Teachers' thinking elicited from interactive multimedia professional development courseware

This paper reports data obtained on practicing teachers' thinking as they interacted with a professional development interactive multimedia (IMM) courseware package. The data were obtained from 11 participating teachers via stimulated-recall interviews. Two types of thinking are detailed and discussed. The first type is those mediating processes engaged in by teachers during study sessions that related to the academic and professional content of the IMM package. The second type is those evaluative thoughts reported by teachers that related to instructional design aspects of the IMM courseware. The latter data were used to develop a classification system that provides a conceptualization of the major components, as perceived by the participating teachers, that relate to instructional design. He has been involved in teaching mathematics education courses at a distance via printed text to inservice teachers and through interactive multimedia (IMM) courseware to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander teacher education students in their home communities. His current research interests focus on tertiary students' thinking while studying from IMM materials and their usage patterns of IMM courseware. He also supervises post graduate students in the area of teaching problem solving in upper primary and lower secondary school. Her fields of teaching and research interests concern the cultural contextualization of instructional design of interactive multimedia (IMM) and the World Wide Web (WWW). Other research interests focus on the mental models, thinking processes, and teaching-learning strategies used by teachers and learners when interacting with electronic databases, IMM, and the WWW. His areas of expertise are special education and distance education. His current research interests with respect to interactive multimedia (IMM) focus on tertiary students' thinking while studying with IMM materials and their usage patterns of IMM courseware. He is also involved in a number of school curriculum and systemic evaluations.     

Contextualizing learning in the World Wide Web: accounting for the impact of culture

There is a developing urgency about how Australian universities should best make use of the World Wide Web (WWW) to meet the needs of culturally diverse students, especially those of Asian origin. This urgency is the result of both global and internal pressures, some political, (consider the imminence of the 'Hanson movement' against a multicultural Australia), some economic, some social. Moreover, to miss the current opportunity to exploit WWW technologies to design, implement and market effective instructional courses will only work to disadvantage Australia in a growing but globally competitive educational market. One of the most pressing problems in this context is how to provide instructional materials in a model of teaching and learning that is cost-effective, makes extensive use of WWW technologies to provide for flexibility in learning, and that is culturally appropriate. This paper outlines an approach and model for investigating and developing culturally appropriate instructional materials. It is hoped that through publication, we might obtain feedback on the validity of this model and also widen the potential of its scope beyond its immediate application to the Australian context. The following hypotheses are central to our work: (1) Existing cultural influences in instructional materials designed and delivered on the WWW by Australian universities, and intended for use by culturally diverse students, are minimal and ineffective. (2) The efficacy of learning based in the use of the WWW for instructional purposes can be improved by the adoption of a culturally appropriate model of instructional design. (3) Culture is a significant factor in determining the effectiveness of learning materials created in the WWW and intended for use by culturally diverse students. In testing these hypotheses, we intend to provide the empirical research to help determine the most appropriate ways of using the WWW to stimulate effective learning at tertiary level for all learners, whatever their cultural heritage or perspectives     

A cultural embrace

Conclusion As culture is at the heart of meaning making, it warrants exacting attention in the systemic design process. As Gustafson & Powell (1991) point out, too often models are not tested for validity and reliability. It is for this reason that we emphasize that research must critically evaluate this expanded ADDIE model. As technology enables us to increase our interaction with the peoples of the world, we are enriched by the incessant shifts in our own cultural paradigms. Attention to this cultural dynamism and incessant interplay leads to both improved designs and improved designers. As instructional designers, we must be able to critically analyze our learner’s cultures and allow it to strengthen the instructional design process. In this way we address our ethical commitment to creating culturally sensitive products. His research interests include culture, identity development, and meaning making in technology rich environments. His research interests are in the areas of Educational Gerontology, Instructional Design, and the Digital Divide. His research interests include Systemic Change and the Digital Divide.     

A design-based research case study documenting a constructivist ID process and instructional solution for a cross-cultural workforce

As the need for instructing a globalized workforce increases, instructional designers must embrace the constraints and the opportunities these projects provide in order to move the field of cross-cultural instructional design (ID) forward. Cross-cultural projects offer multiple avenues for growth in ID practice, overcoming cultural barriers, and a venue to apply and test contemporary models, methodologies, and theories in ID. This design-based research case study employed a rapid prototyping methodology and the constructivist ID model, Layers of Negotiation, to collect critical cultural information for the design of this cross-cultural instruction. Instructional strategies deemed effective for instructing an unskilled workforce in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, included job aids, situated learning and apprenticeship principles consisting of modeling, coaching and scaffolding. Use of the constructivist ID model and instructional solution for a cross-cultural workforce for The Dubai Mall are presented. Evaluation results indicate the success of the instructional strategies varied dependent upon worker culture, and the sequential nature of the instructional strategies.     

Cultural Maintenance,Ownership, and Multiple Perspectives: features of Web‐based delivery to promote equity

Designing educational resources for disadvantaged groups living in rural and remote communities presents a number of challenges. In this paper, the design processes involved in the development of an online unit for Indigenous Australian learners preparing to enter university are outlined. Several design issues that impact on the creation of learning tasks and styles of communication to promote equity and access are described including ownership of learning, cultural inclusivity and community based learning. The paper argues for cultural maintenance, which means incorporating the values, styles of learning and cognitive preferences of the client group in decision making. It also means going beyond surface‐level design considerations to achieving ownership of learning and the creation of multiple perspectives that anchor learners both to their local community and to other global networks. Examples of tasks, activities and forms of community‐based learning are provided in the context of a multiple‐cultural model of learning that recognises inclusivity and different orientations to learning. It is recommended that when creating WWW‐based course sites to achieve equity and access, systematic attention must be given to particular design issues that recognise diversity, utilise an appropriate instructional design approach and involve community input in the design process     

“The music is why I teach”: Intuitive strategies of successful teachers in culturally diverse learning environments

This study explored the classroom learning environments and instructional strategies of four teachers in culturally diverse classrooms. All teachers were deemed successful by their school colleagues, including administrators and instructional specialists, at meeting the needs of their culturally diverse students. The teachers in the study, who were teaching in four different regions of the U.S.A. and who represented different grade levels, taught in schools that contained richly diverse student populations. Using the constant comparative method of data analysis, I conducted a cross-case analysis of the teachers' learning environments. A primary focus of the research was the relationship between teachers' biographies and culturally sensitive classroom instruction. Three themes about culturally sensitive teaching emerged during data analysis: reshaping traditional school curriculum, rethinking the role of the teacher, and acquiring and using cultural sensitivity. Implications for preparing teachers for culturally diverse learning environments are discussed.     

Six elements for technology integration in multicultural classrooms

Abstract

Although the number of computers in American schools multiplies, educational inequity remains evident in the area of technology. The socio-economically disadvantaged, the physically disabled, and the culturally and linguistically different have limited knowledge of and experiences with technology. Equitable access to technology requires the infusion of effective multicultural teaching strategies into educational technology use. These strategies must be broad enough to be inclusive of diverse learners, yet specific enough to be valuable as a guide to multicultural teaching. Similarly, they should allow for individual creativity and personal differences in teaching and learning. In this paper, the author proposes and defines six elements for integrating technology in culturally diverse classrooms: cultural awareness, cultural relevance, culturally supportive environment, equitable access, instructional flexibility, and instructional integration. These six elements are based on research on effective teaching of diverse students. They are not exhaustive of good instructional practices for technology use with diverse learners. Nevertheless, the author found their application in the evaluation of 32 technology-integrated units both informative and effective in identifying how teachers integrated computers for diverse learners. The author recognizes the need for further validation of these criteria and for research on effective teacher use of technology in multicultural settings.     

“We do not know what is the real story anymore”: Curricular contextualization principles that support indigenous students in understanding natural selection

We propose a process of contextualization based on seven empirically derived contextualization principles, aiming to provide opportunities for Indigenous Mexican adolescents to learn science in a way that supports them in fulfilling their right to an education aligned with their own culture and values. The contextualization principles we empirically derived account for Nahua students' cultural cognition, socialization, and cultural narratives, thus supporting Indigenous students in navigating the differences between their culture and the culture and language of school while learning complex science concepts such as natural selection. The process of curricular contextualization we propose is empirically driven, taking culture and socialization into account by using multiples sources (cognitive tasks to explore teleology, ethnographic observation of students' community and classroom, and interviews with students and community members) and builds on the scholarship in Culturally Relevant Pedagogy and Indigenous Education. We used these principles to redesign a middle school biology unit on natural selection to make it more culturally relevant for Nahua students. The enactment of this unit resulted in students being engaged in science learning and achieving significant learning gains. The significance of this study lies in presenting evidence that learning science in culturally relevant ways supports the learning of challenging biology concepts. We provide evidence that Western science can be learned in ways that are more aligned with Indigenous students' Traditional Indigenous Knowledge, thus informing the implementation of educational policies aiming to improve the quality of secondary education for Indigenous adolescents. Our proposed contextualization principles can benefit students of all cultural identities who feel that their religion, language, or traditional knowledge are not aligned with school science, facilitating their access to culturally relevant science education.     

Culturally sensitive instructional practices for African-American learners with disabilities.

This article discusses the cultural and educational needs of African-American learners with disabilities. Six theoretical assumptions establish some basic suppositions about culturally and linguistically diverse learners and effective instructional practices. A review of the literature describes African-American cultural practices, interests, and cognitive styles; highlights the attitudes, perceptions, and instructional practices of effective teachers of African-American students; and includes patterns of teacher-student and peer-group interactions that promote high academic achievement among African-American learners. Recommendations include organizing teaching, learning, and performance in ways that are compatible with the social structure of African-American students with disabilities.     

Principles for the Prevention and Intervention of Mathematics Difficulties

Three levels of prevention and intervention in the area of mathematics are addressed: (a) primary prevention focusing on universal design, (b) secondary prevention focusing on adaptations, and (c) tertiary prevention focusing on intensive and explicit contextualization of skills‐based instruction. The purpose of this paper is to identify and discuss principles of prevention and intervention in the area of mathematics. First, we identify research‐based principles associated with primary prevention. Second, we turn our attention to secondary prevention, with a focus on prereferral intervention. We identify principles that serve to differentiate primary and secondary prevention and specify instructional variables that are promising for use within a secondary prevention mode. Finally, we discuss intervention. We identify principles of effective intervention, which include individually referenced decision making, instructional intensity, and deliberate contextualization of skills‐based instruction.     

Designing for culturally responsive science education through professional development

Educational stakeholders across the globe are demanding science education reform that attends simultaneously to culturally diverse students’ needs and promotes academic excellence. Although professional development programs can foster science teachers’ growth as culturally responsive educators, effective supports to this end are not well identified. This study examined associations between specific Science Teachers are Responsive to Students (STARTS) program activities and United States high school life science teachers’ understanding and enactment of culturally responsive science teaching. Findings suggest: (a) critically examining their practices while learning of students’ needs and experiences enabled teachers to identify responsive instructional strategies and relevant science topics for culturally responsive teaching; (b) evaluating culturally responsive exemplars while identifying classroom-based needs allowed teachers to identify contextually appropriate instruction, thereby yielding a robust understanding of the purpose and feasibility of culturally responsive science teaching; and (c) by justifying the use of responsive and reform-based instructional strategies for their classrooms, teachers made purposeful connections between students’ experiences and science instruction. We propose a set of empirically based design conjectures and theoretical conjectures to generate adaptable knowledge about preparing culturally responsive science teachers through professional development.     

教育研究与设计的整合:欧美教育创新研究的范式革新

教育设计研究是当前欧美教育创新研究的一种新范式,强调在具体教学情境中,分析具有普遍性的教学问题,设计具有教学理论特征的教学干预,并通过不断应用、评估、修正的迭代与渐进过程来探索实际问题的解决方案和理论解释,是一个整合教育研究与设计的系统化过程。通过厘清教育设计研究的学术脉络,从比较的视野来阐释这一研究新范式的本质要义、价值归属、迭代过程与操作框架,将有助于推动教育设计研究这一新范式在教育研究领域的应用。     

Integrating Effective Teaching Literature With Literature on Instruction in the Natural Environment

Culturally diverse students are receiving much deserved attention by educators of the gifted. Historically, the field has been unable to answer all concerns about this "minority within the gifted minority"; however, research and census data indicate that diversity has become a priority in educational settings. Understanding the meaning of cultural diversity and accepting new paradigms for developing organizational and instructional strategies are important variables that lead to success in meeting the needs of this population. Research has shown that conceptual and attitudinal changes toward the recognition of hidden abilities often overlooked in culturally diverse groups have enriched successful programs for the gifted. Recommendations for the involvement of administrators, teachers, parents, and the community in the planning process for inclusion of culturally diverse students in programs for the gifted provide a roadmap for this complex process.     

The cognitive assessment course: Two decades later

Given significant changes to legislation, practice, research, and instrumentation, the purpose of this study was to examine the course on cognitive assessment in school psychology programs and to describe the (a) structure, (b) instructional strategies, (c) content, and (d) interpretative strategies taught to school psychology graduate students. One hundred and twenty-seven instructors were surveyed, and results suggest that over the last 20 years support for teaching cognitive assessment has decreased while the content and instructional strategies have remained largely the same. Results of this study also indicate that the interpretation strategies taught to rely heavily on Cattell–Horn–Carroll theory and related interpretive frameworks (e.g., cross-battery assessment). Additionally, instructors are placing greater emphasis on multicultural sensitivity/culturally and linguistically diverse assessment than in previous decades. Implications for future research, training, and practice are discussed.     

Instructional Design Paradigms: Is Object-Oriented Design Next?

The current systematic approaches taught to. and perhaps used by, instructional designer's share much in common with structured computer software design approaches. The computing field is currently undergoing major changes fostered by the growth of object-oriented (OO) analysis, design, and programming methods. The OO paradigm may also offer a revised focus for ID research. Several instructional design (ID) researchers are already adopting OO computing terminology. The suggested cross-over of OO from computing to instructional design is tied to design trends and ongoing research in II).     

The Remote Area Teacher Program (RATEP): Cultural contextualisation of distance education through interactive

The Remote Area Teacher Education Program (RATEP) is a successful and innovative distance education programme. Curriculum design demands the meaningful integration of traditional distance education materials and strategies with other electronic technology and interactive multimedi a computer courseware. RATEP is more than ‘two‐way schooling’ for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander distance education students studying in their home communities. Centred within Vygotsky's theory of cognitive development, the interactive multimedia computer courseware is informed by the intersecting set of the various cultural contexts: academic culture embedded in Western culture; Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures; and that of the computer. Illustrative examples from generalist and mathematics content and curriculum subjects demonstrate the effectiveness of culturally contextualising instructional computer‐student interface design in order to promote learning through interactive.     

Culturally Responsive Consultation Among Practicing School Psychologists

ABSTRACT

School-based consultation has garnered increasing attention relevant to culturally responsive practice in school psychology. Although prior research has investigated school psychologists’ experiences with supporting culturally diverse youth through school-based consultation, few studies have utilized an established framework to understand school psychologists’ experiences. We utilized specific components of Ingraham’s Multicultural School Consultation framework to examine fifteen school psychologists’ experiences with providing culturally responsive consultation. Constant comparative analysis revealed the various strategies used by practitioners to support culturally diverse students throughout the consultation process (e.g., involving multiple people in decision-making, using non-confrontational approaches to educate school personnel about cultural dynamics, providing messages of support and encouragement to diverse students and families) and the socio-contextual barriers to their practice (e.g., cultural minimization, lack of administrative support). Implications for research, training, and school-based practice are discussed.     

An instructional paradigm for the teaching of computer-mediated communication

This article outlines an instructional paradigm that guides the design of interventions that build skills in computer-mediated communication (CMC). It is applicable to learning at multiple levels of communicative proficiency and aims to heighten awareness, the understanding of the impact of media configurations, the role of cultures and social contexts in mediated communication, and forward research in the service of instructional designs for CMC. This paradigm broadens the scope of Hymes’ (Sociolinguistics, Harmondsworth: Penguin, 1972) theory of communicative competence, which is often applied to foreign language learning contexts, to include online interaction. The paradigm addresses the nuances of mediated communication through recognition of the situations and modes that intersect in online spaces. The paradigm is designed for learning situations that provide time and access to mediated environments where learners develop values for communication skill through practical experiences and structured reflection. This approach to creating instruction has at its core certain values, including risk-taking by participating in unfamiliar contexts, appreciating mediated-communication configurations as unique modalities, and placing CMC skills development within larger sets of pedagogical goals. This instructional paradigm does not assume that verbal fluency, grammatical competence, skill in either writing or speaking, nor membership in any age group translates directly to skill in CMC. The methods presented here have been selected because they build tolerance and appreciation for divergent viewpoints. The methods are (1) building interest by having learners select specific media situations, (2) facilitating collaboration by constructing safe spaces, (3) directly teaching CMC reading skills, (4) using examples and matched non-examples, (5) investigating CMC principles in real world examples through structured discussions, (6) showing the process of different communications’ development, and (7) using roles in discussion designs.     

机动目标跟踪的TIMM算法

针对如何避免或减少由于目标的机动运动所带来的估计误差问题,提出了具有门限的相互作用多模型估计(TIMM)的新算法.该算法主要应用于雷达目标自动跟踪系统中.TIMM算法在相互作用多模型估计器(IMM)算法的基础上引入门限控制器来提高跟踪精度,该算法同样适用于其他各种改进的IMM算法.通过2个不同的例子,对由TIMM和IMM这2种算法产生的均方根误差进行比较.仿真结果表明,同IMM算法相比较,TIMM算法可减少估计误差,从而提高机动目标的跟踪性能.