Methodological Approaches to Comparing Pedagogical Innovations Using Technology

The study of educational innovations has become increasingly important in education research as many countries around the world have embarked on education reforms that aim to change both the goals and practices in education. There is also a general expectation that such innovations can be leveraged or supported by the use of information and communication technology (ICT) in the learning and teaching process. However, comparative studies of innovations are relatively rare. SITES M2, as an international comparative study of innovative pedagogical practices involving 28 participating systems, thus faced important methodological challenges the solution of which was no less an innovation in itself. This paper examines the methods of analysis used and the kind of research findings that resulted from the work of three research teams that had conducted comparisons of the case studies of innovation collected, including the work of the SITES M2 International Coordinating Centre (ICC). Even though all three studies attempted to examine similarities and differences across multiple case studies, the analysis conducted by the ICC looked for characterizations of the innovations while the other two studies developed meaningful ways to compare the cases in terms of levels of innovation across a number of dimensions. In discussing the methodological differences across these studies, this paper pays special attention to how one could compare different innovations in terms of their levels or extents of innovation and what such comparisons may contribute to our learning from technology-supported education innovations.     

Effects of the inquiry-based mobile learning model on the cognitive load and learning achievement of students

The advancement of mobile device and wireless communication technologies is having a great influence on the design concept of learning activities. In this study, we attempt to integrate field study into the inquiry-based mobile learning model; moreover, a mobile learning environment that allows students to access both physical and virtual resources is developed accordingly. During the in-field learning activity, the mobile learning system is able to present the learning tasks, guide the students to visit the real-world learning targets for exploration, and provide them with supplementary materials via the mobile devices. The aim of this research focuses on the effects of this mobile learning model on students' cognitive load and learning achievements. The 51 sixth graders who participated in this research were assigned to an experimental and a control group. From the pre and posttests as well as the cognitive load questionnaire, it was found that the students who learned with the inquiry-based mobile learning approach had better learning achievement and less cognitive load than those who learned with the traditional approach. Therefore, it is concluded that the mobile learning model has positive effects on elementary students in local culture learning.     

基于GIS技术的奥运会奖牌全球地域分布特征的比较

采用GIS技术与数理统计分析法,对第23～29届奥运会奖牌的全球地域分布特征进行比较分析.结果表明:美国、俄罗斯、德国、中国奥运会金、银、铜牌及奖牌总数占主导,各国间均存在非常显著性差异;美国在同场对抗性、体能主导类项目上所获奥运奖牌最多,中国在隔网对抗性、表现准确或难美性项目上具备最强竞争力,俄罗斯在格斗对抗性项目上的奥运奖牌最多,德国在水上项目与其他项目上的竞争力已领先世界诸国,体能主导类项目奥运奖牌的地域分布最广.全球6大洲奥运会金、银、铜牌及奖牌总数的分布特征均表现为欧洲＞北美洲＞亚洲＞大洋洲＞非洲＞南美洲.在同场对抗性、格斗对抗性、表现准确或难美性、体能主导类、水上和其他项目上,欧洲较其余5大洲占据比较明显的优势,亚洲仅在隔网对抗性项目上具备较强实力,北美洲各项目间的竞争力较为平衡,大洋洲与南美洲在各项目上的竞争力处于中下水平,非洲仅在体能主导类项目上具备一定竞争力.     

An innovative concept map approach for improving students' learning performance with an instant feedback mechanism

Concept maps have been widely employed for helping students organise their knowledge as well as evaluating their knowledge structures in a wide range of subject matters. Although researchers have recognised concept maps as being an important educational tool, past experiences have also revealed the difficulty of evaluating the correctness of a concept map. It usually takes days or weeks for teachers to manually evaluate the concept maps developed by students; consequently, the students cannot receive timely feedback from the teachers, which not only affects their learning schedules, but also significantly influences the students' learning achievements. In this paper, a computer‐based concept map‐oriented learning strategy with real‐time assessment and feedback is proposed in order to cope with the problems mentioned above. Our approach provides immediate evaluation of concept maps and gives also real‐time feedback to the students. An experiment has been conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of this new strategy in comparison with the conventional computer‐based concept map approach. It is found that our innovative approach can be significantly beneficial to promote learning achievements as well as the learning attitudes of students.     

广东阳山土话的语音特点初探

阳山土话来自乐昌黄圃,当地居民称之为"燕子声"或"猫仔声"。文章归纳了阳山土话的声韵调系统,简要分析其主要的语音特点,并与乐昌(黄圃)话进行比较,显示阳山土话之变异特点。     

‘Weep for Chinese university’: a case study of English hegemony and academic capitalism in higher education in Hong Kong

In the spring of 2005, students and alumni of the Chinese University of Hong Kong staged an adamant protest against University directives which they perceived would result in a significant increase in the number of courses taught in English. They denounced the administration of selling out on the founding mission of the University, for which, as stated in its Ordinance, the principal medium of teaching would be Chinese. The University, on the other hand, defended its policy in the name of ‘internationalization’ and the need to stay ahead in the midst of severe competition at home and abroad. This paper examines this language controversy against the wider context of English hegemony and the rise of academic capitalism, two forces which are inextricably linked for the non‐Western societies in a post‐colonial era. I will try to show that the controversy was ultimately a struggle over the meaning of university education, between what I would call the instrumentalists and the humanists in this age of globalization. I end the paper with a pessimistic note, saying that it is the former who have gained an upper hand, and that the scope and parameters of the language debate are heavily restricted.     

Pedagogy and human dignity – the Special Rank Teacher in China since 1978

Teachers in China are regarded as vulnerable to sociopolitical changes. This paper, however, focuses on the resilience and innovativeness of state‐selected expert teachers – the recipients of the Special Rank Teacher (SRT) award. This award was the product of a transitional period in the aftermath of the Cultural Revolution, and was an act of rehabilitation for the teaching profession. Using a biographical approach, this paper analyses how the intentions of the award were reflected in the choice of recipients. It contributes to a deeper understanding of teachers in China and the notion of teaching excellence that the state‐recognised teachers exemplify.     

Exploring the effects of gender and learning styles on computer programming performance: implications for programming pedagogy

Computer programming has been taught in secondary schools for more than two decades. However, little is known about how students learn to program. From the curriculum implementation perspectives, learning style helps address the issue of learner differences, resulting in a shift from a teacher-centred approach to a learner-focused approach. This study aims to investigate the effects of gender and learning styles on computer programming performance. The Gregorc Style Delineator (GSD) was employed to measure learning styles. A test was administered to assess students' programming performance. Two hundred and seventeen secondary school students of age from 14 to 19 participated in this study. Results indicated that no gender differences in programming performance were found after controlling for the effect of student ability. Academic ability had a differential effect on programming knowledge. Sequential learners in general performed better than random learners. These results suggest the importance of the ordering dimension of the GSD in influencing programming performance. Implications of the findings in relation to programming pedagogy are discussed in this paper.     

研究生教育质量保障的“三本”视角

探讨研究生教育质量问题有多种角度,本文选取“人本、校本和成本”三个观察点展开相关分析。“人本”是质量的主体,理应贯穿于研究生教育活动的全过程;“校本”是品质保障的源泉,在多样化的发展趋势下,立足本土、培育特色、弘扬个性才能够有效提升质量;“成本”是质量保障的条件,通过优化管理流程,不断提高教育资源利用效率,可以为教育质量的提高奠定基础。