Resisting familiarity: teaching across cultures from between worlds

Drawing on my experience of migration, education and teaching an Asian American literature course, this essay considers the ways in which we can approach the multicultural classroom as an in‐between zone where the logic of identity can be re‐imagined. Migration and exile become metaphors to question and reconsider the problematic of belonging and ‘otherness’ in the now dominant pedagogical paradigm of multiculturalism in the US.     

Phytochemicals in Fruits and Vegetables: Use of Interactive Videoconferencing and the World Wide Web for Teaching a Multidisciplinary Course

ABSTRACT: An evaluation of interactive video conferencing and Web-assisted instruction to deliver a multidisciplinary course entitled Phytochemicals in Fruits and Vegetables to Improve Human Health was conducted during the spring semesters of 1999 and 2001. This course was taught by 20 instructors from 11 institutions to 49 students during spring 2001, which was an increase of 53% over spring 1999. Weekly 3-h lectures were delivered by the Trans-Texas Videoconference Network integrated with PowerPoint® or HTML slides available on the course Web site ( http://phytochemicals.tamu.edu ). Qualitative and quantitative data were collected through formative and summative methods. Participants expressed their satisfaction with course format and the need for technical support for interactive videoconferencing.     

Facilitation skills: the catalyst for increased effectiveness in consultant practice and clinical systems leadership

Consultant practitioner is the pinnacle of the clinical career ladder for all health care disciplines in the United Kingdom. Consultant nurse, midwife and health visitor roles build on the clinical credibility and expertise characteristic of advanced level practice, but also possess expertise in: clinical systems leadership and the facilitation of culture change, learning and development; advanced consultancy approaches, and research and evaluation to prioritise person-centred, safe and effective care across patient pathways.

This project aimed to help new and emerging consultants to become more effective in their role through a programme of support to develop their expertise.

Emancipatory action research, supported by claims, concerns and issues tool, derived from Stakeholder Evaluation, and other methods (active learning, action learning, collaborative workshops and individual tools e.g. qualitative 360 degree feedback and reflective reviews) comprised the supportive intervention which enabled participants to research their own practice.

The programme’s methodology and methods helped participants to: research their own practice; theorise from practice; grow the facilitation skills needed to develop and demonstrate their own effectiveness; foster the effectiveness of others and; transform practice culture. Greater effectiveness in their multiple roles was demonstrated, as was the impact of this on others, services and organisations.

The study concludes that the support programme augmented by the methodology, facilitation skills and the 10 principles derived from a concept analysis of work-based learning is central to achieving improved effectiveness and transformation of others, services and organisations. Theoretical insights at collective/community levels also resulted. Key recommendations are identified for commissioners, higher education and research.     

The emerging landscape of school-based professional learning communities in South Korean schools

Abstract

Over the last decade, school-based professional learning communities (PLCs) have emerged as a key feature of the education system in South Korea. To understand this relatively new phenomenon in the context of South Korea, we provide a review of research on school-based PLCs in South Korea and an empirical analysis of the Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS) 2008 with a focus on school-based PLCs. Based on our findings from the literature review and analysis of the TALIS, we aim to provide a fuller picture of the emerging landscape of school-based PLCs in South Korean schools. In so doing, we focus on what constitutes school-based PLCs in South Korean schools and how they are similar to and/or different from their counterparts in other countries. Implications for policy, practice, and research are discussed.     

Out of the book and into the classroom: The experiences of Korean social studies pre-service teachers in an international teaching practicum in the United States

Despite the growing interest and importance of pre-service teachers’ cross-cultural experiences, a review of the literature shows that few studies have discussed the international teaching practicum experiences of pre-service teachers from Asian countries. Bridging this gap, this qualitative case study examined the perceptions and experiences of 15 Korean social studies pre-service teachers who participated in an international teaching practicum in the United States. The findings of the study demonstrated that although participants encountered difficulties in speaking a foreign language and adjusting to a different culture, they also gained confidence and self-efficacy by negotiating and actively participating in the teaching and learning process. This international teaching practicum also helped participants promote their own understanding of multiculturalism and their different perspectives of the teachers’ roles, teaching pedagogies, and local education systems. This study offers implications for future multicultural professional development in teacher education and contributes to developing a body of research and scholarship on international teaching practicums from Asian contexts that have, to date, been largely underexplored.     

How can Korean older adults be encouraged to become more involved in volunteer activities?

ABSTRACT

This qualitative study explored how Korean older adults can be encouraged to become more involved in volunteer activities. The study utilized in-depth, face-to-face interviews with twelve practitioners in senior volunteering fields in South Korea. The themes were (a) helping seniors become involved in volunteer activities; (b) developing programs to satisfy both the demand for and the needs of senior volunteers; (c) leveraging volunteer groups with elderly group leaders; (d) providing financial support for the cost of volunteer activities; (e) preventing dropout through personal support and mediation; (f) empowering service recipients for recruitment through one-to-one contact; (g) establishing a dedicated volunteer manager for senior volunteers; and (h) cultivating a privately led organization dedicated to senior volunteering. The results are expected to promote volunteer involvement among older adults based on the experiences of practitioners and to provide practical educational implications for instructors teaching and equipping college/graduate students or field practitioners who are new to the older population.     

Understanding the graphical challenges faced by vision-impaired students in Australian universities

Information graphics such as plots, maps, plans, charts, tables and diagrams form an integral part of the student learning experience in many disciplines. However, for a vision impaired student accessing such graphical materials can be problematic. This research seeks to understand the current state of accessible graphics provision in Australian higher education. We conducted an online survey of 71 vision-impaired university students and semi-structured interviews with 44 key stakeholders (students, academics, disability liaison officers and accessible graphics providers). We found that difficulty in accessing graphical materials was a barrier to many vision-impaired students and that there were systemic problems with current processes for accessible graphics provision. Recommendations are made on ways to address these concerns in order to provide a more equitable higher education experience.     

Latent Markov Factor Analysis for Exploring Measurement Model Changes in Time-Intensive Longitudinal Studies

When time-intensive longitudinal data are used to study daily-life dynamics of psychological constructs (e.g., well-being) within persons over time (e.g., by means of experience sampling methodology), the measurement model (MM)—indicating which constructs are measured by which items—can be affected by time- or situation-specific artifacts (e.g., response styles and altered item interpretation). If not captured, these changes might lead to invalid inferences about the constructs. Existing methodology can only test for a priori hypotheses on MM changes, which are often absent or incomplete. Therefore, we present the exploratory method “latent Markov factor analysis” (LMFA), wherein a latent Markov chain captures MM changes by clustering observations per subject into a few states. Specifically, each state gathers validly comparable observations, and state-specific factor analyses reveal what the MMs look like. LMFA performs well in recovering parameters under a wide range of simulated conditions, and its empirical value is illustrated with an example.