Cultural Aspects of Immediacy in an Asian Classroom Context

Among the various factors affecting students’ learning, immediacy is probably the one that has been most studied over the last four decades. Immediacy, a term coined by Mehrabian (1967), refers to verbal and nonverbal behaviours used by interlocutors to decrease physical and physiological distance between them, thus creating affinity, liking and affect. However, a number of questions arise as to the suitability of the various immediacy scales and their cultural significance in a non U.S. context, such as Hong Kong. Furthermore we were interested in possible differences in teachers’ perception based on students’ motivation. This paper presents the first part of an immediacy study, based on students of the Department of English of the Hong Kong Polytechnic University (looking into mapping patterns of behaviours that increase immediacy). The results indicate that Hong Kong students prefer the holistic approach of the Chinese traditional teacher, a teacher who goes beyond just teaching in class, and that nonverbal actions are not high in their list of preferred behaviours in teachers, such as gestures, walking around the classroom or standing close to students (unlike what has been observed among U.S. students)

Agricultural and economic impact of true potato seed technology on the EU potato industry: an ex-ante assessment

Adequate supply of healthy planting material, at reasonable prices, is of critical importance to the functioning of the potato industry. True Potato Seed (TPS) technology offers an alternative way to produce potato planting material, based on the use of botanical potato seeds.This study investigates the hypothesis that the use of TPS technology, in a similar way as practised in the USA, will be beneficial to the European Union. It is assumed that the TPS varieties that have been bred in the USA are also capable of meeting the demands of the EU marketsThe current status of the EU potato industry and the working of TPS technology are reviewed. As part of this study botanical potato seeds from nine TPS varieties that are commercially available in the USA, have been imported into and used to initiate the first ever field trials within the European Union.A large mathematical model has been purposely build to simulate the uptake of TPS technology by the EU potato industry, and to assess the agronomic and economic effects. The modelling results, of various scenario’s all indicate that the use of TPS technology would bring economic and agricultural benefits to the EU. The annual savings could be as high as 130 million ECU per year, whilst reducing the potato growing area with up to 72,000 haImplications of these finding, and current limitations to the uptake of TPS technology inside the EU are discussed

Guidebook for middle and high school teachers and students in conflict management

The purpose of the project was to design a one-semester core curriculum guidebook for middle and high schools. This curriculum will provide a tool to teach students to manage conflict in middle and high school settings. The curriculum, guidebook and materials developed will establish guidelines that can be used by middle and high school teachers to teach useful conflict management skills

PENGARUH CO-CREATION EXPERIENCES TERHADAP IDENTITAS KABUPATEN GARUT SERTA DAMPAKNYA PADA KEPUTUSAN BERKUNJUNG : Survei terhadap Wisatawan Nusantara yang Berkunjung ke Kabupaten Garut

Wisatawan memiliki peran sentral selaku pembuat keputusan untuk mengunjungi suatu tempat wisata tertentu. Namun jumlah kunjungan wisata ke Kabupaten Garut relatif fluktuatif. Hal itu terjadi diduga karena Identitas Kabupaten Garut sebagai wisata masih sangat lemah. Melalui upaya Co-Creation Eexperiences, diharapkan dapat meningkatkan Identitas Kabupaten Garut, sebagai wisata. Adapun tujuan dari penelitian ini adalah untuk mengetahui: 1) gambaran Co-Creation Eexperiences; 2) gambaran identitas kabupaten; 3) keputusan mengunjungi; 4) pengaruh Co-Creation Eexperiences terhadap keputusan mengunjungi; 5) pengaruh identitas kabupaten terhadap keputusan mengunjungi; 6) pengaruh Co-Creation Eexperiences terhadap identitas kabupaten; serta 7) pengaruh Co-Creation Eexperiences dan Identitas Kabupaten Garut secara simultan terhadap keputusan Berkunjung. Objek dari penelitian ini adalah para Wisatawan Nusantara (wisnus) yang mengunjungi 6 wisata di Kabupaten Garut. Adapun metode penelitiannya menggunakan deskriptif verifikatif. Sumber data yang dipergunakan adalah primer dan sekunder. Dari populasi 578.921 orang, diambil sampel penelitian sejumlah 240 orang. Simple Random Sampling, khususnya Cluster Sampling merupakan teknik pengambilan sampel yang penulis pilih. Teknik pengumpulan data dilakukan melalui wawancara, observasi, kuesioner, dan studi literatur. Untuk mengukur besarnya pengaruh Co-Creation Experiences terhadap identitas Kabupaten Garut dan implikasinya terhadap Keputusan Berkunjung, digunakan teknik analisis data path (analisis jalur) dengan menggunakan software SPSS versi 21.0 for IBM. Hasil penelitian mengungkapkan bahwa pelaksanaan Co-Creation Experiences dinilai para wisnus cukup tinggi. Identitas kabupaten Garut dinilai tinggi. Sedangkan keadaan keputusan Berkunjung wisata secara umum dinilai tinggi. Besarnya pengaruh Co-Creation terhadap Identitas Kabupaten Garut adalah 51,6%. Besarnya pengaruh Co-Creation Experiences terhadap Keputusan Berkunjung adalah 12,9%. Pengaruh Identitas Kabupaten Garut terhadap keputusan berkunjung adalah 19,9%. Sedangkan pengaruh Co-Creaion Experiences terhadap Identitas Kabupaten Garut serta dampaknya pada keputusan berkunjung berpengaruh secara simultan signifikan. Kata Kunci: Co-Creation Experiences, Identitas Kabupaten Garut, Keputusan Berkunjun

Reflections on the Use of Nonverbal communication in teaching Spanish to sino-speakers

The increased interest in Spanish as a Foreign Language (FL) has meant that in China alone there are 25,000 university students taking Spanish courses (Instituto Cervantes, 2013). The demand for Spanish language and culture courses has yet to be met by adequate numbers of teachers with a good understanding of Chinese culture, especially if we question the uniformity of that culture over all regions of Sino-speakers (in particular China, Hong Kong and Taiwan). Traditionally Chinese values have been linked to the works of Confucius and are often reflected in nonverbal communication (NVC). In FL teaching the implications of nonverbal communication are often not properly understood, despite their importance to thinking (McNeill and Duncan, 2000), to creating immediacy with students (Mehrabian, 1972), and in ensuring that students of the FL are accepted by native speakers of the language (Neu, 1990). We argue that FL teachers should understand the importance of NVC in the classroom, although it is not usually included in textbooks, and be aware of cultural differences among Sino-speakers, and of how these affect NVC and so communication.

Teacher Research and Leadership the Write Way: The Appalachian Writing Projects Impact in Rural Virginia.

The purpose of this study was to research one specific approach to developing and sustaining rural teacher leaders in a high-poverty area with limited resources for teachers. The study investigates The Appalachian Writing Project, a nonprofit organization serving far southwest Virginia and how the AWP has affected rural teachers in educational leadership positions and the resulting impact on educational experiences for students. The participants in this study represent a unique population, composed of certified teachers in extreme southwest Virginia who have completed the Appalachian Writing Project\u27s Invitational Summer Institute (2001-2010) and serve as Teacher Consultants for that organization. Qualitative data were gathered through a survey, interviews, and document analysis for the purpose of identifying and analyzing the variables that lead teachers to: apply to the Appalachian Writing Project, remain active in the AWP, and ultimately become leaders within the orgaizational structure. The research results provide strong evidence to suggest that participants\u27 pedagogical practices are positively impacted as a result of participation in the Appalachian Writing Project, and in the participants\u27 opinion students are positively impacted in terms of student achievement. The study also reveals that Teacher Consultants continue to conduct research in their classrooms after the summer institute and that Teacher Consultants have accepted both formal and informal leadership positions as a result of their inquiry. Finally, the results of the study revealed that the Appalachian Writing Project sustains and supports Teacher Consultants in their leadership positions. Resulting recommendations include encouraging school divisions to consider the Appalachian Writing Project\u27s research findings and contract with the AWP for professional development. Also, school administrators might want to encourage and fund lead teachers who wish to apply to the Appalachian Writing Project\u27s Invitational Summer Institute. Finally, school administrators whose schools include AWP Teacher Consultants might want to continue to support, encourage and fund them within the site and school division. While the study suggests a definite link between teacher participation in the Appalachian Writing Project and student achievement, more research could provide statistical data to link participation in the AWP to improved student achievement

Walking in the City

Motivated by traffic congestion, excessive energy use and poor health outcomes, planning and public health researchers have developed an extensive body of research that examines walking and other active transport as well as walking for recreation. In different discussions, walking has become a newly interesting subject and method to understand urban (and non urban) life, and a growing number of researchers have sought to understa nd mobility, the social experience and functions of walking and its cultural meanings. These areas of research rarely overlap. The latter has the potential for enriching the research about active travel and physical activity and, through doing so, suggest more effective pathways to healthier and less energy intensive life patterns. This project first examines these divergent literatures. It then uses New Orleans to discuss both the pedestrian improvements and the vibrant public life that New Orleans sustained without the new pedestrian infrastructure. It concludes with a discussion about pedestrian oriented research agenda

SISTEM INFORMASI AKADEMIK PADA SMA YANITAS PALEMBANG

Pembuatan skripsi ini bertujuan untuk membuat Sistem Informasi Akademik SMA YANITAS PALEMBANG. Penulis membangun sebuah sistem informasi Akademik menggunakan PHP dan MySQL sebagai database. Metode yang digunakan dalam penulisan laporan ini adalah metode Framework for the Application of System Analysis Technique (FAST), dengan melakukan Problem Analysis Phase, Requirement Analysis Phase, Decision Analysis Phase, Design Phase, Construction Phase, Implementation Phase, selain itu juga melakukan wawancara dan obeservasi serta pengumpulan data-data untuk memperoleh informasi yang dibutuhkan. Identifikasi masalah ditujukan dengan pembuatan kerangka PIECES, kebutuhan user digambarkan dengan Use Case Diagram dan Glosarium Use Case. Metode perancangan proses dengan menggambarkan Diagram Konteks dan Diagram Dekomposisi, rancangan antarmuka program sebagai penghubung antara user dengan database. Kesimpulan yang dapat penulis ambil yaitu penggunaan aplikasi sistem informasi akademik ini dapat memudahkan dalam pengelolaan data-data akademik dan mempercepat layanan akademik pada SMA Yanitas Palembang