ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
Instructional Delivery in Developmental Mathematics: Impact on Retention
Author: Zavarella, Carol A.
Date: 2009-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Cognitive Style,Education Courses,Dropout Rate,Developmental Studies Programs,Probability,Lecture Method,Computer Assisted Instruction,Online Courses,Student Attitudes,College Students,Community Colleges,Mathematics Instruction

Studies of students enrolled in computer-based instruction have yielded mixed results, with some reporting a high dropout rate. Tis article describes a quantitative study examining the probability of students' withdrawal from a computer- versus lecture-based developmental math course based on learning style, reasons for selecting the instructional format, and entry test scores. Students in the computer-based format were more likely to withdraw from the course compared to those in the lecture-based format, and personal reasons for choosing a specific format appeared to influence completion rates. Implications for practice include suggestions for providing appropriate information to students prior to their enrollment in online developmental education courses. (Contains 4 tables.)
Targeted Intervention for Developmental Education Students (T.I.D.E.S.)
Author: Boylan, Hunter R.
Date: 2009-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Student Placement,Cutting Scores,Data Analysis,Remedial Instruction,Models,Student Evaluation,Intervention,Thinking Skills

This manuscript proposes a theoretical model that provides an alternative for assessing, advising, and placing underprepared students in colleges and universities. It advocates combining cognitive and affective assessment data along with information about students' personal circumstances to make more precise placement decisions via advising that targets both course and service recommendations. The article also includes a detailed description of the model and how it might be implemented. The assumption underlying this model is that although the traditional practice of placing students into remedial courses based on a single cut score on a cognitive assessment instrument is efficient, it is not necessarily effective. The use of the alternative model, referred to as &quot;Targeted Interventions for Developmental Education Students,&quot; should enable institutions to place their underprepared students more accurately and serve them more effectively. (Contains 1 figure.)
Learning Center Issues, Then and Now: An Interview with Frank Christ
Author: Calderwood, Barbara J.
Date: 2009-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Learning Resources Centers,Interviews,Higher Education,Internet,Web Sites,Distance Education,Evaluation,Community Colleges,Two Year Colleges

Frank Christ is the founder and co-director of the Winter Institutes for Learning Assistance Professionals and has been actively involved with learning assistance and learning centers for the past 40 years. In this interview, Christ talks about how learning centers today differ from those with which he was associated at the beginning of his career, as well as the main difficulties and problems that learning centers are facing today. He also talks about trends in learning centers today that he considers most promising and mistakes that practitioners are making.
College Preparedness and Time of Learning Disability Identification
Author: Abreu-Ellis, Carla
Date: 2009-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Higher Education,College Students,Elementary Secondary Education,Learning Disabilities,Learning Strategies,Disability Identification,College Preparation,Measures (Individuals),Metacognition,Academic Achievement,Anxiety,Attitude Measures,Student Attitudes,Developmental Studies Programs

This paper discusses the results of the Learning and Study Strategies Inventory (LASSI) administered to college students in order to identify similarities and differences between time of diagnosis of a learning disability and the development of learning strategies related to will, self-regulation, and skill components. Findings indicate that early identification (in K-12) and providing students with test-taking strategies may ameliorate academic success in higher education for students with learning disabilities. Recommendations for action will assist developmental educators to better serve college students with learning disabilities in higher education. (Contains 2 tables.)
Critical Thinking: Strategies for Improving Student Learning, Part III
Author: Elder, Linda
Date: 2009-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Educational Strategies,Critical Thinking,Teaching Methods,Learning,Instructional Effectiveness,Teaching Models

In the last two columns we emphasized the importance of teaching so that students learn to think within and take command of content. We discussed the need to design instructional strategies for fostering deep learning, offering seven strategies as examples. In this column, we provide five additional strategies. As we maintain in all of our columns, teaching for thinking through content is an art, not a science. Te strategies we offer suggest some possible ways for helping students think through the logic of the subject with skill and discipline. Accordingly, any of these strategies should be contextualized and tested in the classroom and hence modified where necessary. What works with one group of students contextualized in one way may not work well with another group contextualized in another way. Most importantly, to be effective every instructional strategy should embed critical thinking concepts and principles in it. Each strategy should be based on the guiding thought that the only way to learn content deeply and truly is to think it into your thinking, to connect it with other important ideas, and to apply it to everyday life issues and problems (Paul &   Elder, 2006). The ultimate goal is for students to learn how to transform their thinking as they learn within subjects and disciplines, to integrate ideas within and among disciplines, and to learn the intellectual skills they need to reason through complex problems in all domains of human thought. What follows are specific suggestions for teaching in this manner. [For Part II, see EJ868666.]
Techtalk: "Second Life" and Developmental Education
Author: Burgess, Melissa L.
Date: 2009-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Web Sites,Electronic Publishing,Distance Education,Virtual Classrooms,Remedial Instruction,Higher Education,Information Technology,Games,Teaching Methods,Tutoring,Simulation,Social Networks

In our previous two columns, we discussed the potential for using blogs and wikis with developmental education (DE) students. Another Web 2.0 technology, virtual environments like "Second Life", provides a virtual world where residents create avatars (three-dimensional [3-D] self-representations) and navigate around an online environment (Caverly, Peterson, Delaney, & Starks-Martin, 2009). Other virtual environments comparable to "Second Life" have emerged (Virtual Environments Info Group, 2007). "Second Life" differs from asynchronous blogs and wikis because the 3-D interface allows users to immerse themselves into synchronous interactivity. Information can be disseminated through video, note cards,  e-mail, simulations, mapping, bodily actions, or text-based conversation histories. Avatars can discuss this information using text-based chatting (thus creating a downloadable history) or through a voice tool (requiring a microphone and speakers). Communicating synchronously through avatars provides the opportunity for greater social interactivity which is a vital factor when developing a community of inquiry within online or hybrid DE courses or learning support (Garrison, 1985; Peterson & Caverly, 2006).
The Inclusive Secondary School Teacher in Australia
Author: Pearce, Michelle
Date: 2009-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Secondary Schools,Inclusive Schools,Disability Discrimination,Foreign Countries,Empathy,Special Education,Teaching Methods,Qualitative Research,Legislation,Teacher Attitudes,Teaching Skills,Teacher Collaboration,Knowledge Base for Teaching

As a result of the 1992 Disability Discrimination Act in Australia and parental support for inclusion, regular teachers now include students with disabilities in their classes. Inclusion has been more successful in primary than in secondary schools. Secondary schools remain a challenge due to their traditional focus on curriculum, examinations, subjects and the large numbers of students allocated to each teacher. A qualitative methodology was used to identify the attributes, attitudes, knowledge and skills of inclusive teachers and the optimal means of their acquisition. Inclusive secondary teachers are dedicated, accomplished teachers. They feel empathy for their students and are student-rather than subject-centered. They work and learn collaboratively. Inclusive teachers need special education expertise or to be able to access special education knowledge at the point of need. Just as students with disabilities depend on their teachers, so too are secondary teachers dependent on their schools and systems to provide support during the learning process.
Innovations in Inclusive Education: Two Teacher Preparation Programs at the San Francisco State University
Author: Wolfberg, Pamela
Date: 2009-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Credentials,Inclusive Schools,Elementary Education,Autism,Bilingual Education,Disabilities,Masters Degrees,Special Education,Educational Innovation,Teacher Certification,Teacher Education Programs,Program Descriptions,Interdisciplinary Approach,Regular and Special Education Relationship

This article introduces two innovative teacher preparation programs that emphasize inclusive education at San Francisco State University. The Combined Elementary and Special Education program has as its main goal to provide specialized cross training for special and general educators who work in highly diverse inclusive public school settings. The training allows teachers to earn credentials in (a) elementary education, (b) special education, and (c) bilingual education. By combining and redesigning three existing programs at SFSU, the students now earn credentials in each of these three areas faster, while benefiting from the strengths of these multiple disciplines. The Autism Spectrum graduate program is designed to prepare highly qualified educators and related professionals to meet the unique needs of learners with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) in diverse settings. This interdisciplinary program is offered at an advanced level for students pursuing any area of special education or a related field. The program enables candidates to earn a (a) Master of Arts (b) Clear Education Specialist Credential Autism and (c) Autism Spectrum Certificate. Through participation in this program, students demonstrate working knowledge of state-of-the-art training models, strategies and philosophies to guide them in implementing appropriate educational programs for learners with ASD in inclusive settings. (Contains 1 figure.)
The &quot;Same&quot; Project: Achieving &quot;One Curriculum for All&quot; in Hong Kong
Author: Li, Alison Man-Ching
Date: 2009-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Curriculum Development,Special Schools,Learning Problems,Inclusive Schools,Compulsory Education,Disabilities,Educational Change,Foreign Countries,Special Needs Students,Teacher Expectations of Students,Academic Achievement,Standards,Program Descriptions

Special schools, along with an increasing number of mainstream schools that implement inclusive education in Hong Kong, have been making efforts to develop their own school-based curriculum to echo and support the spirit of &quot;one curriculum for all&quot; since the Curriculum Development Council (CDC) of the Education Bureau (EDB) released the consultation document on education reform at the beginning of the new century (CDC, 2001; Fok, 2008; Lian, 2001a, 2001b). However, several concerns surfaced in the process of developing an appropriate and effective curriculum: (a) it was difficult to help students with special education needs (SEN) access the central (i.e., mainstream or compulsory education) curriculum due to the lack of guidance; (b) a common language, as well as a teaching and evaluation system, has not been used with agreed-upon performance standards to describe students' learning progress and attainment; and (c) the phenomena of having low expectations for children with learning difficulties (CWLD) is common due to high emphasis on skills training-oriented education, a lack of direction in teaching and the understanding of Hong Kong's nine generic skills to be developed through the eight key learning areas (KLAs). This paper is, therefore, in an attempt to (a) review the trends and related studies on &quot;access to central curriculum&quot; from international experiences; (b) discuss the concerns on assessment and curriculum development for improving access to central curriculum for students with SEN in Hong Kong with respect to &quot;one curriculum for all&quot;; and (c) describe a project (the SAME project) in Hong Kong and to highlight the accomplishment of the Phase 1 of the project. The implications to the field are also discussed.
Task Representation and Text Construction in Reading-to-Write
Author: Cheng, Fei-Wen
Date: 2009-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: College Seniors,Writing Research,Writing Instruction,Academic Discourse,Writing (Composition),Second Language Learning,Second Language Instruction,English (Second Language),Cues,Inferences,Decision Making,Teaching Methods,Majors (Students),Protocol Analysis,Student Attitudes,Interviews,Metacognition

Students' interpretations of their academic writing tasks has been a central concern in the cognitive-based writing research due to the prominent role such decision-making plays in determining students' subsequent thinking and composing strategies and ultimately in shaping their textual quality. Without a comprehensive understanding of how L2 students interpret the writing task, ESL/EFL writing instructors may not know the sources of various writing problems in students' written texts and hence, may not be able to develop appropriate writing pedagogy. The present study attempts to address this research gap by studying the interpretive process of three high ability college seniors as composing a source-based academic assignment. The findings show that all the participants have different representations of the assigned task. Two of them were less able to make sense of the requirements of such a writing task as expected in the academic community and consequently failed to use the assigned readings as required although they did understand the basic format associated with this task type and had received prior instruction on reading-based writing. First language culture may have affected how they constructed the writing task for themselves as inferring and eliciting the information specified in the writing prompt. (Contains 3 tables.)
Style Shift in Translation
Author: Al-Qinai, Jamal
Date: 2009-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Semantics,Syntax,Translation,English,Language Styles,Language Proficiency,Semitic Languages,Dialogs (Language),Cultural Differences,Computational Linguistics

The phenomenon of style shift in translated texts is ascribed mainly to textual incompatibility in terms of rhetorical asymmetry and divergence at the formality level. Mandatory shifts result from a systematic dissimilarity between the source language and the target language in terms of the underlying system of syntax, semantics and rhetorical patterns. At the textual level, shifts become more frequent in terms of cohesive relations which are manifest in endophoric references, substitution, ellipsis, conjunctions and punctuation. On the other hand, optional shifts are carried out by the translator's personal preferences under the influence of idiolect and level of proficiency in the target language. It is argued that diglossic divergence leads to an increase in the level of formality in translating and subtitling casual dialogues and conversations from English into Arabic. To demonstrate this, samples are taken from a corpus of translated texts to show how various stylistic patterns operate across cultures. (Contains 6 notes.)
Effects of Review Activities on EFL Learning
Author: Lin, Chiu-Lan Nina
Date: 2009-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Experimental Groups,Control Groups,Linguistic Competence,English (Second Language),Second Language Instruction,Second Language Learning,Nonmajors,Pretests Posttests,Oral Language,Written Language,Teaching Methods,Learning Activities,Dialogs (Language),Foreign Countries,Outcomes of Education

The utmost goal of foreign language instruction is aimed at helping the learner master the language. At the same time the learner shall become equipped with linguistic, pragmatic and social-linguistic competence. This study was done to explore if review activities in EFL classes should be mandatory for learners to learn the new knowledge. One hundred and fifty non-English majors participated in this study. They were divided into three groups, two as experimental groups and one as the control group. Group A received written review treatments whereas Group B received oral review treatments once every three weeks. Group C, the control group, did not receive any review activities. All the participants received a pre-test and a post-test. The results showed that the participants in Group A (written review) and Group B (oral review), performed substantially better than those of the control group. A significant difference in gained scores was found between the control group and the experimental groups, indicating that providing review opportunities is both necessary and helpful for enhancing the learning outcomes. No significant difference was found in review types; both oral and written review methods contributed similarly to the retention of new knowledge. Drawing on the findings, some pedagogical suggestions were made. (Contains 3 tables.)
On the Relationship between Socio-Cultural Factors and Language Proficiency (Case Study: Shiraz University MA Students)
Author: Razmjoo, Seyyed Ayatollah
Date: 2009-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Majors (Students),Reading Comprehension,Student Placement,Achievement Tests,Cultural Influences,English (Second Language),Language Proficiency,Foreign Countries,Sociocultural Patterns,Graduate Students,Age Differences,Gender Differences,Statistical Analysis,Regression (Statistics),Language Tests,Mothers,Literacy,Correlation,Questionnaires,Case Studies

The primary objective of the present study was to investigate the relationship between language proficiency and socio-cultural factors among the Iranian MA students registered and entered at Shiraz University in 2008. The second objective was to explore whether or not one or a combination of socio-cultural factors are predictors of language proficiency. Finally, the study aims at investigating the effects of gender, age and major on language proficiency. To fulfill the objective, a 100-item language proficiency test (30 items for grammar, 40 items for vocabulary and 30 items for reading comprehension) and a questionnaire including socio-cultural factors were distributed among 510 male and female Iranians taking part in the MA Placement Test at Shiraz University. The data gathered were analyzed descriptively utilizing central tendency measures (mean and standard deviation). Moreover, the collected data were analyzed inferentially using correlation, regression analysis, ANOVA and independent t-test. As such, the following results were obtained: a) although the descriptive statistics showed that females outperformed males in language proficiency, the independent sample t-test revealed that the difference is not significant; b) a significant difference was found between the participants' language proficiency in terms of their majors and their social classes; c) a moderate significant relationship was observed between the participants' language proficiency and their age; d) among various cultural factors, mother's literacy and using films/CDs predict language proficiency to a great extent. (Contains 7 tables and 1 figure.)
The Development and Implementation of Task-Based Writing Performance Assessment for Japanese Learners of English
Author: Sugita, Yoshihito
Date: 2009-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Performance Based Assessment,Performance Tests,Validity,Rating Scales,Writing Ability,English (Second Language),Guidelines,Test Construction,Writing Tests,Task Analysis,Scoring,Goodness of Fit,Second Language Learning,Foreign Countries,Second Language Instruction,Statistical Analysis

The main purpose of this research is 1) to establish a framework for the test development and the constructs of writing performance test, 2) to implement a developed writing performance assessment, and 3) to examine the degree of reliability and validity of the assessment tasks and rating scales. Construct-based processing approach to testing resulted in a comprehensive framework for our test development. Accuracy and communicability were defined as constructs, and the test development proceeded according to the three stages. The test was conducted as an examination into the assessment tasks and rating scales, and the analyses were done using FACETS. The results showed that 1) the difficulty of the two tasks and the impressionistic scoring were considered equivalent, which provided reasonable fit to the Rasch model, 2) the equivalence of task difficulty may indicate that task development based on construct-based processing approach could be reliable and valid to estimate students' writing ability, and 3) the rating scales associated with the five rating categories and their specific written samples were shown to be mostly comprehensible and usable by raters, and demonstrated acceptable fit. However, there is still room for argument about the reliability and validity of assessment tasks and rating scales. (Contains 18 tables and 7 figures.)
Investigating the Effectiveness of an Integrated Approach to Teaching Literature in an EFL Context
Author: Divsar, Hoda
Date: 2009-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: English Literature,Experimental Groups,Control Groups,Linguistics,Program Effectiveness,English (Second Language),Teaching Methods,Second Language Learning,Second Language Instruction,Cultural Awareness,Conventional Instruction,Majors (Students)

In the present paper, three models for teaching literature including language-based, literature as content or culture, and literature as personal growth or enrichment were evaluated. Based on these models, an integrated model was suggested. An experimental study was carried out in order to examine the effectiveness of the suggested approach compared to a conventional and instructor-led one. One-hundred and twenty BA students majoring in English Literature took part in a one-semester experiment. For the experimental group, the integrated approach was utilized whereas the method used for the control group was based on content-cultural model according to which the course instructor provided all the necessary information without focusing on the linguistic or stylistic considerations. The post-test consisted of three parts: linguistic, interpretive and cultural sections. The results of the study confirmed the plausibility of the use of the suggested eclectic approach to teaching literature. Several pedagogical implications were drawn. (Contains 2 tables.)