How authentic should a learning context be? Using real and simulated profiles in a classroom intervention to improve safety on social network sites

With the rise of social network sites (SNSs), there is an increasing need for safety education within the current cyber society. To this end, a variety of educational materials have been developed to prepare children to be vigilant when interacting on such sites. However, little is known about the critical design aspects necessary to make these materials effective. In this study, we build on the results of two previous studies, in which we found that general instructional principles drawn from constructivism, such as collaborative learning, are not always appropriate to teach children how to behave safely online. This study therefore focuses on the importance of authentic learning and active learning as critical design features. A quasi-experimental study was conducted in secondary schools in order to compare the impact of two classroom interventions about the risks on SNSs. As part of the intervention, students were presented scaffolds towards different risks related to an SNS-profile through a series of questions. In the control condition, these questions concerned a simulated SNS-profile on paper containing signs of many risks. In the experimental condition, students had to answer the same questions about their own SNS-profile on a computer. It was hypothesized that the simulated profile would not be experienced as realistic, and that students would have difficulties identifying with it. On the other hand, teenagers were expected to be able to recognize more risks on the simulated ‘worst-case scenario’ profile than on their own profile, which would facilitate the scaffolding process in the control condition. The results of the study mostly confirmed these hypotheses. Furthermore, the question arose as to whether the intervention based on the student’s own rea listic profile was educationally more valuable than the intervention based on the simulated profile, but no such added value was found. On the contrary, the scaffolding questions about the simulated profile were found to be more effective in teaching the teenagers about the different categories of risks that were tackled. Based on these findings, the importance of an authentic setting was put into perspective. Within the context of a classroom intervention to promote safety on SNSs, the exercise based on the simulated SNS-profile is put forward as the more effective teaching strategy

Phonics: assessment and tracking guidance

"Systematic daily phonics teaching is a key element of the CLLD [Communication, Language and Literacy Development] approach to the teaching of early literacy. These guidance materials will support teachers and practitioners in making judgements about children's progress through phonic phases. Guidance and suggested possible links between Early Years Foundation Stage Profile (EYFSP) scale points and Assessing Pupils' Progress (APP) guidelines are also given." - National Strategies website

Reflecting on our own learning: incorporating diverse worldviews into teaching and learning activities.

CONTEXT The teacher’s experience is frequently overlooked as a source of useful data on teaching practice. Nelson (2003, p. 85) points out that “every class is potentially an experiment from which the data are either discarded or never gathered.” This paper presents two academics’ reflections on the impact of their training in te reo Maori and tikanga Maori on their teaching activities. PURPOSE To reflect on academics’ learning of Maori language and culture in order to design teaching and learning activities that incorporate Maori language and the Maori worldview. APPROACH The paper uses three of Brookfield’s (1998) four lenses of reflection on teaching practice. RESULTS The first academic considered it was important to enable students to adequately explore the worldviews of the diverse stakeholders they will design products for in future and to test students on their understanding of these in order to satisfy cultural aspects of the graduate profile outcomes. The second academic found benefits of the use of Maori language in class in creating an atmosphere reflective of the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi. Each academic found something to learn from the other’s work. CONCLUSIONS Adding the Maori language and worldview enables the classroom to better reflect New Zealand’s bi-cultural environment and student projects to better meet the needs of diverse stakeholder groups, and also explicitly addresses the cultural aspects of the graduate profile

Model management teacher teaching non-teaching profile

У статті розглядаються проблеми моделювання педагогічних процесів, зокрема особливості проектування моделі педагогічного менеджменту викладача непедагогічного профілю. Наводяться види та етапи моделювання педагогічний процесів. Розкрита сутність моделювання педагогічного менеджменту, показана його структура, принципи, функції та критерії вимірювання.This paper addresses the problem of modeling educational processes particular features of the design model of educational management non-teaching teacher profile. Are given types and stages of modeling pedagogical processes. Discover the essence of modeling teaching Management indicated its structure, principles, functions and criteria measurement

Teaching-innovation experience in competitiveness and innovation in business

The aim of this paper is to contrast the students’ opinions about the teaching innovation experience carried out in the subject “Competitividad en Innovación en la Empresa” (Competitiveness and Innovation in Business). The procedure will start with the subject’s profile, going through the main objectives and teaching methodology, to finish with evaluation and assessment, as suggested in the subject’s syllabus for the academic year 2007/08. Taking this as a starting point and, due to the fact that the number of students in the control group is not very high, we suggest changing both the teaching methodology and the evaluation. These changes will be contrasted with the students’ acceptance and involvement.PROCEEDINGS C

Practitioner enquiry and professional development: 'action research' re-visited and re-viewed in the context of outcomes-based education

[From the abstract]: In the past five years there has been considerable change in curriculum design and delivery in universities in the UK, as the sector moves towards an outcomes-based approach. This is having a marked effect on teaching and learning, and particularly on assessment strategies and methods. Accompanying the curriculum change we have seen an increased emphasis on the role of teaching in HE, with central funding to support staff through 'subject networks', key publications and resources. At the same time there has been high-profile recognition for 'teaching excellence' and a move towards the 'accreditation' of HE academic staff with mandatory continuous professional development (CPD) as part of quality enhancement ..

Digital teaching Skills: a Profile

En este artículo se presenta la propuesta de un perfil de competencias docentes digitales y se describen las dimensiones, competencias e indicadores que lo componen. Se analizan distintas fuentes para determinar el conjunto de recursos a movilizar por los docentes en materia digital y se elabora una versión preliminar del perfil, la cual es puesta a consideración de un grupo de expertos en el uso de las Tecnologías de la Información y la Comunicación (TIC) para su validación. Los resultados muestran que el perfil quedó integrado por 52 indicadores de logro, correspondientes a 13 competencias agrupadas en tres dimensiones: tecnológica, informacional y pedagógica.The article proposes a profile of digital teaching skills; where the dimensions, skills and indicators which shape it are also described. Different theoretical sources are analyzed to determine the set of resources to be used by teachers in a digital environment. A preliminary version of the profile has been developed, which has been validated by a group of experts in the use of the Information and Communication Technologies (ICT). The results show that the profile of digital teaching skills is composed by 52 indicators, which correspond to 13 skills grouped into three dimensions: technological, informational and pedagogical

Using algorithmic taxonomy to evaluate lecturer workload

Lecturer workload at universities includes three major categories: teaching, research and services. Teaching workload is influenced by various factors such as level of taught courses, number of student, credit and contact hour and off campus or on campus course design. Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) has a Knowledge Management Portal that contains sets of metadata on lecturer profile and knowledge assets. The Lecturer profile contains information of lecturer teaching load, research, publication and many more. We constructed an algorithmic taxonomy based on the lecturer profile data to measure lecturer teaching workload. This method measures the lecturer teaching workload. The taxonomy is a dynamic hierarchy that extracts validated parameters from the dataset. Results of the study highlight the contributions of this algorithmic method in better evaluation of teaching workload for lecture

The Professional Learning Motivation Profile (PLMP): A Tool for Assessing Instructional Motivation

This article chronicles the collaboration of administrators from six districts and three college professors as they assessed professional learning during the first year of teaching. The examination led to the development of a Professional Learning Motivation Profile. Results from the profile indicated a traditional model of professional development was not effective in growing the professional learning motivation of beginning teachers. Anecdotal data shared includes how administrators used the data to inform conversations designed to support teachers in their journey toward courageous, effective instruction