Teacher training and ‘quality’ in higher education language teaching: strategies and options

The article focuses on the training of higher education language teachers from a quality enhancement perspective. After a brief discussion of the nature of quality in higher education, the article considers the implications which the expansion of language learning in higher education in Europe has for the teachers involve in designing and delivering language programmes. The main body of the article is then devoted to a discussion of the strategies and options in the field of the training of language teachers which emerged from reports on quality enhancement in higher education language studies prepared in 18 European countries. The reports were prepared within the framework of Thematic Network Project 2, organised by the European Language Council. The article concludes by highlighting the crucial role of teacher training in the ‘quality cycle’ with respect to both teaching and student learning.

L'article traite de la formation d'enseignants de langue travaillant dans l'enseignement supérieur d'une perspective axée sur l'amélioration de la qualité. Suite à une brève discussion de la notion de qualité dans l'enseignement supérieur, l'article examine les implications de l'expansion de l'apprentissage des langues dans l'enseignement supérieur en Europe pour les enseignants responsables de la conception et de la réalisation pédagogique de programmes de langue. La partie principale de l'article est alors consacrée à l'analyse des choix et stratégies dans le domaine de la formation d'enseignants de langues qui se sont dégagés de rapports sur l'amélioration de la qualité dans le domaine des langues dans l'enseignement supérieur dans 18 pays de l'Europe. Ces rapports furent préparés dans le cadre du Projet de Réseau Thématique 2, organisé par le Conseil Européen pour les Langues. En conclusion, l'article souligne le rôle crucial joué par la formation des enseignants par rapport à la qualité autant de l'enseignement que de l'apprentissage des langues par les étudiants.

El artículo trata de la formación de profesores de lengua que trabajan en la enseñanza superior, desde la perspectiva de la mejora de la calidad. Tras una breve discusión acerca de la noci?n de calidad en la enseñanza superior, el artículo examina las implicaciones de la expansión del aprendizaje de las lenguas en la enseñanza superior en Europa para los profesores responsables de la concepción y de la realización pedagógica de programas de lengua. La parte principal del artículo se consagra por tanto al análisis de las elecciones y estrategias en el campo de la formación de profesores de lenguas, tal como se desprenden de los informes sobre la mejora de la calidad en el campo de las lenguas en la enseñanza superior en 18 países de Europa. Estos informes fueron preparados en el marco del Proyecto de Red Temática 2, organizado por el Consejo Europeo para las Lenguas. En conclusión, el artículo subraya el papel crucial desempeñado por la formación de los profesores en la calidad tanto de la ensepanza como del aprendizaje de las lenguas por los estudiantes.

Der Artikel behandelt die Ausbildung von Sprachlehrkräften an Hochschulen aus der Sicht der Qualitätsverbesserung. Nach einer kurzen Erörterung der Spezifität der Qualität in der Hochschulbildung, befasst sich der Artikel mit den Konsequenzen des verstärkten Lehrens und Lernens von Sprachen an Hochschulen für die mit der Planung und Umsetzung von Sprachlehrprogrammen betrauten Lehrkräfte. Der Hauptteil des Artikels ist der Analyse von Strategien und Möglichkeiten im Bereich der Ausbildung von Sprachlehrkräften gewidmet, die aus 18 europäischen Länderberichten über Qualitätsverbesserung im Sprachenbereich an Hochschulen hervorgingen. Diese Berichte wurden innerhalb des vom Europäischen Sprachenrat organisierten Thematischen Netzwerkprojekts Sprachen II (TNP2) erstellt. Am Schluss des Artikels wird die entscheidende Rolle der Ausbildung der Sprachlehrkräfte für die Qualität des Lehrens und Lernens von Sprachen an Hochschulen hervorgehoben.     

Empirical testing of a cognitive model to account for neuropsychological functioning underlying arithmetic problem solving

The efficacy of a cognitive-based arithmetic problem-solving model (Dinnel, Glover, & Halpain, in press; Dinnel, Glover, & Ronning, 1984) was tested using 989 students with learning disabilities. Comprehensive neuropsychological test battery information was used to predict composite arithmetic test performance as a means of examining the utility of this model. Results of this study offer support for Dinnel et al.'s (Dinnel, Glover, & Halpain, in press; Dinnel, Glover, & Ronning, 1984) model in accounting for arithmetic performance under continuous visual stimulus conditions. However, these data indicate a more complex neuropsychological underpinning to arithmetic performance in both visual and aural stimulus conditions. The neuropsychological aspects of arithmetic problem solving were discussed in relationship to this cognitive-based model.     

Cats,Comics, and Knausgård: Promoting Student Reading at a U.K. Academic Library with a Leisure Reading Collection

This case study describes the creation of a leisure reading collection in the Clifford Whitworth library at the University of Salford. It briefly surveys existing literature on leisure reading collections and looks at the growing interest among U.K. academic libraries in recreational reading. It considers the reasons for promoting reading as a leisure activity to students and describes the processes of selecting, purchasing, and marketing the collection at Salford. It also considers possible future developments for the collection and the evaluation of the library's attempts to encourage a culture of reading among Salford students. The positive response to the collection suggests the development of leisure reading is a worthwhile activity for academic libraries to focus on and the study contains useful information for others who are interested in creating a similar collection.     

技术发展与业务需求双驱动下的物联网演进

伴随着信息与通信领域的关键技术以及产业背景下新型业务需求的发展,物联网的关注重点、关键支撑技术以及服务形式都在持续地变化。自20世纪90年代末物联网概念被提出至今,物联网的代际演进可以系统地梳理为具有不同特征的三个阶段,包括注重物体标记的初代物联网、注重物体联网的二代物联网以及引入了社交网络的新型社交物联网。为了构建完整的物联网系统,应深刻地理解技术发展和产业需求是如何驱动物联网的代际演进,并在此基础上,谋求关键技术的选用和协同,以提供适应物联网设备和应用特征的解决方案。     

Pedagogical constraints of physical literacy based on cognitive load theory

PROSPECTS - While numerous studies have highlighted the benefits of physical activity on cognitive health, learning, and executive function, maintaining physical activity throughout one’s...     

“人的全面发展”内涵新析

把握“人的全面发展”内涵的实质,应确立两个理论前提:第一,“人的全面发展”在很大程度上是一种理想、一种追求、一种社会和人生的信念;第二,“人的全面发展”是一个相对的概念,而不具有绝对的意义。同时,“人的全面发展”还应包含四个层面的内涵,即完整发展、和谐发展、多方面发展、自由发展。     

课程改革与教学模式转变

新一轮基础教育课程改革以空前的力度和崭新的面貌令世人关注,要实现课程改革的预期目标,关键在于教学模式的转变。现行教学模式必须从教师本位向学生本位转变,从独白式教学向对话式教学转变,从封闭式向开放式转变,从传递接受式教学向以引导探究为主要特征的多样化教学转变。     

Exploring and testing cluster analysis

Academic deans annually negotiate for a fair share of university resources. Without quantitative accreditation standards to serve as minimum guidelines, the competition is more difficult. Peer institution comparison, derived from the analysis of quantitative data on resource and productivity variables, assists by providing less biased justification for budget requests. In this study, data from a national study of doctoral-granting teacher education programs was used for a factor analysis of key resource and productivity variables. Seven alternative cluster analysis methods were used and compared. Three follow-up procedures (analysis of variance, discriminant analysis, and classification analysis) tested the cluster analysis results to verify the differences between clusters and their internal homogeneity on three different cluster solutions. The classification analysis showed that 88.2% of the 76 programs were correctly classified on the five-cluster solution produced using Ward's minimum variance method. The practical use of such data suggests that Cattell's pattern of profile similarly is a useful beginning to compare programs on factor scores; following that, raw data on each key variable might be used to prepare individual program profiles for more specific comparison.     

Impact of cutback planning and management on the poor and minorities in New York City: The case of public education

It is argued that the plight of the dependent-poor is likely to get worse as New York City's fiscal crisis is transformed into a service crisis. Considerable emphasis is given to describing the politics of school closings. The school closure issue has profound implications for any attempts to improve the educational lot of urban schools due to the potential relationship between white flight and school closings. The common tendency to close small and old school facilities located in areas where densities are higher (which minimizes transportation costs) results in schools being closed that are predominantly attended by poor and minority students. Policymakers should be able to learn a great deal about cutback management and planning in general through a better understanding of retrenchment policies which school districts throughout the nation have adopted.Presented at the Annual Meeting of the Association of Collegiate Schools of Planning, Washington, D.C., October, 1981.