Counselling as communication strategies in open and distance education： NOUN experience

The whole world is now referred to as a global village because of the technological revolution is taking place especially in the area of information and communication. In this paper, the author started the discussion with definition of communication, highlighted means of communication and purposes of communication, counselling as a form of communication, conceptual flame work for communication in ODL （open and distance education）, component of good communication, media selection and combination for effective counselling process in NOUN. The author in his recommendations, advocated that for a counsellor to be effective in discharging his responsibilities, he or she must attain a certain level of competency in communication skills, select appropriate media, and must be efficient in the use of communication devices especially computer. Also the media of counselling must be readily available to both the counsellor and counselees.     

Accessibility in post secondary education： Application of UDL to college curriculum

The inclusion of students with disabilities at the university is a relatively new occurrence in the field of special education. Although legislation in the United States has supported the acceptance of students with disabilities at the post-secondary level, it has only provided minimal support with the emphasis on the learner rather than the curriculum. Now we are looking for multiple ways for students to access learning and demonstrate mastery. Universal Design for Learning （UDL） is currently seen as a means to reconceptionalize curriculum. This study examines the experience of four professors and their effort to use a Classroom Performance System （CPS） as part of reformatting their courses using UDL. The Center for Applied Special Technology, CAST （2001） states that the goal of Universal Design for Learning is to develop teaching methods that enable all students with diverse learning needs, including those with disabilities and cultural differences, to have equal access to classroom curriculum. This paradigm shift echoes the move in special education from a deficit model to a minority rights model put forward by Hahn （1989）, and which is the basis of inclusive educational philosophy. Together inclusion and UDL create learning environments that strive to serve all students. This research describes the implementation of clickers as part of the CPS program in college courses in a special education teacher preparation program. The case study demonstrates how technology can provide access for all learners with positive outcomes such as increased participation and application of knowledge. It also illustrates some of the difficulties in making this pedagogical paradigm shift particularly in the use of technology, and the value of overcoming the existing barriers in place.     

Rethinking of immigration policy change and its impacts on foreign Chinese students＇ adaptation in the US after September lIth

This paper, through a phenomenological study, is designed to study those overwhelming problems and concerns in intercultural adaptations commonly confronted with foreign Chinese students at an American institute since September 11th. After a qualitative study on the concerns and intercultural adaptations of fifteen Chinese graduate students majoring in different programs, it was found that in addition to language and culture deficiencies, the instability and the changes of the immigration laws and regulations regarding international students and scholars after the September 11th incident in the US is the big hurdle that encumbers them from a comparatively faster and better adaptation. The growing economic prosperity in Mainland China also affects the foreign Chinese students＇ motivation in intercultural adaptations in the US.     

Regulatory mechanism of self-determination involvement in higher education: assessing Chinese students’ experiences

Investment in higher education facilities in terms of both hardware and software has witnessed significant growth on a yearly basis since the reintroduction of the college entrance examination known as the NMT in 1977. However, a social assessment of graduates’ qualities seems to indicate that the improvement in skill levels and graduates’ general qualities has failed to keep pace with the growth in investment. As a bridge to relate college environment to student gains in learning, student self-determined involvement in educational activities plays an important role in analyzing the educational effects of colleges. Based on a conducted through the survey of Chinese College Student Experience Questionnaire, with data collected from 647 valid respondents, universities can observe and evaluate the levels and quality of students’ involvement in the educational process. The students’ involvement of educational activities can be investigated through data analysis, employing statistical methods of a structural equation model. In observing student involvement in the educational system, it becomes apparent that the students’ capacity for building on and playing a key role in the improvement of the quality of education they receive is largely controlled by their involvement activities in the learning process. In addition, both of the college environment and student motivation have a combined and significant effect on student involvement behaviors. Student involvement can be divided into three gradual but distinct levels (controlled, identified and integrated involvement) in accordance with the varying degrees of internalization. Student involvement will exponentially magnify the positive effects on student gains when colleges invest in new and additional resources, particularly when students become more deeply involved in the educational environment. In addition, when colleges make a concentrated effort to recognize the importance of student involvement, and they encourage and incentivise students to become involved, the college itself will benefit greatly from the improved university environment. This combination of mutually beneficial activity, therefore, represents a virtuous circle of promotion between college and students.     

Sexuality education： Analysis of Moroccan teachers＇ and future teachers＇ conceptions

Conceptions are analyzed as being the emergences from interactions between three poles： scientific knowledge （K）, values （V） and social practices （P）. The teachers＇ beliefs and values have a direct influence on the way of understanding and teaching a topic. These beliefs must be taken into account in the content and strategies of the teacher＇s formation. In this paper, the authors discuss the importance of studying and analyzing these conceptions and present the results of the research on teachers＇ and future teachers＇ conceptions about sexual health education. In this topic, the conceptions could be deeply rooted not only in scientific knowledge but also in value systems and social practices, because teachers often refuse to teach the ethical, psychological, economic and social issues not strictly reducible to biology, such as sexuality health. The authors used a questionnaire prepared jointly within the European project Biohead-Citizen.     

The impact of storybooks on kindergarten children＇s mathematical achievement and approaches to learning

This paper presents a mixed methods study that explored how storybooks influence kindergarten children＇s mathematical achievement and approaches to mathematics learning. Teachers＇ observations and research stating primary grade children＇s lack of mathematical knowledge and negative attitudes towards mathematics served as the impetus for the study. Three kindergarten teachers taught a mathematics unit using various children＇s storybooks and the characters in the stories as the context for mathematical problems. The results of the study show an impact on students＇ mathematical achievement as well as the identification of four themes that emerged on how students＇ approaches to learning were influenced when storybooks were integrated into the mathematics unit.     

Using technology supported learning to develop active learning in higher education： A case study

John Dewey believed that the education should educate individuals ＂not as passive recipients of educational content, but as active makers of meaning, capable of exercising independent judgement and of democratic collaboration＂ （Gregory, 2001, p. 399）. With this philosophical viewpoint, the author strongly believes that teachers should engage students in becoming actively involved and responsible for their own learning. One way in which to get students involved in their own learning is by using technology supported learning. This method is important in relation to the diverse student population now enrolling in universities. This case study was carried out to assess the implementation of technology supported learning within a first year module. Three online tasks were made available for students within this course. A questionnaire was used to solicit information on the online task. The findings suggested that there are many benefits that can be derived from the effective utilization of technology within higher education.     

Preservice teachers＇ use of spatio-visual elements and their level of justification dealing with a geometrical construction problem

The main purpose of this research is to elements and mathematical properties when they are axiomatic structure of the Euclidian geometry forms a determine to what extent preservice teachers use visual dealing with a geometrical construction activity. The coherent field of objects and relations of a theoretical nature; and thus it constitutes a favorable ground for the learning of the reasoning and justification. In geometry, even if the reasoning is assisted by concrete elements such as drawings, it is not based on actions or spatio-visual elements. Arguments based on mathematical properties are required in geometrical reasoning. A successful teaching of the geometry directly depends on the subject knowledge of the teachers. Another purpose is to map out the different kinds of justifications implemented by teachers related to such an activity. Analyses of the responses indicate that a large proportion of preservice teachers use visual elements for their geometrical constructions and they are tended to use naive empiricism concerning their justifications.     

Summary of Bilingual Teaching Research in Chinese Universities and Colleges during Ten Years

Based on the research papers dated from 1999 to 2008,on bilingual teaching in universities and colleges collected in the CNKI database,this paper presents the situation of bilingual teaching research during ten years,points out some shortcomings in the above papers,and then proposes some suggestions for the further research in bilingual teaching.     

Influence of augmented reality technology upon pupils＇ knowledge about human digestive system： The results of the experiment

Applying information technologies in the educational process is the main direction of modern education. However, ＂moving＂ information communication technologies to schools is the primary purpose of discussions held by pedagogical and scientific society as this is a very problematic field （Lamanauskas, 2006）. Most of the researches show that the virtual learning environment help to achieve higher learning results. However, pupils＇ questioning in Lithuania, Germany, Romania, Malta and Czech （Lamanauskas, Vilkonis ＆ Klangauskas, 2007; Lamanauskas ＆ Vilkonis, 2007; Bilek, Zemanova ＆ Turcani, 2007） showed that most of the respondents prefer real learning environment or combine real and virtual environments while learning natural sciences. The latest scientific research shows that along the real and/or virtual teaching/learning environment, a combined environment can also be acceptable. The introduced environment can be created using augmented reality technology （ART）, i.e. augmenting real objects found in the environment and usual material visuals with virtual information in the real space. In Siauliai University, a pedagogical experiment was done, and it aims at establishing effective teaching/learning platform based on augmented reality technology （ARTP） influence upon the learning results. 110 pupils of the 7 th form of comprehensive school took part in the experiment. The analysis of the research data shows that pupils＇ achievement after use of ARTP in the experimental group significantly improved while completing some tasks.     

Determinants of Malaysian adult learners＇ distance learning

This study attempts to identify the factors perceived to be important in choosing an Institution of Higher Learning （IHL） for distance learning. One thousand five hundred questionnaires were distributed to the first year students in the social sciences distance learning programs and 980 valid responses were received of Malaysian public university. The results show that the top three factors influencing their preferred institution are qualification recognition IHL, future career advancement, and personal satisfaction. The results of this study provide insights to the IHL, employers and academics on the nature and relative importance of the factors perceived important for adult learners in the selection of their preferred IHL.     

Effects of virtual education on academic culture： Perceived advantages and disadvantages

The perceived advantages and disadvantages of courses taught in online and face-to-face learning environments were explored for students taking an accounting and a data collection and analysis course. Both courses were taught in a face-to-face learning environment at the main or satellite campus. It was hypothesized that there would be statistically significant differences in the perceived advantages and disadvantages of courses taught in online and face-to-face learning environments. Results showed statistically significant differences between perceived advantages and disadvantages for both learning environments. Findings suggest that there are differences between the perception of advantages and disadvantages for online and face-to-face learning environments.     

Hearing-impaired pupils in mainstream education in Finland: teachers’ experiences of inclusion and support

Today, in Finland, the majority of hearing-impaired pupils attend regular schools. This is in line with inclusive policy. This study aims to investigate do these pupils receive support from teachers, what kind of support is given and how is inclusion functioning. A questionnaire was used with 109 Finnish teachers, with both closed- and open-ended questions. All teachers taught hearing-impaired pupils in mainstream education, at primary or at secondary stage. According to the results, the main support categories were pedagogical and technical support. However, 48% of teachers gave no support. Inclusion was successful according to teachers. Various forms of support and key areas of teaching are discussed.     

Analysis of Chinese＇s Red Complex and the Applications in Life

古往今来,中华民族一直是个尚红的民族,红色是具有中国特色的吉祥色,被冠之以＂中国红＂的美称。红色以其热情、喜庆、吉祥、温暖、忠诚的文化内涵一直深受中国人民尤其是汉族人民的喜爱,多数中国人民有着强烈的红色情结。相应的,红色物品在生活中的许多方面都得到了充分的应用。中国人的红色情结本身既是一种重要的文化现象,又对中国的文化、政治、经济等领域产生了重要的影响。文章从红的概念、红与白的比较、中国人形成红色情结的原因以及红色在古今生活中诸领域的应用等方面进行了简单的分析。     

Race,rurality and representation: Black and minority ethnic mothers’ experiences of their children’s education in rural primary schools in England,UK

There is little research that has examined the role of mothers in their children's education in the rural space of the school, particularly in relation to the experiences of Black and minority ethnic (BME) families who are newcomers to the rural space. This article attempts to redress the balance and examine how BME mothers are positioned in rural primary schools in England (UK) which are predominantly White. This article is based on 20 in-depth interviews conducted with mothers who identified themselves as Black or from a minority ethnic background (India, Pakistan or Bangladesh). All of the respondents had moved into the areas in the last 10 years. The findings from this research suggest that mothers are active agents in the education of their children; however, their experiences reveal that within the White space of the school they are positioned as ‘other’ and ‘outsiders’ as they navigate the diasporic space of the White countryside.