Interactive video technology: Enhancing professional learning in initial teacher education

The University of Sussex In-School Teacher Education Project (InSTEP) uses interactive video technologies to enhance initial teacher education programmes for science trainee teachers. With four Internet Protocol cameras and mounted microphones in both school laboratories and the university teaching room, trainees and their tutors have access to live interaction with schools. This paper presents some of the findings of a 2 year evaluation of InSTEP aimed at identifying the benefits for trainee teachers. There has been an increase in the use of video material for teacher training purposes, however, trainee teachers are often intimidated by carefully selected extracts featuring experienced teachers. InSTEP activities are live and capitalise on all the opportunities associated with normal classroom practice. Literature points to InSTEP-type activities having the potential to enhance the development of trainees’ observation skills, develop reflective thinking, to provide authentic illustrations of classroom practice, enable remote observation and facilitate the coaching of trainees by mentors. A fourth generation model of evaluation was undertaken with data generated by semi-structured interviews with university tutors and mentors supported by a questionnaire and group interviews with the trainees. Our main findings point to InSTEP enhancing and accelerating the growth of trainee teachers’ professional knowledge through enabling reflective practice, facilitating collaborative learning and supporting the development of the language of pedagogy.     

The effects of practice teaching sessions in second life on the change in pre-service teachers’ teaching efficacy

The purpose of this research was to investigate the effect of practice teaching in Second Life on the change of preservice teachers’ teaching efficacy, and the difference of changes between individual teaching practice and collaborative teaching practice in their teaching efficacy. Participants were placed into the individual teaching practice or collaborative teaching practice group as a part of a teaching methods and educational technology course. Both groups completed practice teaching sessions twice in Second Life and an instrument adopted for measuring of pre-service teachers’ teaching efficacy beliefs was administered after each of three stages. The researcher collected data from both groups before the first practice teaching, after the first practice teaching session, and after the second session. Results from a Repeated Measure ANOVA indicated that the practice sessions influenced changes in participants’ personal teaching efficacy but not teaching outcome expectancy. In addition, the results indicated significant difference between groups on their personal teaching efficacy after the second practice session, but not on teaching outcome expectancy. The difference between the two groups is attributed to the different methods in preparing for the practice session, practicing the teaching, and the reflection methods posed to each group of participants. This research suggests that pre-service teachers can gain valuable teaching practice in Second Life, and furthermore that collaborative practice teaching is more effective way than individual approaches to practicing teaching.     

Effects of attitudes and behaviours on learning mathematics with computer tools

This mixed-methods study investigates the effects of student attitudes and behaviours on the outcomes of learning mathematics with computer tools. A computer tool was used to help students develop the mathematical concept of function. In the whole sample (N = 521), student attitudes could account for a 3.4 point difference in test scores between individuals on a 10-point scale. General attitude towards mathematics positively predicted test scores. However, more able students who were well-disposed towards mathematical computer tools achieved lower scores. Self-reported behaviours were unrelated to test scores. Detailed observation of a small number of students (N = 8) revealed that positive attitudes towards mathematics and mathematical computer tools augmented exhibited learning behaviours, and that both a positive attitude to mathematical computer tools and exhibited learning behaviours benefited tool mastery. Although tool mastery and test scores are intimately related, reflective processes appear to mediate this relationship. Promoting learning with mathematical computer tools needs to take several factors into account, including improving student attitudes, raising levels of learning behaviours, and giving sufficient opportunity for constructing new mathematical knowledge within meaningful mathematical discourse.     

Investigating models for preservice teachers’ use of technology to support student-centered learning

The study addressed two limitations of previous research on factors related to teachers’ integration of technology in their teaching. It attempted to test a structural equation model (SEM) of the relationships among a set of variables influencing preservice teachers’ use of technology specifically to support student-centered learning. A review of literature led to a path model that provided the design and analysis for the study, which involved 206 preservice teachers in the United States. The results show that the proposed model had a moderate fit to the observed data, and a more parsimonious model was found to have a better fit. In addition, preservice teachers’ self-efficacy of teaching with technology had the strongest influence on technology use, which was mediated by their perceived value of teaching and learning with technology. School’s contextual factors had moderate influence on technology use. Moreover, the effect of preservice teachers’ training on student-centered technology use was mediated by both perceived value and self-efficacy of technology. The implications for teacher preparation include close collaboration between teacher education program and field experience, focusing on specific technology uses.     

Construction safety training via e-Learning: Learning effectiveness and user satisfaction

In Taiwan, promoting knowledge of “Labor Safety” which relates to life and work right is very important. Safety training and learning effectiveness become essential issues of adult learning. To reduce the costs of educational training, enterprises have also started to aggressively introduce e-learning education training. Unlike the construction industry, few studies have investigated the effectiveness of e-learning and conventional learning. This study tested the effectiveness of the safety education to prevent falls by different learning modes used to assess safety behavior and learning effectiveness during the education training period. According to the average pass rate, satisfaction degree of course and total number of unsafe behavior, the e-learning mode improves learning effectiveness. Additionally, when the e-learning mode is introduced in the construction safety education training, the labor can use the teaching material more independently and multimedia system, such as animated teaching materials, case teaching, and repeated course learning, to reduce the error rate of operation, property loss rate, and light (heavy) injury. Under this condition, the e-learning mode is positively associated with the learning effectiveness of construction safety education training. High learning effectiveness promotes safe behavior during construction operations.     

基于．NET的四层B／S高职教学管理系统的设计与实现

对目前高职院校教学管理系统的实际需要和特点进行分析,提出基于B／S模式,利用．NET架构,采用web层,业务规则层,业务实体层和数据访问层4层体系结构的高职教学管理系统,并给出基于该模式下教学管理系统的功能模块。阐述了基于四层结构的具体实现策略,并在此基础上给出了基于四层结构的应用程序设计与开发的关键技术。     

“数字信号处理”的MATLAB应用研究

针对“数字信号处理”课程教学过程中出现的由于概念抽象、公式繁杂引起的学生对知识点理解肤浅的问题,在讲解过程中采用了矩阵实验室（MATLAB）编程技术,将数字信号处理的基本理论和处理方法用图形化演示方式表示出来。给出的实例和教学实践表明,该方法能够增强学生的理解能力,牢固掌握数字信号处理的理论知识和分析设计方法,提高了教学质量。     

项目教学法在《网页制作》课程教学中的运用

从分析传统教学方法在《网页制作》课程中的不足开始入手,提出项目教学法更适合于实现本门课程教学目标的观点,并详细介绍了基于项目教学法课程的主体与局部设计以及具体教学过程的实施步骤,最后得出了很直观的结论,并对教学过程进行了深入反思。     

公选课《动画设计—Flash》教学的一点经验

高校公选课程的开设是培养大学生综合素质的重要渠道之一,《动画设计—Flash》以其生动鲜活、实用性强、易学易用的特点深受广大同学的欢迎。该文根据教学实践,从教学内容的安排、教学手段与方法、考核方式三个方面进行了阐述。