A Study On The Role Of Web Technology In Enhancing Research Pursuance Among University Academia Author

Vol. 9 No. 2

Year: 2012

Issue: Oct-Dec

Title: A Study On The Role Of Web Technology In Enhancing Research Pursuance Among University Academia  Author

Name: Irshad Hussain, Muhammad Ismail Durrani 

Synopsis: 

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the role of web technologies in promoting research pursuance among university teachers, examine the use of web technologies by university teachers in conducting research and identify the problems of university academia in using web technologies for research. The study was delimited to academia of social sciences of universities located in the Punjab Province of Pakistan. The study consisted on two types of population: university teachers and their academic heads —deans and heads of departments. The subjects of study comprised 200 university teachers and 25 academic heads taken through random sampling technique.  Two questionnaires were developed on 5-point (likert) scale for data collection. The research tools were validated through pilot testing. The researchers administered finalized research tools and collected data. The response rate was calculated to be 75% and 72% for university teachers and their academic heads respectively. The study revealed that university academia used web technologies for accessing to latest research related to their respective area/field of studies. They used such technologies for sharing their academic experiences and findings of research among their communities. It was determined that web technologies played a crucial role in promoting their access to open world-wide educational resources which otherwise were very difficult for them to access. The university teachers reported some minor problems in using web technologies like low bandwidth of internet and electricity break down/ load shedding.

Creativity and Learning in the Virtual Sphere: Perspectives from Doctoral Students

Vol. 9 No. 2

Year: 2012

Issue: Oct-Dec

Title: Creativity and Learning in the Virtual Sphere: Perspectives from Doctoral Students 

Author Name: Thalia Mulvihill, Dr. Raji Swaminathan 

Synopsis: 

The purpose of this article is to analyze the perspectives of doctoral students on creativity and learning in the virtual environment. The researchers investigated the following central research question: to what extent is creative thinking fostered in virtual environments? In addition, the paper also examined how creativity is practiced in virtual environments. The paper will share the results of a 10 item anonymous survey distributed to doctoral students and doctoral faculty regarding their experiences with virtual learning environments and their creative thinking activities. Descriptive statistics and open coding were used to analyze the survey results and to make recommendations for innovative doctoral-level virtual pedagogies meant to build and enhance creative thinking. The results provide educators with further insights about how to structure learning environments with a view toward fostering creativity.

Quality Assurance in Distance and Open Learning

Vol. 9 No. 2

Year: 2012

Issue: Oct-Dec

Title: Quality Assurance in Distance and Open Learning 

Author Name: Mohammed Mahafzah 

Synopsis: 

E-learning has become an increasingly important teaching and learning mode in educational institutions and corporate training. The evaluation of E-learning, however, is essential for the quality assurance of E-learning courses. This paper constructs a three-phase evaluation model for E-learning courses, which includes development, process, and product evaluation, called the DPP evaluation model. Development evaluation includes, course material design, E-learning platform, course Web site design, learning resource, interactivity, assessment, and tutor support. Process evaluation includes technical support, Web site utilization, learning interaction, learning evaluation, learning support, and flexibility. Product evaluation includes student satisfaction, teaching effectiveness, learning effectiveness, and sustainability. This research uses the DPP model to evaluate a purely E-learning course in Distance and open Learning, developed by Philadelphia University. According to summative evaluation through a student E-learning experience survey, the majority of students were satisfied on all E-learning dimensions of an E-learning course. The majority of students thought that the learning effectiveness of this course was equivalent, even better, than face-to-face learning because of cross-border collaborative learning, sufficient learning support, and learning flexibility. This study shows that a high quality of teaching and learning might be assured by using the systematic DPP evaluation procedure. It is hoped that the DPP evaluation model can provide a benchmark for establishing a wider E-learning quality assurance mechanism in educational institutions.

E-learning teacher training courses for differentiated instruction in multicultural classrooms: reflections upon the participants’ experiences

Vol. 9 No. 2

Year: 2012

Issue: Oct-Dec

Title: E-learning teacher training courses for differentiated instruction in multicultural classrooms: reflections upon the participants’ experiences 

Author Name: Catherine Dimitriadou, Eirini Nari , Nektaria Palaiologou 

Synopsis: 

The focus and purpose of this paper is to present an e-learning teacher training course, including its aims and main results from teachers' interviews. The case study presented here examines the effectiveness of an in-service training seminar which was targeted toward teachers at multicultural schools. It concerns qualitative research that stresses interpretative and subjective dimensions of texts which comprise multiple meanings, resulting from multiple readings and interpretations. The structure of the paper is set out in three parts: First, the educational framework within which the study was developed is presented, then, the methodology connected with its development is described, and finally, teachers' replies are presented and discussed. The e-learning teacher training course was created within the frame of an Intercultural Education programme, focusing on differentiated instruction. Participating teachers were asked to create teaching scenarios in the direction of Intercultural Education. Human rights posters were used as motivation for the teachers and the derived scenarios were used for an arts-informed narrative inquiry aimed at investigating the teachers’ knowledge on how to exploit resources as intercultural storytellers through media texts. The study also sets a framework for the development of visual literacy practices in multicultural classrooms, thus enhancing the intercultural competency of teachers.

Using ICT for Training Teachers in Design and Technology Education (TTDTE)

Vol. 9 No. 2

Year: 2012

Issue: Oct-Dec

Title: Using ICT for Training Teachers in Design and Technology Education (TTDTE) 

Author Name: Gisli Thorsteinsson 

Synopsis: 

The paper outlines the TTPTE project (2010-2011) which was based on the need for innovative and effective ideas for increasing the efficiency of teachers' in design and technology daily work.  The project was aimed at finding new ways of how to support in-service teachers in design and technology education and how teachers themselves can upgrade their knowledge and teaching methods by using information and computer technology. The article recognises the development of pedagogy and its application for teaching, studying, and learning by using Virtual Learning Environments based on Computer Supported Cooperative Learning (CSCL).  Virtual Learning Environments (VLE)have given rise to innovative ways to teach and learn.  So far teaching and learning processes have been technologically driven as opposed to pedagogically led.  This can be seen in the context of teachers in design and technology education, where it has been developed for the support of in-service teachers.  The article promotes an understanding of the possibilities of implications of VLE technologies in education for in-service teachers in product design.  It can be shown that when pedagogical considerations are given weight in the development of such technology-based learning services; improvements arise for all stakeholders.

Doctoral Education Online: Challenging the Paradigm

Vol. 9 No. 2

Year: 2012

Issue: Oct-Dec

Title: Doctoral Education Online: Challenging the Paradigm 

Author Name: Hank Radda, B. Jean Mandernach 

Synopsis: 

While doctoral education is well-established in traditional academic environments, the role, value and function of online doctoral education is less clear. Interwoven with concerns about the online delivery format is the changing focus of doctoral education. As a function of social, technological and economic pressures, doctoral programs are expanding the traditional emphasis on basic research to include more integrated, applied models of inquiry. Understanding the unique needs and educational objectives of a scholar-practitioner model shifts concerns about online doctoral education from an emphasis on mode of delivery to an awareness of how the mode of delivery aligns with the broader learning model. The issue is not online or face-to-face, but rather rests in alignment of the theoretical model with development of curriculum and academic support structures. This paper highlights specific strategies and theoretical approaches underlying the creation of a doctoral online learning model focused on maintaining academic excellence while adapting to meet the needs of modern learners.

Student’s Attitudes towards Craft and Technology in Iceland and Finland

Vol. 9 No. 2

Year: 2012

 Issue: July-September

Title	: Student’s Attitudes towards Craft and Technology in Iceland and Finland
Author Name	: Gisli Thorsteinsson, Brynjar Olafsson , Ossi Autio
Synopsis	:
Craft education in both Finland and Iceland originated over 140 years ago and was influenced by the Scandinavian Sloyd pedagogy. Since then, the subject has moved away from craft and towards technology, with the aim being to increase students’ technological abilities. In the beginning, the subject largely focused on the students copying artefacts, using a variety of handicraft tools: the purpose of this was to improve pupils’ manual skills, rather than their thinking skills. Today, however, the focus is also on the development of students’ thinking skills, which enables them to work through the various handicraft processes (from initial ideas to the final product). This work is based on the idea generation of students and is thus expected to increase their self-esteem and ingenuity. This paper is based on a comparative study of students’ attitudes towards craft and technology education in Finland and Iceland, which was undertaken by the University of Iceland and Helsinki University in the years 2011 and 2012. A quantitative survey was distributed to 213 school students and it consisted of 14 questions, which aimed to ascertain students’ attitudes towards craft and technology. A literature review was subsequently completed, in order to examine and compare the origins of craft education in Finland and Iceland. The review highlighted that, despite the origins of craft education in Finland and Iceland being similar, the Icelandic national curriculum placed greater emphasis on design and innovation, whereas the Finnish national curriculum focused on the development of students’ personalities and gender issues. The survey also showed differences in students’ attitudes towards craft and technology education in the two countries: these differences may be explained by differences in the national curriculums and the different pedagogical traditions. However, this finding needs to be examined further through research.