On General Education in Higher Education Institutions of China Mainland

This thesis points out the main problems consisting in general education in higher education institutions （HEIs） of China mainland. General education need to be further improved and so does the quality of general education curriculum. The faculty construction should be more reasonable; the teaching administration models and the evaluation system should also be perfected. This thesis is also aimed to put forward the countermeasures： to pay more attention to general education, improve the quality of the general education curriculum with every effort, develop the faculty urgently, ameliorate the teaching administration models and establish the scientific and proper evaluation system of general education curriculum, and so on.     

Benchmarks and quality assurance for online course development in higher education

As online education has entered the main stream of the U.S. higher education, quality assurance in online course development has become a critical topic in distance education. This short article summarizes the major benchmarks related to online course development, listing and comparing the benchmarks of the National Education Association （NEA）, the benchmarks of the American Distance Education Consortium （ADEC）, the benchmarks of the American Federation of Teachers, and the benchmarks of the Quality Matters project. In doing so the author hopes to promote awareness of and commitment to quality assurance in online education.     

Conducting Web-Based Learning Support Services for Digital Immigrants A Case Study at YNOU

With the development of modern open and distance education, which is characterized by Web-based instruction, Web-based assessment, and Web-based research. Web-based learning support services are considered as the most essential inputs for digital immigrants, which offer ground for them to produce considerable outputs so as to achieve better learning outcomes. This paper examines the current situation of digital immigrants in Yunnan Open University （YNOU）, with significance of finding out specific problems so as to provide effective learning support services to solve the problems in the process of open and distance learning. Open and distance education is the instruction under digital technology by using computer as a key means of media. A digital immigrant is an individual who was born before the existence of digital technology and adopted it to some extent later in life. For considering the outreach location of Yunnan, digital immigrants are at their suitable ages of studying. Some of them cannot understand the value of digital technology completely, and some fail to implement modern technology into their daily lives. Drawing on such findings, Web-based learning support services in YNOU for digital immigrants are significantly worth studying, because they are definitely related with successful learning outcomes in order to achieve the new vision of YNOU, a newly-built open and distance university in the year of 2012. ＂Learning is ‘open＇ to everyone, study occurs by anyone, anytime, and anywhere＂ by making education accessible to all. Additionally, it is appealed for enhancing sustainable development of modern open and distance learning on the new research agenda.     

Maximizing the usage of technology-enhanced teaching and learning of science and mathematics in English program in the Malaysian secondary schools system

This research is attempting to examine the effectiveness in the application of ICT （information and communication technology） and standardize courseware in ETeMS （English for Teaching Mathematics and Science） or PPSMI （Pengajaran and Pembelajaran Sains and Matematic dalam Bahasa Inggeris） in English program in the Malaysian secondary school system. Five dimensions of secondary school （type of school, demographic, leadership quality, teaching and learning culture, and teachers＇ personal and working experience） were examined to determine the maximizing usage of TEC （technology-enhanced classroom） in the learning program. In general, there is a significant difference among factors stated above with maximizing usage of TEC in teaching and learning of science and mathematics in English program. The learning culture is also closely related. In addition, the school and teaching staff are another two essential factors found to be the strong fundamental of maximizing the usage of technology in TEC teaching and learning with towering quality. This study represents an addition to the extant literature on maximizing the usage of technology-enhanced teaching and learning towards the excellence of education in the secondary school system. The maximizing usage of TEC teaching and learning environment within the secondary school system is pivotal towards achieving high quality human capital and improving the efficiency and integrity of technology-enhanced learning of science and mathematics in English program. This study provides further groundwork to assist existing education managers to improve work quality and deliver the maximizing usage of TEC teaching and learning towards the excellence in secondary education.     

Enigma of Exam-oriented Education in China:A comparison on Sino-U.S.Educational Concepts in Higher Education

College English teaching in China has long been criticized for its orientation to examination that consequently brings about negative learning attitude and ineffective learning achievement.Chinese educationists have brought forward several ap proaches to solve this problem but little has been changed due to the cultural influences.This paper analyzes the roots of examoriented education system in China in perspective of culture by comparing the Sino-U.S.cultural elements in depth in tradition al culture,learning and teaching motivation,teacher-student relationship and learners’engagement in class.This paper finally poses two suggestions on how to change the current situation gradually:(1) Focus on the washback of evaluation system on edu cational concepts.(2) Transform the product-evaluation to process-evaluation gradually by standardizing the current evaluation approaches,especially the standards of process-evaluation.     

School Voucher Program and Its Enlightenments to the Education Reform in China

This article roughly retrospects the idea of school voucher program proposed by Milton Friedman, lately developed by Peacock, Wiseman and Jencks. The reasons like privatization in education, deterioration of public schooling and school choice promote this program. Then taking a simple look at the ramification of voucher program＂ and its value inclination and the practice of school voucher program in the USA and the problems existing in America. Finally, this paper introduces the school voucher program practiced in China and the enlightenments that school voucher program can offer to the education reform in China. With the idea and practice of school voucher program, the introduction of the market mechanism benefits the innovation of education fiscal system, the competition between schools, improvement of the education quality and parents＇ needs of school choice; it benefits the development of non-governmental education; it helps to build a better school governance situation. We should use two forms of constitutional transformation to ensure the widespread of school voucher program in China.     

本期英文文摘

It is argued that traditional school-oriented education system is not enough for information society whose driving force lies in information and knowledge.In this kind of society,every citizen needs to learn continuously what he or she wants to learn.Life-long education system is an altemative to help everybody regardless of sex,age,vocation,and location of residence to enjoy learning opportunities .For this life-long education is expected to breakdown the barriers between all the types of education.It is important to note that distance and open learning is crucially required for the realization of life-long education.Repub-     

Distance education and correspondence course in India A report on a visit to Kurukshetra University Devi Ahilya and Kota Open University

IntroductionAll over the world highereducation is facing a variety of problem s:finance,numberof students,quality of instruction,relevance of education etc.In order to deal with som e of these problems,ef-forts are on to devise alterative strategies and such strategy is Distance Education.In developed aswell as developing countries policy makers and educational planners are using Distance Education as ofone the importantstrategies for national development.Distance Education plays a m ajor ro…     

Transformation Digital Divide into Digital Opportunities for Rural Population ——Research and Practice of Rural Distance Education and information Service in Beijing

The disparities between urban and rural areas are increasingly widening with the development of the ＂digital divide＂; however, information technology plays an important role in accelerating rural development. After investigation and analysis, Beijing Academy of Agricukure and Forestry Sciences （BAAFS） has schemed out a network transmission solution and an user application system, which are adaptable to the reality in China＇s rural areas and provide a distance education for farmers with e-lectures, multi-media courseware and other information services, including website, Agricultural voice information Consultative Service System, Agricultural Intelligence-System and 3S technology. The rural distance education and information service system greatly contributed to the information-driven agriculture, the qualifying of farmers and the rural development. This paper introduces the training and learning modes of adult education in rural areas through modem information technology. Furthermore, the paper discusses the problems encountered during the development of Beijing rural distance education.     

System construction on psychological harmony education of college students

The psychological harmony education, oriented to the unity of Truth, Good, Beauty, and in pursuit of a healthy, balanced and harmonious development of individual psychological quality to improve the mental quality, is an important part in mental education. In order to better fulfill the psychological harmony education of the college students, as well as guarantee this achievement, it should persist in the principles of wholeness and systematism, fully displaying the roles of Mental Health Education Center, teaching system, management system and environmental system. Besides, it should also pay more attention to the family education, social system and self-education of them.     

Brief Discussion on Studying Abroad

Both studying abroad and distance learning have aroused wide public concern.The education system is different in the world.This paper presents the differences and similarities between Chinese and American education systems via comparison.From the long-term point of view,which is the education really ought to be about?     

Addressing cognitive processes in e-learning： TSOI Hybrid Learning Model

The development of e-learning materials for teaching and learning often needs to be guided by appropriate educational theories or models. As such, this paper provides alternative e-learning design pedagogy, the TSOI Hybrid Learning Model as a pedagogic model for the design of e-learning cognitively in science and chemistry education. This model is hybridized from the Piagetian science learning cycle model and the Kolb＇s experiential learning cycle. The TSOI Hybrid Learning Model represents learning as a cyclical cognitive process of four phases： translating, sculpting, operationalizing and integrating. A major feature is to promote cognitive processing in the learner for active learning proceeding from inductive to deductive. Design specificity in science and chemistry education is illustrated in terms of instructional storyboarding for the developed research-based e-learning product. Learners＇ cognitive ability for example positive concept achievement will be addressed as part of the research data collected.     

Evaluation of the teaching guide as an instrument for adaptation to the new European credit system： Case analysis

This paper presents the evaluation of the teaching guide application for the subject of management control in the Business Management and Administration Degree. The evaluation began with the analysis of a questionnaire which aimed to collect the perceptions of learners who have studied this subject in two groups （morning and afternoon） during the first semester of the current academic year. The intention of this analysis was to obtain information that would meet two objectives： to continue upgrading the teaching-learning process and to revise and improve all the components in the teaching guide. There is an analysis of the degree of difficulty involved in the activities proposed and the degree to which specific objectives for different competencies have been attained. Likewise, we have carried out a global assessment of the different methodologies applied in the teaching-learning process, and an assessment of the evaluation system as well as of other aspects that could have hindered reaching the objectives stated in the guide. Furthermore, the relevance of this questionnaire has been vindicated for obtaining the information necessary to adjust the learner＇s workload to the European credit.     

Reflections on Family Tutors as Moral Educators

Reading Locke＇s Some Thoughts Concerning Education and Its Reflections ZHAO Tai-hu （Beijing New Oriental School, Beijing 100080, China） Abstract： Moral education has always been a problem in China. Family education and school education should have played an important role in moral education, but it is not the ease in reality. Locke＇s Some Thoughts Concerning Education encourages family tutors to become the moral educators for the kids; and maybe, this kind of educational philosophy can become an approach to solving the current problems in moral education and shed light on the research on moral education. Key words： moral education; family tutor; moral education as the main subject     

Not yet where we want to be： South Africa＇s participation in SITES 2006

The International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement （IEA） initiated the Second International Technology in Education Study （SITES）--A longitudinal large-scale international comparative survey on the use of information and communication technologies （ICTs） in schools. The goal is to understand how ICTs effect teaching and learning in schools. SITES 2006 was the third module in this program to determine how teachers use ICTs, and to find out how school and education system factors influence teachers＇ pedagogical orientation. SITES 2006 administered three questionnaires： one for school principals, one for technology coordinators, and one for mathematics and science teachers, around 400 schools in each of 23 education systems. The main study took place during 2005-2007. This paper describes the South African educational context, provides an overview of the South African participation, speculates on South Africa＇s future participation, and provides a comparative glimpse of the use of ICTs in South African mathematics and science classrooms.     

Assessing students＇ reflective responses to chemistry-related learning tasks

Key to renewed concern on the affective domain of education （Fensham, 2007） and on school graduates＇ readiness for a world of work （DEST, 2008; WDA, 2006） is the student＇s inclination-to-reflect when engaged in a learning or problem-solving task. Reflective learning is not new to education （Dewey, 1933; Ellis, 2001）. Since the inclination-to-reflect may not be obvious even among adults at work （Seibert ＆ Daudelin, 1999）, how much more can we expect from school students？ This article presents part of a research on secondary school students＇ inclination-to-reflect when engaged in chemistry learning tasks. The instrument used is the three-part Chemistry Learning and Thinking Instrument （CLTI）. The first part seeks to characterize students＇ inclination-to-reflect while attempting chemistry learning tasks and the other parts aim to characterize their learning-thinking preferences in the subject. This article shares the construction of the learning tasks in the first part and how students＇ reflective responses to these tasks are encouraged, scored and analyzed. Since assessment is said to drive teaching and learning, an alternative form of assessment, such as these CLTI items, may help students become more reflective in their learning habits and hence mare adantable tn the world of work.     

Diversity in education using blended learning in Sarawak

One of the objectives of Malaysia Ministry of Education is to provide educational opportunities for all Malaysians. Are education opportunities given fairly to all Malaysians who come from two big regions and divided by the South China Sea？ The web infancy era, where the World Wide Web （WWW） is blooming fast, has changed the new millennium teaching and learning process tremendously. Although the online learning can reach to students regardless of their location and backgrounds, human contact is still very important in traditional face-to-face learning. Blended learning course comprising online learning and traditional face-to-face learning components is an effective teaching and learning method, where it combines the best from both worlds. Blended learning courses only started a few years ago in Malaysia higher learning institutions to give everybody equal opportunities to study. The key acceptance of blended learning approach and continuing improvement is students＇ satisfaction. This study focused on students＇ satisfaction related to the nine components of blended learning （course content, technical, flexibility, community learning, motivation, sharing, feedback, complementary learning and personalized learning） from two locations： urban and rural areas. The study employed a mixed method consisting of a survey questionnaire distributed first to collect the quantitative data and followed by the interview to refine and explain the data. The population of the study consisted of students who enrolled in the Mathematics Blended Learning Course in Sarawak state in semester July-November, 2007. Census was used in the study. The survey instrument was developed and validated using Rasch model. The semi-structured questionnaire was used in qualitative data collection. The quantitative data was analyzed by using SPSS v 14.0 whilst the qualitative data was coded by using NVivo software. Results from the quantitative data showed that students were satisfied in all nine components regardless of the location. The grand mean of all components also indicated that respondents were satisfied with blended learning course. This result was supported by the qualitative data.     

Academicians＇ self-efficacy in the application of TEC learning curriculum instructional design in Malaysian public tertiary education

This research is attempted to examine universities＇ academic staffs＇ curriculum instructional design in the teaching and learning process in applying the technology enhanced classroom （TEC） learning. The universities have embarked on a costly project to create an innovative and creative learning and teaching environment to promote and establish a state-of-the-art, smart, efficient, effective and high quality education. The teaching and learning culture of universities have great influence on determining the level of students＇ achievement. Seven dimensions of public universities in Malaysia were examined to determine the percentage of academic staffs＇ self-efficacy in the application of TEC learning. There is a significant difference among factors concerning the academic staffs＇ self-efficacy in their teaching and learning processes in the classroom management. Their self-preparedness in using the provided technology is closely related to the experiences and practicality of the teaching materials. This study represents an addition to the extant literature on universities＇ academic staffs＇ self-efficacy in the application of TEC learning. Academic staffs＇ self-efficacy in using TEC learning instructional design is of the utmost important to disseminate knowledge to students, which will also fully help utilize the government＇s effort in providing technology to the additional instructional design, so as to achieve high quality education and technological enhance education to pave the way to achieve a techno-education environment for all public universities in Malaysia. This study provides furtber groundwork to assist existing tertiary educational managers to improve smart teaching and learning environment and to retain high quality academic staffs in the day-to-day classroom curriculum.     

Plan the Introduction of a TQM System in an Education Establishment

The successful of total quality management(TQM) apply in industry have prompted people to think about the usage of total quality management in education.This is a challenge for education system to accept a new system in able to improve themselves,and also it is a new stage for them going to a new education quality control era.In education system,the productivity of teacher could be enhanced,teachers and students may find enjoyable in academic life,and leaving students positive contribution in society gain reputation for education institutions.