Effective practices for creating transformative informal science education programs grounded in Native ways of knowing

There are a growing number of informal science education (ISE) programs in Native communities that engage youth in science education and that are grounded in Native ways of knowing. There is also a growing body of research focusing on the relationship between culture, traditional knowledge, and science education. However, there is little research documenting how these programs are being developed and the ways in which culture and Western science are incorporated into the activities. This study outlines effective practices for using Native ways of knowing to strengthen ISE programs. These effective practices may also be used to promote change in formal education. The authors combine an overview of current research in informal science education with personal interviews with educators engaged in ISE programs offered to youth both on and off tribal reservations as well as experts in Indigenous education. Participating individuals and programs included Native communities across the United States, including Alaska and Hawai??i. Keeping in mind that each community is unique, ISE programs that are grounded in Native ways of knowing will benefit by utilizing the effective practices outlined here as a guide for starting or strengthening existing ISE programs relevant to the needs of their communities.     

Insights into Vocational Learning from an Applied Learning Perspective

A theoretical framework for understanding applied learning processes is now warranted given the frequency with which these processes are now being utilised. Drawing in part from the literature on applied education in schools as well as theories of vocational learning such a framework is offered here that seeks to explain these learning processes in terms of the interplay of multiple accounts of influences at micro, meso and macro levels. This framework integrates current and emerging theories around practical learning, and provides insights into vocational and workplace education processes. We clarify how features of our framework complement broader current debates and concepts in the literature on vocational and work-related learning, particularly focusing on influences for that learning at the micro level of individuals’ experiences and understandings entailed in embodied cognition, or knowing through practice. Moreover, the value of this framework is demonstrated through its application to two very different case studies of learning processes in workplace settings. In conclusion, some implications for further theoretical and practical work in this area are advanced.     

华文教育与华文教学:差异与关系之辩

华文教育与华文教学无论是在内涵还是外廷上都存在着包含与被包含的关系.从概念的内涵来考察,华文教学是华文教育这一概念内涵中的核心部分;从概念的外延来看,狭义上的华文教学是狭义的华文教育的核心组成部分,也是实现华文教育目标的主要途径,广义上的华文教学也只是广义的华文教育中传播华文事业的方式之一.     

Spatial pedagogy: mapping meanings in the use of classroom space

The positioning and movement of the teacher in the classroom are fundamental to the pedagogical process. Specific spaces in the classroom take on certain meanings because of the nature of pedagogic discourse that occurs on the site and the positioning and distance of the site relative to the students and the teaching resources. Spatial pedagogy is realised through the patterns of positioning and the directionality of movement, as well as the intersemiotic correspondences in the use of space with other semiotic resources (e.g. language, gesture and teaching materials). This paper investigates the different types of space in the classroom and their associated meanings. It also discusses an approach for annotating the teacher’s use of space, and the usefulness of visualising this annotation through digital graphical methods. The notion of ‘structured informality’ in the classroom is proposed through data analysis of two teachers conducting similar lessons, but with apparently different pedagogical styles.     

A new interface for a software complex to provide on-line service to VINITI DB users

Problems that are involved in increasing the quality of a user interface are considered. The authors present the results of the development of a software complex that is used to provide service to VINITI DB users when working with large data volumes and the transformation of the system to a three-tier architecture where xml data are used as a server response.     

谈云南开放大学如何服务云南“文化桥头堡”建设——基于“汉语国际教育”专业建设的角度

在云南作为西南开放的＂桥头堡＂宏观政策的大背景下,云南开放大学应发挥汉语推广的优势,加快＂汉语国际教育＂专业建设,努力为云南的＂文化桥头堡＂建设服务,同时推动学校内涵建设。     

A synergistic approach to turning the tide of grade inflation

Higher education in the United States is facing increasing demands for colleges and universities to demonstrate what students learn and that they are providing a high-quality education experience during the undergraduate years (Pascarealla et al. in Chang Mag High Learn 42(1):16–22, 2010). Despite evidence of the elevation of grades in higher education dating back to the 1970s, attempts to rein in this phenomenon have been largely unsuccessful (Nikolakakos et al. in Coll Univ 87(3):2–14 2012). It is our contention that attempts to reform grading have not succeeded because their focus is too narrow. After providing background information on the extent and causes of grade inflation, we will propose a synergistic approach to dealing with the problem of grade inflation.     

Fostering Good Governance at School Level in Honduras: The Role of Transparency Bulletin Boards

Corruption is at the core of weak governance. In the education sector, corruption is a threat to the quality of and access to education. Although the diagnosis is straightforward, effective reforms are more difficult to implement. The principles of good governance (transparency, participation, accountability, and integrity) provide us guidance, but innovative ways need to be found to fill these principles with life and create dynamics of change. We present a simple, efficient experience of introducing transparency and fostering participation and therefore accountability at the school level in Honduras. The transparency bulletin boards (murales de transparencia) are a homegrown response to the call for improving governance in a challenging environment.     

The impact of unproductive and top researchers on overall university research performance

Unlike competitive higher education systems, non-competitive systems show relatively uniform distributions of top researchers and low performers among universities. In this study, we examine the impact of unproductive and top faculty members on overall research performance of the university they belong to. Furthermore, we analyze the potential relationship between research productivity of a university and the indexes of concentration of unproductive and top researchers. Research performance is evaluated using a bibliometric approach, through publications indexed on the Web of Science between 2004 and 2008. The set analyzed consists of all Italian universities active in the hard sciences.