美国国家体育课程标准的历史流变与特点分析

课程标准是引领学校教育发展的纲领性文件,美国在课程标准的可持续发展方面一直走在世界前列。本研究采用文献资料法、比较研究法和逻辑分析法,对美国近二十年来三个不同版本(1995年版、2004年版和2013年版)国家体育课程标准进行了分析。结果表明,大规模的教育变革、解除学校体育危机的需求、对“什么是受过良好体育教育个体”问题的探索引导了美国国家课程标准的流变,具体体现在课程标准框架、课程标准的具体内容和课程标准的评价三个方面,表现出越来越关注对“完整的人”的培养、语言表述更加简洁清晰、可操作性逐步提升、更加强调研究成果的渗透等特点。这种流变对于我国《体育与健康课程标准》的不断修订与完善,促进体育与健康课程的可持续发展具有较强的启发意义。     

Heeding the Signals: Applying Web best Practices when Google recommends

Google is the single largest driver of traffic to library Web sites and digital repositories, and librarians would do well to listen when the search giant reveals information about its practices or makes recommendations. Recently, Google announced that it would begin to favor Web sites that use the secure hypertext transfer protocol (HTTPS) in its search results rankings. HTTPS encrypts data transmission and one of Google's stated reasons for this change is to help make the Web safer and minimize data theft. Similar announcements by Google have sometimes been ignored by librarians, to the peril of the visibility and use of library products and services on the Web.     

Analysis of academic administrators’ attitudes: annual evaluations and factors that improve teaching

This article examines academic administrators’ attitudes towards the academic evaluation process in the US and those factors that are utilised to improve teaching. We use path regressions to examine satisfaction with evaluation procedures, as well as the direct and indirect effects of these factors on perceptions of whether the evaluation process facilitates quality instruction. With increased pressure for accountability being placed on higher education, it is important to ensure that we are meeting both public and academic expectations. The evaluation process is an important tool to ensure the university’s goals and values are articulated and that academics can be successful in their individual career paths. The problem is most research finds flaws with the current method of evaluation, and academics and academic administrators are sceptical about the process and results. We find there are environmental factors that influence academic administrators’ perceptions of academic evaluations and the ability to improve classroom instruction.