Improving study success and diversity in Dutch higher education using performance agreements

Tertiary Education and Management - More and more governments have started to introduce elements of performance in the funding mechanisms for their higher education institutions. An example is a...     

Making the connection: The role of social and academic school experiences in students' emotional engagement with school in post-secondary vocational education

This study examines the emotional engagement with school of a diverse sample of 909 students in post-secondary vocational education in the Netherlands. Using multilevel regression analysis, we assess the role of students' background characteristics and school experiences, and their interaction, in students' emotional engagement with school. At-risk students do not report lower levels of emotional engagement, except for students using (soft)drugs. While Dutch dropout prevention focuses on fostering a sense of belonging through enhancing teacher–student relationships, we do not find a significant role of perceived support from school staff in students' sense of belonging. A good relationship with classmates is more important to engage students in post-secondary vocational education. Perceiving an academic fit is most prominently related to the emotional engagement of vocational students, indicating that a sense of belonging should not only be defined in social, but also in academic terms.     

A Novel Approach to Investigate the Impact of Mindset and Physiology on the Choice to Invest Effort During an Arithmetic Task

Growth mindset, the belief that personal attributes such as intelligence are malleable, has previously been related to more effort investment. Here, we investigated how undergraduates' mindset (N = 114) relates to the choice to invest effort during an arithmetic task, indexed by whether they make low vs. high effort-related choices. Social cognitive theory suggests that past performance experiences (mastery vs. failure) and physiological state are important sources for competence self-evaluations. Therefore, in addition to mindset, we also investigated how effort-related choices are influenced more dynamically, by failures and physiological responses during the task. Growth mindset and physiological effort mobilization did not predict effort-related choices but making mistakes did predict lower effort choices in the subsequent round. This study further supports the importance of mastery experiences for effort investment and provides a novel approach for integrating different levels of influence on effort-related choices during an educationally-relevant task.     

全球多维大学排名:用户导向与多重维度的全球高等教育与科研排名工具

欧盟委员会开发的全球多维大学排名(U-Multirank)是一个全新的、立足全球的、有利于提高高等教育与科研系统透明度的工具,它致力于继承已有排名之优势同时规避已有排名之不足。U-Multirank遵循包括用户导向原则、多重维度原则、机构可比性原则、排名的多层次性原则和方法的可靠性原则在内的五个设计原则;设计了包括教学、科研、知识转换、国际化定位和地区参与在内的五个绩效维度及一系列指标;为用户提供了在线工具以创建院校排名和领域排名两种类型的排名。试测和实施阶段的初探表明,在维度与指标的可行性、院校参与的积极性、扩大参与规模的可操作性方面,U-Multirank取得了一定的成功,并将逐步实施于全球高等教育与科研系统之中。     

Formative peer assessment in a CSCL environment: a case study

In this case study our aim was to gain more insight in the possibilities of qualitative formative peer assessment in a computer supported collaborative learning (CSCL) environment. An approach was chosen in which peer assessment was operationalized in assessment assignments and assessment tools that were embedded in the course material. The course concerned a higher education case‐based virtual seminar, in which students were asked to conduct research and write a report in small multidisciplinary teams. The assessment assignments contained the discussion of assessment criteria, the assessment of a group report of a fellow group and writing an assessment report. A list of feedback rules was one of the assessment tools. A qualitative oriented study was conducted, focusing on the attitude of students towards peer assessment and practical use of peer assessment assignments and tools. Results showed that students’ attitude towards peer assessment was positive and that assessment assignments had added value. However, not all students fulfilled all assessment assignments. Recommendations for implementation of peer assessment in CSCL environments as well as suggestions for future research are discussed.     

Evolution of human parenting: Canalization,new types of learning,and mother-infant conflict

Human infancy is the mammalian extreme of an evolutionary trend towards a long, drawn-out life history. An extreme form of parental care and investment co-evolved. This is a drain on the mother’s resources and, consequently, a conflict results between the interests of the mother and the infant. It is in the interest of the mother to reduce her care as soon as possible. This is not done all at once, but in steps. The timing of these steps is dictated by the highly canalized infant development. Every time a new type of learning (preadapted responsiveness to certain learning opportunities) emerges in the infant, the mother withholds a related type of privilege/care. Consequently, mother-infant conflict results, until the infant gives in and reaches a new level of independence. Mother’s behaviour in a conflict period is of paramount importance: on the one hand it is mother’s role to sense the infant’s new educability and to (force) teach it how to use the newly emerged abilities it might not, or not fully, have used otherwise. On the other hand, mother-infant conflict may escalate and become pathogenic. Mother is bound to stay within limits dictated by the canalized abilities and interests of the infant. A deepened knowledge of the new types of learning is helpful in education during infancy. Control Systems Theory (CST) is useful in understanding the new types of learning and in bringing order in many new infant developments in various functional domains.     

Language in Social Science Databases: English Versus Non-English Articles in JSTOR and Scopus

This article examines social science language trends in scholarly communication by looking at JSTOR and Scopus bibliographic data between 1996 and 2012. The results reveal that these two databases contain nearly 90 percent English-language publications. According to our analysis, Scopus continues to add more non-English peer-reviewed content while JSTOR totals are declining. To frame this discussion, the data are considered with reference to larger scholarly communication trends in the sciences, social sciences, and humanities. This study will be relevant for librarians who are interested in non-English scholarly publishing and collection development.     

Feedback providing improvement strategies and reflection on feedback use: Effects on students’ writing motivation, process, and performance

This study investigated the effects of feedback providing improvement strategies and a reflection assignment on students’ writing motivation, process, and performance. Students in the experimental feedback condition (n = 41) received feedback including improvement strategies, whereas students in the control feedback condition (n = 41) received feedback without improvement strategies. Within each feedback condition, half of the students received a reflection assignment on feedback use and the revision (experimental reflection condition), while the other half received a reflection assignment on feedback perception (control reflection condition). Results indicated that in the experimental feedback condition writing performance gained from the control reflection assignment, while in the control feedback condition it gained from the experimental reflection assignment. Improvement strategies negatively predicted self-efficacy beliefs, especially when initial self-efficacy beliefs were low, and positively predicted planning/revising. Reflections on feedback use and the revision positively predicted mastery goal when mastery goal initially was low or moderate.     

印度服装——生活方式的美丽代表

印度沉淀了丰富的文化习俗,而它的服装富含弹性和多样性,这点显而易见。尽管最初只有国家中的某些社会阶层或地区的人士穿着,但最终全印度的国民都接受并喜欢上了这种服装：它叫“旁遮普服”,由宽松的裤子和长衬衫组合而成,西方人常常把它与一种穆斯林裙子相混淆。