Computer-aided graphing: a comparative study

Abstract

Good practice with information and communication technologies (ICT) in teacher education is responsive to its society's needs. This article provides a complementary view to those from Europe and elsewhere in the world from the perspective of federal USA, with this nation's localised support for K-12 schools. It is part of the quick-scan study in 2002 led by Paul Kirschner of the Open University of the Netherlands. Five teacher education programmes were selected to illustrate best practice with technology (as ICT is called in the USA) in US teacher education. Although the ICT benchmarks described by Kirschner & Davis (this issue) were present in every case, a better distinguishing factor was that all had a mission to serve their diverse communities. In addition, these programmes provide complementary professional development in the schools in which pre-service students gain internships. The review of best practice comes after 3 years of significant federal funding provided through the Federal Department of Education's initiative: ‘Preparing Tomorrow's Teachers to use Technology’ (PT3∥. Strategic planning for this initiative by government agencies and professional organisations is also described. It is noted that there is still much work to be done towards social justice and digital equity within and beyond the USA.     

Postsecondary policy and management in the Far East: a comparative study

Over the past decade, there has been a revolution in policy, planning and management practices in higher education in the developed world. The decline in the traditional college-age population and the stressful fiscal conditions of the late 1970s and early 1980s, after over two decades of growth, were catalysts for new approaches to public policy and institutional management. There has also been increased research on the effectiveness of policy and management methodologies in the West. This paper explores the applicability of contemporary western policy and management methodologies to the technical sector of postsecondary education in three Far Eastern countries: Pakistan, Bangladesh and the Philippines. Case studies are analyzed to explore the applicability of these methodologies to the developing world. The major finding is that, because of new conditions facing higher education in these countries, contemporary approaches to policy and management are applicable. However, specific methodologies require adaptation to accommodate the political, institutional and cultural environments in these settings.An earlier version of this paper was presented at American Education Research Association, 1986 Annual Meeting.     

A conceptual design model for CBT development: A NATO case study

CBT (computer-based training) can benefit from the modern multimedia tools combined with network capabilities to overcame traditional education. The objective of this paper is focused on CBT development to improve strategic decision-making with regard to air command and control system for NATO staff in virtual environment. A conceptual design for the CBT of the Web-based command and control system including a methodology and a model of content relations is described. The system helps the personnel to effectively plan, execute, monitor and assess Air operations in a responsive and timely manner. The developed prototype of CBT for Web-based air command and control system for NATO is illustrated.     

Higher education mergers in Europe: a comparative study of the post-merger phase

Tertiary Education and Management - The aim of this study is to compare the results of successful mergers in terms of ranking performance of the so called ‘world-class’ universities in...     

Higher education in transition - the case of Israel - a comparative study

This comparative study examines the impact of the conflicting higher education traditions of Germany, Great Britain and the United States on the Hebrew University of Jerusalem in particular, and higher education in Israel in general.The basic differences of these traditions concerning the aims of higher education - research, instruction and service - and their effects on higher education in Israel are evident in major decisions made by the Hebrew University at three critical stages in its development: (1) its initial organization into research institutes rather than into teaching faculties or departments (1925); (2) its decision to undertake teacher training and the inclusion of education as a scientific discipline (1935); (3) The Reform - introduction of undergraduate studies and the adoption of the three level degree structure (1950). These decisions were influenced simultaneously by the changing needs of the growing Jewish community in Palestine and by major events that affected the course of the Zionist movement.This study has shown that higher education in Israel was shaped in its initial stages of development by the elitist European (especially German) tradition. Gradually, however, the American populistic tradition became the dominant influence, broadening the curriculum and the function of the university to meet the scientific developments as well as the needs of the individual and the society in a newly born country.     

Approaches to Studying in Higher Education: a comparative study in the South Pacific

A short version of the Approaches to Studying Inventory (ASI), commended as a ‘quick and easy’ means of assessing student learning, was administered to two groups of students at the University of the South Pacific. Measures of its internal consistency and test‐retest reliability were comparable with those obtained in European research, but were not wholly satisfactory. Moreover, its factor structure was found to be qualitatively different in this context and constituted by different forms of motivation for studying in higher education. It is concluded that approaches to studying are culture‐specific and, in particular, that one should be cautious about using this version of the ASI in systems of higher education in non‐Western countries.     

Self-concept and ego development in deaf adolescents: a comparative study

Self-concept and ego development, two intertwined aspects of self-indicating well-being and social-cognitive maturation, respectively, were examined in a representative sample of deaf adolescents of normal intelligence (N = 68), using translated and adapted versions of Harter's (1988, Manual for the self-perception profile for adolescents. Denver, CO: University of Denver) multidimensional measure of self-concept and Loevinger's (1998, Technical foundations for measuring ego development. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum) measure of ego development. Compared to hearing norm groups, deaf adolescents showed lower levels of self-perceived social acceptance, close friendships and ego development and higher physical appearance. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses controlling for sociodemographic variables showed positive associations of global self-worth with support for signing during childhood and quality of parent-child communication and of ego development with attending a regular school. Cluster analysis identified three social competence profiles: uniformly low competence, uniformly high competence, and low social acceptance with high physical appearance. Cluster membership was associated with school type, ego development, and (past) neurological disorder. The results are discussed in reference to interventions aimed at the well-being of deaf youth.     

Developmental patterns of privatization in higher education: a comparative study

In most developing countries, as the young population increase in number and consequently, the demands for higher education rise, the governments cannot respond to all demands. Accordingly, they develop private higher education sectors as an alternative solution. In developed countries, some moving factors are influential in creation and the increase of private institutions but there are scarce evidences and comparative results about developing countries. The current comparative study seeks to investigate and analyze the main factors of privatization in higher education of three developing countries: Indonesia, Malaysia, and Kenya. After a short outline of theoretical foundations, this study provides more in-depth explanations of the principal and common effective factors.     

Public university governance in China and Australia: a comparative study

There are several common trends and challenges in the higher education (HE) system around the world, like expansion and diversification of HE, fiscal pressure and orientation to markets, demand for greater accountability and great quality and efficiency (e.g. The financing and management of higher education: a status report on worldwide reforms, 1998; Internationalisation of higher education and global mobility 43-58, 2014; Global policy and policy-making in education, 2014; Higher Education Policy 21:5-27, 2008). These trends and changes have reshaped university governance as well. Public universities are the main institutions to carry out HE in Australia and China. The engagement between Australia and China in HE sector has become closer and closer in recent years. To conduct better and further cooperation and collaboration between Australian and Chinese universities, it is critical to understand and acknowledge the differences in two nations’ university governance. Moreover, by conducting this comparative study of two nations, it also helps us to figure out the changes in university governance over times under the global trends and the interactions between global and local factors. This comparative study focuses on the university level and attempts to identify the differences of university governance in Australian and Chinese public universities in three dimensions, state-university relation, university internal governance and university finance. This paper sketches the university governance in Australia and China and finds that the relationship between government and university is looser in Australia than that in China and Australian universities enjoy more autonomy and power than Chinese universities; as to university internal governance, Australian universities use a more business-oriented management mechanism; funding associated with full-fee paying international students has become very important for Australian HE while Chinese government funding has been decreasing as well but funds from international students play a minimal financial role.     

An analysis of the role of the mentor in professional education: a comparative study

This article explores the process of mentoring in the context of the professional education of teachers and youth and community workers. Mentors and mentees from each professional group were interviewed in depth about their perceptions of the role of mentoring in work‐base learning. Analysis of the data indicates that effective mentoring should involve negotiation between mentors and mentees rather than the imposition of a ‘top‐down’ model of knowledge transfer.     

对不同文化背景下英汉习语含义之比较

在英汉不同文化背景下形成了大量的习语。环境、风俗习惯、宗教、信仰、人生观、自然认知等方面的不同使英汉习语产生诸多差异。     

Teaching sociology of education in Canada: a comparative study of the two solitudes

This study aims to contribute to the fields of sociology of education and Canadian sociological teaching. English and French Canadian sociology of education course outlines were systematically analysed in order to assess how national context, language and internal divisions influence the undergraduate teaching of sociology of education. The findings indicate that: (1) identity and national questions are solely discussed in French Canada, (2) English Canada is experiencing a split between mainstream and critical approaches and (3) required readings parallel the national linguistic divide between English and French. In addition, there is no consensual ‘core’ for Canadian sociology of education curriculum and inequality is the most covered topic in the field. Mutual intellectual exchange between English and French sociologists, a relevant discussion about a core in the field and a better integration of under taught topics are proposed to move forward. The implications and significance of these findings are also discussed.     

英语多元化背景下多种英语变体对比研究

文章从社会语言学角度,以社会语言学的重要理论＂各种语言变体都是合法的＂为指导,坚持认为.在语言迁移的过程中,各个国家和地区的语言在自己的意义上都是标准的,没有所谓的优劣可言.在此立场上对比分析多种英语变体在语音、语法、词汇方面的语言特色,如黑人英语、非洲英语、澳大利亚英语、东南亚英语等的典型异同之处等,并对跨文化交际和中国语境下ELT提出建议.     

The Introduction of Portfolios in Higher Education: a comparative study in the UK and the Netherlands

This article describes a comparative study of the introduction of student portfolios in two departments of the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam in the Netherlands and Nottingham Trent University in the UK. Portfolios are designed to facilitate effective management of lifelong learning, to provide a record of achievements and to encourage self-reflection by students.
The justifications for the portfolio initiative are different in the two countries. At the Vrije Universiteit, the initiative arose within the University but is being implemented by individual faculties. There is no standard model of implementation. At Nottingham Trent University, portfolios are being introduced as a response to a government directive, as part of a lifelong learning portfolio that each individual will carry forward into their working life. The University's response to this imperative is top-down and a University-wide model is being sought. The department model is one of several models that are being evaluated for this purpose.
This research project investigates whether these alternative starting points lead to differential responses from student users or not. Data are drawn from quantitative (questionnaires) and qualitative (interviews with managers, consultants and teachers) sources. Similarities and differences in students' responses to the portfolio exercise are identified and discussed in terms of factors such as the way the portfolios are introduced, the incentives offered to complete them, the role of the lecturer and peers in the monitoring of study progress, the quality of self-regulative skills, and students' learning expectations.     

Source-code plagiarism in universities: a comparative study of student perspectives in China and the UK

There has been much research and discussion relating to variations in plagiaristic activity observed in students from different demographic backgrounds. Differences in behaviour have been noted in many studies, although the underlying reasons are still a matter of debate. Existing work focuses mainly on textual plagiarism, and most often derives results by studying (small) groups of overseas students studying in a Western context. This study investigates understanding of source-code plagiarism (i.e. plagiarism of computer programmes) amongst university students in China. The survey instrument was a Chinese translation of a survey previously administered in English in the UK. This paper reports the results of the exploratory survey conducted in China, and compares these results to those from a parallel survey conducted in the UK. The results show that there is a significant difference in understanding between the respondents from the two surveys, and suggest topics which a future and more comprehensive study may focus on.