The significance of competing conceptions of civic engagement is increasingly apparent as efforts are made to respond to the measurement imperative that characterises contemporary higher education. The importance of devising appropriate means of recognising and incentivising civic engagement is asserted in this paper and the potential offered by emerging measurement and mapping methodologies is considered. The empirical basis for the argument derives from a multi-site case study of the process of embedding community-based learning within Irish higher education. Analysis of interview data from four cases, drawn from the university and extra-university sector, yielded, inter alia, a typology of orientations to civic engagement. Findings are discussed, including those relating to orientations, ambivalence, scepticism, and legitimisation strategies. The case is made that these themes and the factors which impact on sustainability are mirrored within the wider domain of civic engagement—hence the opportunity to learn from a civically engaged pedagogy.
By the proliferation of online courses, the social dimension of computer supported collaborative learning (CSCL) is becoming
more important than before. Research shows that communicative behavior adaptation to the computer medium is a critical issue
in CSCL social relationship development. Two dominant theories in the CSCL field, social information processing theory and
adaptive structuration theory, argue that individuals do not simply receive the technology passively but they adapt their
behavior to increase benefits from the technology. This paper develops an instrument in order to operationalize the notion
of individual’s communicative behavior adaptability in CSCL. Through an exploratory factor analysis performed on a small sample
of post graduate students of an online degree in an Australian university, three factors have been unveiled: (1) individual
perception of self-representation, (2) individual perception of compatibility, and (3) individual perception of the use of
computer technology. Identification of these factors is expected to facilitate understanding of individuals’ social behaviors
in CSCL environment, which in turn will guide the design of CSCL systems. In addition, the paper examines the relationships
between the extracted factors and four environmental factors: learner’s characteristics, course characteristics, instructor
characteristics, and technology characteristics. The results show that none of these characteristics strongly affect perception
of self-representation or perception of the use of computer technology. On the other hand, a strong relationship was found
between perception of compatibility and learner’s and course characteristics. The reliability as well as validity of the study
is examined and findings are discussed. These findings will provide further insights into the design process of CSCL systems. 相似文献
The implementation of Proposition 227 has created chaos, uncertainty, and a hostile environment for bilingual education teachers. This study describes the experiences of 20 bilingual education teachers in Southern California. In in-depth interviews, teachers speak out about the challenges, frustrations, fears, and the increasing animosity they face on a daily basis, and how they resist and contest the language enforcer role in various ways. Out of the chaos that has been created by Proposition 227, these bilingual teachers have emerged as the language civil rights activists of the new millennium. 相似文献
This study investigated the psychometric properties of the Elementary Social Behaviour Assessment (ESBA), a teacher-report measure of students’ social skills and academic engagement adapted for use in Norwegian schools. At two times, 8 weeks apart, 151 teachers rated 793 students in Grades 1–6 on the ESBA and the Social Skills Rating System Teacher’s form (SSRS-T). Exploratory factor analysis with the first assessment suggested one or possibly two factors. Confirmatory factor analysis with the second assessment confirmed the one- or two-factor models but did not offer strong evidence for one over the other. The ESBA demonstrated good to excellent reliability. Strong concurrent and predictive correlations with the SSRS-T established criterion validity. The school and teacher levels explained only a limited amount of the total variance in ESBA scores, suggesting that teachers rate students quite similarly. The Norwegian-adapted ESBA paralleled the reliability and validity evidence from US samples. 相似文献
This paper, first delivered at the 1979 Conference, reviews 25 years of experimental research into production and presentation variables. A number of suggestions are made for continuing research in specific areas and a bibliography of 45 references is appended. 相似文献
Not all child abuse is preventable. Society faces an ongoing need to support programs that treat the members of families in which abuse occurs. There is little systeamatically generated knowledge on the most efficient and effective ways to assist parents and children faced with abuse. The purpose of our 40-month study of eleven child abuse and neglect demonstration service programs in the United States was to expand the knowledge base in this area by determining, through evaluative research, the essential elements of successful treatment programs. This paper highlights our findings that pertain to more effective delivery of services to abusive and neglectful parents. 相似文献
Based on a recently completed alumnistudy of 522 graduates at a private college inthe northeastern Unites States, this paperpresents a model for designing alumni researchto assess higher education's effectiveness inpreparing graduates for work and life. Resultsrevealed substantial variation in alumnievaluation of their education. While alumnireported a high level of satisfaction with theacademic programme and career preparation,their feedback suggests they seek more fromtheir college experience. Results reveal thatstudents who feel a sense of community are moresatisfied with their overall college experienceand those who are satisfied with their sociallife are more likely to recommend the collegeto prospective students. 相似文献