ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
Achieving Quality Assurance and Moving to a World Class University in the 21st Century
Author: Lee, Lung-Sheng Steven
Date: 2013-06-04
Type: Reports - Evaluative
Subjects: Higher Education,Accountability,Quality Control,Foreign Countries,Program Evaluation,Quality Assurance,Institutional Characteristics,Institutional Evaluation,Institutional Research,Educational Quality,Performance Factors,Barriers,Educational Improvement,Change Strategies,Educational Change

Globalization in the 21st century has brought innumerable challenges and opportunities to universities and countries. Universities are primarily concerned with how to ensure the quality of their education and how to boost their local and global competitiveness. The pressure from both international competition and public accountability on universities will continue to increase the importance of university ranking (UR) and university quality assurance (UQA). The purpose of this paper is to point out that the current higher education evaluation and accreditation in Taiwan have helped the universities in Taiwan to achieve quality assurance and move to a world-class university (WCU) in the 21st Century. In this paper, the roles of UR and UQA as well as internal quality assurance (IQA) and external quality assurance (EQA) are discussed first. Then, the status of higher education institutional and program evaluations in Taiwan are presented. Finally, three challenges facing higher education institutional and program evaluations are pointed out as follows: (1) Quality culture has not been well formed, (2) Faculty and staff feel overloaded, and (3) The try-out of self-conducted and external program evaluation is off the track. In order to achieve UQA and move to a WCU in the 21st century, all stakeholders of UQA in Taiwan should think globally and act locally to overcome the above challenges as soon as possible. (Contains 3 figures.)
Formative Assessment and Next-Generation Assessment Systems: Are We Losing an Opportunity?
Author: Heritage, Margaret
Date: 2010-09-00
Type: Reports - Evaluative
Subjects: Test Construction,Formative Evaluation,Evaluation Methods,College Preparation,Readiness,Career Development,Misconceptions,Academic Achievement,Feedback (Response),Learning Processes,Learning Theories,Cooperation,Measurement Techniques

The Race to the Top (RTTT) Assessment Program has funded two state consortia to develop new assessment systems that measure student skills against a common set of college- and career-ready standards in mathematics and English language arts (U.S. Department of Education, 2010). The initial RTTT invitation to submit proposals prompted extensive discussion about a vision for next-generation assessment systems intended to play a critical role in supporting students to be college and career ready. To contribute to the vision, the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) published a white paper on comprehensive assessment systems to support high-quality learning. The paper called for assessment systems that supported multiple purposes at different levels of the educational enterprise and that included multiple forms of assessment, incorporating "formative as well as summative measures" (Darling-Hammond, 2010, p. 1). The thesis of this paper is that, despite the pioneering efforts of CCSSO and other organizations in the U.S., we already risk losing the promise that formative assessment holds for teaching and learning. The core problem lies in the false, but nonetheless widespread, assumption that formative assessment is a particular kind of measurement instrument, rather than a process that is fundamental and indigenous to the practice of teaching and learning. This distinction is critical, not only for understanding how formative assessment functions, but also for realizing its promise for our students and our society. The paper begins with a description of effective formative assessment and a clarification of some important distinctions that must be maintained if the benefits of formative assessment are to be achieved in our schools. These descriptions and distinctions introduce a brief consideration of the theory and research documenting the effectiveness of formative assessment. Next is discussion of the appropriation of formative assessment in a range of policy documents. The final section considers the role of formative assessment as part of a larger process of educational change. (Contains 2 footnotes.
Public Libraries in the United States Survey: Fiscal Year 2010
Author: Grimes, Justin
Date: 2013-01-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Profiles,Library Services,Public Libraries,Strategic Planning,Trend Analysis,Statistical Significance,Library Research,National Surveys,Annual Reports,Operations Research,Financial Support,Operating Expenses,Expenditures,Library Materials,Labor Force,Librarians,Library Automation,Library Development,Statistical Surveys

The relatively high use rates and program attendance highlight the public value provided by local libraries at a time of dramatic economic, technology, and demographic change. The Public Libraries in the United States Survey is one important way of examining when, where and how library services are changing to meet those needs. The data, supplied annually by over 98% of public libraries across the country, provides information policymakers and practitioners need to make informed decisions about the support and strategic management of these valuable local assets. The FY 2010 report focuses on the character of public library services, funding and resource changes, and current trends in the public library workforce. As with past annual reports, the first section highlights statistics at the national level. In this section, data from all states has been aggregated to provide current national estimates and to examine trends from prior years. For the first time, the report includes a section of public library indicators. This section is designed to highlight important changes in public services and resources each indicator explores how national estimates differ from those found by region, local, and state. Statistically significant differences are reported for each indicator. The authors have also included state profiles developed for the 50 states and the District of Columbia. The profiles contrast public library statistics at the state level to corresponding regional and national level statistics. Appended are: (1) About the Public Libraries Survey; and (2) Technical Notes. Individual sections contain footnotes. (Contains 24 figures.)
Strategies for Media Literacy: Audiovisual Skills and the Citizenship in Andalusia
Author: Aguaded-Gomez, Ignacio
Date: 2012-07-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Educational Policy,Mass Media,Media Literacy,Audiovisual Communications,Audiovisual Aids,Leisure Time,Foreign Countries,Surveys

Media consumption is an undeniable fact in present-day society. The hours that members of all social segments spend in front of a screen take up a large part of their leisure time worldwide. Audiovisual communication becomes especially important within the context of today's digital society (society-network), where information and communication technologies pervade all corners of everyday life. However, people do not own enough audiovisual media skills to cope with this mass media omnipresence. Neither the education system nor civic associations, or the media themselves, have promoted audiovisual skills to make people critically competent when viewing media. This study aims to provide an updated conceptualization of the &quot;audiovisual skill&quot; in this digital environment and transpose it onto a specific interventional environment, seeking to detect needs and shortcomings, plan global strategies to be adopted by governments and devise training programmes for the various sectors involved.
State Assessment Program Item Banks: Model Language for Request for Proposals (RFP) and Contracts
Author: Swanson, Leonard C.
Date: 2010-00-00
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: State Departments of Education,Test Items,Item Banks,Program Proposals,Technical Writing,Models,Proposal Writing,Contracts,Testing,Testing Accommodations,Computer Assisted Testing,Computer Software,Computer Interfaces,Metadata,Information Storage,Information Retrieval,Sustainability

This document provides recommendations for request for proposal (RFP) and contract language that state education agencies can use to specify their requirements for access to test item banks. An item bank is a repository for test items and data about those items. Item banks are used by state agency staff to view items and associated data; to evaluate items; to search the database of items; to inventory the item bank, evaluate pool sufficiency, and project future item development needs; to view statistical results; to help manage the flow of test development work; and to collaborate with the test development contractor on forms construction. "The goal of this document is to help state education agencies develop appropriate language for inclusion in RFPs and contracts, language that assures state access to these critical functions during the contract period and ensures a smooth turnover of the item bank at the end of the contract to the state agency and/or a subsequent contractor." This document is based on the assumption that an agency does not wish to retain its existing item banking system (if any), but rather to acquire a new one as part of the contract. In this case any existing state items must be transferred by the vendor into the new item bank. If, on the other hand, the agency already has an item banking system and wishes to continue to use it for new item development, different RFP/contract language will be needed to describe that system and the state's expectations. Some of the recommendations in this paper may be useful in helping to describe such a situation, but it is not the intent of this document to fully address the continued use of an existing item banking system. The recommendations are divided into five categories; the first four cover each of the major topics that might be included in the item banking section of a typical RFP and contract. The fifth is a special category devoted to emerging developments in computer-based testing and the use of new or different item types. These emerging developments pose special challenges for item banking systems, specifically in storing and retrieving new kinds of information about innovative items and/or testing accommodations. The topics in this category span and incorporate by reference the four areas covered in the previous categories. (Contains 1 footnote.)
Supporting Museums--Serving Communities: An Evaluation of the Museums for America Program. Executive Summary
Author: Institute of Museum and Library Services
Date: 2011-09-00
Type: Reports - Evaluative
Subjects: Museums,Grants,Program Development,Strategic Planning,Online Surveys,Program Evaluation,Community Needs,Audience Participation,Outreach Programs,User Needs (Information),Library Materials,Organizational Change,Technical Assistance,Access to Information,Eligibility,Change Strategies,Program Effectiveness,Program Improvement

Museums for America (MFA) is the largest IMLS grant program for museums; it supports institutions by investing in high-priority, high-value activities that are clearly linked to the institution's strategic plan and enhance its value to its community. MFA grants situate projects within a framework of meeting three strategic goals: engaging communities, building institutional capacity, and collections stewardship. MFA grants are awarded to eligible museums annually through a competitive process. Allowable activities include a broad range of museum work, such as digitization and collections management, exhibit and program development and implementation, research and evaluation, and staff development. This evaluation covers the first year (2004) of the Museums for America grant program through 2010. During that period, IMLS received 3,404 MFA applications from 1,817 eligible museums, awarding 1,191 grants to 830 museums, a total of $123 million in funding. This Executive Summary presents findings from the two-year study conducted by RMC Research Corporation. The study looked at the program's efficacy in serving the museum community and the impact of the MFA program and MFA-funded projects. RMC's analysis drew on IMLS administrative data from applications and awards, responses to an online survey administered by RMC to a subset of MFA applicants and grant recipients, interviews with representatives of 26 completed exemplary projects, and site visits to six of those 26 museums. (Contains 2 footnotes.) [For the full report, "Supporting Museums--Serving Communities: An Evaluation of the Museums for America Program. Full Report," see ED543074.]
Vocational Rehabilitation Service Delivery Using Telecommunication. Research Report
Author: Goe, Rebecca
Date: 2012-10-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Vocational Rehabilitation,Telecommunications,Internet,Delivery Systems,Research Reports,Counselor Client Relationship,Caseworker Approach,Access to Information,Electronic Mail,Semi Structured Interviews,Best Practices,Counselor Attitudes,Use Studies

Telecommunication offers a low cost solution to increasing client and counselor contact during the vocational rehabilitation (VR) process, particularly for clients at a distance from the VR office. Despite the advantage telecommunication provides, however, counselors report using email with fewer rural as compared to urban clients. In part, this may relate to counselor perceptions that rural clients have less internet access than their urban counterparts. In fact, a recent survey of 225 rural VR clients revealed that 67% could access a computer with Internet on a regular basis. Further, while 39% of informants used email with their VR counselors, 63% felt it would be an acceptable way to communicate. This gap indicates missed opportunities for counselor-client contact, a predictor of successful employment outcomes. This factsheet describes results from a recent qualitative study that both confirm and expand on previous telecommunication study findings. (Contains 1 table.)
Ensuring That Professors Who Enhance the University Earn Tenure and Promotion
Author: Gentry, Ruben
Date: 2013-02-00
Type: Opinion Papers
Subjects: College Faculty,Tenure,Job Security,Salaries,Teaching Load,Vignettes,Case Studies,Faculty Promotion

Tenure provides professors with a unique level of job security and utmost respect in the academy (Shea, 2002). Receiving tenure and progressing through the academic ranks are among the most visible and valued accomplishments for college and university faculty (Perna, 2001). Faculty who achieve excellence in teaching, research, and service readily receive these awards. However, disparities exists among gender, ethnicity, and types of performance in the evaluation of faculty. Women, minorities, and "university-enhancing" faculty are the underrepresented ones. The latter are professors at the university who really make wheels turn; they are always there to do what is needed to help fulfill the mission of the university. In some instances, the workload is overwhelming with committee work, planning and development of seminars and programs, supervising student activities, handling a heavy teaching load, and other duties to promote the institution. Unfortunately, many tasks needed to make the university function well on a daily basis do not enhance a professor's portfolio for tenure, promotion, or salary increases. Any disconnect between what is good for a university to function well and what is good for the ultimate welfare of the faculty is a serious problem that needs resolution. This paper highlights what is typically required to earn university promotion and tenure and presents cases of faculty who provide tremendous work for the university but struggle in earning tenure and promotion. Scenarios and recommendations are offered for ensuring that university-enhancing faculty earn promotion and tenure and for bridging the gap between what is good for the university and what is helpful for faculty. (Contains 2 tables.)
Eating in Space: Food for Thought. EG-2011-08-00005-SSC
Author: Vogt, Gregory L.
Date: 2011-00-00
Type: Guides - Classroom - Teacher
Subjects: Space Sciences,Space Exploration,Nutrition,Food,Science Instruction,Dietetics,Energy,Teamwork,Planning,Cooperative Learning

Among the thousands of questions that need to be answered before astronauts travel to distant planets and asteroids are questions related to the astronauts themselves. How much food will they need and what foods can they take? We are fortunate on Earth to have an amazing variety of foods to eat. When astronauts do go to Mars and other destinations, mission crews will be international. Carrying food the entire crew likes will be a real challenge. In this two-part activity, student teams will learn how to determine calorie requirements of astronauts and plan a one-day menu for an American astronaut and one for an international astronaut. In an optional extension to this activity, teams can learn how the calorie content (energy contained) in different foods is determined. They will measure the energy in several foods using a calorimeter they construct from simple materials. Appended are: (1) International Space Station Standard Menu Nutritional Data; and (2) Cooking Conversion Table. (Contains 3 footnotes.)
The Effect of Centralization and Cohesion on the Social Construction of Knowledge in Discussion Forums
Author: Tirado, Ramon
Date: 2012-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Educational Technology,Electronic Learning,Computer Assisted Instruction,Distance Education,Integrated Learning Systems,Asynchronous Communication,Discussion,Computer Mediated Communication,Social Networks,Instructional Effectiveness,College Instruction,Network Analysis,Content Analysis,Discourse Analysis,Correlation,Data Analysis,Centralization,Learning Processes,Structural Equation Models,Cooperative Learning,Group Dynamics,Social Work,Case Method (Teaching Technique),Practicums,Graduate Students

Interactive relationships in online learning communities can influence the process  and quality of knowledge building. The aim of this study is to empirically investigate the relationships between network structures and social knowledge building in an asynchronous writing environment through discussion forums in a learning management system. The quality of the knowledge construction process is evaluated through content analysis, and the network structures are analyzed using a social network analysis of the response relations among participants during online discussions. Structural equation modeling is used to analyze relations between network structures and knowledge construction. Working on data extracted from a 6-week distance-learning experiment, we analyzed how 10 groups developed collaborative learning social networks when participants worked together on case resolution. The results show a positive correlation between cohesion and centralization, and the positive influence of the cohesion index and the centralization index on social presence and cognitive presence in knowledge building. However, this must be understood within the context of social networks in which messages sent to all group members occupy the center. This underlines the need for reinforcing participations that are directed to the group as a whole, and the importance of the fact the network contains both central and intermediate members. By contrast, we propose that the combination of analysis techniques used is a good option for this type of study while recognizing that it is necessary to continue validating the instruments in terms of their own theoretical suppositions. (Contains 2 figures and 3 tables.)
ICT Integration in Primary and Secondary Education in Andalusia, Spain: Curricular and Organizational Implications
Author: Morueta, Ramon Tirado
Date: 2010-11-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Computer Uses in Education,Computer Software,Qualitative Research,Observation,Interviews,Content Analysis,Guidelines,Program Effectiveness,Program Descriptions,Curriculum Implementation,Early Childhood Education,Elementary Education,School Organization,Inservice Teacher Education,Secondary Education,Information Technology,Educational Technology,Technology Integration,Statistical Analysis,Barriers

This work, part of the Spanish government's National I + D Plan 2004/07, entitled &quot;Observatics: the implementation of free software in ICT centres in Andalusia: an analysis of its effect on the teaching-learning process&quot;, aims to describe the most recent impact of online communication technologies on education in Andalusia (Spain), within a new environment, as are the new ICT schools, characterized by the large-scale implementation of technology in primary and secondary education. By combined qualitative and quantitative methods, the study shows that, due to the presence of ICTs (Information and Communication Technologies) in educational centres, the frequency of computer use in the classroom has increased, along with an expansion of a teacher training process that  is progressively oriented towards contextualized models of learning. After investigating the most important factors behind the success of the mass computer installation programmes at the centres, a series of recommendations at centre and governmental level are presented that will ensure the maximizing of the potential of these technological resources.
Collaborative Learning Processes in an Asynchronous Environment: An Analysis through Discourse and Social Networks
Author: Tirado, Ramon
Date: 2011-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Asynchronous Communication,Computer Mediated Communication,Discussion,Social Networks,Integrated Learning Systems,Web Based Instruction,Network Analysis,Discourse Analysis,Case Studies,College Students,College Instruction,Instructional Effectiveness,Cooperative Learning,Learning Processes,Group Activities,Communication Strategies,Social Work,Practicums,Educational Technology,Caseworker Approach

This article analyses an experience in collaborative learning in an asynchronous writing environment through discussion forums on a WebCt platform of the University of Huelva's virtual campus, and was part of an innovative teaching project in 2007-08. The main objectives are to describe the processes of collaborative knowledge construction and the relevance of many-to-many communication in collective case resolution in asynchronous writing contexts. Two cases were selected for the experience, and two analytical approaches were adopted: discourse analysis and social network analysis. The results show that in the Case A group, where speech occurrence was less prevalent, the social network analysis markers show considerable cohesion and low levels of network centrality. By contrast, speech prevalence was greater in the Case B group and the network centrality markers were higher, although the group was less cohesive. These results lead to the hypothesis that many-to-many communication is more important in collective knowledge generation processes than dyadic or triadic communication. (Contains 6 figures and 4 tables.)
Learning to Watch Cinema in the Classroom: Production and Investigation for the Teaching of Cinematographic Language
Author: Goncalves, Ana Luisa
Date: 2011-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Films,Elementary School Students,Grade 4,Grade 6,Visual Literacy,Critical Viewing,Film Study,Instructional Films,Critical Thinking

This article synthesises an investigation of the making of a didactic programme as a consequence of the excess of consumption of audiovisual messages and the non critical and non-thoughtful attitude the youngsters have towards it. As an answer to this problem, the authors have produced a didactical programme about cinema and its language, the main purpose of which is to verify how knowledge, habits and attitudes of children may be modified if we plan, in the classroom, a way to deal with critical thinking, contents and cinematographic language.