A paradigm for selecting an institutional software

This paper proposes a paradigm for selecting an institutional software. The proposed paradigm includes finding an applicable theoretical framework for guiding the integration of the software into the institution, customizing this framework to suit the institution, considering institutional guidelines and policies relevant to selecting proper software, selecting the appropriate software product according to specific evaluation criteria, and evaluating the entire selection process for future reference. This paper documents the use of the proposed paradigm using a Canadian university\u27s selection of an on-line courseware as a case study

Tai Chi for the prevention of falls among older people: A critical analysis of the evidence

Despite interest as to the benefits of Tai Chi, there remains controversy over its effectiveness as an exercise intervention to prevent falls among older people. This review synthesises the evidence-base with a focus on meta-analyses and randomised controlled trials with community-dwelling older people. It provides a critical lens on the evidence and quality of trials. High quality evidence suggests that Tai Chi is an effective intervention to prevent falls in the community, however, there is unclear evidence for long-term care facilities and an absence of evidence for hospital settings. When compared directly with other exercise interventions, Tai Chi may offer a superior strategy to reduce falls through its benefits on cognitive functioning. Using data from the current Cochrane review, a new synthesis is presented suggesting that 71 - 81% of community-dwelling older people are adherent to class-based Tai Chi interventions. The practical opportunities and challenges for practitioners are discussed

The Innocent Eye : changing pre-service teachers\u27 perceptions of the teaching of visual arts

THE INNOCENT EYE : CHANGING PRE-SERVICE TEACHERS\u27 PERCEPTIONS OF THE TEACHING OF VISUAL ARTS by WAYNE JOSEPH TOUSIGNANT Month of Graduation 2011 Advisor: Dr. Karen Tonso Major: Instructional Technology Degree: Doctor of Education The study looks at the pre-service program at the Faculty of Education, University of Windsor from 1995 to 2009. The two main goals of this paper were to identify the perceptions and beliefs held by pre-service teachers of art education upon entering the course and at the conclusion of the course. As well as the identification of pedagogical strategies that initiate lifelong learning in elementary pre-service teachers in creative fluency and visual communication for the twenty-first century. A historical research methodology focused on past occurrences and events to inform this study of social priorities, expectations and limitations related to the teaching of art in the Province of Ontario. The data sources included previous surveys and artwork from the past 14 years. Findings indicated that a discrepancy still existed between what was mandated by curriculum for the arts and what was actually being taught in the classroom. The findings also confirmed the assessment by the National Art Education Association that the formal education of students continued to be skewed towards reading, writing and mathematics competencies at the expense of other subjects, including art education (NAEA, 2008). Based on the information from the surveys, the only noteworthy positive change in the teaching of visual arts over the past 14 years was in the area of media technology. This dissertation provided evidence that the critical period of intervention to empower students in visual communication is before a child reaches the age of eight years old. Cross-curricular, collaborative pedagogical strategies are effective for the development of creativity and visual communication through activities that allow the innate abilities of children to co-exist with formal design and realism. The findings also indicate that pedagogical practice built upon Abstract Expessionism during the period of intervention to be essential

Steve Daigle and Wayne Tousignant : Paintings and Sculptures

In brief artists' statements, Daigle and Tousignant describe their work in painting and sculpture and their aesthetic concerns. Biographical notes

Integrating Multiliteracies for Preservice Teachers Using Project-Based Learning

Using a project-based learning approach, three teacher educators, teaching three different methodology courses, worked together to create, plan, and assess an arts-based assignment completed by preservice candidates. The preservice teachers created an animation project while applying curriculum expectations in three subject areas: visual arts, music, and language arts. The three subjects were segregated for the purpose of instruction, integrated during the group work and creative process, and then jointly assessed using negotiated reporting. This paper describes the project and details the challenges of integrating teaching and learning across institutionally segregated courses when student expectations are conditioned by their prior experience of siloed, subject-based learning, and discusses lessons learned by the three teacher educators and implications for team teaching across the curriculum

7. Negotiating Shared Understandings of Our Work Through a Collaborative Curriculum: Exploring the Experience of Creativity in Cross Discipline Visual Arts Projects

In 1994, the National Arts Education Association created a research agenda to address major research issues in the field of visual arts education for the purpose of examining, negotiating, and modifying commonly held beliefs in the field of art education. Research by arts educators has done much to inform visual arts education theory and practice, but largely through studies by individuals with few collaborative efforts. In 1991, Neil Owen Houser proposed a collaborative processing model for arts education, which reflects the experiential or constructivist nature of instruction. In this paper, we present our reflections on our shared work where we explored the benefits of interdisciplinary collaboration, the role of play in the process of problem solving, and how experiential learning strategies and techniques could be applied to the teaching of various subjects through visually-mediated arts projects