信息与通信技术对高等教育的影响

信息与通信技术的发展速度太快,以至于我们最好采取小规模试验的方式来运用它;信息与通信技术的出现加速了知识界限和大学教育机构界限之间的模糊,加强了高等教育的民主化进程,给大学的性质和生存提出了严峻挑战。但是,传统的高等教育形式和机构并不会被彻底代替,对高等教育的影响在不同学科领域、对于不同的学生群体不一样。     

A cultural look at information and communication technologies in Eastern education

The Eastern cultural tradition, together with other social factors, has shaped a group-based, teacher-dominated, and centrally organized pedagogical culture. Drawing upon this cultural perspective, this article reviews the development of information and communication technologies (ICT) in Eastern schools, including ICT planning and management, hardware infrastructures, software resources and services, professional development, and ICT-supported educational practices. It highlights the impact of the pedagogical culture on technology use, as well as the role of technology in pedagogical change. The review suggests a number of critical challenges Eastern educators need to address.     

Globalisation: The role of new information and communication technologies in distance education

Abstract

The rapid changes and convergence of new information and communication technologies over the past decade have changed the way distance education is employed. The new information and communication technology revolution has enabled academic institutions to provide a flexible and more open learning environment to students and has brought distant sites into an electronic web of information. As a result, the gist of this paper is to examine the promise of new information and communication technologies and public service broadcasting (particularly television broadcast-based distance education) in Africa in the face of globalisation.     

Rethinking teaching with information and communication technologies (ICTs) in architectural education

This paper attempts to answer three questions: (1) What are the benefits of fully implementing ICTs for the education of professionals, such as architects? (2) What are the difficulties involved with carrying out these technological changes? and (3) How do these benefits and difficulties interact in a rapidly developing Asian nation such as Taiwan? A brief literature review reveals that ICTs are especially well fitted to the educational paradigm of constructivism and that cultural considerations must always be kept in mind when attempting to implement ICTs. Particular attention is given to the increased potential for collaborative work that crosses international and cultural boundaries, molding studies and exercises to the interests of students and teachers rather knowledge that has recently evolved, and how this maximized use will benefit architectural education. Throughout the paper special attention is given to the possibility of fully implementing ICTs for the education of professionals in Taiwan.     

New technologies in engineering education: biomedical engineering

Almost everybody involved in engineering education has, at some time or another, been faced with the alternative of broad spectrum engineering education versus specialized education. It seems as though, at least in Europe, the trend has been towards the first solution. The point is to first generate an engineer and then let him get an outlook on feasible options at a pregraduate level. Afterwards, either with the use of postgraduate education or professional experience, he may be able to deepen into specialized knowledge using the basis he was previously taught. It is a rational solution in a society where the rate of technological innovations is tremendous and where solutions must be given to very complex and interdisciplinary problems in a context of socio-economic crisis.     

Learning at home with information and communication technologies

Digitisation and the convergence of computing and telecommunications have led to a range of information and communication technologies (ICT) that have the potential to transform education. ICT are being used by teachers and learners in conventional universities and colleges as well as in tertiary institutions that serve the needs of distance learners, be they home‐based or in some other off‐campus location. They can enable distance learners to receive and interact with educational materials and resources and to engage with teachers and peers in ways that previously may have been impossible. However, the domestic contexts within which home‐based learners undertake their studies are complex and highly varied and these circumstances impact upon the educational process (Kirkwood 1995).

There is a need to examine not only the nature of the relationships between learners and the technologies, but also the social relationships within the domestic setting. It is important for course designers and developers to consider issues of access to ICT ‐ both quantitative and qualitative ‐ in the homes of their target student audience in order to develop a better understanding of their learners. Significant disparities in access exist, both within and between countries, and these can exacerbate existing educational advantages and inequities. Greater awareness of the diverse environments within which home‐based learning takes place should help inform the planning and design of courses and materials that are appropriate for such varied contexts.     

A model for predicting the educational use of information and communication technologies

This study of 550 persons, predominately education professionals, was designed to test an integrated theoretical model (the 4-E Model) for predicting the likelihood of the use of telecommunications-related technological innovations (in particular, e-mail, the WWW, and videoconferencing) in learning-related settings. The four Es in the model, derived from a series of previous studies (Collis & Pals, 1999), are environmental factors, effectiveness, ease of use, and (personal) engagement. The model was first tested using factor-analytic procedures on the results of a 54-item questionnaire adminstered via the WWW to a sample of 550 persons from 39 countries. Twelve factors with eigenvalues greater than 1.00 were extracted and latent variables were generated to correspond with the factors. The factors as interpreted by items with loadings <0.500 supported the 4-E Model, but indicated that the four theoretical e dimensions could be further expressed in terms of subaspects. In addition, a series of variables related to likelihood of use of e-mail, the WWW, and videoconferencing in educational settings was also subjected to a factor analysis, resulting in three latent variables representing the dependent variables for a causal model. The causal model linking the latent variables was tested using a series of LISREL analyses, one for each of the derived dependent variables. The results, which again supported the 4-E Model, showed a strong contribution of the environment subfactor relating to the organization, as well as the engagement subfactor relating to the individual's self-confidence with respect to technology use to the prediction of implementation success. Based on the results of the factor analysis and the model validation, six of the latent variables related to the 4-E Model were identified as key to implementation prediction. These variables were used in a series of analyses of key subgroups in the sample, relating to educational sector, educational role, to gender, and to age, in order to examine key discriminating variables. The results are discussed in terms of their theoretical and practical implications, including the development of a WWW-based instrument.     

Studying cultural diversity using information and communication technologies in teacher education: pedagogy,power and literacy

Abstract

This article investigates the relationship between new technologies, pedagogy and cultural diversity. It is clear from the project discussed in this article that studying diversity issues on-line provides scope for developing what has been called cultural literacy following Bourdieu's (1990) notion of ‘different ways of seeing’. However, there are a number of unintended effects of power that emerge in this new cultural field which need examination. These include the importance of understanding the embodied context as much as the virtual, the need to be explicit about literacy practices to challenge the dominant liberal discourse of ‘voice’ in on-line discussion, and the effects of power that emanate from teaching and learning in this field.     

适应工程教育改革的信息通信类实验平台构建

针对信息通信类人才培养的特点,在分析工程教育改革需求的基础上提出在信息通信类综合实验平台中引入校企协同育人和虚拟仿真技术,给出了企业实体实验教学平台和虚拟仿真平台的建设理念、构建思路和实践方案,构建了开放式、网络化、虚实结合的信息通信实验教学大平台,实现校内人才培养与企业需求的无缝对接,为信息通信类工程教育的深化改革提供了有益的参考。     

Collaborative writing in engineering: Perspectives from research and implications for undergraduate education

In engineering, like in many other disciplines, collaborative writing (CW) has been identified as a central practice in both the academy and industry. A number of studies have shown that both students and professionals in this field write most discipline-specific genres collaboratively. Despite its centrality, CW in engineering is still an under-researched area with very few empirical studies on how it happens as situated practice. This article reports on a study that used a variety of data sets as its empirical base to examine CW in four schools of the faculty of engineering at a university in the UK. It also reports on the views of CW in the workplace that lecturers involved in industry hold. The article aims at contributing to the understanding of CW in engineering by identifying its role, nature and dynamics. It also examines pedagogical implications resulting from the study with a view to making a contribution to developments in writing in engineering education. The article finishes by making a number of recommendations for future research.     

Primary pupils' use of information and communication technologies at school and home

Based on survey data from 612 pupils in five English primary schools, this paper investigates children's engagement with information and communication technologies (ICTs) inside and outside the school context. Analysis of the data shows pupils' engagements with ICTs to be often perfunctory and unspectacular, especially within the school setting, where the influence of year group and school attended are prominent. Whilst the majority of children felt that ICT use led to gains in learning, the paper discusses how there was a strong sense of educational uses of ICTs being constrained by the nature of the schools within which 'educational' use was largely framed and often situated. The paper concludes by suggesting possible changes to ICT provision in primary schools, most notably relaxing school restrictions regarding Internet access and developing meaningful dialogues with pupils about future forms of educational ICT use.     

Conceptualising the role of information and communication technologies in the design of higher education teaching models used in the UK

Despite the widespread availability of information and communication technologies (ICTs) and some research into specific pedagogical practices using them, there has been little research on the role of these technologies in shaping broader pedagogical approaches in higher education (HE). Increased experimentation in using ICTs raises questions about their pedagogical role in teaching, learning and assessment provision, and in creating innovative pedagogies. An accepted approach is needed to compare the different ways ICTs and rich media are used in HE teaching models. Within the SusTEACH HE sustainability research project this was needed to support the carbon‐based environmental assessment of HE courses using ICTs. Building on a review of learning design theories and models, and ICTs used for pedagogical purposes, this paper considers several approaches to conceptualising the role of ICTs in HE courses, leading to the development of the Teaching Models Rating Tool designed to examine the role of ICTs in course provision. This tool characterises courses as using Face‐to‐Face Teaching Models, Distance Teaching Models, ICT‐Enhanced Blended Teaching Models or Online Teaching Models. Whilst this tool was designed to support research on sustainable HE teaching models in the UK, it has wider applications to support comparative assessments of pedagogical and economic impacts. Further developments will be informed by the complex and evolving role of ICTs in HE teaching models.     

Networking and the use of information technologies in the French education system

Conclusion It may be pointed out in conclusion that the two connotations of the word ‘network’— the fact of working together coupled with that of the new information and communication media—finally come together and situate the French education system in a real context of change, for both connotations are obviously complementary. Communication, co-operative work, the pooling of resources and skills, with a view to improving the quality and effectiveness of education and promoting equality of opportunity through access to knowledge, are central to these various projects. Thanks to the greater flexibility made possible by these tools, a new public—those who are isolated or those who find it impossible to move—are and will be taken into account. The purpose of these projects is to increase the performance of the education system and adapt it to the social and economic realities of the community. This shows how important it is to facilitate their implementation, in association with all partners concerned. Original language: French Fran?ois Louis (France) University degrees in public law and labour law and a graduate of the French école nationale d'administration (ENA) (1979). Since 1989, he has been head of the Planning and Resources Management Unit of the French Direction des lycées et collèges, after having held the post of Secretary-General of educational administration for the Paris region. In 1994, he published a book entitledDécentralisation et autonomie des établissements [Decentralization and school autonomy], as well as a report published by OECD in 1995 entitledL'enseignement secondaire en France, la mutation des dix dernières années [Secondary education in France, a decade of change].     

A short review of information and communication technologies and basic education in LDCs—what is useful, what is sustainable?

Information and communication technologies such as radio and television have long been used in education. The advent of the technology of the Internet has created pressure for Internet access in primary and secondary schools across the world. This paper reviews some of the available evidence on the impact and cost of such technologies in developing countries. It concludes that while there is strong evidence for the efficacy and efficiency of interactive radio instruction, the evidence on the impact of computer-supported education remains mixed, and costs are prohibitive for many LDCs (less developed countries).     

New Zealand management students’ perceptions of communication technologies in correspondence education

Nearly 1,000 management students enrolled in New Zealand's Technical Correspondence Institute during 1980‐1982 were mailed a questionnaire and followup letters from March ‐‐ July, 1983. Response rate was 76.9% (N=724). Did dropouts (3.43%) differ from persisters in their preferences for supplementary or alternative educational technologies? Dropouts were more receptive to telephone and audio taped communications and seminars. Audio tape and seminar variables were among surviving predictors of dropout after extensive multiple linear regression analyses. Distance education institutions should consider using multiple communication channels in order to cater to diverse student learning styles.