Examining the ethical environment in higher education

Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) across the world have found themselves faced with new challenges on issues of ethics. Much of this has been centred on issues of assessment: plagiarism, buying essays, sharing/lending of previously passed work and the stealing of marked/returned work of others. Institutions still treat academic misconduct as largely a behavioural difficulty rather than an issue of ethics (or education), suggesting that academia places a far greater emphasis on combating new forms of dishonesty than it does on encouraging ethical habits and a healthy ethical environment. To date, the majority of research in this area has examined these forms of academic misconduct from the point of view of the student and/or the university, with the perspective of academics receiving very limited attention. Our hypothesis is that academics are perhaps best placed to provide the education needed to create and sustain an ethical environment, and we argue that being ‘ethically aware’ is a critical factor in the development of academic competence for all parties. This study adds to existing research in three ways: firstly, by highlighting the importance of an overall framework for an ethical environment within HEIs; secondly, by suggesting an ecological model of key parties (the university, students and academics) with responsibility for this environment in assessment; and thirdly, by including new evidence (generated by a survey of academics) to extend our understanding of their views on these issues.     

The interplay between self-determined motivation,self-regulated cognitive strategies,and prior achievement in predicting academic performance

The present study examined the interplay between self-determined motivation and the use of cognitive strategies in predicting university students’ academic performance while taking into account the effect of prior achievement. A theory based model was tested using structural equation modeling on a sample of 764 Italian university students. Results showed that prior achievement influenced students’ academic performance and their motivation and use of cognitive strategies. Critical thinking was the only cognitive strategy which proved to have a significant impact on students’ academic performance. Autonomous motivation had an indirect positive impact on academic performance through its influence on the critical thinking strategy. Controlled motivation had a direct negative impact on academic performance. On the whole, our findings suggest that autonomously motivated students tend to achieve better academic performance by using critical thinking, while students who are driven by controlled motivation have lower academic performance.     

高职院校教学质量管理与监控实践探索

高职院校教学质量管理与监控着重建设人才培养质量评价标准,完善教学管理规章制度;构建教学质量监控体系;开展企业、社会对专业人才培养质量评价情况调查、毕业生对专业人才培养质量情况跟踪调查,形成完善的人才培养质量监控与评价机制,以确保人才培养模式的顺利实施。     

电气控制与PLC应用工学结合课程建设研究

从培养技能型、应用型人才的角度,分析了高职院校电气控制与PLC应用课程教学存在的一些问题,介绍我校以工学结合为切入点,从课程标准建设、课程团队建设、教学资源整合、教学方法与考核制度改革等方面进行的成功经验。     

大学学习的“敲门砖”

基于多年的教学管理、实验教学管理及相关的数据统计、兄弟院校的调研、分析思考后提出的问题,结合工作实际,提出探讨研究的思路与方法。     

基于图片摄影与编辑专题学习网站的开发性学习模式研究

E-learning与传统学习相比具有实践学习的终身化、空间的网络化、主体的个性化、内容的整合化以及交往的平台化等特点。而专题学习网站正是E-learning学习实践下的产物。本文通过分析图片摄影与编辑课程教学现状,研究利用专题网站开展E-Learning开发性学习模式的初步架构,并进一步提出开发性学习模式在教学中的应用思路,以期引起更多的实践类课程的教改探讨。     

从二语心理词汇的组织看词汇学习策略

从心理词汇的组织着手,重点分析了二语学习者应该如何根据心理词汇的动态发展过程采取词汇学习策略。得出的结论是：二语学习者的心理词汇组织是一个从母语概念向目标语概念转化的动态变化过程,所以词汇学习策略也应该从以词形为中心的策略逐步向以语义为中心的策略过渡。     

基于核心能力培养的高职英语教学实践探究

从核心能力的组成要素及其发展着手,阐述了其提出的理据,强调核心能力是指＂做成事＂的多方面能力的综合体现,进而提出在英语教学中,通过训练学生增强自主学习能力等四种策略途径培养其核心能力。     

Using a concept mapping strategy to improve the motivation of EFL students in Google Hangouts Peer-Tutoring Sessions with native speakers

This study examines four elements of learner motivation, attention, relevance, confidence, and satisfaction, in an EFL speaking course that uses the computer mediated communication (CMC) tool Google Hangouts. The study found that a preparatory concept mapping task before the CMC sessions improved students’ perceived attention, relevance, confidence, and satisfaction. However, follow-up reflective worksheets had no effect on perceived attention, relevance, confidence, or satisfaction. Instructors should use concept mapping in a pre-task to support learners engaged in CMC-based speaking activities with native and non-native speakers. When the students used concept mapping to prepare for the CMC-based speaking activities, they exhibited higher confidence in their oral practice activities with a native speaker.     

Socio-scientific reasoning and environmental literacy in a field-based ecology class

The complex environmental challenges humanity faces require citizens who are scientifically and environmentally literate. Many environmental education programs are situated in the field where students are immersed in their learning. These field-based activities are engaging but may lack opportunities for students to develop critical thinking and reasoning skills necessary to be environmentally literate. We suggest a socio-scientific issue (SSI) based teaching approach can increase epistemic engagement and lead to student gains in scientific and environmental literacy. This study describes how we modified an existing field-based ecology course, framing the learning around a local environmental socio-scientific issue. We used a convergent parallel mixed-methods approach to examine the changes in socio-scientific reasoning (SSR) over time for high school students in this course as a measure of scientific and environmental literacy. Results indicate that a focused SSI field-based environmental education curriculum can support development of socio-scientific reasoning and environmental literacy competencies among high school students.