Factors influencing faculty satisfaction with online teaching and learning in higher education

Faculty satisfaction is considered an important factor of quality in online courses. A study was conducted to identify and confirm factors affecting the satisfaction of online faculty at a small research university, and to develop and validate an instrument that can be used to measure perceived faculty satisfaction in the context of the online learning environment. The online faculty satisfaction survey (OFSS) was developed and administered to all instructors who had taught an online course in fall 2007 or spring 2008 at a small research university in the USA. One hundred and two individuals completed the web‐based questionnaire. Results confirm that three factors affect satisfaction of faculty in the online environment: student‐related, instructor‐related, and institution‐related factors.     

任职教育院校文职教员教学能力构成体系研究

本文把文职教员划分为承担文化基础课程的文职教员和承担专业基础课程的文职教员两类,并结合任职教育院校的特点解析了任职教育院校对两类文职教员教学能力的需求。在此基础上建构了任职教育院校文职教员教学能力构成体系。     

基于旅游开发与管理专业课程在线实时互动教学模式研究

在对泉州市现有旅游人才资源进行调查统计的基础上,针对泉州市现有旅游人才资源的现状和存在问题,提出地方一般本科院校旅游管理专业课程应该创建师生之间、学生之间、学生和旅游从业人员之间的在线实时互动教学平台,并对平台的定位、功能、发布内容等进行讨论,以期对同类地方本科院校旅游人才资源培养的教学模式提供新的借鉴和参照.     

21世纪国际课程与教学发展趋势初探--对我国课程与教学改革的思考

作者主要就21世纪国际课程与教学在价值观、原则、目标、内容结构、评价等方面的发展趋势进行了一定的理解和把握,并据此对我国课程与教学改革中的问题作了一定的思考,以期从中得到有关指导实践的合理性认识.     

Understanding student evaluations of teaching in online learning

In this paper, we have developed a classification model for online learning environments that relates the Instructors Overall Performance (IOP) rating (according to students’ perceptions) with the course characteristics, students’ demographics and the effectiveness of the instructor in his/her teaching roles. To that end, a comprehensive Student Evaluation of Teaching (SET) instrument is proposed, which includes not only conventional teaching elements, but also items that encourage twenty-first century skills. The goal of the study is twofold: (i) to quantify the extent to which the selected variables explain the IOP rating, and (ii) determine which teaching and non-teaching variables most affect the IOP rating. The best performing classifier achieved a competitive accuracy, highlighting that the selected variables mainly determine the IOP values. Other important findings include: (i) the IOP value is mainly influenced by the effectiveness of the instructor in his/her teaching roles; (ii) teaching strategies that involve the cooperation between the technical and pedagogical roles should be promoted; (iii) the pedagogical role has the highest impact on the final IOP value; and (iv) the most influential demographic variable is the student’s status (working commitments and family responsibilities).     

精品课程建设与一流教师队伍培养

教师队伍建设是精品课程建设的关键因素。一门课程之所以能够成为精品,关键在于它拥有一流的教师队伍;精品课程的“一流性”与“示范性”定位,又对教师队伍建设提出了新的要求;要善于把精品课程建设与高水平师资队伍建设结合起来,在建设精品课程中寻求打造高水平教师团队的有效途径。     

物理新课程发展性教学评价的研究与实践

本文阐述了实施物理新课程要树立发展性教学评价观念 ;确定多元化的评价内容和标准 ;运用多样化的评价方法     

Using a scholarship of teaching and learning approach to award faculty who innovate

This study examines a college-teaching award that uses a scholarship of teaching model focusing on learning outcomes. Through questionnaires the researcher examined two groups’ perceptions: award recipients and academic leaders. Respondents described the award and indicated the perceived effect on faculty and programs. Both groups highlighted faculty incentive to innovate for promoting student learning, a strong impact on performance evaluation, and recognition of exceptional teaching. Respondents recommended better communicating the award’s rigor and learning focus to increase its impact. Recipients reported the award’s influence on continued innovation, engagement in teaching scholarship, and leadership opportunities. Over half have presented their work in peer-reviewed venues.     

浅议生物教学中对课程资源的开发和利用

探讨在新课改背景下如何开发校内外课程资源,如何通过课程资源的整合利用,引导学生主动参与、探索发现、交流合作,最终确保课程目标的有效实现,已成为每一位生物学教师必须思考和研究的问题.     

大学数学专业课程教与学模式的改革研究

传统的大学数学专业课程的教与学模式比较单一,存在理论脱离实践的现象。本文主要对大学数学专业课程教育学模式改革的意义、存在的问题及其具体实施进行了阐述。     

政治课教学开发利用课程资源的思考

开发利用课程资源是实现有效教学的重要途径。在政治课教学中,要广泛开发利用各种资源激发学生的学习热情和动机,激发学生的求知欲。要开发利用政治课程资源就要充分利用校本课程资源,自主开发校本课程以及教辅资料;要从政治教师、家长及学生等方面全方位有效利用一切可供利用的课程资源。只有广泛开发利用政治课程资源,才能使政治课堂焕发出永恒的生命活力。     

网络远程教育的实践与探索——浅谈中国人民大学网络教育的教学与管理

中国人民大学作为开展网络远程教育的试点高校之一，在实践中建立和逐步完善网络远程教育的运行模式、教学模式和管理模式，为网络远程教育在中国的全面开展做了积极的探索与努力。随着社会的不断前进，中国的网络远程教育也面临着理论与实践存探究的艰巨课题。     

Supporting computer-mediated learning: A case study in online staff development and classroom learning environment assessment

The rapid growth of online learning has led to the development of staff inservice evaluation models that are geared towards improving degree programs. Based on best practices in student online assessment, the Online Faculty Development and Classroom Learning Environment Assessment course was designed to serve the dual purpose of staff development and classroom learning environment assessment. Results of analyses showed that the course maximised the potential of online staff development for encouraging staff to reflect on Curriculum and Teaching Capacities (CTC). Implications are discussed in terms of emphasising the process of online CTC learning and incorporating perspectives to capture a comprehensive view of staff teaching attitudes and their association with student perceptions of the classroom learning environment.     

浅谈高校精品课程创新教学体系的构建与实践

电弧焊与电渣焊是目前高校材料成型及控制工程专业一门主干专业基础课程,本文探讨精品课程创新教学体系构建的内涵建设及措施,以便更好地促进精品课程的建设和发展。     

Perception of teaching competencies by administrators,faculty and students of Indian agricultural universities: an assessment of faculty training needs

Purpose: The study aims at finding out relevance and knowledge levels of selected teaching competencies as perceived by educational administrators, faculty and students, in order to assess the training needs of faculty of agricultural universities.

Methodology: Relevance and knowledge levels were tested through a teaching competency questionnaire developed and run on 292 respondents fitting into administrator, faculty and student groups. Needs Assessment Model by Borich [1980. “A Needs Assessment Model for Conducting Follow-up Studies.” Journal of Teacher Education 31 (3): 39–42] is used to identify training needs.

Findings: Results indicate differences in perceptions among groups towards teaching competencies. Prioritized training needs were identified which provide the content and direction for the development of faculty in-service educational programmes.

Practical implications: Faculty of agricultural universities need periodic in-service training programmes in order to improve their teaching competencies so that they become effective and competent teachers in the present educational environment.

Theoretical implications: The statistically validated methodological framework provides for capturing the perception of all stakeholders on the teaching competencies among the faculty members of Agricultural Universities in India, and offers a scope for scaling up the study for similar educational setting in the region.

Originality/value: The perception of students and administrators was also considered along with the self-perception of faculty about the relevance and knowledge levels of teaching competencies.     

English language teaching curriculum in Iran: planning and practice

The present study investigates English language teaching (ELT) curriculum planning in Iran's Ministry of Education and its implementation by teachers. We studied programme evaluation; needs analysis; the ELT-specific documents; communication channels between planning and practice levels; teacher evaluation and student assessment; interpretation and re-examination of national policies within the Ministry; and the criteria set for ELT material development. Instrumentation included: curriculum documents; interviews with Ministry officials, material developers and headteachers; and teacher questionnaires. Results attested to the lack of any ELT-specific document for material development and absence of research-based needs assessment as the foundation of the programmes. Also, there are no pre-defined linguistic and professional criteria for evaluating teachers, and planning for students' assessment is limited to a set of general guidelines. Moreover, there is neither a programme evaluation nor an ELT evaluation model and national-level policies are not re-examined at planning level. Results also indicate that politico-ideological beliefs of material developers are as important as their expertise and communication channels between planning and practice levels are of a top-down nature. It is argued that the gap between planning and practice results from a highly centralised policymaking process in which local policymakers (i.e. teachers) are not involved.     

The teaching researcher: faculty attitudes towards the teaching and research roles

Results from a survey on faculty attitudes towards the teaching and research roles are presented. Attention is given to: (i) the perceived value of teaching (and teaching achievements) relative to research, (ii) approaches for research and teaching integration, (iii) the satisfaction gained from typical work tasks, and (iv) the importance of various work-life factors. Factors such as academic freedom, an intellectual work environment, flexible work hours, inspirational colleagues, and work diversity are found to be highly valued. Support from peers and colleagues is also seen as a key in learning to manage the different academic roles. A relatively low value is attributed to teaching achievements. Likewise, there is often little utilisation of teaching opportunities to support research work (other than senior-year research projects). Female faculty were found to give marginally a higher importance to teaching recognition and collaborative teaching opportunities. Based on the findings, general recommendations for supporting the teaching researcher are presented.     

Reconceptualising higher education pedagogy in online learning

The purpose of this collaborative inquiry project was to examine teacher education practices in two early childhood degree programmes in a school of education at a regional university in Australia. All students are enrolled in these online courses as distance learners. The reconceptualised online pedagogy immersed students, peers and their lecturers in ‘teaching through assessment’ (Edwards, 2010) in a collaborative online environment that mirrors the complexity that students are experiencing in their workplaces. This article describes the pedagogical and conceptual underpinnings we used to reconceptualise our degree programmes. It also outlines our evolving conceptualisations of learning as knowledge creation (Hong & Sullivan, 2009) in the context of our teaching and learning in online courses.     

中职学校会计专业课程案例教学法探究

会计专业作为一门理论与实践结合性很强的实用型专业,必须从会计专业培养目标的实际需要出发,注重对知识应用和实践能力的培养,使学生掌握会计人员的基本技能,达到会计理论与实务的统一,提高毕业生的岗位适应能力。在会计专业课程教学中引入案例教学法对于培养学生的独立思考能力和实际工作能力可以起到事半功倍的效果。本文从案例教学法的优势、实施过程、实施中应当注意的问题三个方面进行了讨论,对案例教学法在会计专业课程教学中的运用进行了初步探讨。     

基于课程思政建设的高校课程改革取向与教学质量提升

课程思政是高校落实立德树人根本任务的重要举措,推进课程思政建设就是要把思想政治教育贯穿人才培养体系始终,发挥好每门课程的育人作用。从根本上说,课程思政建设是一场课程体系、教学内容和教学方法的综合改革,终极目标指向课程教学质量和人才培养质量提升。高校应紧扣课程思政导向推动课程体系革新,围绕课程思政要求优化课程教学内容和教学方法,立足课程思政施行需要补齐课程建设的制度短板,使课程全面反映新时代人才培养质量新内涵和新要求;在深化课程认知与优化教学过程中、在遵循课程教学规律和坚守质量底线基础上、在发挥教师主体的能动作用中提升教学质量,对关于课程教学质量的质疑声作出正面回应,形成课程思政建设的良好氛围与推进课程思政和课程教学的耦合共进。