Trialing project-based learning in a new EAP ESP course: A collaborative reflective practice of three college English teachers

Currently in many Chinese universities, the traditional College English course is facing the risk of being ‘marginalized’, replaced or even removed, and many hours previously allocated to the course are now being taken by EAP or ESP. At X University in northern China, a curriculum reform as such is taking place, as a result of which a new course has been created called ‘xue ke’ English. Despite the fact that ‘xue ke’ means subject literally, the course designer has made it clear that subject content is not the target, nor is the course the same as EAP or ESP. This curriculum initiative, while possibly having been justified with a rationale of some kind (e.g. to meet with changing social and/or academic needs of students and/or institutions), this is posing a great challenge for, as well as considerable pressure on, a number of College English teachers who have taught this single course for almost their entire teaching career. In such a context, three teachers formed a peer support group in Semester One this year, to work collaboratively co-tackling the challenge, and they chose Project-Based Learning (PBL) for the new course. This presentation will report on the implementation of this project, including the overall designing, operational procedure, and the teachers’ reflections. Based on discussion, pre-agreement was reached on the purpose and manner of collaboration as offering peer support for more effective teaching and learning and fulfilling and pleasant professional development. A WeChat group was set up as the chief platform for messaging, idea-sharing, and resource-exchanging. Physical meetings were supplementary, with sound agenda but flexible time, and venues. Mosoteach cloud class (lan mo yun ban ke) was established as a tool for virtual learning, employed both in and after class. Discussions were held at the beginning of the semester which determined only brief outlines for PBL implementation and allowed space for everyone to autonomously explore in their own way. Constant further discussions followed, which generated a great deal of opportunities for peer learning and lesson plan modifications. A reflective journal, in a greater or lesser detailed manner, was also kept by each teacher to record the journey of the collaboration. At the end of the semester, it was commonly recognized that, although challenges existed, the collaboration was overall a success and they were all willing to continue with it and endeavor to refine it to be a more professional and productive approach

A model of co-operative education on peace support operations in Africa

Thesis (D. Tech.) - Central University of Technology, Free State, 2007The focus of this study is on a Model of Co-operative Education on Peace Support Operations (PSO) in Africa. PSO are multi-functional operations involving military forces and diplomatic humanitarian agencies. They are designed to achieve humanitarian goals or a long-term political settlement, and are conducted impartially in support of a UN mandate. These include peacekeeping (PK), peace enforcement (PE), conflict prevention, peacemaking, peace building, and humanitarian operations. Since the advent of democracy in 1994, domestic and international expectations have steadily grown regarding a new South African role as a responsible and respected member of the international community. These expectations have included a hope that South Africa will play a leading role in a variety of international, regional and sub-regional forums, and that the country will become an active participant in attempts to resolve various regional and international conflicts. Peacekeeping is becoming more and more important as South Africa plays a vital role in African missions, mandates, deployment and restructuring. The core of peacekeeping operations in Africa is no longer about the deployment of armed forces, but the focus is shifting towards a more integrated approach including reconstruction, development, stability, civilian involvement and humanitarian aspects. While skills required for peace operations overlap with those required for war, there is increasing recognition that additional peace operations training is needed to successfully conduct these missions. The demand, advancement and application of peacekeeping evolve worldwide, especially in Africa, where enormous funding is being poured into local research and development, testing and training. The market for Education, Training and Development (ETD) in the field of PSO is growing, as South Africa is becoming increasingly involved in peacekeeping missions on the African continent. At present, there is no Co-operative Education programme on generic PSO on the operational/strategic level presented by any of the major universities in South Africa in order to enhance other PSO training. The objectives of this research project are in phase one: • To determine the need for and feasibility of a Co-operative Education Program on PSO. • To write a instructional design (ISD) report for a Co-operative Education Model on PSO and, • To draft possible curriculum content. • The second phase of the project could involve the development of learning material, and the evaluation of the proposed Co-operative Education Model on PSO by running a pilot programme. The principal product (output) of this research will consist out of an ISD report on a Model for Co-operative Education on PSO in Africa, presented by means of Correspondence Instruction with contact sessions. The key factors in production of the learning program include geo-political and security studies in order to create an understanding of the African battle space, PSO as presented by UNITAR POCI, the assessment of international practice with regards to PSO in order to relate the information to operations in Africa, PSO on the African continent, and Civil-Military Cooperation

Women, Peace and Security Advocacy Brief: Advancing the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) Agenda in the Indo-Pacific

This report presents an overview of the evolution and impact of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 (UNSCR 1325) on Women, Peace and Security (WPS). In acknowledging the unique experiences of women and girls in conflict, UNSCR 1325 emphasises the crucial role of women's participation at all stages of peace processes. Subsequent UNSC Resolutions have further entrenched the WPS agenda in international relations, aligning with discourses of human rights, human security, and the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). UN member states are urged to develop National Action Plans (NAPs) to advance the WPS agenda and gender equity through gender mainstreaming. The report highlights NATO's efforts to embed the WPS agenda across its operations, and the adoption of the NATO/Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council (EAPC) Policy on Women, Peace and Security 2021–2025. Lessons from NATO's experience in implementing the WPS agenda are invaluable for Australia and other Indo-Pacific states. This advocacy brief summarizes discussions held at Western Sydney University on the 21st anniversary of UNSCR 1325 on 31 October 2022, analysing the progress of the WPS agenda through the lenses of various cross-cutting themes. It offers recommendations for Australian and regional policymakers to expand the WPS agenda in four key areas: sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI), disability; education; and cybersecurity

A comparison of New Zealand police officers' perceptions of development practice within New Zealand development programmes : a research paper presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of International Development, School of People, Environment and Planning, Massey University, Manawatu, New Zealand

From the 1990s onwards, the New Zealand Police followed a global trend of progressively becoming involved in overseas peacekeeping and development deployments that over time changed from operational interventions to deployments that were more developmental in nature. While development concepts within these New Zealand Police development interventions have been committed to in principal, there has been little or no research undertaken as to how New Zealand police perceive and undertake their roles within these interventions. Using a post-development framework this research explores how these development interventions and the subsequent expectations for the role of the New Zealand police officer during development interventions overseas were created. A survey and interviews were conducted with a small number of New Zealand police officers who have deployed within these interventions to identify their perceptions of development practice so as to compare with the expectations of the development programmes. My research predominantly finds that New Zealand police officers place a high value on their prior New Zealand policing experiences. In implementing development programmes there was an overwhelming recognition by the research participants for the need to form positive relationships by listening and acknowledging another’s culture. This recognition of the benefits of positive working relationships has led this research to conclude that a recognition of the importance of the personal agency of New Zealand police officers could contribute to recognise and support the personal agency of their development partner to achieve realistic and desirable development outcomes for the intended beneficiary, provided programme design is constructed to incorporate this approach

Operationalising Human Security in the Contemporary Operating Environment: Proposing Population Intelligence (POPINT)

Drawing upon primary research funded by the UK Defence and Security Accelerator (DASA), this article is about using data analytics and artificial intelligence (AI) for operationalising human security in the contemporary operating environment. The idea of human security has gained much traction in the international community since its introduction in a 1994 United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) report and has more recently become a military concern. Yet, the core tenets of this idea remain contested, and the military role in support of human security remains an open question. Nonetheless, the concurrent increase in Open Data and AI does give rise to new opportunities to understand the various human security concerns. In response, DASA funded Projects SOLEBAY and HAMOC to research these concerns and the possibilities of data analytics for human security. Drawing on the research findings, we propose the idea of Population Intelligence (POPINT) as a new intelligence discipline to operationalise human security

Correspondences and Contradictions in International and Domestic Conflict Resolution: Lessons From General Theory and Varied Contexts

Does the field of conflict resolution have any broadly applicable theories that work across the different domains of international and domestic conflict? Or, are contexts, participants, and resources so domain specific and variable that only thick descriptions of particular contexts will do? These are important questions which have been plaguing me in this depressing time for conflict resolution professionals, from September 11,2001 (9/11), to the war against Iraq. Have we learned anything about conflict resolution that really does improve our ability to describe, predict, and act to reduce unnecessary and harmful conflict? These are the questions I want to explore in this essay, all the while knowing that I will ask more questions than I have answers to. My hope is to spark more rigorous attention to the possibility of comparative dispute resolution study and practice, using key concepts, theories, empirical studies, practical wisdom, and experiential insights to spark and encourage more multi-level and multi-unit analysis of some of our shared propositions