ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
Childhood Food Insecurity in the U.S.: Trends, Causes, and Policy Options
Author: Gundersen, Craig
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Food,Hunger,Child Welfare,Trend Analysis,Public Policy,Etiology,Poverty,Nutrition,Child Development,At Risk Persons,Child Health,Geographic Location,Family Income,Mental Health,Physical Health,Educational Attainment,Substance Abuse,Disabilities,Socioeconomic Status,Parent Child Relationship,Parent Attitudes,Family Structure,Marital Status,Child Care,Immigrants,Institutionalized Persons,Correctional Institutions,Coping

In 2012, nearly 16 million U.S. children, or over one in five, lived in households that were food-insecure, which the U.S. Department of Agriculture defines as &quot;a household-level economic and social condition of limited access to food.&quot; Even when we control for the effects of other factors correlated with poverty, these children are more likely than others to face a host of health problems, including but not limited to anemia, lower nutrient intake, cognitive problems, higher levels of aggression and anxiety, poorer general health, poorer oral health, and a higher risk of being hospitalized, having asthma, having some birth defects, or experiencing behavioral problems. Food insecurity has been researched extensively, and this research has helped policy makers and program administrators better address the problem. However, relatively little research has looked at what causes food insecurity among children in the first place, or the effectiveness of public policies, especially on more severe forms of food hardship. In this policy report, Gundersen and Ziliak highlight new research that seeks to fill this gap.
Corrective Feedback Episodes in Oral Interaction: A Comparison of a CLIL and an EFL Classroom
Author: Milla, Ruth
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Error Correction,English (Second Language),Second Language Learning,Teacher Attitudes,High School Students,Teaching Methods,Foreign Countries,Feedback (Response),Qualitative Research,Second Language Instruction,Oral Language,Comparative Analysis,Discourse Analysis

This paper addresses the issue of corrective feedback (CF), a topic widely investigated in the last few decades (Sheen, 2011), and instructional context. We observed and recorded the oral interaction of an intact class of thirty Spanish intermediate-level high-school learners and two teachers in two settings: a traditional form-oriented English as a Foreign Language (EFL) classroom and a meaning-oriented Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) classroom (Dalton-Puffer, 2011). Corrective feedback episodes (CFE; Lyster, 1994) were used as the unit of analysis. The findings of the study indicate that there are differences in the type, quantity and manner of CFE between the two learning contexts. Although no significant difference in the proportion of learners' uptake was found between the EFL and CLIL contexts, a qualitative analysis of the data indicated that the teachers' attitude toward CF influenced subsequent learner uptake. Implications for further research on CF, learner uptake and instructional context are suggested.
A Preliminary Study on Motivation and Gender in CLIL and Non-CLIL Types of Instruction
Author: Fontecha, Almudena Fernández
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Learning Motivation,Gender Differences,English (Second Language),Second Language Learning,Second Language Instruction,Student Motivation,Teaching Methods,Role,Education Majors,Elementary School Teachers,Teacher Education,Foreign Countries,Student Attitudes,Attitude Measures,Measures (Individuals)

This paper sets out to enquiry about gender-based differences in motivation towards EFL in two different types of instruction, i.e. CLIL and EFL (non-CLIL). The study was carried out with 4th Primary education Spanish students randomly selected from two mixed-gender schools in La Rioja (Spain). The results show that non-CLIL learners are significantly more motivated than CLIL learners. The non-CLIL girls are slightly more motivated than non-CLIL boys. However, CLIL boys are slightly more motivated than CLIL girls. Non-CLIL boys are more motivated than CLIL boys, and non-CLIL girls are more motivated than CLIL girls. These findings indicate that research on CLIL should closely take into account the way this methodological approach is implemented in a specific context since context-specific elements play a pivotal role in students' motivation towards EFL.
Teaching Spoken Discourse Markers Explicitly: A Comparison of III and PPP
Author: Jones, Christian
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Teaching Methods,Second Language Learning,Second Language Instruction,Foreign Countries,Pretests Posttests,Mixed Methods Research,Instructional Effectiveness,Asians,Task Analysis,Guidelines,Grammar,Comparative Analysis,English for Academic Purposes,Connected Discourse,Foreign Students,College Students,Focus Groups,Interviews,Diaries

This article reports on mixed methods classroom research carried out at a British university. The study investigates the effectiveness of two different explicit teaching frameworks, Illustration--Interaction--Induction (III) and Present--Practice--Produce (PPP) used to teach the same spoken discourse markers (DMs) to two different groups of Chinese learners and compared to a control group. Univariate analysis of the pre-and post- tests indicated statistically significant differences between the PPP group and III/control groups in terms of a higher mean usage of the target DMs in the immediate post-test. Qualitative results demonstrated that the PPP group generally found this method to be more useful, which tallied with their better performances in the tests. Both groups also articulated a desire for a different kind of practice to be used in class, based on rehearsal forreal world tasks. This suggests a need to re-conceptualise practice within III, PPP or other teaching frameworks.
Punishment in School: The Role of School Security Measures
Author: Mowen, Thomas J.
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: School Security,Suspension,Discipline,Race,Parent Participation,Longitudinal Studies,Least Squares Statistics

Although investigation of school security measures and their relationships to various outcomes including school crime rates (Gottfredson, 2001), perpetuation of social inequality (Ferguson, 2001; Nolan, 2011; Welch &amp; Payne, 2010), and the impact on childhood experiences has seen significant growth within the last 20 years (Newman, 2004; Kupchik, 2010), few studies have sought to explore the impacts of these measures on suspension rates. Using data from the Educational Longitudinal Study (2002), I explore the relationship between security measures and in-school, out-of-school, and overall suspension rates. Results indicate schools with a security officer experience higher rates of in-school suspensions but have no difference in rates of out-of-school or overall suspensions compared to schools without a security officer. No other measure of security was related to higher suspension rates. As prior literature suggests, schools with greater proportions of black students experienced significantly higher rates of all suspension types. Finally, different types of parental involvement correlated with both higher and lower suspension rates.
Large-Scale Assessment of Language Proficiency: Theoretical and Pedagogical Reflections on the Use of Multiple-Choice Tests
Author: Argüelles Álvarez, Irina
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Language Proficiency,Multiple Choice Tests,Second Language Learning,Foreign Countries,Guidelines,English (Second Language),Grammar,Language Tests,Teaching Methods,Learning Processes,Test Validity,Test Items,Item Analysis,College Students

The new requirement placed on students in tertiary settings in Spain to demonstrate a B1 or a B2 proficiency level of English, in accordance with the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFRL), has led most Spanish universities to develop a program of certification or accreditation of the required level. The first part of this paper aims to provide a rationale for the type of test that has been developed at the &quot;Universidad Politécnica de Madrid&quot; for the accreditation of a B2 level, a multiple choice version, and to describe how it was constructed and validated. Then, in the second part of the paper, the results from its application to 924 students enrolled in different degree courses at a variety of schools and faculties at the university are analyzed based on a final test version item analysis. To conclude, some theoretical as well as practical conclusions about testing grammar that affect the teaching and learning process are drawn.
How Are Spoken Skills Assessed in Proficiency Tests of General English as a Foreign Language? A Preliminary Survey
Author: Roca-Varela, Mª Luisa
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Oral Language,Teaching Methods,Guidelines,Language Proficiency,Language Tests,English (Second Language),Second Language Learning,Grading,Student Evaluation,Foreign Countries,Language Skills

This paper examines some of the best known proficiency tests in English, with particular focus on the oral component. Attention is paid to the following issues, among others: the weighting of oral elements in testing, the criteria used for the assessment of oral skills and the relation of these to the general guidelines in the &quot;Common European Framework of Reference&quot; (CEFR), and the kinds of tasks and marking systems used for assessment. Our aim is to evaluate these tests as a means of determining the extent to which they can be considered valid tools for the assessment of oral performance, considering their significance, relevance and implications in the broader context of the modern world. We contend that, as is the case with teaching processes in general, which need to be continuously evaluated and reformulated, this is true of English testing, especially oral skills, given the special nature of the spoken language.
Limited Aspects of Reality: Frames of Reference in Language Assessment
Author: Fulcher, Glenn
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Language Tests,Standardized Tests,Criterion Referenced Tests,Formative Evaluation,Measurement,Scores,Comparative Analysis,Test Construction,Standard Setting,Content Validity,Rating Scales

Language testers operate within two frames of reference: norm-referenced (NRT) and criterion-referenced testing (CRT). The former underpins the world of large-scale standardized testing that prioritizes variability and comparison. The latter supports substantive score meaning in formative and domain specific assessment. Some claim that the criterion-referenced enterprise is dead, save its legacy in score reporting (Davidson, 2012, p. 198). We argue that announcing the demise of CRT is premature. But we do acknowledge that what now passes as CRT is in fact not criterion-referenced, but is based upon a corruption of the original meaning of &quot;criterion&quot; as domain-specific performance. This distortion took place when NRT co-opted the term &quot;standard&quot; to serve as a rationale for the measurement enterprise of establishing cut-scores to retrofit NR tests with meaning derived from external scales. The true heirs of the CRT movement are researchers who base test design in the careful analysis of construct and content in domain specific communication.
Washback in Language Assessment
Author: Green, Anthony
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Language Tests,Testing,Testing Problems,Models,Test Construction,Student Motivation,Cultural Influences,Evaluation Research,Outcomes of Education,Interviews,Questionnaires,Attitude Measures,Student Attitudes,Second Language Learning,Second Language Instruction

This paper reviews the progress made in washback studies over the quarter century since Hughes&apos; (1989) placed it at the centre of his textbook &quot;Testing for Language Teachers.&quot; Research into washback and the development of models of washback are described and an agenda is suggested for test developers wishing to build washback into their programmes. It is recommended that future projects should pay greater attention to test design features and to the outcomes of learning as well as continuing to explore learner motivation and cultural factors that might encourage participants to react to tests in certain ways, but not in others. Washback research itself is seen to be a potentially valuable tool in persuading participants to adopt new practices.
Item and Test Construct Definition for the New Spanish Baccalaureate Final Evaluation: A Proposal
Author: Laborda, Jesús García
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Language Tests,English (Second Language),College Entrance Examinations,Test Format,Computer Assisted Testing,Test Validity,Test Items,Handheld Devices

The current English section of the University Entrance Examination (PAU) has kept the same format for twenty years. The Bologna process has provided new reasons to vary its current format, since the majority of international reputed tests usually include oral sections with both listening and speaking tasks. Recently the Universidad de Alcalá (Madrid) was granted the funds to suggest and experiment the new format through the OPENPAU project. This paper justifies the introduction of the Spanish Baccalaureate Final Evaluation in terms of a re-design of the tasks in line with the Communicative Approach and the Common European Framework of Reference and also taking into account the distinctive features of a language test in order to be valid and useful (construct validity, reliability, impact, practicality and quality management). Furthermore, it provides sound suggestions for a computer-based delivery which could be done through the use of mobile devices. The article concludes with the belief that the new diploma may serve to overcome the deficiencies of the current exam if rigorous studies are undertaken and research-based decisions are reached.
A University Post-Entry English Language Assessment: Charting the Changes
Author: Read, John
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Language Tests,Academic Discourse,Diagnostic Tests,Language Proficiency,English,Test Validity,Test Format,Media Adaptation,Computer Assisted Testing,Screening Tests,Academic Advising,Feedback (Response),Student Attitudes,Undergraduate Students,Graduate Students,Interviews,Questionnaires

The increasingly diverse language backgrounds of their students are creating new challenges for English-medium universities. One response in Australian and New Zealand institutions has been to introduce post-entry language assessment (PELA) to identify incoming students who need to enhance their academic language ability. One successful example of this type of programme is the Diagnostic English Language Needs Assessment (DELNA) at the University of Auckland, which has been implemented across the university since 2002. This paper discusses the reasons for introducing the assessment and outlines its current operation. As part of the validation process feedback is obtained from academic staff, and from students who have completed the assessment and been advised about their opportunities for enriching their academic literacy. The focus of this paper is on the ways the feedback has led to changes both in the composition and administration of the assessment and the delivery of effective English language programmes.
Lexical Errors in Second Language Scientific Writing: Some Conceptual Implications
Author: Carrió Pastor, María Luisa
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Second Language Learning,English (Second Language),Guidelines,Error Patterns,Scientific Literacy,Classification,Vocabulary Development,Writing Skills,Error Correction,Error Analysis (Language),Native Language,Foreign Countries,Writing for Publication,Writing Improvement,Transfer of Training,Translation,Proofreading,English,Computational Linguistics,Journal Articles,Universities,Language Usage

Nowadays, scientific writers are required not only a thorough knowledge of their subject field, but also a sound command of English as a lingua franca. In this paper, the lexical errors produced in scientific texts written in English by non-native researchers are identified to propose a classification of the categories they contain. This study will enable researchers to improve their writing and facilitate smoother communication among international writers. In addition, establishing the causes of these errors may enable the recurrent pattern to be identified and the necessary guidelines for their correction to be drawn up. These data may be able to illuminate the processes followed by non-native speakers of English when learning new words, and thereby facilitate the avoidance of errors and the identification of the mechanisms which can permit the correct production of the specialised lexicon.
Implementing the Teaching/Learning of Oral Skills in Secondary Education in Aragón: Gauging Teachers' Attitudes, Beliefs and Expectations
Author: Plo, Ramón
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Oral Language,Second Language Learning,Foreign Countries,National Curriculum,Guidelines,Case Studies,Teacher Attitudes,Student Attitudes,Second Language Instruction,Teaching Methods,Secondary School Students,Communicative Competence (Languages),Language Teachers,Secondary School Teachers,Educational Policy,Student Evaluation,Discourse Analysis,Expectation,English (Second Language),Language Skills,Questionnaires

Curent national curicula, the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages, and EFL materials highlight the importance of the students' development of oral skils. This study stems from a cros-sectional survey of the teaching of oral skils in Secondary Education in a Spanish local context (Aragón) caried out in 2012 on both teachers and students of English. The present paper focuses on the answers obtained from the group of teachers in order to provide a snapshot of their attitudes, beliefs and expectations regarding the teaching, learning and asesment of oral skils, as well as the implementation of some measures aimed at increasing the required level of oral competence in the foreign language. Teachers' answers reveal that in spite of what is indicated in language policies, oral skils are not suficiently practiced and/or assesed; that students are still reluctant to engage in oral activites and do not, therefore, reach the required level in these skills.
Examining E-Learning Barriers as Perceived by Faculty Members of Engineering Colleges in the Jordanian Universities
Author: Al-Alawneh, Muhammad K.
Date: 2014-01-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Electronic Learning,Barriers,College Faculty,Engineering Education,Teacher Attitudes,Strategic Planning,Universities,Online Courses,Faculty Development,Technological Literacy,Questionnaires,Multivariate Analysis

Employing computer's technology that includes e-learning system in the field of Engineering is a vital issue which needs to be discussed. Therefore, this study purposed to examine e-learning barriers as perceived by faculty members of engineering in three major universities in Jordan (Yarmouk University, Jordan University of Science and Technology, and Al-Balqaa Applied University) in the second semester of 2012. The study's instrument was distributed to collect the data from a sample of 176 faculty members who are involved in delivering online courses through web-based management tool. The finding of the study shows that, overall, the three barriers domains were high. However, the results show that online degree experience and the gender of participants' variables were no significant. Based on the results, the study suggested that institutions of higher education should set a vision and a strategic plan to encourage faculty members to offer online courses and provide them with training and professional development to follow up with technology.
Cloud Based Educational Systems and Its Challenges and Opportunities and Issues
Author: Paul, Prantosh Kr.
Date: 2014-01-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Computer Software,Information Storage,Information Management,Internet,Information Technology,Delivery Systems,Electronic Learning,Web 2.0 Technologies,Higher Education

Cloud Computing (CC) is actually is a set of hardware, software, networks, storage, services an interface combines to deliver aspects of computing as a service. Cloud Computing (CC) actually uses the central remote servers to maintain data and applications. Practically Cloud Computing (CC) is extension of Grid computing with independency and smarter tools and technological gradients. Healthy Cloud Computing helps in sharing of software, hardware, application and other packages with the help of internet tools and wireless media. Cloud Computing, has benefits in several field and applications domain such as Agriculture, Business and Commerce, Health Care, Hospitality and Tourism, Education and Training sector and so on. In Education Systems, it may be applicable in general regular education and other education systems including general and vocational training. This paper talks about opportunities that provide Cloud Computing (CC); however the intention would be challenges and issues in relation to Education, Education Systems and Training programme.
Effective Principles in Designing E-Course in Light of Learning Theories
Author: Afifi, Muhammad K.
Date: 2014-01-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Online Courses,Web Based Instruction,Electronic Learning,Learning Theories,Correlation,Instructional Design,College Instruction,Educational Principles,Learning Strategies,Outcomes of Education,Feedback (Response),Context Effect,Teaching Methods,Problem Based Learning,Student Motivation,Foreign Countries

The researchers conducted an exploratory study to determine the design quality of some E-courses delivered via the web to a number of colleagues at the university. Results revealed a number of shortcomings in the design of these courses, mostly due to the absence of effective principles in the design of these E-courses, especially principles of pedagogy in relation to learning theories. So, this study seeks to identify effective principles in the design of courses for internet-based learning in the light of current learning theories, by answering the following question: What are the most effective principles when designing E-learning courses in the light of current learning theories? After an extensive review and analysis of the literature and previous studies relating to quality standards for the instructional design of E-courses delivered via the web, in particular, and quality standards for E-learning, in general, the results of this study revealed a number of principles for course design in E-learning. These are: identifying learning and performance outcomes; identifying methods and strategies of learning; designing learning activities; providing feedback and motivating the learner and determining the context and impact of learning. In the light of the findings of this study, with reference to the literature, we present a set of recommendations and pedagogical implications for professionals working in course design in E-learning at University of Dammam.