Relative academic performance of college transfer students at The University of Calgary

This paper compares academic achievement of The University of Calgary undergraduate population with that of transfer students from Alberta community colleges for the four academic years 1968–1972. The comparison is made using four measures: percentage distributions of student grade point averages, percentage distributions of grades, course grade point averages, and withdrawals. The measures were taken along several dimensions, including faculty of student registration, year of student academic program, and academic discipline and level of courses taken. Transferring students do not succeed academically as well as the total university student population. For example, in 1971/72 the average grade points achieved in all courses was 2.49, while the college transfer student subset achieved only 2.33. The corresponding figures for 1970/71 were 2.45 versus 2.24; for 1969/70, 2.41 versus 2.23; and for 1968/69, 2.38 versus 2.16.     

Students' Views of Science and Technology When Entering University

We conducted a survey of first year French University students for the purpose of discovering their views and opinions on the subject of Science and Technology. These views provide valuable information on that which is considered to be essential by the students, while having the advantage of a certain amount of detachment in relationship to the academic course content. Certain implications may be deduced concerning University teaching as well. Content analysis was used to study scientific titles and texts produced by the students; the resulting classification system made it possible to deduce the main ideas on themes such as scientific discovery and conquest, man's need to understand his environment, the future, etc.     

Réformes Des Programmes Scolaires Et Acquisitions Á L’école Primaire En Afrique: Mythes Et Réalités

SCHOOL CURRICULA REFORMS IN PRIMARY SCHOOLS IN AFRICA: MYTH VS. REALITY - This paper proposes a critical analysis of the introduction and implementation of new school curricula in Africa based on the example of the skills based approach (SBA). In many countries, the SBA has been chosen as the most appropriate and relevant method to change their school curriculum and improve education quality. We analyse the implementation of those new curricula based on the SBA in primary schools in Mauritania. The results show that the main problems affecting pupils’ achievement lie rather in the effective implementation of curricula in the classrooms than in their contents. Additional analyses show that this result is confirmed in other African countries. As a background analysis, we present the origins of SBA, define its purposes and assess its limits from a pedagogical point of view. The weaknesses of this approach in taking into account the needs and the realities of African educational systems are stressed. These various elements lead to the conclusion that if curriculum reforms are often necessary in African countries, this can not be a cure for education quality issues.     

Play for young handicapped children in an integral setting,part 2

Conclusions Play is an important part of the life of the young child, both at home and in school. In designing a play environment for handicapped children who are attending a preschool along with their nonhandicapped peers, the teacher needs to be aware of the needs and limitations resulting from the child's particular disability. This knowledge can be put to use in making the environment as productive as possible and providing play opportunities that are fun, educational, and practical for each child. While it is important that we consider the particular handicapping condition, teachers should never lose sight of the fact that a handicapped child is first and foremost a child, whose basic needs are not too different from those of all children. These basic needs should be the primary concern of the teacher who is interested in guiding the child toward productive educational experiences and helping that child become an integral part of the school group.     

The development of a questionnaire for predicting online learning achievement

The study reported here concerns the development and predictive validation of an instrument to assess the achievement outcomes of DE/online learning success. A 38‐item questionnaire was developed and administered to 167 students who were about to embark on an online course. Factor analysis indicated a four‐factor solution, interpreted as “general beliefs about DE,” “confidence in prerequisite skills,” “self‐direction and initiative” and “desire for interaction.” Using multiple regression we found that two of these factors predicted achievement performance (i.e., Cumulative Course Grade). Comparisons of pretest and posttest administrations of the questionnaire revealed that some changes in opinion occurred between the beginning and the end of the course. Also, categories of demographic characteristics were compared on the four factors. The overall results suggest that this instrument has some predictive validity in terms of achievement, but that Cumulative Grade Point Average (i.e., the university's record of overall achievement) is a much better predictor.     

An educational technology curriculum for converging technologies

In the 1990s, digital encoding will cause different modalities for presenting information to converge. These convergent technologies will require a new kind of educational designer and a realignment of graduate programs. Curriculum revision efforts should address the commonalities inherent in convergent technologies and should incorporate emerging design tools, procedures, and principles. This article reviews issues related to converging technologies and describes how they are affecting the Educational Technology curriculum at San Diego State University.