Textbook Questions in Context-Based and Traditional Chemistry Curricula Analysed from a Content Perspective and a Learning Activities Perspective

In this study, questions in context-based and traditional chemistry textbooks were analysed from two perspectives that are at the heart of chemistry curricula reforms: a content perspective and a learning activities perspective. To analyse these textbook questions, we developed an instrument for each perspective. In total, 971 textbook questions were analysed. Textbook questions in context-based and traditional curricula appeared to differ significantly in their orientation on content and in the activation to engage students in certain learning activities. Although traditional curricula included more questions that stress traditional chemistry content and included more reproductive chemistry questions than context-based curricula, they were not always as traditional as we had expected. Context-based chemistry curricula focused more on chemistry content relating to societal/technological issues and chemistry theory development and also more questions were included that activate students to regulate their own learning. However, context-based chemistry curricula still included a considerable amount of traditional chemistry content and did not focus as much on higher order learning as we had expected. The developed instruments might be helpful in chemistry curricula design to gain insights into the content which is stressed and how students are activated by textbook questions to engage in learning.     

新疆高师院校本科生专业课学习态度调查研究

本研究以新疆某高师院校为例,调查了学生的专业课学习态度,结果显示学生专业课学习的态度总体是积极的,但也存在偏差：对专业课学习的重要性认识不足、专业课学习兴趣不浓、专业课学习行为表现不能尽如人意。对造成学生专业课学习态度不佳的原因进行了分析,据此提出了改善学生专业学习态度的对策与建议。     

基于工作过程的高职课程开发与设计研究

基于工作过程的高职课程开发与设计,强调加强行动领域分析、学习领域分析和学习情境设计;行动领域分析是基础,学习领域分析是主体,学习情境设计是重点。基于工作过程的高职课程开发与设计,体现了以工作过程为导向的职业教育课程改革的典型特征。     

Validating curriculum development using text mining

Interdisciplinarity requires the collaboration of two or more disciplines to combine their expertise to jointly develop and deliver learning and teaching outcomes appropriate for a subject area. Curricula and assessment mapping are critical components to foster and enhance interdisciplinary learning environments. Emerging careers in data science and machine learning coupled with the necessary graduate outcomes mandate the need for a truly interdisciplinary pedagogical approach. The challenges for emerging academic disciplines such as data science and machine learning center on the need for multiple fields to coherently develop university-level curricula. Using text mining, we empirically analyze the breadth and depth of existing tertiary-level curricula to quantify patterns in curricula through the use of surface and deep cluster analysis. This approach helps educators validate the breadth and depth of a proposed curriculum relative to the broad evolution of data science as a discipline.     

Project-oriented Study and Project-organized Curricula: A Brief Review of Intentions and Solutions

Project orientation and project-organized curricula in higher education are attributed to a wide range of intentions causing different approaches and solutions concerning the structuring of curricula and of teaching/learning situations. The historical review describes briefly pedagogical and profession-oriented motivations as well as science and society-related aspects. In engineering education, the changing demands from industry and the profession—emphasizing skills instead of specialized content orientation—promote a rapid expansion of problem-centred project work and of active and productive learning. A shift from projects, integrated in the traditional subject structure of engineering curricula, towards project-organized curricula can be observed. To overcome obvious problems and constraints of the future implementation of projects in higher education staff and faculties will need to establish a continuous process of organizational development.     

英语专业研究生培养质量调查研究

通过对英语专业研究生培养质量的现状进行问卷调查分析,指出研究生培养质量在课程、管理、研究生学习环境、研究生本人的学习与科研等方面存在的问题。提高研究生培养质量的对策在于：保证必要的物质条件,加强课程的前沿性和应用性,限制导师指导的研究生人数、提高导师的指导能力,加强对研究生培养过程的管理,加强对研究生的引导,推行弹性学制。     

美国社区大学课程开发与管理的特点及借鉴——以美国西雅图城市大学为例

美国社区大学的课程开发与管理特色体现在三个方面,即学校、专业和课程三个层面的学习目标保持一致;行业、企业和学校共同开发技能标准和课程;有严谨的课程开发程序和发展更新系统工程。我国高职院校应将职业技能标准开发与课程开发相结合,应产业需要及时调整专业和课程,加强职业课程和学术课程的整合,培养学生的职业核心能力和职业迁移能力。     

高师数学教育改革与基础教育数学新课程

从课程目标、课程内容、教学方式和学习评价等四个方面论述了基础教育数学新课程对高师数学教育的挑战和面对挑战高师数学教育应采取的改革措施．     

Complexity and Curriculum: A process approach to curriculum-making

It is argued that the complex learning with which higher education institutions are concerned is best promoted by coherent curricula. However, curriculum coherence is not widespread. Outcomes-led rational curriculum planning offers one way of creating coherent curricula, but it is argued that, despite its appeal, it is a poor approach to adopt. An alternative, process model of curriculum creation is described and claims are made about the advantages it can have as an approach to planning coherent learning programmes.     

Discussion strategies and learning science principles

Post-Sputnik science curricula stress the importance of teaching science as scientists might practice it. This has been vividly illustrated in the laboratory-oriented curricula generated in the past ten years. Even more important has been the emphasis on applying learning theories to their construction. The American Association for the Advancement of Science has implemented the ideas of Robert Gagné in order to develop Science—A Process Approach. Jean Piaget's theory of intellectual development has been integrated into the Science Curriculum Improvement Study. It has been the investigator's observation that many teachers who use the newer science curricula fail to utilize to the fullest the methods implicit in a development theory; consequently, the objectives which include the products as well as the processes of science may not be achieved. This paper will report on an investigation of two types of postlaboratory discussion strategies and their effects on sixth grade children's learning of some science principles. The effects these discussion strategies had on the learning of four science processes are reported elsewhere.     

The Intellectual Demands and Coherency of Topics of Reformed Primary Science Curricula from Three East-Asian Regions

The intended curriculum is arguably one of the most important components within any national educational system although those in primary science have not been subject to extensive research scrutiny. Based on reformed primary science curricula from Hong Kong, mainland China, and Taiwan, we compared them on two key features: (1) levels of knowledge and cognitive processes from their learning outcomes, and (2) coherency of topics that influence the ease, meaningfulness, and quality of learning in the subject. In the former, we coded their intellectual demands (i.e., what learners must know and do) using revised Bloom’s taxonomy while for the latter, we investigated the coverage, focus, sequence, and emphasis of topics across grades. We found that curricula from Hong Kong and mainland China generally focused on the first two levels of knowledge domains and cognitive processes while Taiwanese learning outcomes were predominantly coded as Apply. Different aspects of coherency in the intended curriculum revealed which topics were covered, their focus, and sequencing across grade divisions as well as their emphasis of topics. Our empirical research therefore adds to the small number of comparative studies in primary science curricula. It can also practically assist policy- and curriculum-making in these regions as they seek to understand and develop quality curricula in primary science.

     

Teachers' understanding and the use of the learning cycle

This study examined the relationships that exist between high school science teachers' understanding of the Piagetian developmental model of intelligence, its inherent teaching procedure—the learning cycle—and classroom teaching practices. The teachers observed in this study had expressed dissatisfaction with the teaching methods they used, and, subsequently, attended a National Science Foundation sponsored in-service program designed to examine laboratory-centered science curricula and the educational and scientific theories upon which the curricula were based. The teachers who exhibited a sound understanding of the Piagetian model of intelligence and the learning cycle were more likely to effectively implement learning cycle curricula. They were able to successfully integrate their students' laboratory experiences with class discussions to construct science concepts. The teachers who exhibited misunderstandings of the Piagetian developmental model of intelligence and the learning cycle also engaged their students in laboratory activities, but these activities were weakly related to learning cycles. For example, the data gathered by their students were typically not used in class discussions to construct science concepts. Therefore, these teachers apparently did not discern the necessity of using the data and experiences from laboratory activities as the impetus for science concept attainment. Additional results comparing degrees of understanding, teaching behaviors and questioning strategies are discussed.     

Examining features of how professional development and enactment of educative curricula influences elementary science teacher learning

This research examines factors influencing elementary science teacher learning as they participate in professional development with and enactment of educative curricula in comparison with learning following limited professional development and enactment of traditional curricula. Using a randomized cluster design (125 teachers and 2,694 students in 4th—5th grades) that met the What Works Clearinghouse standards without reservations, teacher learning was conceptualized using four outcomes. Data were analyzed using standard single-level multiple regression models and possible mediation models for the teacher outcomes were considered using piecewise multiple regression and path analytic approaches. Treatment group teachers experienced greater increases in content knowledge, views of science inquiry, beliefs about reform-based teaching, and teaching self-efficacy than comparison group teachers. The findings indicate that what teachers learn from the combination of professional development and teaching with educative curriculum varies according to what their knowledge and beliefs are on entering the experience. Surprisingly, high entry-level self-efficacy was associated not only with lower learning gains for the teachers, but also for their students. Finally, teachers' space science learning and that of their students are implicated as mediators of the positive effect of the professional development and educative curriculum enactment on teacher beliefs about reform science teaching. This work refines and extends a theoretical framework of teachers' participatory relationship with curricula.     

英国高等医学教育课程改革的若干特点

本文阐述了英国高等医学教育课程改革的若干特点：加强人文社会科学课程的设置；丰富多彩的选修课；早期接触临床，开展以问题为中心的课程改革；强调全科医学教育。     

The South African Education Agenda: Identifying Markers for Rewriting Agricultural Extension Curricula

Abstract

Changes in education and agriculture in South Africa indicate that agricultural extension practitioners should facilitate continuous learning among farmers. This requires that extension practitioners acquire new skills. To provide these skills requires a critical examination of agricultural extension curricula in the light of South Africa's educational, agricultural and rural development policies with a view to rewriting extension curricula. An initial theoretical examination of extension education in the light of South African education policy yields seven learning outcome indicators encapsulating theory and practice in: 1) theory and practice in problem solving; 2) collect, analyse, organize and critically evaluate information relevant to his extension responsibilities; 3) theory and practice in Participatory Technology Development and innovation; 4) theory and practice in systems (systems thinking), including beyond farm systems; 5) theory and practice in learning facilitation; 6) theory and practice in participatory ‘curriculum’ (extension outcomes, content and process) development; and 7) theory and practice in learning and learning styles. Tertiary institutions and other stakeholders can use these indicators to examine and continuously adjust curricula to ensure extension practitioners are equipped to deliver relevant support to farmers as the agricultural landscape changes.     

Strategies and effectiveness of teaching universal design in a cross-faculty setting

Universal design of built environments is an area of professional interest for both architects and occupational therapists, yet is not always specifically included in undergraduate curricula. This paper reports on the student experience of introducing universal design education into architecture and occupational therapy curricula. Online and face-to-face teaching methods were employed, including virtual and real-life simulation activities designed to provide students with a personal experience of impairment. Virtual simulation activities used the medium of Second Life?. Results showed improvement in self-reported learning outcomes related to universal design and, overall, students found the learning activities and resources useful. Real-life simulations were reported to be more useful than virtual simulations. Project outcomes support the introduction of universal design education into architecture and occupational therapy curricula, and offer insight into student perceptions and future directions for related teaching and learning resources.     

Consumer learning for university students: a case for a curriculum

This article indicates how the application of a simplified version of the analytical abstraction method (AAM) was used in curriculum development for consumer learning at one higher education institution in South Africa. We used a case study design and qualitative research methodology to generate data through semi‐structured interviews with eight learning facilitators at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology. This data set forms the basis of the reported research. Application of basic‐ and higher‐level analysis resulted in the identification of patterns that confirmed the need for consumer learning and informed the situation analysis with regard to a ‘readiness climate’ at the institution. We also gained insight into aspects that need to be considered during curriculum development for consumer learning as the AAM has proved to be a useful guiding tool in developing a structured explanatory framework for curriculum development. The article concludes with the view that the promotion of consumer learning in university curricula has been under‐researched and that, despite current efforts, university curricula are slow to adopt consumer learning as a critical learning outcome. We suggest several possibilities that might assist in overcoming this inertia.     

Toward a scientific pedagogy of learning disabilities: a sameness in the message

The development of a scientific pedagogy of learning disabilities as called for by Kirk and Bateman (1962) requires the rendering of a science of learning disabilities and a pedagogy derived from that science. But such a pedagogy is necessarily incomplete if it fails to recognize that the structure of the curriculum significantly shapes the act of teaching students identified as learning disabled. The current thinking about curricula is that the universe of information that a curriculum program comprises need only be organized around subject area topics (e.g., mathematics, reading, language arts, science, social studies) and hierarchically arranged in a scope and sequence that has as its main characteristic the general ordering of skills from simple to complex. For all practical purposes, information is viewed as raw material (Kaufman et al., 1990) that can be nominally organized and readily packaged. The information is then consumed as curriculum that requires little or no transformation of its form or structure. The articles in this series of the Journal of Learning Disabilities provide examples of how transforming information by identifying and developing curricula around structural samenesses can lead to a pedagogy that is efficient and effective. The development of a scientific pedagogy of learning disabilities requires that the field acknowledge the importance of curriculum structure and the complexity of information. The field must also examine the intricacies of designing curricula with the same kind of commitment and passion it has demonstrated in the last 30 years in investigating the etiology and organic basis of learning disabilities.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

A Pilot Study of a Physical Therapy Cadaveric Anatomy Course: Assessing the Impact of Examination Format on the Learning Environment

Anatomy education continues to evolve in health professional programs as curricula shift to competency-based models and contact hours decrease. These changes in curricula may significantly alter the learning environment for students. Importantly, changes in learning environment have been shown to impact student learning strategies and well-being. It follows, then, that an investigation of students' perceptions of the learning environment is key to understand the impact of modern anatomy curriculum alterations. The current pilot study evaluated the impact of modifying examination format on the learning environment of physical therapy students participating in a human cadaveric anatomy course. Two study cohorts of first year (entry-level) physical therapy students were invited to complete a preliminary learning environment questionnaire with 13 visual analog scale items and four short answer items. One study cohort was tested with a viva (oral) practical examination, and the other, with a bell-ringer practical examination. Analysis of quantitative items revealed two significant findings: physical therapy students in the bell-ringer cohort found it was more difficult to prepare for their examination, and that they had inadequate time to respond to questions compared to the viva cohort. Analysis of qualitative items revealed distinct themes that concerned physical therapy student learning environment specific to cadaveric anatomy. These results demonstrate that examination format can influence the learning environment of physical therapy students studying cadaveric anatomy. As a result, care needs to be taken to ensure that modernized curricula align the examination format to the method of instruction and the future application of students' knowledge in clinical practice.     

Learning needs time and effort: a time-use study of engineering students

Several time-use studies in engineering education have shown that students use less time studying than has been allocated in the curricula. It is questionable whether a scarce use of time can lead to deeper understanding and the ability to apply knowledge in problem-solving. The alarming results from earlier time-use studies led to a search for answers to the following questions: How much time do first-year engineering students use for their studies and other activities? Do they spend enough time on studying and other learning activities? Is their time use in agreement with the curriculum? What learning outcomes and grades do students achieve from their studying efforts? Factors that influence student time use and approaches to learning are discussed. A deep approach to learning is desirable and is seen to support comprehension and lead to better learning outcomes. Learning approaches that students choose are both student-related and influenced by the learning environment. How can the learning environment be designed so that students are motivated to assume a deep approach to learning and devote more time and effort to out-of-class studying? Answers to these questions will be helpful for teachers, tutors, teacher educators and designers of curricula, as well as students themselves.