Course evaluation matters: improving students’ learning experiences with a peer-assisted teaching programme

In the rapidly changing global higher education sector, greater attention is being paid to the quality of university teaching. However, academics have traditionally not received formal teacher training. The peer-assisted teaching programme reported on in this paper provides a structured yet flexible approach for peers to assist each other in reinvigorating and refining their teaching practice. Academics participated in this national, multi-institutional trial for varied reasons: the majority voluntarily, others to increase low student evaluation of course scores and some as part of a graduate certificate teaching qualification. Here we report on how academics used the scheme, and the teaching areas they focused on. Student evaluation of course scores increased in the majority of courses, suggesting the changes made had a positive effect on students’ learning experiences. The experiences of the multi-institutional trial reported here may benefit others considering such a scheme to reinvigorate and refine teaching practice and improve course evaluation scores.     

中国奥运在激情中开幕

2008年8月8日晚,第29届奥林匹克运动会在北京拉开序幕。辉煌的古都烟花绚烂,激情放飞。这是一个万众瞩目的日子,全世界的热情目光聚焦中国,炎黄子孙的百年梦想化为现实。这一刻,全球华夏儿女为北京自豪,为奥运喝彩!     

Ernest L. Boyer and the American Christian College: Historical Considerations

This article explores the historical roots of Ernest Boyer's impact on Christian higher education in the United States. Boyer's stints as a student at two Christian colleges (Messiah College in Pennsylvania and Greenville College in Illinois) and his first faculty and administrative posts at Upland College in California were significant influences in the development of his vision for the Christian college—a vision that led to greater legitimacy and credibility in the landscape of American higher education. Ernest Boyer's innovative, yet historic understanding of the distinctives of Christian higher education contributed to the successful accreditation process of nearly one hundred small, private institutions.     

教育和价值的几个问题

教育涉及许多价值,它们表现在教育的两个方面:教和学,我们可以从教育和学习的角度对它们进行探究。无论是诱导的教育还是塑造的教育都蕴涵着价值因素。作为任务的学习和作为成就的学习都涉及价值,它们包括工具价值和内在价值。应重视作为任务的学习的内在价值,这有利于培养人的独立学习和思考能力及创造能力。在研究教育中的价值时要注意三种价值:学科价值、交互学科价值、元学科价值。     

Fact retrieval deficits in low achieving children and children with mathematical learning disability

Using 4 years of mathematics achievement scores, groups of typically achieving children (n = 101) and low achieving children with mild (LA-mild fact retrieval; n = 97) and severe (LA-severe fact retrieval; n = 18) fact retrieval deficits and mathematically learning disabled children (MLD; n = 15) were identified. Multilevel models contrasted developing retrieval competence from second to fourth grade with developing competence in executing arithmetic procedures, in fluency of processing quantities represented by Arabic numerals and sets of objects, and in representing quantity on a number line. The retrieval deficits of LA-severe fact retrieval children were at least as debilitating as those of the children with MLD and showed less across-grade improvement. The deficits were characterized by the retrieval of counting string associates while attempting to remember addition facts, suggesting poor inhibition of irrelevant information during the retrieval process. This suggests a very specific form of working memory deficit, one that is not captured by many typically used working memory tasks. Moreover, these deficits were not related to procedural competence or performance on the other mathematical tasks, nor were they related to verbal or nonverbal intelligence, reading ability, or speed of processing, nor would they be identifiable with standard untimed mathematics achievement tests.     

“Masculine” vs. “feminine” strategies in political ADS: Implications for female candidates

This study explored several research questions concerning strategies typically said to be beneficial for female political candidates. Six 60‐second videotaped political commercials were produced featuring a female “candidate”, each containing either a “masculine” or a “feminine” strategy. The strategies were aggressive, nonaggressive, career, family, ambitious, and nonambitious. Each political commercial was inserted into a set of four locally produced, nonpolitical ads. Six groups of students were randomly assigned to each of the six treatment groups. After viewing the commercials, subjects were asked to fill out a questionnaire to measure response to the candidate and to the ads through semantic differentials and Likert‐scale questions. Results from the study indicate that the “aggressive” strategy worked better in comparison with the “nonaggressive” strategy and the “career” strategy worked better in comparison with the “family” strategy. Few significant differences were found between the “ambitious” and the “nonambitious” strategies. Several implications for female candidates are discussed.     

Students' Perceptions of their Learning Outcomes

Abstract

This paper indicates students' perceptions of their learning outcomes, identified through group consultations in the author's University. These student generated outcomes were strongly orientated towards personal and professional skills and qualities, and the listing of them is compared to existing models of ‘transferable skills’. This might be of particular interest in the light of recent concerns about ‘graduateness’. The list was subsequently used as the basis for a questionnaire survey of students, and the findings of this survey are briefly reviewed. The student generated list differs in two main ways from the existing skills models reviewed. It is more context specific and is more concerned with values.     

The machine intelligence Hex project

Hex is a challenging strategy board game for two players. To enhance students’ progress in acquiring understanding and practical experience with complex machine intelligence and programming concepts we developed the Machine Intelligence Hex (MIHex) project. The associated undergraduate student assignment is about designing and implementing Hex players and evaluating them in an automated tournament of all programs developed by the class. This article surveys educational aspects of the MIHex project. Additionally, fundamental techniques for game programming as well as specific concepts for Hex board evaluation are reviewed. The MIHex game server and possibilities of tournament organisation are described. We summarise and discuss our experiences from running the MIHex project assignment over four consecutive years. The impact on student motivation and learning benefits are evaluated using questionnaires and interviews.