Over the past two decades, the technology "revolution" has evolved to touch nearly every aspect of the people's lives. More than just a convenience, this force has become a necessity throughout business, government, and education. One of the most invasive forces of technology is the way in which it plays a role in the types of instructional constructs, or lessons, that are used in schools, especially in social studies classrooms. The difference in how technology is applied in social...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Social Behavior, Educational Technology, Social Studies, Democratic Values, Student...
This paper examines the underlying assumptions that competency-based frameworks are based upon in relation to leadership development. It examines the impetus for this framework becoming the prevailing theoretical base for developing leaders and tracks the historical path to this phenomenon. Research suggests that a competency-based framework may not be the most appropriate tool in leadership development across many organisations, despite the existence of these tools in those organisations, and...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Leadership Training, Leadership Effectiveness, Management Development, Competency...
Starting from the CVTS-2 survey in which responses by Austrian and French employers revealed their very limited use of "non-school" types of training (on-the-job training, self-learning, job rotation, apprenticeship and quality circles, etc.), the author searches for the reasons for these two European exceptions. Although certain national institutional and structural characteristics common to both countries may explain this particular vision of continuing training, they only account...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Quality Circles, On the Job Training, Foreign Countries, Vocational Education,...
This article reports findings from a study exploring the generativity (Gibbons, Nelson, & Richards, 2000; Parrish, 2004) and discoverability (Friesen, 2001) of learning objects in the hands of the learner. Through the convergence of two separate pilot projects--the Canadian EduSource initiative through Athabasca University, and the researchers' ongoing study of affective learning in online learning environments (Cleveland-Innes & Ally, 2004)--learner perspectives of learning object use...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Instructional Design, Pilot Projects, Online Courses, Lifelong Learning, Data...
Despite the success that instructors and learners often enjoy with online university courses, learners have also reported that they miss face-to-face contact when learning online. The purpose of this inquiry was to identify learners' perceptions of what is missing from online learning and provide recommendations for how we can continue to innovate and improve the online learning experience. The inquiry was qualitative in nature and conducted from a constructivist perspective. Ten learners who...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Constructivism (Learning), Online Courses, Learning Experience, Higher Education,...
This paper is concerned with the pathways students take through their studies at university. A critique of current research demands a fresh approach to explaining student progression, in particular within Australian higher education. To date, theories of student progression commonly consider the fit of the person to the university environment within one rather homogeneous socio-cultural milieu. Socio-ecological approaches provide a new, more appropriate framework for investigating the...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Undergraduate Students, Higher Education, Student Characteristics, Foreign Countries,...
As online courses have become more of an alternative to the traditional classroom environment there's a need for exploring methods on how to evaluate these online courses and their learning objectives. The intent of this research paper is to determine how we can improve online student grades so that failure rates are not 100% higher when comparing them to students attending a traditional campus course and also reduce the rate of late assignments and dropouts. This writer will identify the...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Research Papers (Students), Distance Education, Dropouts, Online Courses, Methods,...
Following the political changes of 1994 in South Africa, the decision was taken to replace the traditional skills-based education system at primary and secondary school level (Grades 1-12) with an outcomes-based education system (OBE) . The implementation of the OBE system did not come without problems, giving rise to revised initiatives. The OBE approach, referred to as Curriculum 2005, was introduced into schools in 1998, for all learners in Grades 1-6 and progressively phased in after that....
Topics: ERIC Archive, Outcome Based Education, Foreign Countries, Change Strategies, Educational Change,...
The purpose of this study was to describe the means by which early field experience (EFE) is implemented within the context of agricultural teacher education. A content analysis using course documents obtained directly from each program's teacher education coordinator was determined to be the most appropriate method to accomplish the purpose and objectives of this study. Thirty-eight of the 82 agricultural teacher education programs responded by providing 57 unique, usable EFE documents. The...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Teacher Education Programs, Agricultural Education, Content Analysis, Pedagogical...
Self-efficacy beliefs are defined as context-specific assessments of one's competence to perform specific tasks, influence one's efforts, persistence, and resilience to succeed in a given task. Such beliefs are important determinants when considering agricultural science teachers' subject matter knowledge, teaching comfort levels, and their likelihood for success in the classroom. The purpose of this study was to assess selected Texas pre-service agricultural science teachers' knowledge and...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Preservice Teachers, Teacher Education Programs, Self Efficacy, Agricultural...
This paper starts from the premise that using learning outcomes to organise the curriculum has been demonstrated to be beneficial to both students and teachers. Accepting, however, that there are legitimate concerns over the extent to which the use of learning outcomes can inhibit originality and critical thinking of students, this paper uses the results of the evaluation of a major curriculum reform to derive guidelines on the formulation of learning outcomes and on how best they can be used...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Curriculum Development, Educational Change, Critical Thinking, Alignment (Education),...
In learning object design an emphasis on visual attractiveness and high technological impact has seemed to persist while content frequently reflects a lack of clear pedagogical basis for the application of learning objects for online learning. Most apparent is the absence of supportive scaffolding for the student user; interactivity built on an "exploratory" approach can fall short of achieving its learning objective if support and guidance are missing for the student user who fails...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Electronic Learning, Research and Development, Behavioral Objectives, Online Courses,...
This paper discusses a pilot study of the effects of a curriculum focus intervention on students' prealgebra achievement. Elements of the intervention include identification of high-priority learning objective; structured repeatable testing; and a coherent, rubric-based feedback component. This research differs from traditional mastery learning research in that it focuses on a subset of high-priority learning objectives, as opposed to the entire curriculum, and focuses on assessing students'...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Feedback (Response), Control Groups, Intervention, Behavioral Objectives, Academic...
Active learning theory indicates the importance of helping students take control of their learning, monitor their understanding, and assess learning strategies. Knowledge surveys are intended to improve a student's ability to self-assess and cover the content and the full range of cognitive levels of a course. We explore an interdisciplinary data set of knowledge surveys and exams, asking whether student's ability to self-assess differs at different cognitive (Bloom) levels. Although self...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Self Evaluation (Individuals), Metacognition, Behavioral Objectives, Classification,...
Every day, teachers face the time-consuming task of adapting materials from curricula that do not meet their students' needs or match their learning styles. This article discusses ready-made literacy units specifically designed for teachers of deaf and hard of hearing students. The units were part of the Cornerstones Project, an activity of the WGBH National Center for Accessible Media. (The units were developed with funding from Steppingstones of Technology Innovation for Students With...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Cued Speech, Partial Hearing, Deafness, Teaching Methods, Literacy, Teachers,...
This paper gives account of a project involving Year Abroad students of French at Warwick University challenged to select "realia" from their host countries in order to stimulate enthusiasm for language learning in local schools. It considers the cognitive and affective processes informing the "culture gathering" that took place: how did the responsibility to act as the interface between a foreign culture and their own inform these students' own intercultural and linguistic...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Global Education, Citizen Participation, Foreign Culture, Study Abroad, Foreign...
Instructional strategies aimed at improving achievement of low performing student subgroups in need of support were selected by the District Improvement Advisory Committee, so that WCPSS could exit District Improvement status. Impact of each initiative, which often included teacher training and coaching is examined in this implementation report. Recommendations are made including setting strategic goals and systematically monitoring implementation; targeting schools or teachers with high...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Program Implementation, Improvement Programs, County School Districts, Educational...
In a 2012 paper for the Center for American Progress, "The State of Evaluation Reform," Patrick McGuinn (Drew University) identified the opportunities and challenges facing education agencies in Race to the Top (RTTT) grant-winning states as they prepared for the implementation of new teacher evaluation systems. The 2012 study undertook in-depth comparative case studies of six states: Tennessee, Colorado, Delaware, New Jersey, Rhode Island, and Pennsylvania. For this paper the...
Topics: ERIC Archive, State Departments of Education, Teacher Evaluation, Beginning Teachers, Program...
It has been three years since Race to the Top grant-winning states piloted new teacher evaluation systems and many of them have made considerable progress, yet according to media coverage and a Government Accountability Office (GAO) report published in April 2015, struggles remain and most grantees have asked to extend the timetables for completing this work. Given the enormous importance and complexity of these reforms--and the fact that states vary widely in the timing, approach, and success...
Topics: ERIC Archive, State Departments of Education, State Policy, Teacher Evaluation, Program...
This book deals with the relevance of recognition, validation and accreditation (RVA) of non-formal and informal learning in education and training, the workplace and society. It examines RVA's strategic policy objectives and best practice features as well as the challenges faced and ways forward as reported by Member States. Special attention is paid to the analysis of institutional and political requirements that give genuine value to the recognition of non-formal and informal learning; the...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Nonformal Education, Informal Education, Vocational Education, Global Approach,...
Action Research on Measuring Literacy Programme Participants' Learning Outcomes (RAMAA) aims to develop, implement and collaborate on the creation of a methodological approach to measure acquired learning and study the various factors that influence its development. This report examines how RAMAA I has been implemented over the past four years in five participating countries: Burkina Faso, Mali, Morocco, Niger and Senegal. It assesses the institutional and technical implementation of the...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Action Research, Outcome Measures, Program Implementation, Adult Literacy,...
Instructional design (ID) is systematic way of suggesting a structure and giving meaning to an instructional problem by helping to visualize the problem and breaking into discrete and manageable units. In addition, ID is a systematic reflective process of applying instructional principles into plans by material, activity, resources and evaluation (Smith & Ragan, 2004; Morrison, Ross & Kemp, 2001). It is based on what is known about learning theories, management methods, systematic...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Instructional Design, Models, Comparative Analysis, Correlation, Behavioral...
The purpose of this study was to learn whether there have been any changes in writing instruction across K-12 education in the past three years. A three-year time frame was chosen to structure the study as it included the time period subsequent to the College Board's first announcement of the SAT writing section (the 2002-03 academic year). The English/language arts teachers and district administrators surveyed reported major changes in writing priorities, attitudes, and expectations; how...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Writing Instruction, Educational Change, College Entrance Examinations, Language...
Teaching entrepreneurship--how to create, grow and run a business or organization--is one potential means to increase college and career readiness skills. Learning how to start a business can improve critical thinking, communication and collaboration (Gallagher, Stepien, & Rosenthal, 1992; Hmelo, 1998), which are key qualities for academic as well as business success. In this study, the authors examine the implementation of The Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship's (NFTE) "Make Your...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Entrepreneurship, College Readiness, Career Readiness, Business Skills, Skill...
Until recently, states focused on ensuring the presence of a "highly qualified teacher" in every classroom. Under the 2001 reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), known as No Child Left Behind (NCLB), this title described a teacher holding at least a bachelor's degree and the appropriate state license and demonstrating subject matter competency. Research has shown that these "input" measures do little to explain differences in student...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Best Practices, Teacher Evaluation, Educational Opportunities, Teacher...
Some young people naturally flourish in school; others struggle due to difficult life circumstances. There is also another group of young people who have no substantial issues or barriers but are still at risk of disengaging from learning. Through research, it is known that the majority of young people who are not in education, employment or training (NEET) could be prevented from becoming NEET if targeted with the right support early on. This top tips guide offers practical tips to schools in...
Topics: ERIC Archive, At Risk Students, Best Practices, Dropout Prevention, Outreach Programs,...
This election factsheet highlights the following points: (1) While the GCSE pass rate has increased since its introduction, this doesn't tell us very much about how standards have changed. Evidence from international surveys suggests that education standards have remained stable. Stopping the use of modules and limiting resits is likely to reduce pass rates, but this is not the same as improving standards; (2) The changes to GCSE grading are likely to make it easier to differentiate between the...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Secondary Education, Academic Standards, Educational Change, Achievement Gains,...
Student learning measures have rapidly become common in teacher evaluation systems across the United States. Over half of the country's states have required, recommended, or identified "student learning objectives" (SLOs) as a measure of student growth for use in educator evaluation. Although SLO-type measures vary significantly in terms of scope, stakes, scoring, and use of assessment, all SLO measures require a combination of analysis and professional judgment. This report provides...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Behavioral Objectives, Synthesis, Program Implementation, Educational Research,...
To assist system administrators as they pursue their own teacher leadership initiatives, this profile from Leading Educators and the Aspen Institute details the steps Denver Public Schools (DPS) took to design and implement its Differentiated Roles pilot. Specifically, it examines the initiative's opportunities and challenges within the context of the blueprint for teacher leadership that were proposed in "Leading from The Front of the Classroom: A Roadmap to Teacher Leadership that...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Public Schools, Teacher Leadership, Program Development, Program Descriptions,...
In a previous study with 130 undergraduate teacher candidates from all licensure levels, data on candidate effectiveness were examined using factor analysis. Four factors were found in effective teaching, those being lesson planning, teacher and student reflection, safe school environment, and teacher professionalism. The present study followed the 2012 one and was done to (1) determine whether the lesson planning factor was unitary or could be divided into any further factors, and (2) to...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Lesson Plans, Best Practices, Instructional Effectiveness, Curriculum Design,...
The paper takes a critical look at the different metrics that could be used to measure First Nations student success. The paper concludes that more than one metric is needed given the holistic worldview of First Nations Aboriginal people. A framework undergirding First Nations student success is presented and discussed.
Topics: ERIC Archive, Conference Papers, Success, Outcome Measures, Holistic Approach, World Views,...
The third element in the Internationalization of the Curriculum series, "Engaging Educators" offers practical solutions to help faculty members internationalize their teaching practices. The purpose of these guidelines is to set out and share the full range of practices which were identified by faculty who participated in the Canadian Bureau for International Education (CBIE) study. The intent in identifying a range of choices is to: (1) help faculty who are already interested...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Classroom Environment, Classroom Techniques, Guidelines, Educational Practices,...
This brief provides an overview of the SIOP Model and highlights how teachers can develop content and language objectives, emphasize key vocabulary, promote interaction, and incorporate effective review and assessment techniques within the context of middle school science. It provides research-based examples and strategies in order to illustrate how teachers can plan for the successful integration of content and language in science lessons.
Topics: ERIC Archive, Middle Schools, Secondary School Science, Science Instruction, Instructional...
The 2012 National Survey of Science and Mathematics Education was designed to provide up-to-date information and to identify trends in the areas of teacher background and experience, curriculum and instruction, and the availability and use of instructional resources. A total of 7,752 science and mathematics teachers in schools across the United States participated in this survey. The design and implementation of the study involved developing a sampling strategy and selecting samples of schools...
Topics: ERIC Archive, National Surveys, High Schools, Secondary School Teachers, Secondary School...
The 2012 National Survey of Science and Mathematics Education was designed to provide up-to-date information and to identify trends in the areas of teacher background and experience, curriculum and instruction, and the availability and use of instructional resources. A total of 7,752 science and mathematics teachers in schools across the United States participated in this survey. The design and implementation of the study involved developing a sampling strategy and selecting samples of schools...
Topics: ERIC Archive, National Surveys, High Schools, Physics, Secondary School Teachers, Secondary School...
The 2012 National Survey of Science and Mathematics Education was designed to provide up-to-date information and to identify trends in the areas of teacher background and experience, curriculum and instruction, and the availability and use of instructional resources. A total of 7,752 science and mathematics teachers in schools across the United States participated in this survey. The design and implementation of the study involved developing a sampling strategy and selecting samples of schools...
Topics: ERIC Archive, National Surveys, Science Education, Middle School Teachers, Teacher Surveys,...
The forthcoming Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) aim to reshape K-12 science education, but making the vision a reality will require changes throughout the education system. What teachers ultimately do in the classroom depends on a host of factors, including state and district policies, school structures and supports, preservice preparation, inservice learning opportunities, parent/community expectations, and availability of instructional resources, among others. This conference paper...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Science Education, Academic Standards, Elementary School Science, National Surveys,...
The 2012 National Survey of Science and Mathematics Education was designed to provide up-to-date information and to identify trends in the areas of teacher background and experience, curriculum and instruction, and the availability and use of instructional resources. A total of 7,752 science and mathematics teachers in schools across the United States participated in this survey. The design and implementation of the study involved developing a sampling strategy and selecting samples of schools...
Topics: ERIC Archive, National Surveys, Science Education, Mathematics Education, Educational Trends,...
The 2012 National Survey of Science and Mathematics Education was designed to provide up-to-date information and to identify trends in the areas of teacher background and experience, curriculum and instruction, and the availability and use of instructional resources. A total of 7,752 science and mathematics teachers in schools across the United States participated in this survey. The design and implementation of the study involved developing a sampling strategy and selecting samples of schools...
Topics: ERIC Archive, National Surveys, Mathematics Education, Science Education, Educational Trends,...
In this paper, the author would like to put forward a number of issues to think about and discuss. At the same time, she argues for a better articulated system that more closely matches the needs and goals of various subgroups of English language learners. Adult ESL programs serve diverse immigrant populations with different needs and goals. A One-Size-Fits-All approach limits the effectiveness of services and "cheats" groups at either end of the educational spectrum--those without...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Literacy, Adult Literacy, English Language Learners, Immigrants, Program...
States and districts are beginning to use student achievement growth--as measured by state assessments (often using statistical techniques known as value-added models or student growth models)--as part of their teacher evaluation systems. But this approach has limited application in most states, because their assessments are typically administered only in grades 3-8 and only in math and reading. In response, some districts have turned to alternative measures of student growth. These alternative...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Teacher Evaluation, Academic Achievement, Achievement Gains, Alternative Assessment,...
States and districts are beginning to use student achievement growth--as measured by state assessments (often using statistical techniques known as value-added models or student growth models)--as part of their teacher evaluation systems. But this approach has limited application in most states, because their assessments are typically administered only in grades 3-8 and only in math and reading. In response, some districts have turned to alternative measures of student growth. These alternative...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Teacher Evaluation, Academic Achievement, Achievement Gains, Alternative Assessment,...
Motivated by the need to improve teaching and learning and by federal priorities reflected in requirements for grant programs such as Race to the Top and the Teacher Incentive Fund, many states are developing teacher evaluation systems that include measures of individual teachers' contributions to their students' learning growth. One way to measure teacher impact is with student learning objectives (SLOs)--an alternative to the more generally used value-added modeling with standardized test...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Teacher Evaluation, Content Analysis, Evaluation Criteria, Web Sites, Behavioral...
Motivated by the need to improve teaching and learning and by federal priorities reflected in requirements for grant programs such as Race to the Top and the Teacher Incentive Fund, many states are developing teacher evaluation systems that include measures of individual teachers' contributions to their students' learning growth. One way to measure teacher impact is with student learning objectives (SLOs)--an alternative to the more generally used value-added modeling with standardized test...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Teacher Evaluation, Evaluation Criteria, Behavioral Objectives, Teacher...
For more than 50 years, the International Association for the Evaluation of
Topics: ERIC Archive, Benchmarking, Mathematics Curriculum, Science Curriculum, Educational Policy,...
This article draws on a case study of six facilitators who were teaching Publishing Research in 2011 at one of the universities in South Africa. Publishing Research was offered by two campuses of this institution. This article gives these facilitators a voice and also identifies and defines the intended, implemented and attained learning outcomes for the module. The six facilitators claimed to be using the same learning outcomes in helping students to achieve the aims in the module but the...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Academic Achievement, Instructional Design, Foreign Countries, Content Analysis, Semi...
Learning outcomes are described as written statements of what a learner is expected to know, understand and/or be able to do at the end of a period of learning. At the beginning of the 90s, a EU pilot project on ECTS showed that study programmes were much easier to compare if they were described in terms of outcomes, instead of inputs. The importance of learning outcomes will increase for several reasons. Firstly, learning outcomes make qualifications more transparent for students. Then, the...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Quality Control, Stakeholders, Pilot Projects, Foreign Countries, Workshops, Outcome...
Research (Martin, 2008) has shown that speaking and listening are the literacy skills most used in the world of work. Yet, employers frequently bemoan the lack of young people's communication skills, with many believing that it impacts their chances of making it through an interview and their future employability (Simon, 2009). Effective speaking and listening are therefore critical skills, and young people who enter the workforce need to be good communicators if they want to succeed in the...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Program Effectiveness, Workplace Literacy, Communication Skills, Speech...
The Federal Workforce Investment Act (WIA), Title II: Adult Education and Family Literacy Act (AEFLA) provides funding for states and territories to provide instruction in English as a Second Language (ESL), Adult Basic Education (ABE), and Adult Secondary Education (ASE) to adults in need of these literacy services. California State Budget Act language for fiscal year 2010-11 (Item 6110-156-0890, Provision 3) requires the California Department of Education (CDE) to report on the implementation...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Academic Achievement, Outcome Measures, Program Effectiveness, Adult Basic Education,...
Recent policy changes have facilitated an expanded role for VET in Schools in supporting school completion, with vocational education and training (VET) in schools qualifications and subjects receiving increasing recognition in senior secondary certificates. Despite increased attainment of VET qualifications amongst 15 to 19-year-olds (Australian Curriculum, Reporting and Assessment Authority 2011), the outcomes of vocational learning within Australian senior secondary certificates are still...
Topics: ERIC Archive, Vocational Education, Foreign Countries, Misconceptions, Labor Market, Research...