Preparing preservice teachers to use computers effectively in elementary schools

Abstract

Computers and computer software have become integral components of the elementary school curriculum. Classroom teachers often express concern about the inadequate training they receive in the use of technology in the classroom. To meet the needs of future teachers, three university professors added issues related to using technology with young children to existing courses for elementary education majors. In addition, they introduced criteria for evaluating software and gave students opportunities to select software for instruction. After completing the courses, students were more comfortable with using computers, felt more competent about reviewing software, and were more aware of the issues related to using technology for instruction.     

'A Fraught Path'-education as a basis for developing improved community relations in Northern Ireland

The outbreak of violence in Northern Ireland in the late 1960s led to critical examination of the possible role of the denominationally divided education system in creating and sustaining community division. Since the early 1970s there have been a number of attempts to bring children from Catholic and Protestant backgrounds together. These have followed two major tracks, either the establishment of programmes which can operate within the denominationally segregated system (Education for Mutual Understanding) or the setting up of new integrated schools. Both approaches have moved though a number of phases but by the late 1980s both had become linked to official government policy. During the last 5 years the interaction of educational initiatives and political developments has led to considerable controversy and the resulting problems have created an uncertain future for both Education for Mutual Understanding and the planned integrated schools movement.     

Empirical Research on Ethnic Minority Students: 1995–2009

Ethnic minority disproportionality has been a topic of extensive discussion and research for many years. In 1997, Artiles, Trent, and Kuan conducted a seminal review of the special education research literature to identify how often researchers report and disaggregate data in ways that would support conclusions about specific ethnic minority groups. These authors found alarmingly low rates of publication on identifiable minority groups. The purpose of this review is to replicate the work of Artiles et al. and extend this literature analysis to the subsequent 15‐year period (1995–2009). We found increases in the proportion of articles reporting ethnic minority information 15 years following the Artiles et al. publication. Discussion focuses on the gap in our knowledge of evidence‐based practices for ethnic minority students in special education.     

Trajectories from academic intrinsic motivation to need for cognition and educational attainment

This long-term longitudinal study addressed the theoretical underpinning of academic intrinsic motivation (AIM) from childhood through adolescence, to need for cognition (NFC) and educational attainment (EA) during adulthood. AIM was measured from 9 to 17 years old, NFC and EA at 29 years old, and IQ at 8 years old. Latent change and growth mixture modeling were utilized. These models complemented each other, revealing that initial motivational status significantly related to both outcomes. Growth mixture modeling elaborated the findings by identifying distinctive subgroups in initial status and developmental change. In contrast to children with initially higher AIM, those starting lower declined resulting in lower NFC and EA. IQ was controlled in these analyses. Findings enhance understanding of trajectories across two decades of development, indicating that students’ early motivation relates to adulthood NFC and EA. Implications for educational practices are discussed.     

Designing an internationationalised curriculum for higher education: embracing the local and the global citizen

In this article, differing interpretations of the internationalisation of higher education curriculum are explored analysing the structural and cultural aspects of the curriculum. Voices of tertiary staff from around the world taking part in a four-week, fully online course, entitled ‘Internationalising the curriculum for all students’ contributed to stimulating discussions that raised many questions about whose perspectives were being privileged in defining an internationalised curriculum and what constituted a transformed curriculum. In this analysis, the framework illuminates the varied theoretical and practical stances towards an internationalised curriculum. It highlights that indigenous knowledges and the positionings of marginal and diaspora peoples have been widely overlooked in internationalisation of curriculum practices, and these perspectives need to become integral to discussions of future tertiary education policies and curricula.     

Small data,online learning and assessment practices in higher education: a case study of failure?

In this paper, we present an in-depth case study of a single student who failed an online module which formed part of a master’s programme in Professional Education and Leadership. We use this case study to examine assessment practices in higher education in the online environment. In taking this approach, we go against the current predilection for Big Data which has given rise to ‘learning analytics’, a data-intensive approach to monitoring learning. In particular, we draw attention to the model of the learner produced by learning analytics and to issues of ‘dataveillance’ in online learning. We also use the case to examine assessment in higher education more broadly, exploring the tensions between the requirements for certification and the need for learning. We conclude that assessment practices in higher education may have more to do with ‘quality assurance’ and regulatory frameworks than with ‘enhancing the student experience’ and inculcating the qualities that mark out higher education as an ethical project.