The incorporation of hands-on tasks in an online course: an analysis of a blended learning environment

This article describes the design and evaluation of a blended online/face-to-face course completed by more than 6000 learners throughout the United States of America and internationally. The educational impact was monitored using a variety of evaluation strategies. The results, in terms of achieved knowledge and overall satisfaction, indicate that a focus on online instruction combined with face-to-face, hands-on activities showed statistically significant improvement in the learners' understanding of the course material, while also validating the impact of the curriculum in their workplace. As illustrated through the blended course design, this study further showed that online learners with greater improvement in their pre- and posttest scores also exhibited significantly greater likelihood in demonstrating competency in several areas during the hands-on portion of the course. In particular, participants working in the information systems field exhibited the highest mean difference score (21.49) on the pre- and the posttests, while those working in the laboratory had the lowest (12.17). Likewise, the odds that participants who reviewed the course contents sought to further understand their job roles was 58.2 times greater for those in information systems, while it was only 19.0 times greater for laboratory staff, than those who did not review their job roles.     

INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALISM ON CAMPUS

Despite many obstacles, investigative journalism continues to flourish in Australia. A significant part of the explanation for this appears to lie with universities which have journalism programs. Investigative journalism has a strong presence in these programs across Australia, a presence which is increasingly being felt at postgraduate level. As a result, an increasing number of journalism graduates have the skills and understanding necessary to embark on serious investigative work, and several institutions have embarked on projects with innovative approaches to collaborative investigative work. However, the wider context in which Australia's tertiary institutions operate is far from benign, and journalism programs—and thus the teaching of investigative journalism—are subject to many pressures. The paper finds that, although university journalism programs are increasingly taking responsibility for educating their students about investigative journalism, thereby picking up a key responsibility which would once have been borne entirely by the industry, there are also forces at work which limit their capacity to do this.     

The Politics of Standards and the Education of Teachers

A number of industrialized countries around the world are in the process of creating new directions for education, focused on elementary and secondary schools and the preparation of teachers in universities. Those directions, it has been suggested, will enhance not only the education of children and adolescents, but will lead to expansive improvements in people's social and economic well-being and will advance our technological capacities. Teacher educators and K-12 teachers are now in the midst of coming to grips with a new approach to the education of prospective and veteran teachers. While I am not sanguine about earlier attempts to improve the quality of teacher education programs, I also believe the current emphasis on national standards for P-12 teachers and university faculty in the United States and elsewhere must be challenged and critiqued. Standards Based Teacher Education (SBTE) relies on a set of ideas and commitments that needs to be both understood and critiqued. The SBTE process has approved sets of aligned external standards that encompass specific kinds of performances, outcomes and dispositions, and are linked to accreditation requirements. The process of teaching in this system is based on a technical-rational approach to teaching, and largely ignores social, political, and philosophical understandings. The present paper provides an analysis of SBTE and its shortcomings, as well as suggesting an alternative vision for the preparation of teachers.     

跨文化环境下中国武术教学者的关键能力研究

武术作为具有中国特色的文化,在教学人才的国际化培养过程中发挥着重要的媒介作用。本研究旨在通过实证研究,探明在本科学生中实施跨文化的海外教学实习对武术与民族传统体育专业本科人才关键能力的培养效果。主要结论为:跨文化环境下中国武术教学者的关键能力为专业能力、方法能力、社会能力与个性能力。     

美国教师教育者的素养结构与课程框架--以美国哥伦比亚大学教师教育专业博士生培养项目为例

为了促进教师教育者的专业发展,提高教师教育质量,美国哥伦比亚大学基于多项实证研究确认了教师教育者应具备的基本素养,设计了与博士学位课程相互嵌套的教师教育者专业培养课程,实施了教师教育者专业教育项目。项目实施结果显示,教师教育专业课程学习与基于共同体的教师教育研究能有效帮助教师教育者沟通教育理论与实践,提高教师教育者专业实践能力和研究能力,形塑教师教育者专业身份认同,为教师教育者自我导向的专业发展奠定基础。     

搞好先进性教育活动加强党的执政能力建设

如何使用手中掌握的资源,如何应对复杂的竞争环境,如何防止权力腐蚀,这是任何一个执政党要巩固其执政地位都是不可回避的问题.中国共产党在应对这三个问题中,面临着更为复杂的环境,更为艰巨的任务.正在全党开展的以实践"三个代表"重要思想为主要内容的保持共产党员先进性教育活动,是加强我们党执政能力建设的一次伟大实践,它从指导思想、目标要求、指导原则等方面,为这次教育活动顺利开展作出非常明确的部署,也为在新的历史时期,如何提高党的执政能力建设,如何加强党的自身建设,提供了一个很好的实践范本.     

对导游人员胜任力模型指标体系的探讨

导游人员在旅游业发展中发挥着不容小觑的作用。文章针对导游人员胜任能力的管理测度,以"胜任力模型"的建构为目标,在分析导游人员工作特点和职责的基础上,综合运用文献分析法和行为事件访谈法,得出导游人员胜任力模型指标体系,并对各项胜任力模型要素的内涵及不同等级标准进行了详细说明和论述。该文对导游人员的胜任能力的评价与提升,具有一定的参考价值。     

基于VIKOR算法的中层管理者跨文化胜任力评估

本文对在中国企业跨国经营的过程起着承上启下作用的中层管理者跨文化胜任力进行了研究和深化,建立了跨文化胜任力指标体系。接着首次引入可很好评估竞争力的VIKOR算法到胜任力评价中去,建立了基于VIKOR的管理者跨文化胜任力评估模型。最后实例验证。     

我国高校教师胜任力评价指标体系的构建

在高等教育大众化的前提下,建立新的教师素质观和科学的考评体系,是时代发展向高校及高校教师提出的新要求。文中分析我国高校现有教师评价体系的缺陷与弊端,在分析、借鉴国外高校教师胜任力评价体系的基础上,构建了我国高校教师胜任力评价的指标体系,以期能对高校教师的胜任力进行测度和评估,为2010年即将全面开展的普通高校绩效考核工作提供理论指导。     

高职院校中澳合作TAFE双语教学现状与改进

高职院校中澳合作TAFE教育的双语教学普遍存在着教学目标错位、课程体系衔接差、教材内容不适应、教学方式不灵活、评价方式单一等问题,与TAFE教育行业导向、能力本位的宗旨存在着一定差距,影响了办学效果。从跨文化的角度出发,着眼于能力的养成,通过合理定位教学目标、加强课程体系的中澳衔接、教材内容的安排要适应中国学生的实际需求、教学方式要灵活多样、考核评价方式要多元严谨等措施,来改进双语教学,推进国际化技能人才的培养。