With Tools and Strategies Teachers Use in Online Courses： A Mexican Public University Case

The rapid development of ICT （information technology and communication） in the last two decades has changed society substantially as a whole. For higher education institutions, the external environment pressure to incorporate ICT in their educational and administrative processes has forced them to invest in resources for infrastructure and training. In addition, teachers have found that they can use technology in their teaching, but lack of full knowledge of how to use it effectively from a pedagogical point of view. The incorporation of new education modalities depends largely on the contextual variables prevailing in the institution and teachers. In UABC （Autonomous University of Baja California）, the early days of online education go hack to 1996, so the study period was from 1996 to 2009. An online survey was designed to fmd out the teachers＇ backgrounds and involvement in online education, their experience as online teachers, and the tools and practices used. Of 97 teachers who were identified with some experience in online teaching, 70% responded to the Survey （68）. It was found that the highest percentage （33%） of teachers who responded the survey started teaching online between 2003 and 2006. 56% of teachers have been teaching between one and five online courses. On the other hand, most teachers recognized that 30%-79% of the content of their courses were online based. The most popular learning management system used is moodle followed by blackboard in teachers＇ preference. In general, teachers expressed using the three main communication tools of online education： forums, chat and e-mail, favoring the use of e-mail. The communication slrategies teachers often use in their courses promoted student-student and student-teacher interaction. In their evaluation strategies, most said that they used self-assessment, rubrics and to a lesser extent online exams and co-evaluation. The results show that most teachers who have been involved in online education in UABC campus have expressed havi     

How to Develop the Students’ Motivation

Motivation is one of the most important factors access to success.There are three types of students’ motivation in English learning.In order to get good result in the process of teaching,teachers try their best to develop students’ motivation.They have tried many ways,such as enhancing students’ interesting through playing games,introduce the culture of English speaking countries.It’s meaningful that teachers develop several kinds of motivation at the same time.All these important methods can be used in actually teaching to get a better result.     

The emotions in teaching and learning nature sciences and physics/chemistry in pre-service primary teachers

A study was made of different emotions that prospective primary school teachers report with respect to science subjects, when they were pupils, and during their practice teaching, taking into account the variables gender and the speciality they studied in the secondary education. The study consisted of a questionnaire completed by 63 primary education students at the University of Extremadura, Spain. The results show a great difference between the emotions related to the subjects of physics/chemistry and the nature sciences （biology/geology）. The scientific subject influences the emotions of pre-service primary teachers, both in learning and teaching. In physics and chemistry, the emotions are mostly negative. While in nature sciences they are very positive. In nature sciences, there is a correlation between the emotions felt as secondary school pupils learning science and those they feel as teachers. In physics and chemistry, there is a correlation in the women between the emotions felt as secondary school pupils learning science and those they feel as teachers, but not in the men. The memory of their emotions in learning science at school is more negative than in teaching science during their teaching practice, except in nervousness in physics/chemistry. By gender, men declared a greater predilection for science content than women, with more of them describing such feelings as sympathy or confidence. The results highlight the influential role that emotions play throughout the professional growth of future primary teachers.     

University teachers＇ approaches to teaching and their pedagogical use of ICTs： A comparative case study of Finland,Japan and India

The purpose of this study was to explore what salient characteristics can be found in some university teachers＇ approaches to teaching in Finland, Japan and India, and in what ways university teachers in Finland, India and Japan use ICTs （information and communication technologies） in their own teaching. Furthermore, this study aimed to investigate what ICT applications these same teachers use in their teaching. The data were collected via an electronic survey and interviews. The participants （N=21） were university teachers from Finland （N=8）, Japan （N=I0） and India （N=3）. Their approaches to teaching were explored by applying the ATI （approaches to teaching inventory） and its modified version focusing on the use of ICTs in teaching. The study reported in this paper was a pilot study, thus the results are based on the limited number of respondents. The ATI and ATI ICT subscales and ICT inventory applied in this study have been confirmed to be valid. The university teachers in Japan and Finland differed in their approaches to teaching： The Finnish teachers scored higher on the CCSF （conceptual change orientated, student-focused） approach to teaching than the Japanese teachers, while the Japanese teachers scored higher on the ITTF （information transmitting, teacher-focused） approach to teaching. Two Indian teachers were classified as having a teacher-focused approach to teaching, while the third was classified as having a student-focused approach to teaching. The teachers＇ differences in their use of ICTs related more to their disciplinary status than to their cultural background.     

A University in the Digital World： Using Technologies for Learning and Management

The Internet penetrates deeply into the everyday life due to the availability of broadband networks and mobile devices. The widespread of the Internet, along with the development of innovative services, social networking, and tools （known as Web 2.0）, gives rise to the phenomenon of the digital world. A university striving not to be ＂an ivory tower＂ should meet the needs of the ＂Net Generation＂, prepare the graduates for professional work and life in the digital world and comply with the social demand for providing lifelong learning services, especially, in the vulnerable crisis times. MESI （Moscow State University of Economics, Statistics, and lnformatics） started implementing ICTs （information and communication technologies） both in the academic and administrative processes more than 15 years ago. Today, its unified e-learning environment allows rendering educational services to students of all levels and forms （both on-campus and off-campus） and 24 × 7 × 365 support （24 hours-7 days in a week-365 days in a year）. Information system for administration comprises electronic document management systems, students＇ records, and the results of their individual learning activities for the current, interim, and final assessment. The university management system empowers centralized management of its Moscow headquarters and branches, as well as regulation of teaching/learning process. Long-term development of education in Russia is directly dependent on large-scale introduction of e-learning tools, design and implementation of new methods of organization of educational process on its base, creating and using an appropriate electronic teaching and learning practices, and new approaches to the management of the education system and educational institutions.     

An approach to develop physics student teachers＇ skills of using instructional technology

It is very important to develop student teachers＇ skills and knowledge during the pre-service teacher education process. In this study, the effectiveness of the approach in which student teachers＇ gained skills of developing and using TGMs （teacher-guided materials） based on integration of technology on physics education in STMC-Ⅱ （Special Teaching Methods Course-Ⅱ） for pre-service physics teachers was evaluated. The study was conducted with 33 physics student teachers in KTU （Karadeniz Technical University）. Student teachers were required to develop and present TGMs, which were based on principles of special teaching approaches and techniques and integration of technology through instruction. The data of the study were gained from semi-structured interviews conducted with 14 student teachers, observations of the lessons conducted by each student teacher and document analysis of the student teachers＇ diaries collected during the term. The student teachers stated that STMC-11 was a very helpful experience to gain teaching skills. It is believed that all these activities, which are designed and performed in the classroom by student teachers during STMC-Ⅱ course, will not only prepare them for their teaching but also help them gain basic experiences that they will need in their future career. At the end of the process, it is concluded that all the student teachers gained nearly the whole defined aims--skills and knowledge of the STMC-Ⅱ. The implementation process should be organized very well to have advance of gaining many skills together. Key words： physics student teacher; STMC-Ⅱ; the skills of developing TGMs and integration of technology     

Accessibility in post secondary education： Application of UDL to college curriculum

The inclusion of students with disabilities at the university is a relatively new occurrence in the field of special education. Although legislation in the United States has supported the acceptance of students with disabilities at the post-secondary level, it has only provided minimal support with the emphasis on the learner rather than the curriculum. Now we are looking for multiple ways for students to access learning and demonstrate mastery. Universal Design for Learning （UDL） is currently seen as a means to reconceptionalize curriculum. This study examines the experience of four professors and their effort to use a Classroom Performance System （CPS） as part of reformatting their courses using UDL. The Center for Applied Special Technology, CAST （2001） states that the goal of Universal Design for Learning is to develop teaching methods that enable all students with diverse learning needs, including those with disabilities and cultural differences, to have equal access to classroom curriculum. This paradigm shift echoes the move in special education from a deficit model to a minority rights model put forward by Hahn （1989）, and which is the basis of inclusive educational philosophy. Together inclusion and UDL create learning environments that strive to serve all students. This research describes the implementation of clickers as part of the CPS program in college courses in a special education teacher preparation program. The case study demonstrates how technology can provide access for all learners with positive outcomes such as increased participation and application of knowledge. It also illustrates some of the difficulties in making this pedagogical paradigm shift particularly in the use of technology, and the value of overcoming the existing barriers in place.     

Computer Usage Among University Teacher-Trainees

This study reported the findings of a survey from a broader study conducted to： （a） find out the level to which students use computers; （b） compare which gender is more proficient in computer use; and （c） discuss the relationship between students＇ age and their computer proficiency. Activity theory was adopted as the theoretical framework to explain behavioural intentions of computer interactions. The study used self-answering questionnaires with closed-ended items to collect data from a group of teacher-trainees. A total of 1,500 questionnaires were distributed using a stratified sampling to select respondents. The data collected were analysed using simple means, frequencies, standard deviation, independent sample t-test, Chi-square test, and cross-tabulation. Findings from the study showed a significant difference of computer usage in level of proficiency by gender. The main findings are： 1 Younger students have higher computer proficiency skills as compared to the older students; 2. The students use computers for various activities including listening to music, playing games, researching, chatting, and e-mailing; 3. The students get access to educational resources including electronic journals, e-books, open educational resources （OER）, educational digital video disk/compact disc （DVD/CD）, and online databases; and 4. Male students have higher technology literacy skills than female students. The study recommended that efforts should be made to provide more access time to computing facilities to increase students＇ computer usage. There is a need to bridge the computer usage gap between male and female students. Older students should be encouraged to improve their technology literacy skills. Furthermore, the results suggested that the students used technologies within the objectivist model of teaching and learning. From the findings, teacher education programs need to provide teacher-trainees with further training programs to help them enhance their skills in the use of computers as an instructional tool for teaching and learning.     

Critique of a Language-Learning Website

Listening plays a crucial part in the learning of overseas students in the United Kingdom. Students can never follow a lecture or discussion in English without listening. Traditional classroom teaching in listening limits students＇ time and space. However, the Web-based listening course accommodates listeners a great deal, enabling them to access the Internet at their own pace. In this paper, the author would like to study on a language learning Website for developing learners＇ listening skills, designed by the CELE （Centre for English Language Education） at the University of Nottingham. In the first part, the author will review the issues concerning listening, conventional materials design, CALL （computer assisted language learning） and actual Websites established for EAP （English academic purposes）. Through analysis, the author would develop a set of evaluation criteria in order to evaluate the CELE listening Website. These guidelines should also be helpful for teachers and students to select suitable online listening materials. By using these criteria and comparing with other Websites for similar purposes, the author would highlight the strengths and weaknesses of the CELE Website and offer suggestions for its improvement. In the last section, the author would consider the generalisability of the Website in respect of design principles, exercise types and tools, to check whether it is appropriate for teaching listening in a specific context and whether it is applicable for creating a parallel site developing reading skills.     

Students＇ approaches to Project Work： Self-regulated learning in Swedish upper secondary school

Individualized schoolwork and self-regulated learning has expanded in Sweden during the last decades. Such teaching methods affect the roles of teachers and students, and the demand for student responsibility increases. Upper secondary school in Sweden includes vocational and study preparation programmes, which both give general access to higher education. Since 2000 all students entering upper secondary school have to take a course called Project Work （100 credits）. The preceding course Special Work （20 credits） was only part of the study preparation programmes. This expansion from 20 to 100 credits and from a few to all study programmes was a considerable change. The study is built on data from interviews with upper secondary school students about their approaches to Project Work, as an example of self-regulated learning practices. Qualitative analyse and classification is based on earlier developed categories, and to some extent tendencies in students＇ development over time are explored. The results throw light on the relationship between different types of projects, grades and students＇ approaches to Project Work. Special interest is given to approaches considered as problematic from an educational point of view. Socio-cultural aspects show some impact, although the students＇ difficulties turn out to be more of an educational challenge.     

On General Education in Higher Education Institutions of China Mainland

This thesis points out the main problems consisting in general education in higher education institutions （HEIs） of China mainland. General education need to be further improved and so does the quality of general education curriculum. The faculty construction should be more reasonable; the teaching administration models and the evaluation system should also be perfected. This thesis is also aimed to put forward the countermeasures： to pay more attention to general education, improve the quality of the general education curriculum with every effort, develop the faculty urgently, ameliorate the teaching administration models and establish the scientific and proper evaluation system of general education curriculum, and so on.     

Role of Nigeria in the development of higher education in Africa

In most countries of the world, higher education is highly subsidized by the public sector. The subsidy is a result of the role of higher education sector on the economy and good governance of the nations. Enrolment into higher institutions of learning is quite low in Africa compare to other continents of the world due to the continent＇s low and declining spending on her higher institutions of learning. This shabby contribution by the continent could be likened to a result of some imminent challenges, which ranged from inadequate financial resource due to economic and social crisis to the challenges posed by the HIV/AIDS （Human Immunodeficiency Virus/Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome） pandemic. The contributions of Nigeria to the development of higher education in Africa is quite worthy of note. This can be affirmed by the increase in the number of states and federal universities in the country over the years since independence. This can be further reaffirmed by the promulgation of Decree 9 of 1993, which made the provision for the establishment of private universities, which further increased the nation＇s total number of universities to 93 from 59 and further strengthened the nations contributions to higher education development in the continent. In spite of all efforts made by the FGN （Federal Government of Nigeria）, the nation is yet to reach her potential in the development of her higher education sector as the percentage of potential students that gained admission into the nation＇s higher institutions of learning still stand below 15% of the total number of applicants. The study therefore recommended that budgetary allocations to higher institutions of learning be increased to meet the financial demands of the institutions. In addition, multi-campus should be encouraged in order to allow for more access to higher education.     

Empirical Studies on the Community＇s Education for the Aged ——Investigations to the 12 Cities

The text discusses the problem of form of organization and security system of old-age education in community from theoretical and practical aspects. From the practical analysis, we find that the main form of old-age education in community is school education. The statistics of the research shows that the level of old-age education in community is in primary stage. The teaching form, the teaching content, the mechanism of organization, and fundamental facilities need to be strengthened. The analysis in different areas shows that the teaching activities and fundamental facilities of old-age school in eastern cities are obviously better than that of cities in middle region. In theoretical analysis, it expounds the relationship between old-age education and the education in communities, old-age education and life long education. And it also raises the problem of the confusion of definition in the studying course of the old-age education＇s theories such as attribution, characteristic, and definition. Its content has been renewed. The theoretical framework has been raised in the research of security system.     

Differences between public and private institutions of Taiwan＇s HTVE system in determinants of competitiveness

Technological and vocational education has played a very important role in the development of Taiwan＇s economy. The purpose of this research is to examine the determinants of competitiveness with a focus on differences between public and private institutions in Taiwan＇s HTVE system. Determinants of internal and external factors were identified, and a competitiveness index was established. Results found that faculty teaching performance and completeness of curriculum design were the major determinants of internal factor. Financial support from government was the most influential determinant of public institutions in external factor, yet private institutions considered population growth rate was the most important one. Despite of top 3 institutions of both types, private universities seem possess relatively more competitive advantages than their public counterparts, and public colleges seem possess relatively more competitive advantages than their private competitors.     

On Assessment in English Learning

一、Understanding classroo-m role relationship Learning is driven by what teachers and students do in classrooms. Teachers have to manage to help them learn immediately and become better learners in the future. Teachers' function is namely supervision, which we consider as the process by which teaching performance is systematically observed, analyzed, and evaluated .We focuses on the roles of trainer and educator. As trainers, supervisors are concerned with technical improvement; that is, in showing teachers that what they are doing can be done better. As educators, supervisors must be concerned with strategies change, that is, in showing teachers that what is done in the classroom might be done differently and in sensitizing teachers to alternative classroom practices.     

The Advantages of the Application of English Original Films in English Teaching for Students from Higher Vocational and Technical Institutions

On the analysis of the current learning situation of the students from higher vocational and technical institutions, this paper proposes the way of using original English films in language teaching. It has indicated the advantages of English original films, such as can to motivate the students to learn by their willing, to create real-life, to enlarge students’view and to improve the competence of learning. Especially on dealing with the problems appearing in the learning process in vocational and technical institutions, teaching by English original film is a strongly suggested way.     

Research on ESL/EFL Teachers＇ Beliefs in China and Abroad： An Overview

Teachers＇ beliefs greatly influence the way that the teachers function in the classroom. Teacher as an important medium for student＇ language learning, the study of teachers and their beliefs in Western countries and in China is a worthwhile topic. This paper offers a selective review and rethinking about what has been done and being done in relation to the understanding of teacher＇s belief, and their belief about language teaching and learning, students learning, themselves as both teachers and individuals; identify some sources of teachers＇ belief and address the needs for change. Understanding teachers＇ conceptualizations of teaching, their beliefs, thinking, and decision making can help us better understand the nature of language teacher education and hence better prepare us for our roles as teacher and teacher educators.     

Potential Use of Course Management Systems in Higher Education Institutions in Jordan

Given the increased adoption of the CMS （course management systems） as an instructional tool, it is important to address the potential use of this technology in Jordanian higher education institutions. This study investigates the potential to use CMS tools in instruction in the academic institutions in Jordan. This study does not seek to evaluate the current use of computer mediated tools or their features in instruction. Its purpose is to investigate what is currently taking place with CMS in higher education settings. Therefore, the study does not seek to determine the value that the use of the CMS tools may have contributed to instruction, however, it identifies the level of technology integration as well as the level of the technology use in higher education and problems associated with its use among the faculty. This study identifies prevalent faculty attitudes and perceptions toward the potential use of CMS tools in higher education institutions, in general, and in Jordan, in particular.