Cathedrals and doghouses: a conversation

This paper sets up an imaginary dialogue between an intrepid critical theorist and several interrogators. The dialogical form allows the author to explore the idea that all of society is a vat school, and that adult educators have a crucial intellectual role to play in the great debates of our age.     

Intellectual Property Rights in Computer Education: Legal,Societal, and Ethical Issues

Intellectual property rights related to computer usage in academia require precise definition. The Office of Technological Assessment has made great strides in this direction. States, universities, and professional organizations have dealt with the inherent complexities of the problem. Legal cases have tested current laws. Attorneys have made clear distinctions between copyrights and patents related to intellectual property rights. Both EDU‐COM and ADAPSO have addressed societal and ethical issues in written documents. Business, industry, and professional organizations have been concerned, but society and especially educators must also address intellectual property rights. Copyright laws related to electronic media must be honored. Computer ethics and computer law should be included in current computer science courses. Academia has the responsibility to educate all those on campus as to appropriate ethical and legal behavior with respect to these issues. Academia cannot hide or ignore these problems.     

The growth of high‐stakes testing in the USA: accountability,markets and the decline in educational equality

Over the last decade education in the United States has undergone perhaps its most significant transformation. Where in the past public schools have been primarily under the control of the local community, control has shifted to the state and federal levels. Furthermore, state and federal governments have introduced standardized testing and accountability as a means to hold teachers and students responsible. These reforms have been successfully introduced because reform proponents have provided three principal rationales for the reforms: they are necessary within an increasingly globalized economy, they will reduce educational inequality and they will increase assessment objectivity. After describing the reforms implemented in New York and Texas and by the federal government through the ‘No Child Left Behind’ Act, the author discusses a range of evidence that the reforms have not achieved their ostensible goals and that resistance to the reforms is beginning to emerge from US educators and citizens.     

Institutionalisation of assessment capacity in developing nations: the case of Malawi

Building assessment capacity of educators has historically been unregulated practice in post-independence Malawi. However, recent attempts by government to integrate curriculum and assessment reforms and the introduction of continuous assessment in the system have represented a significant policy shift. These and several other initiatives have necessitated the empowerment, in terms of assessment knowledge and skills, of educators at different levels of the system to support implementation of the reforms. This paper discusses the strategies that Malawi has followed so far to institutionalise the development of assessment capacity and highlights the challenges that it has faced in its efforts to improve the capacity of its staff in assessment. Key lessons for other African and developing nations from the Malawian experience have also been noted.     

The role of technology in supporting classroom assessment in play-based kindergarten

There has been a rapid increase in the integration of new technologies in early education. While research has examined how technology can benefit classroom instruction, few studies have looked specifically at how technology is used by early educators to enhance their classroom assessment practices. The current study examined educators’ approaches towards the integration of technology in assessment in 20 play-based kindergarten classrooms. The majority of educators described technology as improving the efficiency of their assessment practices, while a minority of educators described technology as meaningfully extending student learning in assessment. Implications of different uses of assessment technology are discussed.     

论民国时期乡村教育家精神特质及其当代启示

民国时期,曾涌现出诸多积极投身于乡村运动与乡村建设的教育家。他们在领导乡村教育运动过程中形成了乡村教育家这一群体的精神特质,具体表现为他们以农为本,具有强国富民的教育理想;化民成俗,具有坚定的教育信仰;投身乡村建设,具有浓郁的桑梓情怀;理论与实验实践相结合,具有探索研究的革新精神。以史为鉴,当代乡村教育家应具有引领乡村文化发展的开拓精神、涵育乡风的“乡贤”精神、革新乡村教育的探索精神与建设美丽乡村的奉献精神。     

Social Justice,Character Education,and Sport: A Position Statement

ABSTRACT

In this article, we suggest that character education in sport contexts can promote social justice. After defining key terms, we suggest that rethinking competition and the nature of team relationships is required to build a team culture responsive to concerns for social justice. The character of the team provides a nexus within which to develop individual character, which is elaborated in terms of four types of character: moral, civic, intellectual, and performance character. To promote commitment to social justice, character educators can focus on three elements of moral character: moral reasoning, the circle of moral regard, and moral identity. Within civic character, three themes are elaborated: human dignity, full participation, and accountability. The dimensions of critical thinking, willful ignorance, and prioritizing the marginalized are discussed in relation to intellectual character. Performance character is discussed in relation to an ethic of excellence. Finally, conclusions for character educators are elaborated.     

Factors affecting the professional characteristics of teacher educators in Israel and in the USA: a comparison of two models

The objective of this research study was to identify the factors affecting the professional characteristics of teacher educators by comparing two models of teacher education. The research findings revealed four major focal points that have an impact on professional characteristics: the operational model adopted by the institution where teacher educators work; the breadth and depth of teacher educators’ research and scholarship and the degree to which such scholarship is required as part of the assessment criteria; the cooperation between the training institution and the practical field (i.e., the schools where the students do their practice teaching); and the informal relationships between teacher educators and their students. The novelty of the study resides in the fact that these points affect teacher educators’ professional characteristics and that focusing on these characteristics facilitates a comprehensive view of methods, tools and directions that may expedite the professional development of teacher educators.     

中英高等教育人才培养模式的比较与思考——英国中央兰开夏大学调研报告

本文从模块化课程体系、教学文件的组织、对学生学习的评价方式、自主学习氛围的营造等方面介绍了英国中央兰开夏大学的人才培养模式,并结合我国的实际情况,对中英人才培养模式的差异进行了分析和比较,并提出了借鉴国外有益的人才培养模式的几点建议。     

MOOC环境下课程学习的体验与思考

作为一种新型的在线教学模式,MOOC的迅猛发展引发全球教育工作者的热议与思考,甚至冲击着全球高等教育的改革与发展。作为一线教育实践者,笔者以在线学习者的身份参与多门课程的学习,体验了大规模在线教育教学模式。 MOOC有完整的教学过程,适合自主的、碎片化学习,但其考核评价、学习成果认证的权威性和影响力还极为有限。如何使传统教学与MOOC融合,扬长避短,是摆在教育工作者面前的一个新课题。     

Working with students in the medication era: Do we all have to know how to diagnose and treat mental conditions?

A marked increase in the number of college students on medications for depression, attention deficit disorder, and other conditions may have intimidated us into believing that we all need to be medical experts. The author argues that what educators need to do is accept our limitations and recognize that our traditional strengths may be just what the doctor ordered.     

Here’s to the future

In the near future the thoughtful and creative use of technology can, and should, greatly improve the quality of the curriculum for dyslexic students. The quality of their learning should also be enhanced, provided that educators are fully aware of student needs, have advance training, and have sufficient time and expertise to select and evaluate appropriate software programs. Computers and other multi-media devices must not only be present in the classrooms of the future, but should be fully integrated into the regular instructional system to meet the individual needs of dyslexic students. There should be prior knowledge on the teacher’s part of types of software which will lead to curriculum congruence and the achieving of goals unreached without the help of technology. Technology should not be restricted to one content area or discipline, but should be available whenever it can be seen to make learning more profitable and more efficient. Both students and teachers must be granted the freedom to use technology in ways that will encourage creativity, critical thinking, and easy access to information in keeping with intellectual potential. Teacher training and involvement are crucial to the successful use of multi-media in the remediation of skills and extension of knowledge for dyslexic students. This paper is based on the Keynote address given by the author at the New York Branch, The Orton Dyslexia Society, 17th Annual Conference, March 22, 1990.     

试析我国素质教育的政策措施

素质教育是我国广大教育工作者集中智慧为解决教育与发展中的现实问题所提出的教育理论,旨在提高国民素质,培养学生的创新精神和实践能力,造就＂有理想、有道德、有文化、有纪律＂的德、智、体、美等全面发展的社会主义事业建设者和接班人。为保证素质教育顺利实施,10余年来,国家出台了一系列关于素质教育的文件,给予素质教育政策上的保障,为构建有中国特色社会主义教育体系奠定了坚实的基础。     

Contract cheating and assessment design: exploring the relationship

This paper reports on findings from a large Australian research project that explored the relationship between contract cheating and assessment design. Using survey responses from 14,086 students and 1147 educators at eight universities, a multivariate analysis examined the influence of a range of factors on the likelihood that different assessment types would prompt considerations of contract cheating in students. Perceptions of likelihood were highest among students who speak a language other than English at home. Perceptions of likelihood were also higher among students who reported there to be lots of opportunities to cheat, and amongst students who were dissatisfied with the teaching and learning environment. Perceptions of likelihood for certain assessment types were also higher in commerce and engineering than in any other discipline. Overall, four assessment types were perceived by students to be the least likely to be outsourced, however these are also the least likely to be set by educators. The analysis indicates that educators are more likely to use these assessment tasks when they report positively on organisational support for teaching and learning.     

Teacher educators working on their own professional development: goals,activities and outcomes of a project for the professional development of teacher educators

This article reports on the professional development of teacher educators within the context of a national project, ‘Professional Quality of Teacher Educators,’ where a professional standard and a standards‐based procedure of (self‐)assessment and professional development have been created and effectively implemented. This project offered a unique opportunity to analyze the goals, activities and outcomes of the process of professional development of teacher educators in a situation in which this development is promoted by the professional group as a whole. In our research, we used 25 completed portfolio's made by teacher educators participating in the standards‐based procedure of (self‐)assessment and professional development. We found that teacher educators, participating in this procedure, prefer the development of their knowledge and skills over the development of their attitudes and beliefs. For their professional development, the teacher educators experiment with new activities within the work‐situation and interact with colleagues within their professional community, more than that they study theory or reflect on their work. The participating teacher educators experience a positive impact at the personal level (change in cognition and behavior). More than one‐third of them share outcomes with others. Above, they report a more positive self‐esteem and more enthusiasm for teacher education. This article may motivate other countries or institutions to invest in the professional development of teacher educators. Further research is necessary on the essence of the professional qualities of teacher educators and the relation of their professional development with student learning.     

民族地区高职高专心理健康教育现状、问题与对策

通过对广西37所高职院校大学生心理健康教育现状进行调查,发现各高职院校普遍重视学生心理健康教育工作,但总体上滞后于广西区内的本科院校,各高职高专院校大学生心理健康教育普遍存在缺乏制度保障;主动性、针对性、实效性差;从业人员不足,素质不高等问题。对策:各级教育行政主管部门加强评估、检查力度,促进心理健康教育保障制度的建立与完善;营造全员开展心理健康教育的氛围;加强课堂教学,将课堂教学与课外活动相结合;建立学校心理咨询督导制度,提高心理咨询人员的专业水平;开展朋辈心理辅导,缓解专业心理咨询人员之不足;重视心理健康教育研究,提高工作的针对性、实效性。     

Fostering multicultural appreciation in pre-service teachers through multicultural curricular transformation

Schools today represent students from diverse racial, linguistic, and other cultural backgrounds. Teacher-preparation institutions have the responsibility of providing prospective teachers with the skills necessary to meet the intellectual, social, and personal needs of these diverse learners. This article examines the rationale for a multicultural curricular transformation in Teacher Education programs. The author maintains that contrary to the single-subject approach that obtains in many institutions, pedagogical approaches should be re-conceptualized to embrace diverse perceptions in content, methods and assessment tools across all disciplines. The leadership in teacher training institutions also has the responsibility of creating positive environments where multicultural initiatives can thrive. Such transformative approaches will foster multicultural appreciation in pre-service teachers and provide them with the competences necessary to effectively meet the challenges of the changing school demographics.     

A strategy for the assessment of bilingual handicapped children

Because of current federal legislation, educators must assess children with possible handicapping conditions and plan an individual education program for each child with a special need. Past trends are inadequate for these two purposes, and, furthermore, have placed bilingual, culturally different children into special education classes disproportionately to their representation in the general population. What needs to be recognized by measurement experts and educators is that no one test method is sufficient for the assessment of bilingual children. This paper discusses past measurement directions and makes recommendations for the assessment of bilingual, culturally different children.     

中国对WTO规则的遵守:一项综合评估

本文通过考察中国国内立法对WTO规则的转化实施和中国在争端解决机构中的被申诉情况,对中国的WTO规则遵守状况进行了综合评估。本文的评估发现,中国在对外贸易法律制度、外商投资法律制度、知识产权保护的法律制度等与WTO协议相关的主要法律领域实现了与WTO规则一致或基本一致。中国虽有未遵守WTO规则的表现,但并未表现出有意违反WTO规则的倾向,其未遵守WTO规则的行为,处在对同一WTO规则有不同理解所能解释的合理水平。     

Educators’ perceptions of learners with intellectual disabilities’ sexual knowledge and behaviour in KwaZulu-Natal,South Africa

Over the past two decades, comprehensive sexuality education has increasingly been recognised as a measure that positively impacts on the sexual behaviour of young people in Africa. Despite this, and a political call to scale-up the use of comprehensive sexuality education in schools in South Africa, learners with disabilities continue to be left behind. Besides contending with negative hegemonic constructs of disabled sexualities, educators of learners with disabilities lack skills and resources to teach sexuality in accessible formats. Based on this premise, a comprehensive sexuality education approach – Breaking the Silence – was developed and piloted to assist educators of learners with disabilities to provide access to comprehensive sexuality education in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. This article presents results from the formative evaluation of this pilot work and discusses educators’ perceptions of their learners with intellectual disabilities’ sexual knowledge, agency and behaviour after implementing the approach. Although educators appeared to situate learners with intellectual disabilities as sexual agents, their implementation of the approach was dependent on the cognitive ability of learners, and discourses of culture, gender and protection from violence.