Rethinking the hermit kingdom: US social studies teachers’ cross-cultural professional development in South Korea

This study explores the experiences of 34 US social studies teachers who participated in a cross-cultural professional development in South Korea, and the impact of the programme on the participant teachers’ perceptions and practices of global education. Drawing upon a postcolonial lens, this mixed-method study takes a critical look at (a) how social studies teachers who mostly had limited previous knowledge of and experiences with the host country experienced cross-cultural learning and (b) how the teachers’ experiences were applied to their perceptions on global education and actual curricular and pedagogical changes in the classroom. The findings of this study provide solid empirical evidence on the possibilities and limitations of such international professional development, particularly in non-Western contexts, and discuss the implications on global teacher education.     

Supply Chain Performance Analysis of Dow Jones Industrial Average Indexed Firms and Top 50 Supply Chain Firms

Operations and Supply Chain Management (OSCM) courses may cover supply chain strategies, supply chain classification, and supply chain performance. Familiarity with various manufacturing and logistics firms would help students to better understand such topics. Information on the Dow Jones Industrial Average indexed firms and top 50 supply chain firms by Gartner is easily accessible and typically covers a variety of industries from chemical, food/beverage, high‐tech to retail, to name a few. Instructors of OSCM courses can take advantage of this kind of information to discuss industry characteristics and supply chain classification. We present how to collect financial data, calculate supply chain metrics (e.g., inventory turns, profit margin, and cash‐to‐cash cycle) by building a spreadsheet model and creating an earns‐turns matrix, which prescribes supply chain classification. We also show how to analyze supply chain performance and describe industry characteristics based on the earns‐turns matrix. We provide vital questions and takeaways for instructors to lead and wrap‐up discussions. Students claim that they appreciated learning about industry characteristics and different supply chain strategies through the earns‐turns matrix analysis.     

A Web-based machining process monitoring system for E-manufacturing implementation

INTRODUCTION Recently, the application of the information technology into manufacturing fields gets more and more importance on the whole manufacturing shop floors. Currently, many researches reflect the effec- tiveness of knowledge-based production system re- lated to the exchange and management of various manufacturing information using information tech- nology via the Internet in order to increase the com- petitive power of industries. This research suggests a Web-based machining proce…     

Deconstructing neoliberalism in global citizenship discourses: an analysis of Korean social studies textbooks

ABSTRACT

This study explored ways in which official social studies textbooks in South Korea promote global citizenship given the dominant neoliberal ideology in the field of education. Employing soft versus critical global citizenship education (GCE) and critical discourse analysis, this study analyzed 12 middle-school (seventh to ninth grades) social studies textbooks that are mandatory in Korean public schools. The findings of this study demonstrate the prevalence of a neoliberal agenda and nationalist rhetoric in the global citizenship discourses in the textbooks. We discussed the extent to which themes for GCE including globalization, cultural diversity, peace, sustainability, and associated skills and dispositions were instrumental in perpetuating neoliberal economic values and nationalism while marginalizing social justice and multiculturalism in official textbooks.     

Creative Risk‐Taking: Developing Strategies for First Year University Students in the Creative Industries

This article reports on the findings of a study investigating creative risktaking behaviours of the commencing university students enrolled in three units across three disciplines: Interactive and Visual Design, Fashion Design, and Film, Screen and Animation. The study employs an action research methodology in order to help students develop confidence and competence in creative risk‐taking. Upon analysis from relevant literature three key provisions for the study are proposed, being: P1 An open and playful learning environment that encourages sharing and challenging multiple perspectives; P2 An adequate period of time for students to develop and revise creative concepts; and P3 Opportunities to assess their own performance in developing creative risk‐taking capacities. The study draws on the students’ written self‐reflections to identify the key challenges and opportunities in encouraging creative risk‐taking among first year students, which are challenges of collaboration; creative resilience and self‐efficacy; and balancing creativity with technical competency. The article suggests several ways that educators can encourage students to take creative risks within higher education in preparation for careers in the creative industries.     

Local collective identity enculturation within a global media consumption culture

What follows is an attempt to examine new forms of contemporary individual and local collective identity construction. More and more people are constructing their own identities on the basis of active consumption of industrial and symbolic products offered to them by the global electronic and televisual media. This trend is in contrast to the traditional forms of collective identity education which has been carried out on the basis of citizenship of the nation state. The purpose of this paper is to examine the possibility or predicament of local collective identity enculturation within this newly established context global media consumption cultural context.     

The prospects for using the Internet in collaborative design education with China

The Internet has become widely available in higher educationinstitutions all over the world offering new possibilities incommunication, collaboration and delivery. This paper examines theprospects for using the Internet in the context of collaborative designeducation with China, using the School of Design of the Hong KongPolytechnic University as a case study. The critical success factors arediscussed. These involve serious investment of resources and changes atgovernment, institutional and personal levels on both sides of thecollaborative institutions. It is important to look into theinfrastructure and policy issues, access to information technology,curriculum adaptation and instructional design as well as staff andstudent attitudes in order to achieve the collaborative objectivesthrough an Internet supported strategy. Although the Internet is a costeffective delivery mechanism, the School does not intend to deliver itsdesign course materials to China purely online. Pedagogically, theSchool believes in a dynamic interaction between real and virtuallearning environments for quality student learning. Technically, thereare many impediments to overcome before teaching staff and students arefamiliar with the use of information technology and it will take sometime before most people in China can make full access of the Internet toconnect freely to electronic education. Therefore, a hybrid approach isproposed to train design educators and practitioners in Mainland Chinaby utilising traditional face-to-face teaching method and establishedtechnologies while developing the use of the Internetgradually.