ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
The Possible Cause of School Governance Challenges in South Africa
Author: Xaba, Mgadla Isaac
Date: 2011-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Governance,Foreign Countries,Qualitative Research,Interviews,Governing Boards,Disadvantaged Schools,Phenomenology,Parents,Elementary School Teachers,Principals

School governance in South Africa is about the single most important factor in education that appears to experience apparently insurmountable challenges. In this article I explore and analyse school governance challenges to find their possible cause. A qualitative study using interviews was conducted with principals, educators and parents as school governing body members. The results of the empirical investigation reveal numerous challenges in school governance, which challenges seem to be mainly related to school governors' ability or inability to execute functions prescribed by the South African Schools Act 84 of 1996 (hereafter referred to as the Schools Act). An analysis of the challenges strongly indicates that these challenges are possibly caused by the nature of the prescribed functions, which require specialised skills and knowledge to execute. This is manifested in the various reasons advanced by school governors, such as the apportionment of blame among themselves. It is therefore concluded that school governing bodies are not really succeeding in facing the challenges of their roles and responsibilities and that the possible cause for these challenges resides in the specialist nature of most prescribed functions themselves.
Distributed Leadership in South African Schools: Possibilities and Constraints
Author: Williams, Clarence G.
Date: 2011-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Leadership,Foreign Countries,Leaders,Leadership Responsibility,Faculty Development,Teaching (Occupation),Females,Leadership Role,Women Faculty,Leadership Effectiveness,Educational Policy

Before 1994 South African teachers in general, but more specifically women teachers, were effectively excluded from fulfilling meaningful roles as leaders at school level. Since 1994 the Department of Education has promulgated a number of policies in an attempt to actualize distributed leadership in South African schools. Fundamental to distributed leadership is the belief that all teachers have the right and potential to participate in decisions that affect their work. This article unpacks the theoretical underpinnings of the notion of distributed leadership and then investigates the numerous and diverse factors which have prevented the actualization of distributed leadership in South African schools. It is suggested that distributed leadership within schools can be actualized if the combined knowledge, expertise and experience of various role-players and stakeholders are harnessed in a collaborative fashion. While a healthy bout of idealism is required it is important that this idealism be moderated by the recognition of the realities of the South African situation.
Behind the Final Grade in Hybrid v. Traditional Courses: Comparing Student Performance by Assessment Type, Core Competency, and Course Objective
Author: Bain, Lisa Z.
Date: 2012-02-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Grades (Scholastic),Blended Learning,Conventional Instruction,Comparative Analysis,Student Evaluation,Competence,Course Objectives,Computer Science Education,Information Systems,College Students,Assignments,Group Activities,Student Projects,Tests,Critical Thinking,Writing (Composition),Teamwork

There are many different delivery methods used by institutions of higher education. These include traditional, hybrid, and online course offerings. The comparisons of these typically use final grade as the measure of student performance. This research study looks behind the final grade and compares student performance by assessment type, core competency, and course objective. The statistical conclusions showed that hybrid course delivery could produce similar if not better results than traditional delivery. In addition, students performed significantly higher in assignments, critical thinking, written communications, and the advanced course objectives. Surprisingly, there appeared to be little if any impact on group projects and teamwork skills in the hybrid sections. Therefore, this study supports the hybrid delivery method for courses with similar course components.
Legal Accountability for Public School Discipline--Fact or Fiction?
Author: de Waal, Elda
Date: 2011-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Public Schools,Legal Responsibility,Parent Caregiver Relationship,Parents,Caregivers,Discipline

Educators, learners and parents/caregivers should be held accountable for instilling learner discipline through clear guidelines and limitations to achieve security at public schools. Two previously identified education challenges are sustaining well-disciplined education systems and ensuring that educators are attentive to legal parameters in making decisions and dealing with discipline. This article adds a third challenge: convincing educators, learners and parents/caregivers of their accountability concerning creating/maintaining safe learning environments. Five subordinate legislation documents relevant to legal accountability are scrutinized, as well as relevant case law. The article follows a documentary comparative perspective using a secondary analysis method: appraising legal guidelines and asking questions to draw conclusions and make pragmatic action-oriented suggestions.
The Need for Mobile Application Development in IS Curricula: An Innovation and Disruptive Technologies Perspective
Author: Babb, Jeffry S., Jr.
Date: 2012-02-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Handheld Devices,Computer Oriented Programs,Computer Software,Curriculum Development,Undergraduate Students,Information Systems,Technological Advancement,Innovation,Curriculum Design,Computer Science Education

Disruptive technologies, such as mobile applications development, will always present a dilemma for Information Systems educators as dominant paradigms in our environment will tend to favor the existing sustaining technologies that we have become known for in our discipline. In light of this friction, we share our approach in investigating and designing a mobile application development which centers on student-faculty partnerships. We discuss a mobile application prototyping strategy and process which has allowed first-hand exploration of the current generation of mobile devices, and associated operating systems (&quot;Android&quot; and &quot;iOS&quot;). The nature of application development for these current-generation devices is discussed. A strategy for investigating and incorporating disruptive technologies, such as mobile applications, is offered for curriculum development. These strategies and the thinking surrounding them are influenced by theories on disruptive technologies and innovation. Of particular interest is the need to keep abreast of innovative technologies without, at the same time, chasing down every &quot;fad&quot; that appears.
Does the Instructor's Experience as a Practitioner Affect the Purpose and Content of the Undergraduate Systems Analysis and Design Course?
Author: Burns, Timothy J.
Date: 2012-02-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Teacher Surveys,College Faculty,Interviews,Systems Analysis,Design,Information Systems,Teacher Qualifications,Teacher Background,Industry,Experience,Grounded Theory,Questionnaires,Textbooks,Teaching Methods,Course Content

This paper reports the results of a survey and follow-up interviews that were administered to instructors of the undergraduate systems analysis and design course, a core course of the Information Systems curriculum. The goal of this research was to learn if the background of the instructor, in terms of industry experience, affects the purpose and content of the course. The survey results indicate that there are significant differences between instructors with no practitioner background and those with prior industry experience.
Cloud Computing as a Core Discipline in a Technology Entrepreneurship Program
Author: Lawler, James
Date: 2012-06-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Internet,Computer Software,Computers,Users (Information),Information Management,Entrepreneurship,Technology Uses in Education,Information Technology,Computer Science Education,Employment Qualifications

Education in entrepreneurship continues to be a developing area of curricula for computer science and information systems students. Entrepreneurship is enabled frequently by cloud computing methods that furnish benefits to especially medium and small-sized firms. Expanding upon an earlier foundation paper, the authors of this paper present an enhanced model program for including cloud computing as a discipline for further learning technology entrepreneurship. In the program, students can learn skills for leveraging cloud computing practices in the context of an enterprise strategy. This paper will be beneficial to educators exploring new initiatives in industry that might improve innovation projects in a technology entrepreneurship program.
Comparatively Assessing the Use of Blackboard versus Desire2Learn: Faculty Perceptions of the Online Tools
Author: Chawdhry, Adnan A.
Date: 2012-06-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Teacher Attitudes,Integrated Learning Systems,Comparative Analysis,Electronic Learning,Online Courses,Distance Education,Technology Uses in Education,Educational Technology,Statistical Analysis,Higher Education,Universities,Teacher Surveys,Technological Advancement,College Faculty,Gender Differences,Age,Departments

Current trends indicate that an increasing number of Universities have been offering online classes without assessing the faculty perspective of the online learning management tools. When a University understands the faculty perception they can implement an online education environment that is both conducive to student learning and faculty engagement. This paper provides a quantitative and comparative assessment of Blackboard and Desire2Learn, two tools used to implement online classes. These tools were utilized at a small rural Mid-Atlantic university in the 2010 and 2011 academic years. A survey was distributed to the faculty populations to understand their opinions about Blackboard and Desire2Learn, and to assess the difference in their preferences between these two technologies. This survey is based upon an earlier study conducted at the University of Denver in 2006. The results of this survey were analyzed to better understand the faculty perceptions of these technologies and the commonly used features. [Note: The issue number (2) shown on the PDF is incorrect. The correct citation is v10 n3.]
Visual Basic Programming Impact on Cognitive Style of College Students: Need for Prerequisites
Author: White, Garry L.
Date: 2012-08-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Programming,Cognitive Style,College Students,Prerequisites,Brain Hemisphere Functions,Computer Science Education,Required Courses,Statistical Analysis

This research investigated the impact learning a visual programming language, Visual Basic, has on hemispheric cognitive style, as measured by the Hemispheric Mode Indicator (HMI). The question to be answered is: will a computer programming course help students improve their cognitive abilities in order to perform well? The cognitive styles for the right hemisphere involve concrete experiences and creativity while the left hemisphere involves abstract and logic thinking. Prior research has shown procedural programming involved a left brain hemispheric style thinking. Object-oriented programming has been found to require neither left nor right hemispheric cognitive style. Even though Visual Basic contains object-oriented components, left brain thinking was found to be required for success in Visual Basic. Prior researches were relational studies, and no cause/effect was established. This study found hemispheric cognitive style remained the same after a semester course in Visual Basic. College age students' cognitive style was not impacted. This may be due to maturation of the brain. Since left hemispheric cognitive style is required to be successful in Visual Basic and Visual Basic does not create such cognitive style, this research, as well as other research, supports the need for prerequisites for Visual Basic to ensure students' success.
Improvement in Writing and Reviewing Skills with Calibrated Peer Review™
Author: Gunersel, Adalet Baris
Date: 2009-07-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Peer Evaluation,Writing Skills,Writing Improvement,College Students,Evaluative Thinking,Low Achievement,College Science,College Mathematics,Biology,Physics,Repetition,College Faculty,Statistical Analysis

This study analyzed results of an NSF-funded project that used Calibrated Peer Review (CPR)™ to promote writing and reviewing skills. The specific focus of the study was whether students at different levels of performance showed improvement in writing and reviewing competency with repeated use of CPR. The study paid specific attention to progress made by initially lower performing students. The courses of nine instructors with a total of 789 students were included. Repeated measures analyses indicated that across different science disciplines and student levels, students showed improvement in writing skills and reviewer competency with repeated use of CPR. In addition, the difference in scores between high and low performing students decreased over time in both writing skills and reviewer competency.
Ideas Tried, Lessons Learned, and Improvements to Make: A Journey in Moving a Spreadsheet-Intensive Course Online
Author: Berardi, Victor L.
Date: 2012-04-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Spreadsheets,Online Courses,Integrated Learning Systems,Delivery Systems,Instructional Design,Decision Making,Distance Education,Program Implementation,Regression (Statistics),Student Surveys,College Students

Using information systems to solve business problems is increasingly required of everyone in an organization, not just technical specialists. In the operations management class, spreadsheet usage has intensified with the focus on building decision models to solve operations management concerns such as forecasting, process capability, and inventory management. This paper presents an experience in moving the course to full online delivery. Of particular concern was maintaining the impact that the in-class workshop approach to spreadsheet activities and exams had when converted to the online setting. The [learning management system] (LMS) used by the university proved inadequate to handle a fully online spreadsheet intensive course such as this one, so new capabilities had to be found or developed. This proved to be non-trivial as it required designing custom solutions. This paper covers what was tried, how it worked, and ideas for improvements. Links to resources developed and used are provided in the appendices for others to improve upon.
Personal Reflection: Reflective Learning as a Student and an Educator: Connecting the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning
Author: Tsang, Annetta
Date: 2009-07-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Reflection,Learning,Teaching Methods,Instruction,College Students,Foreign Countries,College Faculty

This reflective essay describes my encounter with reflective learning as a student enrolled in the University of Queensland Graduate Certificate in Education (Higher Education) program and the application and integration of reflective learning in a clinical course within the Bachelor of Oral Health program as an educator. Insights gained and lessons learnt in practising the scholarship of teaching and learning in a formal degree program are discussed.
Whatever Happened to Richard Reid's List of First Programming Languages?
Author: Siegfried, Robert M.
Date: 2012-08-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Programming Languages,Computer Science Education,Information Systems,Introductory Courses,Check Lists,Trend Analysis,Incidence,Teacher Surveys,College Programs,Educational Practices,Qualitative Research

Throughout the 1990s, Richard Reid of Michigan State University maintained a list showing the first programming language used in introductory programming courses taken by computer science and information systems majors; it was updated for several years afterwards by Frances Van Scoy of West Virginia University. However, it has been 5 years since the last Reid List was released. An updated list was compiled revealing the most popular programming languages. The resultant correspondence with faculty members at many of the 410 Reid List colleges and universities indicates several trends, some of which are contradictory, as well as the reasons for the language choices of the participating schools. We present several conclusions from our findings.
Implementation of a Distance MS-CIS Program: Lessons Learned and Principles for Success
Author: Clark, Jon D.
Date: 2012-04-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Computer Science Education,Information Systems,Masters Programs,Distance Education,Educational Principles,Program Implementation,Taxonomy,Educational Practices,Program Effectiveness,Barriers,Program Descriptions,Educational Development

The Master of Science in Computer Information Systems (MS-CIS) program at Colorado State University (CSU) was one of the first in the country when it was established in 1967 according to the model provided by the Data Processing Management Association (DPMA). Beginning in 1967, CSU initiated delivery of its MBA at a distance and graduated the first student in 1972, thus, making it the first and most senior program in the US. In 1992 a Computer Information Systems (CIS) concentration was offered in the distance MBA, though many challenges were faced due primarily to the distribution of the necessary software (IEF by Texas Instruments). The concentration was discontinued in 1995 due to difficulties associated with installation of the complex IEF software on distance student computers. Fall 2010 saw the rollout of the entire MS-CIS program consisting of 5 courses in the fall, 4 courses in the spring and the remainder during summer 2011. The purpose of this paper is to share lessons learned in terms of university and college approval, development and deployment. Surprisingly, many lessons may appear to be counter-intuitive and, yet, are critical to the success of the distance program.
Multiple Submissions and Their Impact on the &quot;Path of Learning&quot;
Author: Gebauer, Judith
Date: 2012-04-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Information Systems,Assignments,Feedback (Response),Skill Analysis,Skill Development,Teaching Methods,Revision (Written Composition),Learning Theories,Grading,Undergraduate Students,Introductory Courses,Access to Information,Problem Solving,Vignettes

Learning theory from the &quot;behaviorist&quot; camp suggests that quick feedback on a stimulus (problem) followed by repetition (resubmission) will increase student learning. To test this assumption an experiment was conducted. In an introductory management information system class students were given the opportunity to submit several skill-building project assignments prior to the due date. These submissions were graded promptly and feedback was provided. Students could then re-submit the project for final grading upon the actual due date. Data that were collected from a total of 159 students on three different database and spreadsheet skills indicate that there is a relationship between the choice of a student to take advantage of pre-grading and the grade on a subsequent test that assesses similar skills as in the project assignments. However, the relationship is not immediate, but it appears that students need to follow a &quot;path of learning&quot; in order to achieve a higher level of understanding, whereby prompt and constructive feedback can play an important role.
The Influence of Township Schools on the Resilience of Their Learners
Author: Mampane, Ruth
Date: 2011-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Resilience (Psychology),Case Studies,Focus Groups,Qualitative Research,Educational Policy,Goal Orientation,Correlation,Caring,Safety,Foreign Countries,School Role,Socialization,Comparative Analysis,Secondary School Students,Disadvantaged Schools,Student Attitudes,Questionnaires,Institutional Characteristics

Many learners living in townships require protection and resilience to overcome obstacles and adversities in their context of development. The literature on resilience indicates strongly that resilience is embedded systemically. In the absence of constructive and supportive conditions in the home environment, the school would logically appear to be the next resource in line to be tapped. We investigated the contribution of two South African township schools to the resilience of their middle adolescent learners. Case studies with focus groups of resilient and less-resilient Grade 9 learners were used, following the Interactive Qualitative Analysis method, to determine the participants' perceptions of how the school contributes to the degree and nature of their resilience. The influence of the school varied depending on the degree of the learners' resilience, but also depending on factors within the school itself, suggesting that schools play a distinctive and determining role. Contributions particularly highlighted included creation, or failure to create, a supportive teaching and learning environment with effective implementation of rules and educational policy to provide care and safety for its learners and develop them to reach their future goals. Resilient learners were more ready than less resilient learners to acknowledge and utilise these characteristics. All focus groups placed much emphasis on goal attainment, suggesting a strong relationship with resilience.
Involuntary Commitment Application: An Online Training Module
Author: Whitfield, Kimberly Y.
Date: 2012-06-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Educational Technology,Web Based Instruction,Technology Uses in Education,Teaching Methods,Training,Online Courses,Courts,State Government,Professional Development,Needs Assessment,Instructional Design,Formative Evaluation,Program Effectiveness,Tests,Surveys,Professional Personnel

The use of Web-based technology has enabled many government and corporate training divisions to reach more learners than ever before. Institutions are restructuring their budgets, obtaining funding from governments and foundations to fund resources needed to increase online learning offerings. While online learning is increasing, questions arise as to the quality when compared to traditional face-to-face instruction. Research indicates that online learning can be more effective than face-to-face instruction. The purpose of this project is to analyze training sessions used by a state judicial system in southeastern United States for their Involuntary Commitment (IC) training to determine if self-directed online training is a viable solution to replace the current face-to-face training program and if so, design, develop and evaluate a pilot program for online training material.
A Relational Algebra Query Language for Programming Relational Databases
Author: McMaster, Kirby
Date: 2011-10-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Algebra,Computer Software,Programming,Databases,Teaching Methods,Database Management Systems,Programming Languages

In this paper, we describe a Relational Algebra Query Language (RAQL) and Relational Algebra Query (RAQ) software product we have developed that allows database instructors to teach relational algebra through programming. Instead of defining query operations using mathematical notation (the approach commonly taken in database textbooks), students write RAQL query programs as sequences of relational algebra function calls. The RAQ software allows RAQL programs to be run interactively, so that students can view the results of RA operations. Thus, students can learn relational algebra in a manner similar to learning SQL--by writing code and watching it run.