Emotional outcomes of e-learning adoption during compulsory online education

Education and Information Technologies - Information on the emotional outcomes of e-learning system use and emotional aspects of user experience in higher education is quite limited. Accordingly,...     

The new Turkish early childhood teacher education curriculum: a brief outlook

This article aims to describe and reflect on the new early childhood teacher education curriculum in Turkey. The new curriculum is part of a large-scale reform agenda to improve education at all levels. The article begins with a brief history of early childhood education and early childhood teacher education in Turkey. Then, the needs for the curriculum revision and major characteristics of the revised curriculum are discussed. The article concludes with brief discussion about the innovations and suggestions for future research dealing with the implementation and effectiveness of the revised curriculum     

Supporting teacher professional development through online video case study discussions: An assemblage of preservice and inservice teachers and the case teacher

The purpose of this study was to explore the potential value of online video case discussions among preservice and inservice teachers, and the video case teacher as a tool for the professional development of teachers. Participants included a total of 26 preservice and inservice mathematics teachers and a veteran teacher who appeared on the video case. Using content analysis techniques, we provided a thematic analysis of the teacher discourse and demonstrated the exchanges between the participating teachers and video case teacher. We also assessed the overall effectiveness of our online forum set up for the professional development of teachers. Results indicated that participant teachers were able to make theory–practice connections by articulating specific frameworks that guided our study. The inclusion of the video case teacher was beneficial for the other teachers in several ways. We contend that online forum discussions of video cases in which collective engagement of preservice and inservice teachers, and the case teacher have a great potential to support teacher professional development.     

An adaptive compensator for a vehicle driven by DC motors

A vehicle system driven by two independent DC motors is presented here, one of which is used for the right wheel and the other is used for the left wheel. An adaptive compensator using Takagi-Sugeno fuzzy systems is proposed to control the vehicle system. The compensator includes an adaptive model identifier and adaptive controller. An online method is used to adjust the parameters of the identifier model to match the behavior model of the vehicle system. Then, the parameters of the identifier model are employed in a standard parallel-distributed compensator to provide asymptotically stable equilibrium for the closed-loop vehicle drive system, in which the velocity and direction angle of the vehicle are controlled. Results demonstrate that the proposed controller structure is robust to load changes and follows different trajectories very well.     

Process and plant design in biochemical engineering education

Training in process and plant design is an essential feature of biochemical engineering education. Training is also an accreditation requirement. The requisite training is provided through a selection of design-relevant courses and a design project of substantial scope. This article outlines the rationale for meaningful training in engineering design and considers the structuring, the expectations and the resources needs of biochemical engineering design education. Biochemical engineering differs in important ways from its chemical engineering parent discipline and this needs to be taken into account in developing a relevant design training programme for biochemical or bioprocess engineers.     

The governance of the South African higher education system: balancing state control and state supervision in co-operative governance?

The publication of the National Commission for Higher Education (NCHE) in 1996 was hailed as the first systematic attempt to map out a policy terrain for higher education in South Africa since the elections of April 1994. Its recommendations, particularly on the governance of higher education, elicited much discussion and debate. The debate continued (and continues) with the publication of the Green and White Papers, the Bill on Higher Education, and the Higher Education Act (HEA) in late 1997.This paper explores and seeks to clarify the emerging model of educational governance that has been accepted by the Ministry of Education in South Africa as the basis for managing and transforming the inherited system of higher education. Specifically, the paper considers the philosophy of “co-operative governance” and the governance recommendations of the NCHE Report and the HEA. These documents are examined in relation to state control and state supervision models of higher education governance. The paper concludes by considering the politics of policy development in the transformation of the South African higher education governance system.     

HIV education in the formal curriculum

The AIDS epidemic presents a complex of issues that require global answers, involving entire societies. The only sustainable solution is to include all sectors of society in a multidisciplinary collaboration, within which the formal education system plays a key role in delivering a comprehensive response to the disease at the national level. Moreover, in order to be effective, governments must work in collaboration with parents, religious leaders, and community members. This article describes eight key issues that must be addressed to establish a successful HIV/AIDS education curriculum. It also provides examples of best practices from three countries. First, HIV education in schools should adopt a human rights perspective and address stigma and discrimination against people living with HIV (PLHIV). Second, gender issues should be fully integrated into messages about the disease and the whole community should be sensitized on this topic. Third, national curricula must be designed in respect of religious perspectives; the most successful ones will include religious leaders in the process. Fourth, the language and content used in designing education materials for schools must be culturally sensitive, as local traditions can influence the transmission of HIV; those developing curricula should explore the best ways to incorporate positive traditions into formal education initiatives. Fifth, governments are responsible for providing comprehensive and adapted messages about the disease to children and youth in school settings; they must develop a national strategic policy on it and establish specific measures established to protect PLHIV. Sixth, the family plays the primary role in providing information to children on sexuality and HIV-related issues, even if parents and children sometimes find it hard to talk about. Parents must be informed so they can play a more active role in educating their children in this area. Seventh, teachers and administrators are central to effective HIV education; as they often complement parents’ roles, they need to be trained at pre- and in-service levels on these issues, including sexuality. Finally, children and young adults should learn about sexuality and HIV and AIDS at various stages throughout their development. It is crucial to adapt the content to the age and knowledge level of the target group.