Invited Paper: Four Important Strategic Issues for Computer Information Systems Education

This paper invites Computer Information System (CIS) program stakeholders to consider several strategic issues. They include: Curriculum & Pedagogy, Business Model & Value Proposition, Increasingly Diverse Student Body, and Student Success & Completion. These strategic issues are those in which faculty have the ability to provide the most influence and make the most impact; areas in which the faculty can make significant contributions without requiring higher-level organizational commitment. In addition, attention to these four areas can help to address the shortage of individual entry-level employees in the field. The paper does not offer prescriptive solutions; rather, it broadly frames some strategic issues and suggests areas for stakeholder consideration. Ideally, each program should weigh strategic issues against the backdrop of the environmental factors, i.e., opportunities and threats, within which it operates, and in the context of its own strengths and weaknesses. Moreover, each program should consider its own relevant strategic issues from the perspective of its mission, values, and aspirations

Analyzing trends in academic papers about ubiquitous virtual worlds in education using text mining

Contemporary teaching and learning processes increasingly require exploration and discovery activities, rather than the organized sequence of methods used in the twentieth century. This paper aims to describe a research that uses text mining techniques on a corpus composed of 10 current academic papers about educational ubiquitous’ Virtual Worlds, aiming to obtain indications about the main trends in terms of development and applications in the area. As a result, some directions have been extracted and analyzed, which revealed research opportunities in the educational field

Addressing Higher Education Issues of Latino Students in Greenville County, South Carolina

Latino college enrollment rates in South Carolina do not reflect the overall increase in the Latino population in the state, which suggests that schools, colleges, and universities may be unprepared to serve the unique needs of Latino students. Consequently, Latino students are less likely to pursue opportunities in higher education than their non-Latino counterparts, which raises significant public policy concerns about equity and the potential economic contributions of the Latino communities. The purpose of this narrative policy analysis (NPA), based upon critical race theory, was to explore the perceptions of Latino students, parents, and advocates related to opportunities in pursuing education after high school in Greenville County, SC. Criterion and snowball sampling identified 15 individuals from whom interview data were acquired. Participants included 7 Latino students, 3 of their parents, and 5 advocates of Latino student attainment of college education. Secondary data consisted of higher education related legislation, policy documents, and reports. Data were inductively coded and analyzed using Roe\u27s NPA procedure. These findings suggest that, at least according to these 15 participants, multiple barriers to college enrollment exist, including cultural expectations and unfamiliarity with the college application and financial aid processes. This study could encourage policy makers to consider perspectives of critical race theory as they create policies and support culturally relevant programs and financial aid guidance to Latino parents, students, and high school counselors. Such programs would lead to positive social change by promoting higher educational achievement, which is essential for the profitable employment of Latinos in the private and public sectors in South Carolina

Experiences and challenges faced by adult learners with 'hidden' disabilities in higher education.

M. Ed. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg 2015.The purpose of this study is to gain insight into the lives of chronically ill adult students as they navigate their way through higher education. Chronic illness can potentially limit the performance of adult learners in study-related functions such as concentrating, reading, writing and conversing, as well as restricting their participation in learning situations. The issues associated with living and studying when chronically ill are convoluted by a myriad of interlinking psychological, cultural, social and historical aspects. These aspects influence a chronically ill student's management and subsequent success or non success in a higher education context. The complexities of a 'hidden' disability, which in the context of this study refer to chronic illnesses, in particular, autoimmune illnesses, combined with the challenges of being an adult learner in a higher education environment, creates a field of research that needs to be explored in greater detail in order to better serve this 'hidden' population. In order to conceptualise and provide a way of understanding the experiences and challenges of adult learners with 'hidden' disabilities within an educational context, three models or theories, the interactional disability model, Jarvis' learning theory and the Dialogical Self Theory were used in order to provide an amalgamated approach and a more comprehensive, integrated theoretical framework. A narrative approach and qualitative style was chosen, underpinned by the assumptions of an interpretive paradigm. Four participants, with the researcher making up the fifth, were selected by snowball sampling. With each participant, an in-depth narrative interview was conducted. Using thematic analysis, the narrative interviews were analysed and the predominant themes and patterns were identified. Significant themes such as illness management, learning management, relationships, disclosures and identity are illuminated and expounded upon by using the above theoretical frameworks. This analysis and discussion helps to show how complex, interactional and multifaceted the life-worlds of adult learners with 'hidden' disabilities in higher education can be and the multitude of barriers they face. It also shows that the self-positions that adult learners adopt play a crucial role in how these students engage with these barriers. The dissertation concludes with a synthesised discussion on the findings and relevant literature, in light of the initial research questions, and on the implications, insights, recommendations and limitations based on the study's findings

Generation I(mmersion) – How to Meet Learner Expectations of Tomorrow

Today’s teachers mainly belong to the so-called “Generation X” while learners are most often described as “Generation Y” or “Millennials”. Most current discussions of learning methods are being held in view of the status quo. But what about the learners of tomorrow? What expectations do the learners of tomorrow have? Which methods and tools will the teachers of tomorrow have in stock to meet these expectations? “The old learning spaces, dominated by the immensely successful organizations of the industrial era like schools and universities, are struggling to maintain authority and control over the definition and certification of knowledge while at the same time remaining true to the stated mandate of helping to equip people and society for a life where learning is much more heterogeneous and heterarchical”[11]. Therefore, wouldn´t it be good to have a toolset ready and be able to choose the appropriate tools and techniques right on time? Reflecting on publications, expert interviews and state-of-the-art best practices, this paper attempts to draw a picture of the future (e-)learning scenario. To give the next generation a name, “Generation I(mmersion)” has been chosen. Despite breaking the X, Y, Z sequence, this name highlights the state of “Immersion”, which educators and learners of tomorrow will/might find themselves in

Language nests and cultural immersion environment as new methods for english teaching learning process at “grandes genios” nursery bilingual center during the academic cycle march-august 2014

This present project was focused on improving the English teaching-learning process in Initial I and Initial II levels at “Grandes Genios Nursery Bilingual Center”, which is located in Latacunga city. At this institution English is taught to children from 3 to 5 years old. In a way that, children have the opportunity to acquire a foreign language through immersion methodology. However, nursery bilingual centers have been applying common methods and they do not teach English through cultural activities, as result, it does not allow social interaction. That is why, this investigation was focused on including two English syllabuses for Initial I and Initial II based on innovative methods: “Language Nest and Cultural Immersion Environment” in the institutional curriculum; which contribute to guide to teacher about curricular elements, especially; how to apply the mentioned methods....El presente trabajo investigativo estuvo enfocado en mejorar el proceso enseñanza-aprendizaje del Inglés en Inicial I e Inicial II en el Centro de Educación inicial Bilingüe “Grandes Genios”, el cual está ubicado en la ciudad de Latacunga. Este ofrece clases de Inglés a niños desde 3 a 5 años de edad. Así, los niños tienen la oportunidad de ir adquiriendo un nuevo lenguaje a través de una metodología de inmersión. Sin embargo, los centros infantiles bilingües han venido aplicando métodos tradicionales y no enseñan el Inglés mediante actividades culturales lo cual no permite la interacción social. Esta investigación estuvo enfocada en incluir dos sílabos de Inglés para Inicial I y II basados en dos métodos innovadores: “Lenguaje de Nido y el Entorno de Inmersión Cultural” en el currículo institucional, los cuales consisten en guiar al maestro sobre los elementos curriculares, especialmente como el mismo aplicará estos métodos...

Navigating management and pedagogical complexities in bilingual education : an Estonian case study

This thesis on management and pedagogy in bilingual education details the development of Estonia's early and late Estonian-language immersion programmes in a context where a need for increased social cohesion underpinned programming, political will was mobilised and leadership was distributed among stakeholders, Genesee (2003: 17) considers the Estonian early immersion programme as one of the most carefully planned of its kind. The research study documents management and pedagogical practices, including the ideational forces and concrete mechanisms that have contributed to the development of sustainable programming. Beardsmore (2007) calls for additional studies that simultaneously investigate pedagogy and management in bilingual education. The study incorporates action research, as the researcher investigated the development of a programme he had helped to co-manage and acted as an informant for the study. The personal account is grounded in an analysis of programme planning and reporting documents and of data from interviews with government decision-makers, and in a case study of four schools offering late immersion. Students, parents, deputy headteachers and headteachers were surveyed. Fifty-one lessons were observed. This case study of language immersion, with its successes and setbacks, is also grounded in a literature review that explores the concepts of bilingualism, bilingual education, stakeholding, distributed leadership, professional learning communities and pseudo-communities. The review also examines the economic and cognitive benefits of bilingualism. The study is further informed by moderate social constructivism, and complexity theory. Bilingual education is thus situated in a larger ecology of structural interdependencies. It is argued that know ledge about these concepts, and their interdependencies can potentially be used to build contexts favourable for bilingual education. A large number of assumptions, beliefs and pedagogical practices, as well as forces, mechanisms and counterweights were found to influence immersion programme development. Individual teacher assumptions, beliefs and practices tended to fall on a continuum between fostering or it is argued undermining student learning. All three were identified as having considerable impact on learning environments. In particular, the study revealed challenges faced by teachers in integrating content and language. Planning mechanisms such as results-based management frameworks were crucial in programme development. However, these mechanisms were in and of themselves inert, being powered by forces such as stakeholder inclusion, a belief in immersion, and stakeholder learning. Whilst an Immersion Centre that led and coordinated programming was a central component in programme development, this mechanism was fuelled by the moral authority of its staff, their sense of mission, and dialogue for partnership. Maintaining balance through counterweights such as accountability for process with accountability for results also contributed to programme success. The thesis proposes a redefinition of the terms CLIL (content and language integrated learning) and bilingual education. The thesis also argues that stakeholders such as educators and managers need to develop complexity competence which includes a high degree of competence in a wide range of fields and heightened meta-cognitive, meta-affective and meta-social skills. Two frameworks are offered for identifying and navigating key elements of the complexities of bilingual education - one is primarily pedagogically focused (A Continuum for Bilingual Education) and the other is primarily management focused (A Reciprocal Co-evolutionary Paradigm for the Development of Bilingual Education).<