Differentiating integration: special education in the Russian Federation

The paper presents an examination of the Russian special education system in the late 1990s. It is concerned with continuities and changes in ideology, policy and practice, particularly in regard to acceptance of debates around educational integration. Evidence from a study of educational practice concerning children with learning difficulties in two regional Russian cities is presented, including interview data with special educational professionals. Small-scale changes to the special education system at the local level are highlighted as positive measures to address the failures of a somewhat rigidly segregated system. The ability to make such changes and maintain the functioning of the system is notable in the context of prolonged budgetary crisis. Practitioners whose views are represented in the study are shown to have engaged with the integration debate, although there was little fundamental criticism of the underpinnings of the Russian system. Understanding and application of the notion of integration for disabled children were diverse. Indeed some interviewees used this term to describe the structures within which they worked, in spite of the system's largely segregated nature. The concept was being reworked to demonstrate awareness of international approaches, while avoiding the devaluing of the distinct, Soviet approach of defectology with its central tenet of differentiation.     

俄罗斯联邦国家教育论纲俄罗斯联邦政府决议

一、序 论 俄罗斯联邦的国家教育论纲 (下称论纲 )是基础性的国家文件，这一文件确立了教育在国家政策中的优先地位，确立了教育的基本发展方向和战略。 　　论纲确定了教育教学发展的目标和途径，它通过教育领域内的国家政策在 2025年以前达到教育系统发展的预期成果。 　　教育的战略目标与俄罗斯社会发展的重要问题密切相关，包括： 　　——教育为俄罗斯社会经济和精神发展建立基础，保证人民高质量的生活与国家的安全； 　　——巩固国家的民主法制和公民社会的发展； 　　——在世界经济一体化中为市场经济动态发展提供干部保证，这…     

The Financial Situation of the Higher Education System of the Russian Federation

For a number of reasons, higher education in the Russian Federation has been able to benefit from a more stable financial situation than have most of the other “socio‐cultural areas” in Russia. It has nevertheless been severely affected by the problems besetting the other sectors of the Russian economy, most of them linked to the rigours of transition to a market economy. The situation will improve as the Russian economy as a whole improves and as higher education in Russia not only becomes more market‐oriented and quality conscious but adopts specific administrative measures designed to ensure efficiency.     

The state of affairs of teacher education with respect to information and communications technology

Abstract

If the Internet is an information superhighway, then teachers just might be the road-kill on the asphalt of the information superhighway. Possibly, for the first time in history, students are more adept at using the tools necessary for acquiring and transmitting knowledge than are their teachers. Children everywhere are creating their own virtual communities through the use of new technologies. They make use of chat facilities (MSN®, ICQ® etc.) to stay synchronously in touch with both old and new friends and email and short message services to stay in touch with them asynchronously. They take part in discussion groups, navigate through virtual worlds and assimilate new hardware and software as if it were second nature. In many ways they are light years ahead of their parents and teachers with respect to the possibilities of information and communications technology (ICT). As a result students are getting bored and frustrated and teachers are getting frustrated and distraught. To try to remedy this, the Inspectorate of Education of the Netherlands commissioned the Educational Technology Expertise Centre of the Open University of the Netherlands to lead an international study (quick-scan) on good/best practice with respect to the integration of ICT into the mental and physical toolbox of the aspirant teacher and to try to draw from this preliminary curricular benchmarks for teachers' colleges in the Netherlands. The quick-scan was carried out by a network of teacher training and ICT experts throughout the world. This special issue shows the reader the results of this quick-scan in terms of good practice and benchmarks for calibration and/or modelling of teacher training in ICT along with a number of pedagogical and policy repercussions of their adoption     

Higher education markets and public policy

In the major reforms to higher education being introduced throughout the world, market and “market-like” policy instruments are assuming increasing importance. Long perceived as a unique characteristic of the U.S. system of higher education, experiments with market competition in academic labor markets, institutional finance, student support, and the allocation of research funds are now evident in the higher education policy of many different nations. Ironically, the overt rationale for these reforms is not only the traditional argument of economic efficiency—with its supposed corollary benefits of institutional adaptation and innovation—but increasingly a resort to market competition as a means of achieving equity in the form of mass higher education. The paper explores the nature of markets in higher education, the policy mechanisms related to their implementation, and some emerging questions regarding their impact.     

The Latest Publications of the Research Institute for Higher Education of the Russian Federation

The Research Institute for Higher Education of the Russian Federation in Moscow celebrated its twenty-fifth anniversary in 1999. Over the years, its staff members have conducted a variety of research projects on aspects of Russian and foreign higher education that have subsequently been published. It has also been producing such recurring publications as the Annual Report on the Development of Higher Professional Education . The following short essay introduces the reader to the variety of activities, particularly the publication activities, of this Research Institute.     

The policy and management of information technology in Jordanian schools

During the past two decades the introduction of personal computers has been a major innovation in the Hashimite Kingdom of Jordan. This new technology continues to offer an exciting challenge to educationalists. This paper reviews the developments of Information Technology (IT) in Jordanian public schools in the period 1984–1998. My contention is that the highly centralised nature of the Jordanian educational system and the comprehensive policy of the Directorate of Educational Computing (DEC) have made the introduction of computers in schools less difficult.     

高等数学与信息技术的整合

论述了信息技术的发展对高等数学所产生的深刻影响,利用信息技术与高等数学的整合,发挥信息技术辅助高等数学教学的优势,能够提高教师进行高等数学的教学效率,并且激发学生学习高等数学的兴趣。同时对高等数学与信息技术的整合,提出了思考和一些合理化的建议。     

计算机信息技术与建筑学教育

在建筑学教育中对计算机使用产生忧虑是不必要的。计算机信息技术作为新事物正改变着我们生活的方方面面,自然也包括建筑设计领域。一个新技术、一个新时代,也许建筑学教育也将进入一个新的发展阶段。     

Higher education policy and freshman migration in Japan

Due to the national policy of university and junior college decentralization and private education subsidy, the enrollment capacity in big cities has decreased while that in provincial areas has relatively increased to make the competition to enter universities and colleges more keen in big cities. Thus the rate of students continuing to study at universities and colleges has declined in big cities and increased in provincial areas to decrease the disparity among regions, but as a result the national average of the above rate has declined. If the decentralization policy continues to be practiced, the rate of students continuing to study at universities and colleges will not increase. On the other hand the national average of such a rate will increase but the gap among regions will also increase if the enrollment capacity of big cities is increased.     

高等教育与省级公共支出政策

在公共财政体制下 ,高等教育产品供给方式应实行政府主导的混合提供方式。以河北省为例 ,研究省级公共支出政策得出的结论是 :财政支出应继续作为高等教育投资的主渠道之一 ,但应从支配性转向引导性 ;地方高等教育公共支出主体应为省级财政 ,需坚持效率原则与发展原则的统一 ,突出强调高等教育公共支出的内部结构优化。     

俄语教学中传统与新兴教育技术手段的碰撞和融合

在俄语教学中应用新兴多媒体教育技术手段辅助教学的可行性已经得到了普遍认可,但是怎么应用、应用的范围,以及怎样处理传统教学手段和新兴教学技术手段之间的关系是目前面临的又一课题。     

信息技术与高职教育学科课程的整合

信息技术与学科课程的整合是教育信息化进程的产物。信息技术与高职教育学科课程的整合，就是将信息技术有效地融合于各学科教学活动之中，从而营造一种新型的教学环境。其日的是发挥信息技术辅助教学的最大效率，达到教学过程的最优化。     

广西中学信息技术教育课程存在的问题与思考

本通过一系列的调查数据，对中学信息技术教育课程的开展和存在的问题进行了探讨，并指出解决这些问题的可行性方法，为今后本课程的建设提供了相关的依据。     

Culture and cognition in information technology education

This paper aims at explaining the outcomes of information technology education for international students using anthropological theories of cultural schemas. Even though computer science and engineering are usually assumed to be culture-independent, the practice in classrooms seems to indicate that learning patterns depend on culture. The situation in a college in Finland is evaluated based on study records, surveys on learning experiences, learning logs by students and classroom observations. Reasons for the educational outcome are discussed theoretically using cultural anthropology and the socio-cultural theory of learning. The universality of Western scientific thinking is questioned, and a need to recognise different cultural schemas in the thinking of international students is acknowledged. The study concludes that a view of human cognition as social and embodied gives new insights to information technology education when there is a great diversity of student backgrounds and their culturally produced mental schemas.     

Visions of change: information technology, education and postmodernism

The questions that dominate the discourse of IT in education are mostly at the technical or craft levels. Visionary questions relating to the purpose of education and the proper place of technology are not much discussed. This paper seeks to undermine the idea that such questions should be avoided. The context of postmodernist change is described and two contrasting visions of education are discussed. Each vision is a hypothetical but recognisable representation of certain trends in educational thinking. Each vision has appeal but also severe shortcomings. The paper concludes that unless teachers, learners and communities can articulate their own visions of educational change, new technology could take them into a future that they would never willingly have chosen.