Online professional development for environmental educators: strategies to foster critical thinking and social interactions

Abstract

Massive open online courses (MOOCs) offer opportunities for professional development of environmental educators globally, yet we lack understanding of participants? cognitive and social learning processes and of how instructors can enhance these processes. Based on the Community of Inquiry framework, we used a survey and coded participant discussion board and Facebook posts to examine the cognitive, social, and teaching presence in the Environmental Education: Transdisciplinary Approaches to Addressing Wicked Problems MOOC, offered by Cornell University. Rather than train educators in a specific curriculum, the goal of the MOOC is to expand educators? critical and transdisciplinary thinking about the field of environmental education and to enhance social interactions to support learning, educators, and knowledge co-creation. Results indicate that cognitive presence is higher on the discussion board whereas social presence is higher on Facebook. Over half of cognitive posts focused on exploration, a lower level of learning, whereas just less than a fifth reflected higher level integration, suggesting room for enhancing cognitive learning. Our results suggest strategies to encourage higher levels of thinking and more meaningful social interactions to foster learning, educator support, and co-creation of knowledge, thereby improving online professional development.     

快乐体育思想与女生体育教学

由于众所周知的原因,女生体育教学从形式到效果都不及男生,体育对女大学生的影响力十分有限,其中既有女性身体的客观因素,也有教学活动主体的主观问题.研究证明,注重兴趣的快乐体育是提高女生体育课教学效果的良方.     

图书馆海量信息存储系统模式的选择与设计——中南财经政法大学新图书馆信息存储系统

通过介绍中南财经政法大学新图书馆网络建设项目中海量信息存储系统的设计与实施,探讨面对图书馆成几何指数增长的数字信息资源,如何选择和设计能满足信息的存储访问、共享备份等需求的存储系统模式。同时介绍该馆在存储系统设计中提出的异地数据存储--建立校园网“数据中心”的方案,目前这一数据存储方式在国内高校中尚属首例。     

Informatik-Patente

Informatik-Patente

Informatik-Patente     

Demystifying the publication process – a structured writing program to facilitate dissemination of teaching and learning scholarship

This paper reports on a writing program to support academic staff to publish in peer-refereed journals. Nine participants completed a 12-week program, which involved regular meetings, set writing tasks, and peer feedback on drafts. A pre- and post-survey and follow-up interviews were used to gather feedback. Participants especially valued the discipline of weekly sessions and peer feedback. They reported increased skills and confidence in their writing, greater knowledge of the publication process, and intention to continue writing. Although five papers were published, a 12-month follow-up revealed that original writing intentions were not sustained. Thus, while a structured writing program can be effective, the pressures academic staff experience trying to meet conflicting requirements of teaching, administration, and research, must also be addressed.     

Association between knee-to-hip flexion ratio during single-leg vertical landings,and strength and range of motion in professional soccer players

Abstract

The aim of this study was to test the correlation between knee-to-hip flexion ratio during a single leg landing task and hip and knee strength, and ankle range of motion. Twenty-four male participants from a professional soccer team performed a continuous single leg jump-landing test during 10s, while lower limb kinematics data were collected using a motion analysis system. After biomechanical testing, maximal isometric hip (abduction, extension, external rotation), knee extension and flexion strength were measured. Maximum ankle dorsiflexion range of motion was assessed statically using the weight bearing lunge test. Pearson correlation coefficients were calculated to determine the associations between the predictor variables (knee and hip strength, and ankle ROM) and the main outcome measure (knee-to-hip flexion ratio). Correlation between knee-to-hip flexion ratio and hip abductors strength was significant (r = ?0.47; p = 0.019). No other significant correlations were observed among the variables (p > 0.05). These results demonstrated that a lower hip abductors strength in male soccer players was correlated with a high knee-to-hip flexion ratio during landing from a single leg jump, potentially increasing knee overload by decreasing energy absorption at the hip. The results provide a novel proposal for the functioning of hip muscles to control knee overload.