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.     

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.     

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.     

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。     

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.     

Editorial

Abstract

During the past two decades, the debate over a national curriculum has been the subject of much controversy in the United States. However, this debate, part of a much larger debate over the broader goals of public education, has inevitably clashed with the long‐held American notion of local control of schools. The purpose of this article is to present a brief historical overview and identify some issues which continue to feature prominently in the ongoing debate over national and state curriculum standards. The authors focus on curriculum standards for history. A case‐study of this specific debate will reveal some of the major issues which have surfaced in the broader debate.