The ICEM Challenge

Abstract

With the new developments in the International Council for Educational Media much deep thinking has been taking place to consider the way forward for the organization. The article consists of the carefully considered views of the vice‐president of the Council, and, as stated at the end, he will welcome views on his thinking.     

The Challenge of Change

A large literature establishes the benefits of discussions for stimulating student engagement and critical thinking skills. However, we know considerably less about the differential effects of various discussion environments on student learning. In this study, we assess student perceptions concerning the benefits of discussions in an upper-level political science class. We compare how students evaluated discussions in the whole-class environment, in small face-to-face discussion groups, and in online discussion groups. Overall, according to student surveys, small discussion groups elicited the highest student satisfaction and scored highest in critical thinking skills, while online discussions provided the best forum to express thoughts. While they did not favor all-class discussions, students reported that this format, too, provided benefits.     

孩子谁带

游戏目的:1.加深孩子对坚韧品格的理解。2.全家坚韧品格的塑造和日常生活的实践。3.增进亲子感情,促进家庭和谐。     

质量的挑战

最近的远程教育领域有两件事情值得关注：一是作为教育部1999年批准的首批现代远程教育四所试点高校之一的清华大学，宣布暂停现代远程成人专升本学历教育招生；二是广为关注的网院统考正在紧锣密鼓地筹备，即将浮出水面。这两件事情都与质量有关，清华大学的举措，如其说是激流勇退，不如说是担心陷入“远程教育的质量沼泽”，不能让远程教育失火，殃及清华园的池鱼。     

母亲的真谤

【文章大意】“母亲”两个字包含着无尽的含义,伟大无私、任劳任怨……五月的母亲节是感恩的时刻,一声我爱你,一枝康乃馨,母亲失去光彩的脸颊就会重绽灿烂的笑容。本文选白《心灵鸡汤》中关于母爱的一篇文章,文中讲到成为母亲意味着无尽的牺牲,再也不能按照惯例做出决定j原视为无比重要的生命和生活都将随着孩子的诞生而变得不那么宝贵。为了救自己的孩子,母亲愿意献出自己的生命。但是“你永远不会后悔”成为母亲。这正是母爱的真谛所在,无声如水,却又沁人心田。     

The Challenge of Beginning

This article presents a way of approaching introductory design education that expands student creativity through building on research related to the impact of cognitive development and metacognitive thinking. The strategy presented emphasises the importance of encouraging divergent thinking and understanding how students perceive knowledge. The goal is to create a learning environment that acknowledges where students are in their thinking and provides a structure that promotes both cognitive and creative growth.     

To Challenge or Not To Challenge: The Mentor's Dilemma

This paper focuses upon open and distance learning initial teacher education in both primary and secondary sectors and explores the ways in which mentors challenge PGCE students in their professional thinking and classroom practice. It draws upon ethnographic research on mentors and student teachers during one presentation of the course. The data are based on observations of mentors working with students on final student placement, conversations with specialist subject mentor trainers as well as questionnaire and other source material. An analysis of how mentors articulate their knowledge base; the dialogue between mentor and student and the challenge of moving from novice to expert for the student teacher are all considered. Our conclusions have implications for all ITT and will also be a source of valuable practical help for student teachers and mentors.     

The Challenge in Teaching Biotechnology

Agriculture, industry and medicine are being altered by new biotechnologies. Biotechnology education is important because todays students and citizens will make decisions about the development and application of these new molecular biologies. This article reports an investigation of the teaching of biotechnology in an Australian state, New South Wales (NSW). In NSW few students were electing to answer examination questions related to biotechnology, suggesting that few students were studying the topic. This study looks at why electives relating to biotechnology are chosen or not chosen by students and teachers, with the intention of developing a greater understanding of the requirements for provision of a successful unit of study in this subject. Data was obtained through a survey of secondary science teachers, interviews with teachers and two case studies of the teaching of a biotechnology unit. Teachers reported a range of obstacles to the teaching of biotechnology including the difficulty of the subject matter and a lack of practical work that was suited to the content of the teaching unit. If biotechnology is worth learning in school science, then further research is needed to identify ways to promote the effective teaching of this topic, which teachers regard as important for, and interesting to, students but which most teachers choose not to teach.     

“双乐能”的挑战

作为音乐从业者的一项必要能力,音乐的能力,即乐能,在民族音乐学研究中发挥着至关重要的作用。多样化的世界民族音乐对乐能也提出了多样化的要求,研究某一特定民族音乐必须以掌握该民族音乐之特殊乐能为基础,包括传承与表现方式、节拍节奏、各种乐器类型的独特演奏要领、声乐表演的特殊发音和嗓音特质、即兴演奏的能力等,最终达到消化吸收其音乐传统,并将其融入该民族社会文化生活的高层次的研究目的。作者以其个人经历以及与加州大学洛杉矶分校的各个演奏——学习团组的合作为例,阐释了自己在民族音乐学研究中倡导跨文化乐能习得与掌握的主张。     

The Challenge of College Youth

The problem of motivation has received a great deal of attention, and many successful approaches have been developed. However, in areas such as introductory college mathematics, students often question their own potential for success. At the first sign of trouble, their fears are confirmed and many of them drop out, formally or informally. If a method could be found to improve persistence, motivational techniques would have an opportunity to succeed. In this article, the author describes a simple method to improve persistence using assessments that are normally already in place. Data are presented indicating that the method improves persistence and achievement.