ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
Open Universities: Innovative Past, Challenging Present, and Prospective Future
Author: Guri-Rosenblit, Sarah
Date: 2019-10-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Open Universities,Educational History,Educational Trends,Distance Education,Electronic Learning,Educational Innovation,Access to Education,Part Time Students,Adult Students,Teacher Collaboration,Credits,Large Group Instruction,Online Courses,Open Source Technology,Academic Freedom,Blended Learning,Competition

This article examines the innovative past of the large-scale, single-mode open universities that follow the model of the UK Open University (UKOU), analyzes the main challenges which they are currently facing in the digital era, and concludes with highlighting leading prospects for their future operation. The establishment of the UKOU in 1969 marked a new era in distance higher education. It gave distance education a new legitimacy and opened up new prospects for populations that for a variety of reasons were unable to attend a campus-based university. Many of the new open universities were heralded as a conspicuous development in higher education, with innovative features such as: open access, reaching out to part-time adult students, providing academic faculty the opportunity to work in teams to prepare study materials, modular credit accumulation, teaching huge numbers of students, and harnessing innovative technologies into their teaching/learning processes. In the last three decades, many of these innovative characteristics pioneered by open universities have been adopted by campus universities. This has eroded the unique status of open universities in many national jurisdictions. Furthermore, the emergence of digital technologies has challenged the underlying premises of the industrial model of many open universities, as well as their logistic operation. Present challenges facing open universities emerge from: blurred boundaries between distance and campus universities; the changing of initial target populations; the need to restructure the technological and logistic infrastructure of open universities; the changing roles of the academic faculty; and the growing competition for both students and funds. In order to find success and keep being relevant in the future, open universities should take into consideration: future target populations; the use of MOOCs and OER; support systems for both students and professors; collaboration with other higher education institutions; collaboration with the corporate and work worlds; and enhancing the academic status of open universities.
A Comparison of Computer-Mediated Peer Corrective Feedback between High and Low-Proficiency Learners in a Japanese EFL Writing Classroom
Author: Colpitts, Bradley D. F.
Date: 2019-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Comparative Analysis,Peer Evaluation,Error Correction,Feedback (Response),English (Second Language),Second Language Learning,Second Language Instruction,Language Proficiency,Instructional Effectiveness,College Students,Writing Processes,Metalinguistics,Teaching Methods,Essays,Teacher Student Relationship,Foreign Countries,Writing Instruction,Student Attitudes,Computer Assisted Instruction,Computer Mediated Communication

The present study compared the efficacy of computer-mediated peer corrective feedback (CF) among two groups of high-proficiency (n=11) and low-proficiency (n=19) postsecondary Japanese EFL students. They completed a 10-week process writing composition, during which the students were given explicit instruction in metalinguistic peer CF. They then received CF from their peers and instructors. The researchers conducted a quantitative analysis of compositions, and the students' perceptions of the process were elicited using qualitative surveys. The results corroborate previous studies which found low-proficiency learners lack the aptitude to engage in meaningful peer CF. However, the qualitative portion of the study found that both proficiency groups had largely positive views of the peer CF process and revealed some interesting distinctions between the groups.
Rethinking Open Universities: What Makes Them Unique?
Author: Jeong, Hanmo
Date: 2019-10-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Open Universities,Educational History,Educational Development,Access to Education,Distance Education,Educational Quality,Quality Assurance,Institutional Characteristics,Educational Innovation

This paper considers the current state of the United Kingdom Open University (UKOU) and the implications for the evolution of higher education, whether through open or traditional institutions. Although 50 years have passed since the establishment of UKOU, the first open university, such institutions seem to be losing their ground, notably because they face challenges in creating a clear identity for themselves. By definition, they have been distinguished from traditional universities by offering both open access and open admission. However, some cases of open access (i.e., distance teaching through the adoption of various technologies) are found in China, South Africa, the USSR, and the US. Even so, the introduction of open admission policies can be considered a core feature of open universities. Such policies have been criticized for creating a so-called revolving door, with students failing almost immediately. To counteract this, UKOU developed a particular quality assurance system, which allowed them to be an authoritative higher education institution. Specifically, they structured regional networks with shared responsibilities, to offer all the elements that make up a university including headquarters, regional offices, and even spaces for students. This form of networked university is what differentiates open universities from the traditional university model and constitutes a unique feature of this type of educational institution.
Work-Integrated Learning Gone Full Circle: How Prior Work Placement Experiences Influenced Workplace Supervisors
Author: Martin, Andrew J.
Date: 2019-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Supervisors,Work Experience Programs,Student Experience,Outcomes of Education,College Graduates,Foreign Countries,Supervisor Supervisee Relationship

This article reports of a study of workplace supervision and student experiences and outcomes through insights from semi-structured interviews with 21 graduates who had previously supervised work placement students. The study focused on questions framed from the perspective of the interviewees' work placement experiences as a student and then as a supervisor (e.g., impact, motivation, insights for future students/supervisors, and graduate attributes). The findings from this study indicate importance of workplace supervisors setting expectations and engaging in initial planning and organizing for effective management of the work placement. Findings also suggest that the supervising can usefully take the form of mentoring, and that this provides the supervisor with professional development in self-management, effective communication and leadership. Implications for future WIL practice include utilizing workplace supervisors, particularly those who are themselves WIL graduates, to help further enhance student WIL experiences, learning outcomes, and legacies.
E-Learning Usage Outcomes among University Learners: A Pilot Study
Author: Devisakti, A.
Date: 2019-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Educational Technology,Technology Uses in Education,College Students,Foreign Countries,Student Attitudes,Teacher Influence,Peer Influence,Self Efficacy,Emotional Response,Student School Relationship,Student Participation,Academic Persistence,Performance

E-learning has the potential to attract learners into the learning environment with its abundance of benefits. However, learners tend to discontinue the usage of the e-learning portal if their performance in the study is not encouraging. Therefore, the aim of this research is to discuss on pilot test process on a proposed new model before commencing the main research e-learning. A pilot study was conducted to assess the usability and reliability of the survey questionnaire. An online survey method was used to collect 108 data from higher education institutions (HEIs) in Malaysia. The results agreed that most of the constructs in the proposed model have Cronbach alpha ranges from 0.801 to 0.906 which indicates the constructs have good reliability. Therefore, the constructs in the questionnaire are acceptable for future research on a bigger scale. The result provides useful information to the e-learning portal adopted by HEIs on factors that could affect usage and further outcome of the e-learning portal. In order to contribute to the body of research in this context, the researcher describes the pilot test process and methodology before commencing with the main study. A new proposed model was used which integrates TPB theory, IS Success Model together with Attachment which may provide a more comprehensive model for examining e-learning usage outcomes. Most other similar studies mostly conducted on undergraduates but this study intends to focus on postgraduates in both public and private HEIs.
Transformation from RTVUs to Open Universities in China: Current State and Challenges
Author: Zhang, Weiyuan
Date: 2019-10-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Open Education,Distance Education,Educational Technology,Technology Uses in Education,Open Universities,Radio,Television,Educational Change,Online Courses,Shared Resources and Services,Agency Cooperation,School Community Programs

Open and distance education has been playing an important role in China's development of higher education and lifelong learning. In 2012, the Chinese government approved six large-scale radio and television universities (RTVUs) to become open universities (OUs), including the Open University of China (OUC), Beijing Open University (BJOU), Shanghai Open University (SHOU), Guangdong Open University (GDOU), Jiangsu Open University (JSOU), and Yunnan Open University (YNOU). The purpose of this study is to provide a descriptive analysis of the transition from RVTUs to OUs, and the current state and challenges of open universities in China after five years' reform. Five topics are explored in this paper, including: the new positioning of open universities in China's vast and differentiated higher education system; award bearing and non-award bearing program offerings; implementation of the online teaching and learning modes; the use of Open Education Resources (OER) and online mini-courses; and the development and use of a credit bank system. A summary of these topics follows a discussion of four issues of open university reform, including key performance indicators (KPIs) for open universities, cohesion and resource sharing between the national and provincial open universities, quality assurance for award bearing programs, and planning to transform China's existing 39 provincial RTVUs into OUs. It is expected that the results of this study would contribute to knowledge about institutional differentiation in the world's largest higher education system, and on the merits of open and distance education in the human resource development in China. This paper may also provide insight for other countries that are engaged in institutional differentiation of higher education systems punctuated by the essential role of open universities in such planning and implementation.
Andragogical Teaching Patterns Appropriate for Work-Integrated Learning in the Information Technology Industry
Author: Janchai, Worawit
Date: 2019-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Andragogy,Adult Learning,Teaching Methods,Information Technology,Mentors,Entry Workers,Workplace Learning,Foreign Countries

This paper examines the teaching patterns of experts employed in the information technology (IT) industry. The objective was to study the teaching patterns that are used to develop new IT workers in organizations. Thematic content analysis was conducted on interviews with thirty-four IT professionals working in IT and non-IT industries with experience of mentoring new workers. The study investigated the use of adult-learning theory in four teaching patterns: time-based, function-based, technical-task-based, and case-based. Indications for the applications of the various patterns are described in detail. The researchers suggest the use of the patterns identified to optimize the process of enhancing the ability of IT students involved in work-integrated learning projects.
Teachers&apos; and Students&apos; Opinions about Students&apos; Attention Problems during the Lesson
Author: Cicekci, Mehmet Ali
Date: 2019-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Secondary School Students,Secondary School Teachers,Student Attitudes,Teacher Attitudes,Opinions,Attention Control,Behavior Problems,Psychological Characteristics,Low Achievement,Discipline Problems,Tests,Punishment,Teacher Student Relationship,Teaching Methods

This research which investigates teachers' and students' opinions about students' attention problems during the lesson is a descriptive study in the survey model. 432 teachers and 1023 students from secondary schools in the central districts of Adana voluntarily participated in the study. The research data were collected with a Written Interview Form developed by the researchers and a descriptive content analysis was used for data analysis. As a result of the research, it was observed that the teachers perceived the attention problems that the students experienced during the course mostly as a problem arising from the students themselves while the students associate this problem not only with themselves, but also with other students, teachers and the environment. According to the results, teachers as well as students easily noticed the psychological characteristics, the behaviors they exhibited and their low academic performance, but the teachers evaluate this situation more as disciplinary problems. The solution suggestions of the teachers who kept the attention problems of the students out of their own sphere and their teaching practices were that passing exams should be harder and discipline regulations should change to facilitate punishment. The students stated that teachers should show more interest towards the students, approach the students positively and use a variety of teaching methods in accordance with the students' level.
Academic Professional Development: Benefits of a Pracademic Experience
Author: Dickfos, Jennifer
Date: 2019-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: College Faculty,Faculty Development,Work Experience Programs,Cooperation,Accounting,Foreign Countries,Educational Benefits

Multiple benefits may be gained from academic staff undertaking pracademic experiences as part of their continuing professional development. A pracademic experience may increase collaborations between practitioners, academics and their tertiary institutions in terms of research and teaching. Academics can demonstrate the relevance, significance, and impact of their empirical research which then can support the practitioner's narrative to stakeholders. Teaching practices may improve as critical curriculum gaps are identified and the curriculum aligned with current professional practice. This paper promotes the proposition that a pracademic experience may also assist an academic to model, scaffold and coach employability skills to students. To provide evidence of the potential benefits from these collaborations, a case study, based upon the author-academic's experiences transitioning into the role of an insolvency file accountant, is included within the paper. The various benefits derived by the academic, the host practitioner, and the academic's home university from engaging in the pracademic experience are discussed.
Establishing Relevance through Cooperative Education in Ghana: A Study of Central University
Author: Antwi, Ransford
Date: 2019-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Cooperative Education,College Seniors,Internship Programs,Relevance (Education),Student Attitudes,Work Experience Programs

This research sought to investigate the perceived relevance of cooperative education to final year students of the Communication Studies Department at Central University (CU) in Ghana. The research employed a qualitative approach to examine how interns perceived the relevance of courses offered by the department to the world of work with emphasis on course utility and relatedness. The study was motivated by the perceived difficulties students face transitioning from higher education to full-time employment. A total of 30 students participated in five focus group sessions. Guided by the concept of cooperative education, the study found that students perceive the internship as a worthwhile initiative although the time allocated to it was considered inadequate for students' skills development. The study concludes that the current learning of students is related to their future careers, but, the internship program is poorly designed and needs some modification.
The Effects of Mind Games and Games Containing Physical Activity on Attention and Visual Perception Levels of Primary School Students
Author: Altun, Meryem
Date: 2019-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Attention,Visual Perception,Elementary School Students,Games,Physical Activities,Young Children,Program Effectiveness,Foreign Countries,Perceptual Development,Cognitive Processes

The aim of the research is to investigate the effects of mind games and games containing physical activity on the attention and visual perception levels of the primary school students. In this research, experimental design with pretest-posttest control group was used. The population of the study consists of seven-year-old children, and the sample consists of 160 volunteer students, who are chosen through purposeful sampling method and involved in game and physical activity group, mind games group, both physical activity and mind games group, and control group, studying at the Primary School in Kirsehir province in the 2017-2018 academic year. The data were collected by &quot;Bourdon Attention Test (Letter Form)&quot; and &quot;Frostig Developmental Visual Perception Test&quot;. A 14-week program was applied to the students in the experimental group and the students were given two hours of practice per day for three days a week. In the analysis of the data, arithmetic mean and standard deviation values of the pre-tests were calculated according to the group variables. The dependent sample t test was used to examine the differences of measurements within the group, one-way analysis of variance was used to make comparisons between the groups and the Tukey HSD analysis was used as a post-hoc analysis to determine the difference between the groups. According to the findings of the study, the attention and visual perception pre- and post-test scores obtained from the experimental groups indicate that there is a significant difference in favor of the post-test scores. As a result, all experimental groups showed a significantly higher difference in visual perception and attention when compared to the control group. This result shows that applying mind games, games containing physical activity, both mind games and games containing physical activity together are effective in developing visual perception and attention.
The Effects of Work-Integrated Learning on Undergraduate Sports Coaching Students&apos; Perceived Self-Efficacy
Author: Weldon, Anthony
Date: 2019-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Work Experience Programs,Undergraduate Students,Athletic Coaches,Self Efficacy,Job Skills,Program Effectiveness,Foreign Countries

This study examined the effects of a work-integrated learning (WIL) placement on student's self-efficacy and perceived workplace skill levels. Twenty-eight participants volunteered for this study, in which 15 completed WIL and 13 did not (non-WIL). The Work Self-Efficacy Inventory (WS-Ei) and Workplace Skills Questionnaire (WSQ) were used to collect student responses. Differences between groups were analyzed using a Mann-Whitney U test, mean differences were shown, and statistical significance was set at p &lt; 0.05. Results from the WS-Ei indicated the WIL group shown significantly higher total WS-Ei scores, higher mean scores for all dimensions measured, and significantly higher scores for individual dimensions; problem-solving, politics, pressure and role expectations. The WSQ indicated the WIL group had higher mean scores for all perceived workplace skills, except for information technology, and no significant differences was observed between groups. Areas showing little difference between groups can be highlighted for further support and development.
Isokinetic Strength of the Dominant and Non-Dominant Elbow in Elite Male Volleyball Players
Author: Cengizel, Elif
Date: 2019-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Kinetics,Muscular Strength,Human Body,Males,Athletes,Team Sports,College Students

The purpose of this research is to compare the elbow isokinetic strength applied at different angular velocities on the dominant and non-dominant side in elite male volleyball players. Fifteen elite volleyball players participated in the research. Isokinetic elbow flexion and extension strength were separately obtained on concentric/concentric dominant and non-dominant side as 5 repetitions at 60 degrees .s[superscript -1] angular velocity, 10 repetitions at 180 degrees .s[superscript -1] and 15 repetitions at 300 degrees .s[superscript -1]. In the research, the peak torque (PT), peak torque/body weight (PT/BW), flexion/extension ratio (B/T), angle of PT, work and power parameters were compared between the dominant and non-dominant elbows. No significant difference was found between the dominant and non-dominant side in the elbow isokinetic strength parameters of the subjects at three different velocities. A significant difference was found at three different velocities only in the angle of PT flexion (p &lt; 0.05). It is thought that this difference may result from the muscle shortening that may occur on muscle length (longitudinal effect) as a result of the more concentric contraction of the muscle on the dominant side compared to the non-dominant muscle. Consequently, there is not any isokinetic strength difference between the dominant and non-dominant elbow in elite male volleyball players. Isokinetic elbow test can provide important information regarding the potential risk factors for elbow injuries. For this reason, it is recommended to include this test in the functional screening of volleyball players.
Common Core and the Continued Socioeconomic Achievement Gap: How Can We Better Prepare Future Teachers?
Author: Davis, Lauren Dotson
Date: 2019-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Middle School Students,Socioeconomic Status,Achievement Gap,Poverty,Academic Achievement,Teacher Education Programs,Teacher Competencies,Preservice Teacher Education,Standardized Tests,Common Core State Standards,Grade 6,Grade 7,Grade 8,Reading Achievement,Mathematics Achievement

This paper discusses a longitudinal study of North Carolina middle level student proficiency levels on standardized assessments since the shift to the Common Core curriculum. Student poverty and its impact on student achievement the focus of this paper, and this study analyzes long-term proficiency trends and while delving into inequity implications regarding socioeconomic status. Recognizing the impact of poverty on student achievement as measured by standardized tests, the author questions the explicit practices of teacher preparation programs in preparing teacher candidates to work with students of poverty, specifically pertaining to the middle level student.