德国应用科学大学的办学特色——类型特色与院校特色分析

德国应用科学大学的办学特色体现在两个层面。首先,应用科学大学作为一种新型的高等教育机构具有明确区别于传统综合性大学的办学特点,如教学突出实践,科研注重应用以及强调跨学科办学。这些特色是此类高校共有的特点,因此可被称作类型特色。其次,不同的应用科学大学也发展和形成了各自的院校特色,如小而精、多样性、独具性和国际性。院校特色的形成与学校的发展历史和传统、所在地区特殊的经济产业结构以及特定的特色化发展策略等因素有关。德国应用科学大学的办学经验为我国高校,特别是行业特色型高校的办学提供了诸多有益的启示。     

Retrospective perceptions and views of engineering students about physics and engineering practicals

Hands-on practical work in physics and engineering has a long and well-established tradition in Australian universities. Recently, however, the question of whether hands-on physics and engineering practicals are useful for engineering students and whether they could be deleted or whether these could be replaced with computer simulations has been raised, mainly due to cost-cutting exercises. In order to ascertain the usefulness of hands-on engineering practicals and first year practical physics classes to their engineering degree, a retrospective survey was carried out with third year engineering students. The general picture that emerges from the survey indicates that the majority of the students found hands-on physics and engineering practicals preferable to simulations on a computer and that practical work is useful not only for linking theory to practicals but also for gaining technical skills.     

‘Dry laboratories’ in science education; computer‐based practical work

Practical (laboratory) work in science education has traditionally been used to allow students to rediscover already known concepts and ideas, to demonstrate concepts taught in the classroom or, in the case of inquiry‐based science curricula, to teach concepts. Often, these laboratory practicals do not achieve their goals and may even confuse or demotivate students. It is not that using ‘wet’ practicals is intrinsically wrong; rather, it is that they are often used for the wrong reasons. They do have a place in science curricula ‐ for the conveyance of tacit knowledge that can only be achieved in the laboratory setting. In our view, their use should be restricted to that.

Non‐laboratory practicals ('dry labs'), and especially multimedia practicals, tend to be used for completely different reasons. They are best used to help students achieve specific cognitive skills (such as analysis, synthesis and evaluation) needed to practise science and to carry out scientific inquiry. This article sketches the problems associated with the use of dry laboratories in science education, presents design considerations for the use of such practicals in science education and presents examples of innovative non‐traditional practicals.     

Costing part‐time provision

This article examines the varied approaches which have been adopted to the costing of part‐time higher education, and considers the consequences of these alternative models both for the providers themselves and for national policy. Though the analysis concentrates on face‐to‐face provision in universities, polytechnics and colleges, a series of comparisons are made with the Open University. It is hoped that it will assist in understanding the likely impact of proposed changes in funding where such changes encounter established arrangements. This is especially so in the PCFC sector where a new methodology is proposed for 1990‐91. The research reported here forms part of a larger study supported by the CNAA and Middlesex Polytechnic and shortly to be published under the title: Other Routes. The authors are both members of the Centre for Community Studies at Middlesex Polytechnic.     

When the black box springs open: practical work in schools and the nature of science

The aim of this paper is not to bury practical work in school science but to (once again) reconsider it. We draw on three main areas of discussion: accounts of science and ‘school science work'; teachers and others’ views of the nature of science; and our own data on teachers’ reactions to ‘critical incidents’ and practicals which go wrong. We use this as a basis for re‐thinking the role of practicals. An account of practical work is suggested which has as its main feature diversity rather than a single model or template. Within this diversity we believe that teachers should be open and honest with pupils about which type of practical work they are doing and why. We advocate that students should be made aware of the different kinds of practical work they do and the purposes of this practical work. In short, teachers should explain to students what type of practical work they are doing and why. Our second message is that teachers’ views about the nature of science both inform and are informed by their classroom practices and experiences‐‐especially during lab‐work. To encourage, promote and support critical reflection of these classroom practices and experiences is therefore a vital part of teacher professional development; this in time will promote science curriculum development.     

Research at home: Being creative in running an undergraduate final research project in Food Science amidst the COVID‐19 crisis

The pandemic of coronavirus disease (COVID‐19) in early 2020 has led to tremendous disruptions in education systems worldwide, including the closure of majority of education institutions and the shifting from face‐to‐face learning toward remote learning. More than 70% of the world's student population were affected by such a disruptive event, inclusive of undergraduate students in their final year preparing their research project. Senior students in Food Science generally perform laboratory‐oriented research project, which can be problematic due to the closure of laboratories and universities. I wrote this article to give an insight into conducting final year research projects from home amidst the COVID‐19 crisis based on my personal experience as a research supervisor. The research methods discussed include literature review, analysis of secondary data, survey research, simple food processing, remote sensory evaluation, and glycemic index analysis. Regardless of the type of research chosen, consistent guidance and support from a research supervisor toward the student, both academic and moral, appears to be a fundamental factor determining the success of the student in completing his/her final research project, particularly during these difficult times.     

The impact of electronic media on faculty evaluation

With the proliferation of computer networks and the increased use of Internet‐based applications, many forms of social interactions now take place in an on‐line context through Computer‐Mediated Communication (CMC). Many universities are now reaping the benefits of using CMC applications to collect data on student evaluations of faculty, rather than using paper‐based surveys in Face‐To‐Face (FTF) classroom settings. While the relative merits of CMC versus FTF student evaluations have been researched extensively, there is limited research published about the ways students respond to the questions from either mode of data collection. This paper reports on a research study to analyse the communication differences between student scores from FTF student evaluations and CMC evaluation questions from end of semester evaluations from a university in the Middle East region. In addition to the questions about communication mode differences between two evaluation questions, several demographic variables were measured to determine any interaction effects. The results of our study suggest that the type of communication channel mitigates the responses that students make on CMC evaluations vis‐à‐vis FTF evaluations of faculty. In particular, even though there were significant differences found at the aggregate level between CMC and FTF evaluations, when the course and instructor are controlled for, there were no significant differences reported. In addition, several differences were noted depending on the type and level of the course being studied. Also, we found that students are more likely to express more extreme responses to scale questions in CMC than FTF evaluations. Administrators should consider these potential differences when implementing on‐line evaluation systems.     

Audiotape feedback for essays in distance education

Students who were required to write three short essays for a university level course on photochemistry at the Open university of the Netherlands received either audio-cassette or written feedback on their essays. The students receiving the audio feedback described their experience as personal, enjoyable, complete and clear. Those receiving written feedback described their experience as adequate. The amount of time spent by instructors supplying the feedback differed minimally (X_audio=53 minutes per student; X_written=49 minutes) with the major difference lying in the amount of time spent in preparation. This difference, possibly attributable to novelty with audio as a mode for feedback, was not significant. The amount communicated to the students with audio feedback (per instructor) was significantly greater than the amount communicated with written feedback. There was no difference in the final grades for the two groups of students.Paul A. Kirschner received his Masters in Educational Psychology from the State University of Amsterdam. He has worked as educational technologist at the Open university of the Netherlands since 1983, primarily with the faculties of Natural Sciences and Engineering. Henk van den Brink received his Masters in Educational Psychology from the State University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands. He has worked at the Open university of the Netherlands since 1984 as an educational technologist, primarily with the Faculty of Economics. Marthie Meester received her Ph.D. in Chemistry from the State University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands. She has worked since 1983 at the Faculty of Natural Sciences of the Open university of the Netherlands as course team chair for a number of undergraduate and graduate level chemistry courses.     

THE ROLE PLAYED BY THE RUSSIAN ACADEMY OF SCIENCES IN THE SOCIAL,ECONOMIC, AND CULTURAL DEVELOPMENT OF THE COUNTRY

The article is an argument in favour of a type of national science policy in which a National Academy of Sciences is at the same time the highest ranking association of scientists and the capstone of a national organization of research institutes specialized in different fields of the sciences and the humanities. Such was the Soviet Academy of Sciences and is now the Russian Academy of Sciences, the roots of which go back to 1724. The achievements in science of the various Academy institutes are detailed, and while the author recognizes that the universities too perform research, their basic task is teaching. For him, the duality of research in the academy and teaching in the universities has given good results and should continue.     

Interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary research and practice: Balancing expectations of the ‘old’ academy with the future model of universities as ‘problem solvers’

Academics are increasingly required to balance the expectations of the ‘old’ academy with a future model of universities as interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary ‘problem solvers’. This paper highlights changing expectations of academics in producing alternative research outcomes in collaborative, practice‐based research. Through a series of workshops with 20 researchers, preferred research outcomes and tensions in achieving these outcomes were identified. The tensions identified are presented as three dichotomies comprising the tension between: (a) ‘I versus We’ ‐ individual versus team expectations & outcomes. (b) Disciplinary outcomes versus inter‐/transdisciplinary outcomes. (c) Learning versus research objectives for the students and academics involved. These tensions reflect the authors' experiences of working in three international sustainability projects, drawing on lessons learned from these projects, with recommendations for universities seeking to implement interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary doctoral and postdoctoral programmes. Recommendations include the need for formal and informal leadership models, strong communication skills, empathy and willingness to learn from each other. A need for more systemic changes within university administration to better reward and value the breadth and depth of collaborative work, while facilitating open learning cultures and practice‐oriented learning opportunities and curricula across faculties was also identified.     

TRAINING AND ORIENTATION OF CERTIFIED OMBUDSPERSON VOLUNTEERS FOR LONG‐TERM CARE FACILITIES

We report findings on learner retention and satisfaction as a result of certified ombudsperson volunteer (COV) training. Specifically, two research questions were addressed. First, did individuals who completed COV training learn the content? The result of the analysis was significant. Second, were individuals who completed COV training satisfied with its content? Survey results indicated satisfaction with the content, format, and utility of the COV training. In addition, a review of the literature was conducted, and recommendations for further research are offered.     

THE CHALLENGE OF INSTITUTIONAL CHANGE: DIALOGUE AND INTERACTIVE STEERING

With reference to the University of Utrecht in the Netherlands, the author elaborates the argument that universities are capable of anticipating social and economic change, that indeed it is their duty not only to adapt to these changes but to anticipate and to influence them. A brief outline of the history of universities is given, and the situation of universities in western Europe, specifically in the Netherlands, is contrasted with that in eastern and central Europe, specifically Hungary. Currently, European universities, West and East, are headed towards the same future. This future is being influenced by a number of external factors, particularly technological change, which places a premium on strategic planning, interdisciplinarity with regard to research and teaching, and interuniversity co‐operation at national and international levels.     

KNOWLEDGE OF AND ATTITUDES TOWARD AGING IN YOUNG,MIDDLE‐AGED,AND OLDER COLLEGE STUDENTS: A COMPARISON OF TWO MEASURES OF KNOWLEDGE OF AGING

Scores on two measures of knowledge of aging were compared and correlated with direct and indirect measures of attitudes toward aging. Knowledge scores were not strongly related (r = .2‐.3) to either indirect or direct measures of attitudes toward older adults, and scores on the knowledge tests were not strongly correlated with each other (r = .25). In general, older subjects had higher knowledge scores and more positive attitude scores than did younger subjects. The age effect for knowledge remained after attitude was controlled. Suggestions for improving tests of general knowledge of aging are offered.     

ROLE OF THE SLOVAK ACADEMY OF SCIENCES DURING THE PERIOD OF TRANSITION IN THE SLOVAK REPUBLIC

The transformation of a socialist‐type Academy of Sciences into an institution capable of functioning in a democratic market economy is described. Prior to 1989, the Slovak Academy of Sciences was the state mandated coordinator of science and technology in Slovakia and was funded directly by the state budget. Since 1990, the Academy has had to share many of its prerogatives with other authorities and institutions, as in the case of the universities in regard to doctoral programmes, or to cede them out‐right, as in the case of the Ministry of Education and Science in regard to the coordination of basic research. Its budget has been drastically cut. It has also had to contend with the introduction of a western type of grant programme and system of evaluation for its subordinate institutes, some of which have been closed. In short, the Slovak Academy of Sciences must compete in an increasingly open science market in which it must give proof both of the quality of its work and of the relevance of the latter to the needs of society.     

Environments for learning in a Dutch University

Learning environments have been studied less thoroughly in European universities than they have in American colleges and universities. Several research strategies which have been developed in the United States are discussed. One strategy, adapted to analyze the special conditions found in European universities, and an instrument which provides evidence about student perceptions of their environments, are described. The results of a study of one university in the Netherlands indicate that there are distinctive atmospheres found in various departments; departments differ from one another in understandable ways, and each department has its own kind of educational problems. It is argued that systematic analyses of learning environments might identify problems in universities and permit solutions to be found so that more effective educational contexts may be created.This paper is based on a study conducted at the Educational Research Center, University of Leyden, The Netherlands. Dr. Gaff was invited to spend a year at the Center, Dr. Crombag is the Director of the Center, and Dr. Chang is a member of the Center staff. A full report of the study, The university as a learning environment: An empirical analysis, Report No. 13, January, 1973, may be obtained from the Educational Research Center, University of Leyden, Leyden, The Netherlands.     

Development and evaluation of the conceptual inventory of natural selection

Natural selection as a mechanism of evolution is a central concept in biology; yet, most nonbiology‐majors do not thoroughly understand the theory even after instruction. Many alternative conceptions on this topic have been identified, indicating that the job of the instructor is a difficult one. This article presents a new diagnostic test to assess students' understanding of natural selection. The test items are based on actual scientific studies of natural selection, whereas previous tests have employed hypothetical situations that were often misleading or oversimplified. The Conceptual Inventory of Natural Selection (CINS) is a 20‐item multiple choice test that employs common alternative conceptions as distractors. An original 12‐item version of the test was field‐tested with 170 nonmajors in 6 classes and 43 biology majors in 1 class at 3 community colleges. The test scores of one subset of nonmajors (n = 7) were compared with the students' performances in semistructured interviews. There was a positive correlation between the test scores and the interview scores. The current 20‐item version of the CINS was field‐tested with 206 students in a nonmajors' general biology course. The face validity, internal validity, reliability, and readability of the CINS are discussed. Results indicate that the CINS will be a valuable tool for instructors. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 39: 952–978, 2002     

Continuing professional education in transition, 1981?2000

When this journal was first published 20 years ago, discussions about systems of continuing education were just beginning. Houle had just published his landmark book Continuing Learning in the Professions, in which he predicted that continuing education would grow in stature and size to rival pre-service professional education. The purpose of this article is to critically analyse the developments in CPE over this 20-year period. Although we have witnessed the partial realization of Houle's prediction, we are in a transitional period of building systems of continuing education. I review five trends that have greatly affected the face of CPE over the past twenty years. These are: (1) the amount of continuing education offered at the workplace dwarfs that offered by any other type of provider, and probably all other providers combined; (2) an increasing number of programmes are being offered in distance education formats by universities, professional associations and for-profit providers; (3) there are increasing collaborative arrangements among providers, especially between universities and workplace; (4) the corporatization of continuing education has increased dramatically; and (5) continuing education is being used more frequently to regulate professional practice. I end by discussing three issues currently being negotiated across the professions related to the future development of systems of continuing education. These are: (1) continuing education for what? - the struggle between updating professionals' knowledge and improving professional practice; (2) who benefits from continuing education? - the struggle between the learning agenda and the political and economic agendas of continuing education; and (3) who will provide continuing education? - the struggle for turf versus collaborative relationships.     

Infants Rely More on Gaze Cues From Own‐Race Than Other‐Race Adults for Learning Under Uncertainty

Differential experience leads infants to have perceptual processing advantages for own‐ over other‐race faces, but whether this experience has downstream consequences is unknown. Three experiments examined whether 7‐month‐olds (range = 5.9–8.5 months; N = 96) use gaze from own‐ versus other‐race adults to anticipate events. When gaze predicted an event's occurrence with 100% reliability, 7‐month‐olds followed both adults equally; with 25% (chance) reliability, neither was followed. However, with 50% (uncertain) reliability, infants followed own‐ over other‐race gaze. Differential face race experience may thus affect how infants use social cues from own‐ versus other‐race adults for learning. Such findings suggest that infants integrate online statistical reliability information with prior knowledge of own versus other race to guide social interaction and learning.     

INSTITUTIONAL PUBLICATION PRODUCTIVITY IN SELECTED GERONTOLOGY JOURNALS, 1984‐1993

Researchers in several disciplines have been interested in institutional research publication productivity as a means of assessing institutional reputation in a given field. However, no previous research has specifically examined institutional productivity in the field of gerontology. The authors selected six non‐medical, non‐biological scholarly journals devoted to gerontological issues. Each was examined issue by issue for the 10‐year period 1984‐1993 to determine the institutional affiliations of contributing authors. Institutional rankings for the composite six journals for the total period and each of the two 5‐year periods were determined by awarding credit to the authors’ institutions based on authorship order. The six journals were: Activities, Adaptation, and Aging; Educational Gerontology; The Gerontologist; Gerontology and Geriatrics Education; the Journal of Applied Gerontology; and the Journals of Gerontology (Social Sciences and Psychological Sciences sections only). In the composite of the six journals, the University of Michigan (Ann Arbor), the University of Southern California, Duke University, Pennsylvania State University, and the University of Florida emerged as the five most productive individual institutions for the overall 10‐year period on this one measure of program quality.     

Extending Previous cG×I Findings on 5‐HTTLPR's Moderation of Intervention Effects on Adolescent Substance Misuse Initiation

This study addresses replication in candidate gene × environment interaction (cG×E) research by investigating if the key findings from Brody, Beach, Philibert, Chen, and Murry (2009) can be detected using data (N = 1,809) from the PROSPER substance use preventive intervention delivery system. Parallel to Brody et al., this study tested the hypotheses that substance misuse initiation would increase faster from age 11 to age 14 and be higher at age 14 among: (a) 5‐HTTLPR short carrier adolescents versus long homozygotes, (b) control versus intervention adolescents, and (c) 5‐HTTLPR short carriers in the control condition versus all other participants. The hypotheses were generally supported and results were consistent with Brody et al.'s cG×I finding. Results are discussed in light of replication issues in cG×E research and implications for intervention.