Recent educational reforms in Norway and their effect on adult education in that country

This paper examines the relationship between education, learning and civic participation arising from 120 biographical interviews conducted with respondents in three areas of England. Through analysis of individual biographies, it is argued that the relationship between education, learning and the generation of ‘bonding’ social capital is largely unrealistic. Rather, there emerge three loose typologies of relationship between education and civic participation: atomistic, networking and altruistic. These relationships are shaped by individual biography, type of learning and structural considerations. Class, gender and ethnicity particularly influence relationships between education and participation but not in a rigidly deterministic fashion, and may additionally be generators of creative tension. It is concluded that although policy makers would be naïve to expect investment in education and learning to automatically generate virtuous cycles of social capital, the role of education in generating benefits in what can be called the ‘ecology’ of community is both unexpected and illuminating.     

Required Collaborative Work in Online Courses: A Predictive Modeling Approach

This article describes a predictive model that assesses whether a student will have greater perceived learning in group assignments or in individual work. The model produces correct classifications 87.5% of the time. The research is notable in that it is the first in the education literature to adopt a predictive modeling methodology using data collected via a designed experiment. All subjects experienced both a collaborative and an individual assignment, thus mitigating uncontrolled external factors in the measurement of differences in perceived learning. The exploratory nature of the work prompted the use of Partial Least Squares Regression for estimation. The work serves as an illustration of how predictive modeling might enlighten those in educational and academic settings.     

Learning through teaching: Peer-mediated instruction in minimally invasive education

The current paper provides insight into the learning strategies adopted by children working at Minimally Invasive Education (MIE) Learning Stations. Previous research has clearly indicated the attainment of basic computer literacy by groups of young children in the age groups of 7–14 years. This learning takes place due to the emergence and development of group social processes, an aspect crucial for achieving basic computing skills. The paper describes the process of socially shared understanding and learning as being crucial to individual learning. It is to be noted that this approach of socially shared learning does not challenge the analysis of the individual level of processing; it maintains that individual learning is vital in any learning context, but insufficient to build the psychology of learning. MIE research is of the view that young children learn through interaction with others, particularly peers as it provides an important context for social and cognitive learning. For it is in this way that children make sense of their own experience and environment. Hence, schools are not the only privileged sites of learning.     

Naturalistic case studies exploring social-cognitive mechanisms,and some methodological issues in research on problems of teachers

The argument is advanced that research could be more effective for use by teachers and simultaneously more scientific, in the sense that it would emulate the historical process of the development of quantitative science, if it were (1) of the form referred to as naturalistic case studies and (2) oriented toward discovering the cognitive and social interaction mechanisms that underlie the learning processes in classrooms. The limitations of individual case studies of children with difficulties learning in school are examined and some practical approaches to interventionist case studies done in classrooms are considered. It is proposed that the standard view of quantitative research in the social sciences derives from the physics curriculum rather than from the history of physics. This view also mistakenly places higher priority on finding predictive linear relationships among measurements rather than qualitative understanding of mechanisms, which could guide researchers toward useful quantitative research. The researcher who has not yet penetrated the world of the individuals being studies is in no firm position to begin developing predictions, explanations, and theories about that world.     

内隐学习理论对社会规范学习的启示

社会规范学习是个体品德形成的基础。由于忽视了社会规范学习的特点,社会规范学习成了令人厌烦的灌输与说教。内隐学习理论对社会规范学习的启示在于：社会规范学习中,必须激发学生内隐学习潜能;在各个学科教学中,渗透积极人生观;个体在无意识中形成内在品质;以外显可量化行为间接考察内隐的观念。在社会规范学习中运用内隐学习理论应注意：正确处理社会规范学习中内隐学习和外显学习的关系;选用符合学生认知发展规律的内隐学习材料;懂得内隐学习不是一蹴而就的。     

当代大学生学习适应性的影响因素

学习适应是指主体根据环境及学习的需要,努力调整自我以达到与学习环境平衡的行为过程。影响当代大学生学习适应的因素,主要涉及学习动机、学习能力、教学模式和社会联结等方面。     

Sociocultural approaches to learning and development: A Vygotskian framework

Sociocultural approaches emphasize the interdependence of social and individual processes in the coconstruction of knowledge. This article uses three central tenets of a Vygotskian framework to examine the relation between learning and development: (a) social sources of individual development, (b) semiotic (signs and symbols, including language) mediation in human development, and (c) genetic (developmental) analysis. The role played by culture and language in human development is an essential aspect of the Vygotskian framework and provides an overarching theme for this article. The methodological foundation of this framework is examined, particularly as it contrasts with other perspectives on the process of internalization of social interaction in the construction of knowledge. The article concludes by surveying sociocultural research on and applications to classroom learning and teaching, particularly that which examines the role of collaboration.     

Virtual internships in blended environments to prepare preservice teachers for the professional teaching context

This study investigated to what extent virtual internships in teacher education were able to reduce Preservice Teachers’ (PSTs) professional anxiety. Simultaneously, this study investigated how virtual internships in blended learning environments were evaluated by PSTs in terms of technological, social and educational affordances. PSTs followed virtual internships during two different Educational Pedagogy Master’s courses (27 and 16 participants) in a teacher education programme. A mixed methods design was employed, consisting of pre- and post-test questionnaires, a focus group interview and individual interviews. A significant decrease was found in PSTs’ professional anxiety after having followed Virtual Internship 2. PSTs reported they obtained a more realistic image of teaching and felt better prepared for teaching in practice. Furthermore, regarding technological affordances, system usability was considered between acceptable and good. Concerning social affordances, PSTs appreciated collaboration within the virtual internships. As an educational affordance, it appeared that learning from videos with authentic classroom events is a good preparation for the professional teaching context. According to the PSTs, the scenarios within virtual internships could be improved in terms of authenticity and personalisation by offering more details and background information. The results of this study imply that virtual internships can be useful assets for teacher education.     

Teacher professional learning as a social practice: an Australian case

Abstract

Framing professional learning as a social practice underscores the interplay between subjective meaning systems and objective conditions of the social space where learning occurs. Drawing on Pierre Bourdieu’s theory of social practice, and methodologically guided by critical realism, the paper identifies what constitutes effective teacher professional learning through mentoring. The empirical focus of the paper is an Early Childhood teacher mentoring programme in the state of Victoria, Australia. The findings show that: (a) relevant circumstances that make teacher professional learning a necessity are associated with individual aspirations and systemic requirements; (b) collegial relationships and critical deliberation constitute meaningful learning experiences; and (c) teacher learning takes place in the domains of professional dispositions, pedagogical knowledge and social capital. The implication is that in designing professional development programmes such as mentoring, it is important to take teachers’ contexts of practice into account; conceptualise learning as a socially situated practice; and recognise the value of teachers’ lived experiences as a locus of deliberation and learning.     

论教学的社会本质

教学通常被理解为教师教和学生学,是师生双方的事。透视教和学与社会的内在联系则可发现,教学是在特定的社会经济、政治、文化制度下,在一定的生产力、科学技术和社会文化基础上,教师和学生为着特定的社会目的和个人目的而进行的教师指导下的学生认识和发展活动,是一种特殊的人类认识和人类发展活动;教和学的关系本质上是人类发展和个体发展、社会需要和个人需要的关系。深刻把握教学的社会本质,对端正教改方向和正确开展教学,对促进国家、民族、人类和学生发展有重要意义。     

大学生学习适应状况及其与学业成就的关系研究

目的:探讨大学生学习适应状况及其与学业成就的关系。方法:采用自编大学生学习适应状况量表和绩效评价量表对813名在校大学生进行测评,并进行相关和回归分析。结果:大学生学习适应总体状况存在显著性的年级和专业差异,表现为随着年级的升高呈现先下降后上升的趋势;大学生学习适应状况与学业成就之间存在显著性相关;学习方法、学习态度与学习动力对大学生学业成就具有较好的预测作用,学习方法对学业成就的预测能力最强。结论:大学生学习适应状况与其学业成就水平密切相关,而且对其学业成就水平有一定的预测作用。     

Understanding Regulated Learning in Situative and Contextual Frameworks

Research on self-regulated learning has focused predominantly on a static individual level to explain various strengths and weaknesses of learners. However, much learning today is highly interactive and technologically enhanced, which an individually oriented perspective to regulated learning does not consider. In this article we discuss regulation by bringing situational and contextual variation of regulated learning into focus. We introduce a situative perspective on regulation of learning and give arguments and examples on how it can offer a way to conceptually and empirically grasp multiple layers of regulated learning in social contexts. We also compare the given perspective with sociocognitive and sociocultural perspectives to regulated learning. We conclude that the situative perspective can significantly enrich understanding about individual and group learning as a regulated activity, because it offers a way to examine regulation beyond the individual while not losing sight of learners as individual subjects.     

全球视域下成人参与学习的障碍及解决路径——基于GRALE Ⅳ的分析

成人全面而有效地参与学习是保障2030年可持续发展目标实现的关键因素之一。但联合国教科文组织2019年发布的第四份《成人学习与教育全球报告》显示,当前全球范围内成人学习与教育(Adult Learning and Education, ALE)的平均参与率仍然不高,而且不同国家和地区之间的差异明显,一定程度上影响了可持续发展目标的实现。究其原因主要是成人参与学习的主观意识不强、社会环境欠佳、保障体制待完善等。为破除这些障碍,需从激发成人个体学习意识、构建社会支持系统、塑造有利于成人学习的社会环境出发,帮助更多的成人参与学习和接受教育,促进全球化时代全民学习社会的早日实现。     

Mining learning social networks for cooperative learning with appropriate learning partners in a problem-based learning environment

Many studies have identified web-based cooperative learning as an increasingly popular educational paradigm with potential to increase learner satisfaction and interactions. However, peer-to-peer interaction often suffers barriers owing to a failure to explore useful social interaction information in web-based cooperative learning environments. This easily leads to learners being unable to seek appropriate learning partners for facilitating effective cooperative learning. This problem frequently causes poor learning effectiveness in web-based cooperative learning environments. Generally, instructor assigned or learner selected learning peers cannot ensure to compose suitable learning partners for individual learners in cooperative learning environments. A suitable learning partner can help the learner, who is learning in the personal way and encounters the difficulty, to solve problems. Inappropriate learning partners cannot only easily lead to poor learning interaction and achievement, but can also lead to the meaning of cooperative learning being lost. Although many web-based learning systems have already been developed to assist cooperative learning, supporting peer-to-peer interaction in computer-supported cooperative learning (CSCL) is still immature. As a result, this study presents a novel scheme for recommending appropriate learning partners for individual learners utilizing mining of learning interactive social networks in a cooperative problem-based learning (PBL) environment. Results of this study show that the proposed scheme helps encourage learners to interact with learning peers more actively and positively, and facilitates learning performance in a cooperative PBL environment.     

对成人高等教育"工学矛盾"的思考

在职成人学生的学习中普遍存在着“工学矛盾”;解决“工学矛盾”是个社会系统工程,我们应当通过法律、制度、政策等途径,推动“工学矛盾”向“工学协调”的转变。     

The roles of collective task value and collaborative behaviors in collaborative performance through collaborative creation in CSCL

Research has suggested that self or co-regulated learning is very helpful for the development of students’ autonomy, and is particularly important in online learning environments, because such non-linear environments tend to lack focus and teachers’ monitoring. The social cognitive research suggests that highly self-regulated learners have higher motivation and more control of their learning behaviors, and thus generate better outcomes on an individual basis rather on a group basis. This study thus attempts to extend the social cognitive perspective of self-regulated learning to collective regulated learning, and to investigate the relationships among collective beliefs (i.e., collective task value, a newly developed group motivation), collaborative behaviors (i.e., group cohesion, cognitive quality of collaborative interactions), and collaborative performance through collaborative creation in the CSCL environment. A total of 96 college students participated in this study. Both quantitative and qualitative analyses were applied. The results indicate that collective task value is a reliable and valid construct. The results also show that collective task value significantly predicts students’ group cohesion and collaborative performance, although it does not predict students’ cognitive quality of collaborative interactions. Students’ group cohesion and higher level of cognitive quality in collaborative interactions also both significantly predict their collaborative performance through collaborative creation in the CSCL environment.     

Maximising the language and learning link in computer learning environments

In studies on the implementation and educational uses of computers there are reports of changes in students' behaviour as a result of working with computers (Rowe, 1993; Crook, 1994). Social, collaborative and dialogic exchanges have been observed as students engage in tasks around computers. This research provides evidence that the computer is a social facilitator in the sense that it provides opportunities for collaboration, group work and interaction which fosters cognitive change (Wild, 1995).
This article recognises the social role of the computer, and supports the view that computers can be used to facilitate learning through language. There is growing awareness that if we are to realise the full potential of computers in education, consideration must be given to their role as catalysts in the learning process, rather than technological tools (Hawkridge, 1990). Computer assisted learning has progressed through many phases, and through investigation of underlying theoretical frameworks it is possible to recognise the change of focus from individual accounts of learning to social perspectives.
Theoretical frameworks which emphasise the social dimensions of learning (Vygotsky, 1978) legitimise the link between computers, language use and learning and indicate that computers must be integrated into the social life of classrooms if their pedagogical benefits are to be realised.     

Events in learning mathematics: Insights from research in classrooms

In this paper, it is contended that in order to understand individual student's learning in the complexity of the mathematics classroom it is necessary to examine the events that occur before, during, and after learning. To illustrate, the process by which two children each construct new mathematical meanings is examined in this manner. The detailed analyses of each of these events provides insight into the processes by which individual students construct mathematical meanings in classroom settings. The investigation also reveals that the underlying social norms differ from those found in traditional classes, and that this creates different opportunities for learning. It is contended that it is the differences in the norms that have been established in their respective classes that distinguishes between the events in learning for the two children.Preparation of this paper was supported by the National Science Foundation (RED 9254939) and while the author was the Snodgrass Scholar in the School of Education Purdue University. The final draft was completed at the Mathematics Education Research Centre, Oxford University. All opinions are those of the author.     

An investigation on the correlation of learner styles and learning objects characteristics in a proposed Learning Objects Management Model (LOMM)

The issues of accessibility, management, storage and organization of Learning Objects (LOs) in education systems are a high priority of the Thai Government. Incorporating personalized learning or learning styles in a learning object management system to improve the accessibility of LOs has been addressed continuously in the Thai education system. A proposed Learning Object Management Model (LOMM) is discussed in this paper which aims to adapt and optimize the learning process based on characteristics of the individual learners. This study aims to find the correlation between learning styles and LOs characteristics in the LOMM. Decision Tree and Apriori algorithms were used to generate a predictive model for the classification of learners. Development of the predictive model was based on survey results from 1,586 high school students in Nakhon Ratchasima province, Thailand. The diverse LOs characteristics were analyzed in order to find the correlation with learning styles of the learners. The classification model consists of 24 sub-models used to predict a learner’s class based on 8 groups of LOs characteristics. The best accuracy obtained in the study was 80.23%. Finally, for the next phase this approach has been designed to support the proposed LOMM and it is expected that it could be readily applied to other e-learning systems and digital repositories.