The Rise and Fall of Innovative Education: An Australian University Case Study

From 1980 to 1995, the University of Western Sydney at Hawkesbury (formerly Hawkesbury Agricultural College) in Richmond, New South Wales, Australia, pioneered an innovative undergraduate degree in Systems Agriculture based on experiential education, systems thinking, and adult learning theory. Today this program is in trouble and has reverted back to a more traditional teacher-directed approach. This article discusses the rise of the innovative education paradigm at Hawkesbury, the unique Systems Agriculture program itself, and its eventual decline. Reasons for both the shift to innovative education and its eventual downfall are explored. Implications for institutions of higher education contemplating innovative educational approaches are suggested.

Tutoring in (online) higher education: Experimental evidence

Demand for personalized online tutoring in higher education is growing but there is little research on its effectiveness. We conducted an RCT offering remote peer tutoring in micro- and macroeconomics at a German university teaching online due to the Covid-pandemic. Treated students met in small groups, in alternating weeks with and without a more senior student tutor. The treatment improved study behavior and increased contact to other students. Tutored students achieved around 30% more credits and a one grade level better GPA across treated subjects. Our findings suggest that the program reduced outcome inequality. We find no impacts on mental health.     

Online MBA students' perceptions of online learning: Benefits, challenges, and suggestions

Online MBA programs have seen a rapid rise in student enrollments in recent years and institutions of higher education have keen interests in offering quality online MBA programs to meet the demands. The present study reports the results of a case study in which over 100 students enrolled in a top-ranked online MBA program were interviewed and surveyed to investigate their perceptions of the benefits and challenges in online learning and their suggestions for improving the quality of the online MBA program. It was found that virtual teaming was a major factor that influenced the students' online learning experience; they viewed virtual teaming experiences as valuable for preparing them for the increasingly global business environment; at the same time, it also served as a key challenge to their learning in the online environment. Students' suggestions for improving the quality of online MBA program are discussed as well.     

论西方教育管理研究范式的转换

西方教育管理理论经历了100多年的历史发展，已经建立了规范的科学研究方法论，取得了丰硕的成果。本文首先探讨了库恩的“范式转换”理论及西方教育管理范式的转换；其次，认为实证主义一直是西方教育管理的无叙述方式；其三，认为后实证主义的研究范式正在改变着西方教育管理的研究范式；最后，对西方教育管理研究的方法论进行了批判性评论。     

An investigation of hope, academics, environment, and motivation as predictors of persistence in higher education online programs

Predictors of persistence previously found useful in distinguishing successful from unsuccessful distance learners were assembled in a 60-item survey. The survey was completed by 259 learners enrolled in associate's, bachelor's, or master's level distance learning courses in accounting, business administration, information services, criminal justice, nursing, management, and education. The survey measured variables related to academics, environment, motivation, and hope as predictors of persistence, where persistence was defined as continuing beyond the first three classes in one of the three degree-granting programs. Persisters (N = 209) tended to score higher on environmental measures of Emotional Support, Self-efficacy, and Time and Study Management than non-persisters (N = 50). Surprisingly, high scores on a measure of Learner Autonomy (independent learning) were associated with non-persistence in the online programs. The findings were interpreted in the context of the cohort model used in the online programs attended by the students surveyed in the study.     

Watts at WAIT: the Establishment of Curtin University of Technology

This article identifies and explains significant features of the transformation of the Western Australian Institute of Technology into the Curtin University of Technology, which occurred in 1986. The event achieved test case status in challenging rigities of the binary system of higher education in Australia, although pressures to reform the system had been mounting for some years. Changes at WAIT, involving the emergence of substantial research programs in a college of advanced education, clashes with government policy towards the binary system and the enrolment of feepaying overseas students, and the status of major technological institutes, present in microcosm an insight into the circumstances leading to far‐reaching reforms to Australian higher education introduced in 1987.     

Raising the bar: Encouraging high level thinking in online discussion forums

More universities are offering online instruction for students though we know little about effective online learning. Some have found online instruction increases student participation while others have reported that students prefer the traditional face‐to‐face format This study of gifted education graduate students follows the expectation that online students ought to have time to be more thoughtful with online course interactions as compared to the time‐constrained interactions in a face‐to‐face course. Researchers evaluated students’ thinking levels (as per Bloom's Taxonomy) in the online discussion forums required by a graduate course in gifted education. Results indicate there was no relationship between the level of the prompt and the level of the responses. Higher level prompts did not necessarily generate higher level responses. The research‐developed Rubric for Evaluation of Online Discussions can be used both as an instructional guide and as an evaluation rubric to assess the level of online discussions.     

Exceptionality and gifted education: a re-examination of its hard core

The commentaries to our target article Towards a systemic theory of gifted education differed in their assessments of the various arguments we put forward. Of the more than 40 responses to our target article, 27 responses were chosen as being representative of all commentaries. We grouped the responses according to the main points in our target article, including our claims that current approaches to gifted education are ineffective, current models of giftedness are generally flawed, and systemic models of giftedness represent an advancement in the way that giftedness can be understood. Next, we outlined a systems approach to gifted education, based on the actiotope model of giftedness as its theoretical foundation. Finally, we argued that the systemic theory of gifted education represents a paradigm shift in the way we view the development of exceptionality.     

基金会:美国高等教育发展的重要推动力

基金会作为一种慈善机构,在美国高等教育发展的进程中具有重要的意义。它根植于美国悠久的慈善传统和文明,从殖民地时期就以私人捐赠的形式大力扶植高等教育,为美国高等教育的产生、成熟与壮大作出了独特贡献。     

高校学生对在线教育平台的评价研究:基于技术接受模型

受新冠肺炎疫情影响,在线教学方式首次在全国得到广泛应用。在线教育平台作为开展线上教学的载体,学生对平台的评价以及使用意愿,对在线教学效果产生显著影响。因此,以H大学本学期选修“财务管理”课程的学生为研究对象,以调整后的技术接受模型为理论基础,对教师在线课程设计及在线教育平台进行评价,以了解学生对在线教育平台的评价以及使用意愿,发现在线教育平台存在的问题,并据此提出相应的对策。通过研究,有助于改善在线教育平台的设计与开发,以提升学习者的使用意愿,保障教学效果。     

西欧中世纪大学对现代西方国家高等教育的影响

西欧中世纪大学是现代西方国家高等教育的雏形,对现代西方国家高等教育产生着深刻的影响。西方现代大学的许多特征都源于中世纪大学,如学科分类、课程设置、教学方法、学位制度等都是直接从中世纪大学继承而来的。研究中世纪大学对我们了解西方现代大学具有重要的理论意义和现实意义。     

浅析朋辈引导教育在MBA学员教育中的作用——以合肥工业大学MBA管理中心学员教育活动为例

MBA教育在我国已经发展了20多年,为我国培养了一大批高级管理人才。然而,当前国内的MBA教育教学还存着师资力量不足、教学形式单一、教学内容匮乏等相对滞后的现象。如果能在MBA教育中发挥朋辈教育的作用,可以在一定程度上去弥补这些不足,从而促进国内MBA教育教育教学水平快速提升。当然,要使朋辈教育在MBA教育中能够真正发挥作用,还得注意遵守朋辈教育的“朋辈性”、榜样性和奉献精神等基本规律。     

自组织教育与他组织教育的实践差异

自组织教育是一种基于自组织系统论的后现代范式教育观;而与其相对的他组织教育则基于传统机械论的科学观,以机械论的现代范式教育为导向。这两种教育实践观在教育机制方面存在着明显的差异,即是否能真正重视学生的核心作用,这两类教育实践的差别主要体现在四个方面:学生的发展;课堂教育;班集体教育和学校系统层面。从根本上说教育是学生自己的事;教育从本原上讲是通过学生的活动来实现的。这样就对教育的实质从另一个角度进行了有益探索。     

共生理论观照下的德育范式转型

时下,德育实效性问题及德育的“非共生状”促使学者将目光投向共生德育。共生理论的提出为德育范式研究提供了新视角、新思路与新方法。共生所蕴含的自主一全息性、合作一互惠性、开放一接纳性三大特征诉求德育范式转型。德育范式转型已成大势所趋,既是提高德育实效性的应然选择,又是德育理论纵深发展和德育实践不断深化的客观要求。顺势而为、有所作为,方能实现德育的根本指向——“做成一个人”。     

Integrating technology into teacher education: How online discussion can be used to develop informed and critical literacy teachers

This paper reports findings from 6 years of investigation of the use of online discussions with large cohorts of preservice literacy teachers (approximately 150 each year). The report outlines essential components for effective online discussion, noting the challenges involved when aiming for informed and critical literacy discussion among large groups of novice educators. It elaborates on the most successful approach to this undertaking which involved the use of case study scenarios as the focus of discussion. The report argues that the case study discussions were most effective in promoting professional discussion because they allowed a more effective expert role for the instructors.     

高等教育发展的模式抉择和动力机制

“二战”以后，世界高等教育经历了数量增长、整体协调发展，一直到今天以追求可持续发展为主要发展模式的阶段，并且高等教育发展过程始终具有数量增长的导向性表征。高等教育发展是由多种因素形成的“结构”动力推动的进程，多种“力”的强弱结构不同，决定了各国高等教育不同的发展模式和发展道路。当前，关键是必须通过改革，建立有效的运行机制和制度规范，把高等教育发展的“潜在需求”转化为发展的直接动力。     

Refugees and online education: student perspectives on need and support in the context of (online) higher education

ABSTRACT

Online education and in particular Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) are often regarded as a way to solve global educational challenges. In this article, we highlight the students’ uptake of such a ‘digital solution’. Presenting initial findings from a research project in Germany, we situate our investigation in the specific context of digital educational offers for refugees, using Kiron Open Higher Education as an example. Kiron has designed an innovative academic model, with MOOCs at its core, to ease refugees’ access into higher education. Drawing from student data of 1375 Kiron students we look at students’ actual usage of the offer and the accompanying support services as well as the difficulties refugee students face while navigating online higher education. Results show, amongst others, rather low completion rates in the online courses and point to a much more nuanced picture of how students make use of the offer – putting online education as an easy, straightforward formula to the integration of disadvantaged students into question.     

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。     

Virtual praxis: Constraints,approaches, and innovations of online creative arts teacher educators

Higher education, and in particular, initial teacher education, has been significantly transformed through the introduction of e-learning. However, online teacher education presents particular challenges in the creative arts, which has traditionally developed student understanding through embodied and collaborative learning experiences. In this qualitative study, in-depth interviews were conducted with eight online arts educators in teacher education programs to understand their perspectives and pedagogy in online arts coursework. Using Engeström’s Activity Theory as an analytical lens, the findings highlight how these academics navigated challenges and opportunities to facilitate authentic, praxis-focused arts experiences to prepare pre-service teachers for the classroom.