Leveraging information and communication technologies (ICT) to enhance education equity,quality, and efficiency: case studies of Bangladesh and Nepal

ABSTRACT

Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) have had significant impacts on many sectors in today’s knowledge economy. In developing and emerging countries, ICT have enhanced equity, quality, and efficiency in the education sector. However, the adoption of ICT in the South Asian countries’ education sector has not been at scale and its impacts have been limited. There are several gaps and issues that are hindering the wider adoption of ICT and limiting its impacts in the education sector. Through the case studies of the adoption of ICT for education in Bangladesh and Nepal, this paper examines the gaps and issues to be addressed in order to better leverage ICT to enhance education equity, quality, and efficiency. This discussion is guided by the ICT in the education framework that has been developed by the authors, and could provide insights into the state of ICT in education and offer strategies to better leverage ICT for the education sector of other countries in South Asia and the region.     

Operationalizing and validating disciplinary literacy in secondary education

The goal of this study was to define the construct and establish the validity of disciplinary literacy, which has recently gained attention from the implementation of the Common Core State Standards (National Governors Association Center for Best Practices & Council of Chief State School Officers in Common Core State Standards for English language arts & literacy in history/social studies, science, and technical subjects [PDF]. Authors, Washington, DC, 2010). After defining disciplinary literacy in the four core disciplines of English language arts, science, history and social studies, and mathematics, scales were developed and administered to a snowball sample of professionals nationwide, with 857 respondents. The data showed evidence of disciplinary literacy as a multidimensional construct with three related factors: source literacy, analytic literacy, and expressive literacy. Based on EFA and CFA results, we can conclude that there are at least three types of literacy in operation among the four core disciplines. The three factors of literacy varied significantly by the four core disciplines of English/language arts (ELA), science, history and social studies, and mathematics, supporting the notion that each discipline uses literacy uniquely. This is the first study of its kind to attempt to define, quantify, and validate the construct of disciplinary literacy.     

From natural numbers to numbers and curves in nature —I

The interconnection between number theory, algebra, geometry and calculus is shown through Fibonacci sequence, golden section and logarithmic spiral. In this two-part article, we discuss how simple growth models based on these entities may be used to explain numbers and curves abundantly found in nature     

教师专业化与教师应对教育改革的能力

本文论述的是中国教育改革发展变化过程中的教师专业化问题,所以提出这一问题的背景,是联合国教科文组织讨论了“全民教育”的各项活动和中国教育改革.当前教育改革的目的,在于提高个体和全民发展的能力.因此,教育质量成为人们日益关注的重要问题.教师的工作职能是要推动教育改革的各项措施得到实施.本文认为,“信息时代”的要求和“知识经济”的兴起,使人们对人才的特点有了新的理解,也证实了在教育儿童和青少年成为未来工作者和公民方面存在的不足.综观中国教育改革,它是一个被迫出现的过程,导致学校对教育改革的反应不灵敏.教师作为专业人员,应该支持改革,但是他们的效能还是存在一定的问题.本文进一步认为,中国教师当前面临的主要问题是不具备应对改革的能力.有关研究表明,教师工作的本质及其关注的问题与教育改革的预期大相径庭.这一问题即使通过行政命令、在职培训、或者投入更多的教育资源也难以解决.本文认为,进行全面改革的同时,要改革学生评价和选拔制度,从文化和社会层面上来思考教师职业,树立新的教师专业发展理念.     

Word-learning skills of deaf preschoolers: the development of novel mapping and rapid word-learning strategies

Word-learning skills of 19 deaf/hard-of-hearing preschoolers were assessed by observing their ability to learn new words in two contexts. The first context required the use of a novel mapping strategy (i.e., making the inference that a novel word refers to a novel object) to learn the new words. The second context assessed the ability to learn new words after minimal exposure when reference was explicitly established. The children displayed three levels of word-learning skills. Eleven children learned words in both contexts. Five were able to learn new words rapidly only when reference was explicitly established. Two children did not learn new words rapidly in either context. The latter seven children were followed longitudinally. All children eventually acquired the ability to learn new words in both contexts. The deaf children's word-learning abilities were related to the size of their vocabularies. The present study suggests that word-learning strategies are acquired even when children are severely delayed in their language development and they learn language in an atypical environment.     

Induced in incorrect generalizations leading to misconceptions—an exploratory investigation about the laws of reflection of light

The phenomena of induced incorrect generalization (IIG) as a generative cause for the formation of a misconception among a group of pupils is identified. In the process of learning the laws of reflection of light the effect of IIG is discussed through an exploratory experiment. Strategies are suggested to eliminate the formation of such IIG in a classroom situation.     

Mothers' Perspectives of the Peer-Related Social Development of Young Children with Developmental Delays and Communication Disorders

Mothers' perspectives of children's peer-related social development were obtained from matched groups of young children with developmental delays, communicative disorders, and typically developing children. Structured interviews elicited information on numerous issues including mothers' views of the importance of children's social skills development, rationales with respect to why children succeed or had difficulties on specific social tasks, and the socialization strategies mothers employ to promote children's peer-related social development. Mothers also reported on their efforts to arrange play with peers for their child and the degree to which they monitored that play. Results indicated that mothers rated children's social development as highly important, offered primarily internal rationales (e.g., traits, dispositions) for success or difficulties in achieving social tasks, and endorsed moderate and low power socialization strategies. Differences across the three groups were minimal. Mothers arranged play with peers least often for children with developmental delays and communication disorders, but monitored play more extensively for children with delays. These finding were discussed in terms of mothers adopting a developmental orientation to understand children's social development and their implications for maternal participation in peer competence intervention programs.