes and a change in student mind- and skill-sets is required to appropriate the collaborative learning benefits of Facebook in formal educational contexts.     

Facebook,crowdsourcing and the transition to college

The purpose of this study is to enhance our understanding of how college students connect online prior to their first year. Before students ever set foot on a college campus, they are making friends, joining clubs, locating activities, finding roommates and discussing future student activities all through the social network site, Facebook. Anticipatory socialisation theory frames this research to focus on the social, academic and career aspects of the transition. A case study approach and content analysis methodology sought to better understand frequent topics and themes for pre-college students. The primary foci of the pre-college Facebook interactions were connectivity and commonality among new students. An unintended finding was the discovery of crowdsourcing on post-secondary social media sites. Crowdsourcing taps into the collective intelligence of the public to complete tasks that an organisation would normally either perform itself or contract to a third-party provider; hence, outsourcing to a crowd. In this case, the crowd is comprised of pre-college students about to start their first year of post-secondary education.     

The use of Facebook to build a community for distance learning students: a case study from the Open University

Social media platforms such as Facebook are commonplace throughout society. However, within higher education institutions such networking environments are still in the developmental stage. This paper describes and discusses case study data from the Open University’s Faculty of Social Science Facebook page. It starts by giving an overview of the literature surrounding social media in higher education before examining how the Social Sciences Faculty at the Open University has used Facebook to help build an academic community. Data includes numerical information on number of likes, demographic data on students who use the page, analysis on the type and nature of comments and more qualitative extracts from postings related to academic questions. It also discusses challenges and difficulties with using such social media tools in a university environment and suggests fruitful areas for future research.     

试论如何在高职院校开展研究性学习

研究性学习是在学习过程有意识地对某个问题进行广泛和深入地探讨，进而获取知识的一种学习形式。高等职业技术教育之所以要开展研究性学习，是由其培养目标、教学计划和创新教育的需要而决定的。在理论教学、实践教学及其相互关系方面都可选择恰当的题目而开展。     

从政策调控高职教育走向依法治理高职教育

政策和法律是党和政府调控高等职业教育的两种基本手段。政策在推动高等职业教育发展中发挥过很大的作用。一直以来,出台强有力的政策是党和政府调控高等职业教育的最主要手段。然而,从长远来看,重政策,轻法律,其弊要远大于利。首先,政策调控基本上是一种人治,不一定体现公共利益,容易导致高等职业教育决策错误;其次,政策的短期效应,容易导致政策实施效果差,也不利于统筹规划高等职业教育的发展;再次,政策凌驾于法律之上,会降低法律效力和威信,进而导致高等职业教育法律的政策化。政府亟待从政策调控走向依法治理,以法律为主,政策为辅。     

Classroom teacher effectiveness research and inquiry,and its relevance to the development of public education policy: an Australian context

This paper has as its focus an analysis of the question and problem of classroom teacher effectiveness research and inquiry. It presents an examination of what counts as valid and worthwhile research in classroom teacher effectiveness studies for the development of education policy within an Australian context, the State of Victoria. The Government’s Blueprint, the major education policy document of the Victorian State Labour Government, outlines its educational approach. Important and core features of government direction for education policy include a focus on social and economic disadvantage. A priority for the Victorian State Labour Government is tangible and measurable improvement in the performance of the public education system. A particular concern is the problem of academic underperformance within public schools, particularly those designated as low-performing and situated in socially and economically disadvantaged communities. Building the capacity of the State’s teacher workforce forms a key component of the Blueprint, and State Government direction in public education. The paper utilises a qualitative theoretical framework. Eight education policy actor/participants were interviewed and their responses analysed using a critical discourse approach. The main findings indicate that education policy actors advocate a strong belief in particular forms of evidence-based research for the development of education policy in the area of classroom teacher effectiveness.     

我国高等职业技术教育研究的现状与趋势——以2001～2005年人大复印报刊资料《职业技术教育》为例

本文以2001—2005年人大复印报刊资料《职业技术教育》所登载的关于高职教育的文章为蓝本,对我国高等职业技术教育的研究现状进行了分析,并对其发展趋势进行了预测。     

广西民办高职院校师资队伍建设的探索

民办高职教育渐已成为广西职业教育的重要组成部分,但其师资队伍水平与建设状况却不容乐观,突出反映在双师型教师严重缺乏、教育科研水平偏低两大方面。本文从促进广西民办高职院校可持续发展的角度出发,对该类学校的师资队伍建设情况进行思考,力求探索一条以民办高职院校高水平教师队伍带动教学、科研、社会服务的新路子。     

“两型社会”建设与高职教育应对之策——以国家长株潭“两型社会”建设试验区为例

“两型社会”即“资源节约型与环境友好型”,其建设要求加快转变经济增长方式、大力发展循环经济、集约利用资源,同时还要加大环保力度,形成节约型消费模式。要求高职教育在不断节省办学成本的情况下,优化专业结构,加强专业建设,提高人才培养质量与效率,弥补两型社会建设人才缺口。高职教育要走内涵发展道路,充分为“两型社会”建设服务。     

Social media's use in postgraduate students' decision-making journey: an exploratory study

Universities globally are showing increased interest in the potential of social media as a marketing recruitment tool. This paper explores how and why potential postgraduate business students looking to study internationally use social media in their educational decision-making process. Due to a lack of existing research, this study adopted an exploratory approach, gathering data through in-depth interviews with 12 postgraduate international students at an Australian university. The findings indicate that besides Facebook and YouTube, students are using blogs in their study search. The two most common reasons for social media usage are finding out about student life and reading reviews from former students. In the decision-making process, social media is mostly used in the information search and evaluation stages. Students’ use of social media also varies across source countries. Our findings are a good information source for education marketers who need to engage more actively with social media.     

浅谈发展性教育评价在高职教育中的价值

发展性教育评价是以教育的发展为对象,又以教育的发展为目标的评价,以“创造适合学生的教育”为指导思想,以促进评价对象发展,以评价对象为主体,以发展主体为基本理念。发展性教育评价作为一种全新的评价方式,从对人的发展的重视程度、评价的目的、评价的内容和评价的程序都突破了传统,对高职教育具有十分重要的价值。     

也谈地方高职院校商务英语专业的课程设置

本论文从分析嘉兴服装外贸现状入手,对目前外贸市场所需的人才进行剖析,并结合问卷调查的方式,为高职高专院校的商务英语课程的设置提出了合理的教学模式。     

试论中高等职业教育的衔接

追求中高等职业教育培养目标统一、学分互认以及职业教育最大化效益是中高等职业教育衔接必须遵循的基本原则 ;采用模块化课程衔接、学分衔接、资格衔接和学校衔接是中高等职业教育衔接的主要形式 ;提供高度的认同理念、系列的相关法规和政策、完备的组织体系和制度以及有效的服务体系是中高等职业教育衔接的必要保障条件     

试用学习风格研究成果改进高职高专英语教学方法

学习风格有不同的分类方法,按照感知方式的不同可分为视觉型、听觉型和触觉型,即学生在接受信息时更偏向的方式。教师需要根据学生的学习风格不同而采取不同的教学方法。文章主要分析利用学习风格的研究成果对高职高专英语教学方法进行改进,以提高高职高专英语教学质量。     

将科研引入课堂 让学生走入科研——利用科研项目对高职学生进行专业教学的新法初探

本文结合近几年的教学实践及国家示范性专业建设成果,阐述了将科研引入课堂的意义和措施,以期为新时期高职教育的人才培养模式提供一条新的思路和途径。本文还提出了科研引入课堂时应注意的几点问题。