Jewish Creative Sensibilities: Framing a New Aspiration for Jewish Education

ABSTRACT

Proponents of building a “creative society” through educational innovation are calling for engaging learners in new modes of collaboration, problem solving, and original thinking. How might the enterprise of Jewish education contribute to this evolution in creative thinking and action? This article explores how “the Jewish sensibilities” can be adapted into a framework infusing Jewish “ways of seeing and being” into a vision of “Jewish education for a creative society.” The proposed conceptual framework aims to spark conversation, experimentation, research, and inquiry within the broader discourse of rethinking the aims of Jewish education for the future.     

Appreciating the Needs of Non-Traditional Students: Women as a Growing Market for Colleges and Universities

ABSTRACT

In response to this unprecedented growth, higher education is finally recognizing the contribution of the adult learner. Previous research has explored what the “nontraditional” student values in an education. While our knowledge base regarding the nontraditional learner continues to expand, relatively little research has been conducted on an important segment of this market-nontraditional women. As such, the nontraditional woman represents an important target market for colleges and universities. Therefore, the purpose of the present study is to better understand the unique educational needs of the nontraditional woman. A convenience sample of 197 non-traditional women and men from a mid-western university participated in the study. Perhaps the most interesting finding to emerge from the present study (from a marketing perspective) is the notion of three distinct market segments of non-traditional women. Implications for higher education administrators are discussed.     

Positional competition in a binary system: the case of Finnish higher education

Positional competition in the labour market entails graduate opportunities that depend not only on graduates’ skills, experience and abilities, but also on how their educational credentials compare to those of others. In this study, we examined the positional competition in the Finnish labour market and compared the influence of different ‘degree types’ on the probability of obtaining high-paid, high-status jobs. We used a register-based 5% sample of 25–45-year-old Finnish higher education (HE) graduates from 2010 to 2012 (N?=?63 486). It was expected that the relative position of graduates would be affected by the degree level as well as the educational field and the binary division (university vs. non-university) of HE. Therefore, master’s and bachelor’s degree levels in all educational fields from universities versus universities of applied sciences (UASs) were included. The method of analysis was logistic regression. According to our results, the binary divide structured the opportunities to enter high-paid, high-status jobs within different fields of education. The university master’s degree graduates had the highest probability of succeeding in the Finnish labour market, and their status/rank elevated them above the competition by regulating access to certain professions or occupations through specific qualification requirements (i.e., credential social closure). Moreover, our results demonstrated how the degree rankings and the relative distance between university and UAS degrees vary in different fields. The Finnish case offers a valuable point of comparison to other HE systems with a binary structure.

     

Lessons learned in an urban school: Preparing teachers for the educational village

Abstract

The disparities between the education of the rich and poor of this nation will continue to grow until educators are more willing and better prepared to work effectively in a variety of schools operating within a variety of models. Teacher education must prepare new teachers with open minds, willing hearts, and myriad strategies to address the realities, strengths, and critical needs of poor, culturally diverse urban schoolchildren and their families. This article describes an initiative that engages one teacher education program with an innovative urban “full‐service” elementary school in a joint effort to serve children and families and to provide a deeper and broader experience for preservice teachers. Education students complete traditional and nontraditional field work in a full‐service school with an “educational village” mission that extends from preschool to adult education.     

新时代我国乡村教师队伍建设的着力点

新时代建设一支"下得去、留得住、教得好、有发展"的乡村教师队伍的关键在于如何培养和补充,本土化培养已成为我国乡村师资队伍建设的新机制。反观现阶段乡村教师队伍建设普遍存在乡土教育理念模糊、乡土教育情感缺失、乡土文化素养匮乏、乡土教学意蕴弱化等现实窘境。树立"为了乡土、基于乡土、回归乡土、服务乡土"的教育理念,以本土化招生、本土化培养、本土化成长和本土化服务为着力点,旨在培养"情怀深、基础厚、知识广、能力强"的新时代卓越教师已成为可能。     

Aiming for better employment: a holistic analysis from admission to labour market

ABSTRACT

To address the changing needs of the labour market better, higher education institutions have increasingly aimed to enhance their teaching quality and the learning experiences of their students. Therefore, a key concept of the missions of contemporary educational institutions is to improve students’ employability after graduation. Although extensive initiatives have been undertaken, educational mismatch remains intensely debated and may seriously challenge the greater use of limited human resources in Taiwan. In this study, a vocational-oriented department (baking) of a local well-known university was chosen for a case study. A holistic approach from student admission to entry in the labour market is adopted to analyse student learning, teaching, curriculum planning, and structural and enterprise demands to estimate the extent to which these graduates fit the requirement of employers. Research findings indicate multiple gaps in skill formation, intended labour needs, and career ladders. These gaps bring profound implications to questions about strengthening the linkage or transitioning from higher education to the labour market.     

Identifying critical junctures in learning in a college course on evolution

The purpose of this research study was to (a) describe how concept mapping can be used as an integral instructional strategy for teaching a college course on evolution, (b) evaluate the utility of incorporating concept mapping in a college course on evolution, (c) determine whether students' concept maps reveal “critical junctures” in learning as the course unfolds, and (d) assess the impact of concept mapping on students' study practices and on students' understanding of course content. Key findings include: (a) Critical junctures in learning evolution can be identified by monitoring the degree of concordance of superordinate concepts appearing on the class set of concept maps submitted after each of the course lectures; (b) students who made concept maps reported spending an average of 37% more study time on this college biology course than on their previous biology courses; and (c) the use of “seed concepts,” “micromapping,” a standard concept map format, and a standard concept map checklist made the strategy feasible for the instructor to implement and for the student to adopt. A concept map performance index formulas was also developed for this research study in order to assess students' overall mapping performance.     

Teacher education reform in Europe: the case of Norway; trends and tensions in a global perspective

This article focuses on teacher education reforms and related discourses. Internationally, the last decade has been an intensive period of educational reforms and restructuring, particularly regarding teacher education. Even though teacher education in Europe has a high degree of complexity and variations, common trends in the reforms are identifiable. The article deals with trends and tensions in teacher education reforms examining Norwegian teacher education as a “case” within Europe. As an analytical tool, the term “warrants”, interpreted as “reasonable grounds” for actions, is used together with our own analytical categories to capture trends in teacher education in a global perspective. One conclusion is that we can see the impact of the new global market orientation in the national discourses on teacher education.     

WebCT and Its Growth as a Type II Application

Abstract

Maddux, Johnson, and Willis mentioned in 1992 some “yet-to-be-developed types” that “have the potential to be Type II software if they are used in such a way that the user is given the ability to learn in new and better ways.” The authors of this paper will frame the discussion of learning management systems (LMS) around the concept of Type I and Type II applications of computers in education. We suggest that with the new trends of interoperability within WebCT, more researchers will accept WebCT as a potential Type II application. As more interactive learning objects are developed and shared on the WebCT format, it should be easier for instructors to create and teach courses that reflect the value systems expressed in the concept of Type II learning.     

Educational soundscapes: tuning in to sounds and silences in the history of education

Abstract

In order to introduce the special issue on “educational soundscapes” the editors, first of all, explore the intimate link between silence, sound and the production of social meaning. An acoustic history of education, so it is argued, cannot solely focus on silence nor can it solely focus on sound. After having demonstrated the necessity of taking into account sounds and silences at the same time, the term “educational soundscapes” consecutively is defined, historically contextualized and connected to the widely used concept of educationalization. Finally, the different contributions to the special issue are briefly introduced and connected to the main theme of the special issue, namely “educational soundscapes”.     

A comparative institutional analysis on strategies that graduates use to show they are ‘employable’: a critical discussion on the cases of Australia,Japan, and Vietnam

ABSTRACT

Employability has become a key concept that has attracted the attention of scholars and industries in many countries. At the same time, this concept is highly fluid and vague because its nature is not evidenced by real employment and differences in the nature of labour markets from country to country. Thus, it would be more worthwhile to discuss strategies that graduates utilise while job hunting in order to show how employable they are, and then compare these strategies across countries. Therefore, in this study, the aim is to compare the strategic tendencies of graduates entering the labour markets in three countries: Australia, Japan, and Vietnam. To this end, a comparative institutional analysis is performed. Through the investigation, three types of strategy are identified. In Australia, as the market tends to consist of various competitors with different experiences, graduates must differentiate themselves from others. In Japan, the market consists of competitors from the same academic year cohort and employment tends to be more long term, so employment is seen more as a type of membership, where one must match the corporate culture. In Vietnam, as trust in universities is low in terms of their training programmes and little support is provided, university students utilise their human networks for entry into the labour market and demonstrate their capacity for growth during a probation period.     

A Response to “Beyond the Mission Statement: Alternative Futures for Today's Universities”

ABSTRACT

Mission statements are critical elements in the long-term success of for-profit and not-for-profit organizations. In “Beyond the Mission Statement: Alternative Futures for Today's Universities,” Finley, Rogers, and Galloway (2001) identify a number of possible identities they believe Institutions of Higher Education should pursue in order to be successful. This article expands on their proposed “Futures” and examines the critical role that mission statements have in defining the role of the organization and establishing the framework for effective market strategy.     

Returns to Chinese College Student Investment of Time in Internships and In-School Learning: A Theoretical Model and Empirical Analysis

Abstract

Investment of time in internship and in-school learning or study are two ways to accumulate human capital for college students. The authors take I&S input as two impacting faAQctors for graduates’ starting salaries to construct an I&S input allocation model minimizing “psychological cost.” The model inference indicates that the optimal allocation of I&S input relies on three aspects: returns to I&S of the future labor market, graduates’ cognitive attitudes toward the role of I&S, and the comparative advantages of I&S. The authors use the 2015 China College Graduates’ Employment Survey data conducted by the Institute of Education at Peking University to empirically verify the theoretical model. They found that under the current labor market conditions, the time input on I&S does not necessarily bring better returns, and there is a significant difference among student groups between the actual I&S time input and the “theoretically optimal values” predicted by the model. The authors conclude that the failure of allocating the I&S time input will hinder graduates’ successful transition from universities to the labor market. To avoid this time input imbalance, institutions should strengthen the guidance of I&S time input, improve the related management system, and pay more attention to I&S input quality and optimal allocation.     

我国学前教育普惠性概念的建构及政府责任

普惠性概念的提出其实质是在“入园难,入园贵”背景下,公共权力机关对公众学前教育权益诉求的积极回应,表达了政府在制定学前教育政策时追求的目的与价值.而要实现学前教育的普惠性,必须明确政府和市场作用的边界,政府的主要责任在于制定学前教育规划、政策和标准,提供公共财政支持,加强监管这三方面.     

“十四五”期间我国高等教育发展的基础与关键

“十四五”时期是实现《中国教育现代化2035》发展目标的重要起步阶段,是“两个百年”奋斗目标实现的重要历史交汇期。回顾过去,我国高等教育发展与改革具有了良好的规模、结构、制度与环境基础。面向未来,我国经济社会发展面临的新形势、新任务给高等教育的发展带来了重要的机遇与挑战。继往开来,我国高等教育发展与改革的重点是:构建分类发展的质量保障体系,推进职业教育与普通教育的融通,推进线上线下融合的学习革命,深化高等教育的集群发展战略,提高高等教育国际化水平,在新时代教育评价理念指引下,促进教育治理体系与治理能力的现代化。     

New Trends in Swedish Educational Research

What new tendencies can be made out in Swedish educational research in the last three decades? Briefly, the following developments are described: In the 1970s, a long‐prevailing emphasis on quantitative research was challenged by a number of different qualitative methods. Traditional sociology of education, meanwhile, was challenged by the new sociology of education. During the 1980s, the dominant trend was a “didacticisation” of educational research, and here two main strands can be discerned, based in phenomenography and curriculum theory. Didactics very soon made its presence felt in educational policy, and in a major evaluation of Swedish educational research the two largely didactics‐based traditions of “teaching and learning” and “curriculum theory” were identified as internationally the most significant. In the 1990s, educational research took a “linguistic turn”—involving a wide‐ranging shift in emphasis towards language and communication—with the result that new perspectives emerged. In addition, the philosophy of education experienced a powerful renaissance, partly as a reflection of the new focus on language and communication, but also in other respects, leading to a reawakening of interest in both classical and modern philosophy (of education).     

Special Education Policy for Learners with Mild Intellectual Disability in New Zealand: Problems and Issues

Current policy developments are intended to broaden the group of children receiving special education provisions traditionally reserved for those with mild intellectual disability. A definite policy has been formulated to close special classes and the use of individualized intelligence testing has been largely discontinued as a basis for establishing special educational need‐‐thus ostensibly providing greater flexibility for service allocation. The term “backward” (the traditional term for mild intellectual disability in New Zealand) has been rejected, and children with mild intellectual disability are now included in a new category “children with educational and social difficulties"‐‐a category which also includes children with specific learning difficulties, those with mild sensory disabilities, and those with mild emotional/behavioural difficulties. It is argued that available resources are grossly insufficient to provide high quality special educational services for all “children with educational and social difficulties,” that the decision to close special classes represents a premature and unsound reduction in the range of options available to children with mild intellectual disability, and that research into the effects of current policies on the lives of learners with mild intellectual disability and their families is urgently required but will now be very difficult to undertake.     

高校课程“互联网+教育”协同创新探索——以淮阴师范学院“酒文化与酒水服务管理”课程为例

以淮阴师范学院《酒文化与酒水服务管理》课程为例,探索在“互联网+教育”背景下,以专业课为嵌入点组建高校联盟,通过线上“联盟微课”“微课茶话会”“产区视频计划”,线下“主题分享会”,开展教学众筹,共享优佳资源。高校间“互联网+教育”课程协作,有利于丰富课程内容,接轨行业前沿;延展学习过程,开启个性学习;打破院校界限,促进教育公平;创新教育理念,实现终身学习。     

Being unreal: Epistemology,ontology, and phenomenology in a virtual educational world

Abstract

This paper addresses new flexibility in educational programs and delivery in terms of the possibilities now available for extending the body and the mind through electronic communications. Issues are raised regarding what is true and the nature of reality in the virtual world of the Internet. Finally, the article discusses the ability of people to cope with these issues in terms of the education required, the development of ‘information literacy’, and the implications for personal responses to them. These ideas are developed within the context of the “World Brain/World Mind” concept first set forth by H. G. Wells in 1938.     

“Handicap” and Education in the United States of the 1930s: Discursive Formations in the New York Times*

This article traces the discursive development of the concept of “handicap” in the United States, through an examination of one written medium, namely the New York Times The emergence, development and decline of the concept of handicap are situated over a span of about 75 years, beginning in 1905. The concept reflects a modern era that replaces a previous era, represented by the concept of “cripple”. The article focuses both on the impact of education and the strong impact of events in the 1930s in the formative stages of the concept. Overcoming barriers, mainly through vocational skills, is an overarching educational goal. The strong impact of public instead of charitable assistance is an important contribution in the formative stages of the 1930s.