Investigating the learning challenges presented by digital technologies to the College of Education in Kuwait University

There is now widespread recognition that digital technologies, particularly portable hand held devices capable of Internet connection, present opportunities and challenges to the way in which student learning is organized in schools, colleges and institutions of higher education in the 21st Century. Traxler, Journal of the Research Centre for Educational Technology, 6(1), 3–15 (2010) suggests such devices are pervasive and ubiquitous, conspicuous and unobtrusive, noteworthy and taken-for-granted with everyone typically owning one, using one and often having more than one. As a consequence it has been argued that the availability of such devices, controlled mainly by the student and not the teacher, has the potential to change the traditional dynamics and pedagogical patterns of the learning environment (Burden et al. 2012). Education institutions, however, typically remain organized around spatial and temporal considerations such as buildings, timetables, calendars and internal structures which are designed to classify and manage students. In the case study reported here students and faculty teaching staff from the College of Education in the Kuwait University were surveyed in order to assess their access to such technologies, their capability to use them effectively in support of achieving planned learning outcomes and the implications for change that could emanate from such findings.     

Reduction rate of dragload and downdrag of piles by taper angles

Taper angle is one of the effective methods to reduce the dragload and downdrag of piles under the surcharge load. The model tests on the tapered pile and uniform cross-section pile embedded in sand were carried out under the surcharge load. The values of dragload and downdrag of piles versus the surcharge loads were measured. Based on the concentric cylinder shearing theory, a simplified theoretical model for calculating the dragload and downdrag of tapered piles with small taper angles under the surcharge load was proposed considering the angle effect. The correctness of the developed theoretical model was validated through comparing with the model test results obtained in this study and previous literature. Then the parametric studies of the taper angle, surcharge, strength and modulus of soil were discussed. It is shown that the tapered pile with the taper angle of 3° can reduce approximately 65% of the maximum dragload value and 30% of the downdrag value compared with a uniform cross-section pile. The value of downdrag can be decreased by approximately 50% compared with a uniform crosssection pile in the same average pile diameter.     

方言类电视节目的发展与思考

方言电视节目纷纷在各地电视台上演,它是中国电视节目发展过程中出现的一个特色组成部分。方言电视频道通过具有浓郁地方特色的节目内容与特定的受众进行交流,而广播电视媒介本身并不具有与受众直接交流的能力,与受众面对面的互动与沟通必须由主持人来实现。如何看待方言电视节目发展中存在的矛盾,方言电视节目如何继续生存,更需要我们冷静的思考。     

学习、教育和培训领域的新技术与标准化——SC36国际标准组织第二十四届全会及开放论坛综述

ISO/IEC JTC1 SC36是国际标准组织(ISO)和国际电工委员会(IEC)共建的联合技术委员会(JTC1)下的第36分技术委员会(以下简称SC36),专门负责学习、教育和培训领域信息技术(Information Tech-nology for Learning,Education,Training,简称ITLET)标准的研制、发布和推广工作,该委员会以国家为参与单位,目前包括23个正式参与成员国和21个观察成员国。第24届学习、教育和培训中的信息技术国际标准化组织全会、工作组会议及开放论坛于2011年9月9-17日在中国上海成功举办。本文介绍了本次全会和工作组会议情况;阐述了国际标准发展现状;并重点对本次开放论坛中的论文和报告进行了综述,分析了论文和报告中的特点和问题;希望能对相关领域的后续研究提供思路和指导,推进中国教育信息化及技术标准的发展。