Audio-based versus text-based asynchronous online discussion: two case studies

The main objective of this paper is to examine the use of audio- versus text-based asynchronous online discussions. We report two case studies conducted within the context of semester-long teacher education courses at an Asian Pacific university. Forty-one graduate students participated in Study I. After the online discussions (both audio-based as well as text-based) had ended, qualitative data via student reflections were collected. Results revealed that audio-based discussions have six distinct perceived affordances compared to text-based ones. Interestingly, despite the reported affordances, more than half of the students reported that they preferred to use a text-based discussion if given a choice. The main reasons for their preference were explored. In Study II, 42 undergraduate students took part. Similar to Study I, participants in Study II also indicated that they felt more comfortable using a text-based discussion. The reasons for their preference were also discussed. Directions for future research are proposed.     

Solving ill-structured problems in asynchronous online discussions: built-in scaffolds vs. no scaffolds

Solving ill-structured problems is regarded as an important learning outcome in education as it allows learners to apply theories learnt into real practice. An asynchronous online discussion, with extended time for reflection, is an appropriate learning environment to engage learners in solving ill-structured problems. However, scaffolds may be needed to support learners in the online discussions. This study explores the effect of online scaffolds in supporting a group of graduate students' ill-structured problem-solving processes in asynchronous online discussions. The results of this study showed that the use of the online scaffolds did not lead to a significant difference in the number of ill-structured problem-solving processes. Further analysis revealed that wrong selection of message labels and under-usage of sentence openers affected the results of this study. Improvements for online scaffolds include having more precise message labels and sentence openers based on Socratic questioning approach.     

Institutional performance in the publishing of economic papers during 1975–79

This brief article shows a simple ranking of institutions based on the institutional affiliation of authors who together contributed at least 1 percent of the total pages of top economic journals. In addition, it summarizes an analysis of the relative concentration of authors which seems to indicate a weakening of the dominance long enjoyed by a small number of institutions in the publishing of economic papers in the four journals.     

Teacher Evaluation and Effectiveness in Hong Kong: Issues and Challenges

This article first provides an overview of teacher effectiveness and evaluation in Hong Kong. Several studies related to classroom environment and teacher behavior in selected subjects are referenced, as are recent studies of teachers instructional leadership. Finally, the preliminary use of the Revised Classroom Observation Instrument (RCOI) from the Louisiana School Effectiveness Study in three secondary schools is reported. The results from using the RCOI in Hong Kong indicate that some items may be irrelevant in the Hong Kong context (e.g., physical characteristics), while more items may be needed to reflect good teaching in Hong Kong (e.g., questioning skills). In addition, the potential use of teacher profiles to drive staff development and school improvement is explored.     

年底DV大看点——索尼意外急降 佳能高调上市

每年岁尾，都是本年度最后一批新机上市的时节．这批新上市的机器一般都是在9月-10才发布的．而且基本上都是面向高端市场．今年也不例外。新机上市是市场的规律所在，而因此造成某些机型降价也是正常的．不过近期有点意外的是在松下、佳能、JVC都推出05年最高端机型的时候．     

The Follow-Up Studies Project: A Brief Report

Studies following up on student teachers who have started full-time teaching constitute part of the programme evaluation scheme at the Institute of Education. Since 1982 two surveys have been conducted to find out the perceptions that former Certificate and Diploma students had of their training programmes and whether there was any noticeable shift in their views about teaching.     

Examining students’ affective commitment toward country: a case study of a Singapore primary school

The purpose of this study was to examine students’ affective commitment toward Singapore. Affective commitment refers to the sense of attachment to the nation state. The sample was taken from 286 students in a primary school. In the first section of the paper, we described the design of a Likert-type Affective Commitment to Country questionnaire. Factor analyses (principal component analysis and confirmatory factor analysis) showed evidence of construct validity for the 10-item scale, and an overall Cronbach alpha reliability coefficient of 0.91. In the second section, we reported the statistics related to the students’ affective commitment scores. Overall, a positive affective commitment toward the country was found. Results of our t-test analyses revealed that no statistically significant difference was found between boys and girls for each of the questionnaire items. However, students who had higher academic achievement reported significantly higher scores than their lower ability counterparts with regard to six items of the questionnaire. Suggestions for future research are discussed.     

Catching up with Harvard: results from regression analysis of world universities league tables

This paper uses regression analysis to test if the universities performing less well according to Shanghai Jiao Tong University’s world universities league tables are able to catch up with the top performers, and to identify national and institutional factors that could affect this catching up process. We have constructed a dataset of 461 universities across 41 countries. We found consistent evidence of a moderate degree of catching up, especially amongst non-US universities. Larger universities as well as universities located in English speaking countries not only perform better on average, but also catch up more over 2003–2009. Universities located in lower income countries are also catching up more. The performance of private universities, as compared to that of public universities, varies substantially between the US and the other countries.     

Enhancing orthographic knowledge helps spelling production in eight-year-old Chinese children at risk for dyslexia

We investigated the effects of enhancing orthographic knowledge on the spelling of Chinese characters and words in 131 eight-year-old Chinese children at risk for dyslexia. The traditional approach (37 children) emphasizing memory and repeated writing was the control condition. The analytic and synthetic approach (ASA, 33 children) stressed insight into character structure. The integrated analytic and synthetic approach added to ASA self-correction and metacognitive activities (INA, 61 children). The children were first asked to write down as many words as possible associated with pictures of home, school, and community; the correctly written words formed the baseline information. The children were then instructed by their classroom teachers in six especially designed short texts and assessed in eight measurable bujian or radical tasks subserving three constructs: morpheme completion, bujian analysis and synthesis and bujian compounding. Multivariate analyses of variance showed that the children in the INA condition outperformed those in the other conditions in three of the measurable bujian tasks. A confirmatory factor analysis verified the stability of the eight tasks and their clustering into three constructs. From these results, we tentatively propose a “bujian sensitivity hypothesis” as a means of helping young Chinese children at risk for spelling disorders.