Education Commons^™

Constructing High Quality Learning Environments Using Learning Designs And Learning Objects., B. Harper, S. Agostinho, Sue Bennett, J. Lukasiak, Lori Lockyer

Faculty of Education - Papers (Archive)

Designing learning experiences supported by information and communication technology (ICT) is becoming an important skill for all academics in the higher education sector. With a range of "quality" measures being implemented and foreshadowed by government, including "dollars" linked to student learning outcomes, all academics will be increasingly asked to examine their instructional strategies and to offer high quality learning opportunities. Sharing learning resources is seen as one strategy to help academics in this change process. As such, online repositories of learning objects are flourishing to encourage the concept of reuse. However, what is lacking are tools to support academics in …

Using Online Assessment To Inform Teaching And Learning In Primary And Secondary Classrooms, Jim S. Tognolini

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

In the 1980's there was a conscious effort around Australia and in many other countries around the world to shift the focus in assessment from notions of passing and failing to those of monitoring growth; from comparing students against each other to building up an image of what it is that students know and can do at particular stages in their development; and, from collecting marks to summarise performance to providing students and teachers with information from assessment activities that can be used to help diagnose potential weaknesses and strengths and lead to improved learning. The Australian Council for Educational …

Simulation Technology In Pre-Service Teacher Education: 'Pleasurable Learning' To Inspire 'Passionate Teaching', Lisa K. Kervin, Janice B. Turbill, Brian L. Cambourne, Brian Ferry

Faculty of Education - Papers (Archive)

Reviews of beginning teacher programs over the past eighty years within an Australian context continually identify a number of key skills that are not well developed by traditional pre-service teacher preparation programs. In more recent times the teaching of literacy has been targeted as needing specific attention, especially at the pre-service level. Advances in educational software have demonstrated that it is feasible to create a representation of a real situation through simulation. The authors believe that creating a virtual classroom environment for pre-service teachers to interact with is one way to support them with understanding the theory of literacy learning …

I Need Another Animated Gif! : Instructional Design Trends Of Ict Teaching Resources Created By Pre-Service Science Teachers, Doug Reid, Vaille M. Dawson, Patricia A. Forster

Faculty of Education - Papers (Archive)

In this paper, we present an examination of ICT resources created by pre-service science teachers. After a great deal of modelling, use and discussion regarding ICT materials, twenty-seven pre-service science teachers created ICT resources for use in lower secondary science classrooms. These resources were submitted in a number of formats and were designed with a variety of beliefs about instruction and interaction. Trends in the designs of the resources are reported in this paper and we point out possibilities for future study.

The Challenges And Dilemmas Of The Global Business Of Teaching English In South East Asia, Peter M. Kell

Faculty of Education - Papers (Archive)

This paper is a discussion of the nature and character of the markets in English Language and the way in which English language and teaching is characterised by a series of markets in which there is strong and vibrant competition between a diversity of providers attempting to secure a share of growing international market in programs, products, methodologies, teacher training, teacher recruitment and placement. This paper explores aspects of the nature of this competition with particular reference to South East Asia and highlights the dilemmas and challenges that emerge from the development of a multileveled and trans-national market in English …

Understanding And Teaching Students With Asperger's Syndrome As Individuals, Deslea M. Konza

Faculty of Education - Papers (Archive)

Students diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome are being reported with increasing frequency in classrooms throughout the Western world (Barnhill, 2001; Safran, 2001), yet many teachers have limited understanding of the condition, or of appropriate strategies for the successful inclusion of students with this diagnosis. There are now increasing calls for teachers to become aware of the nature of this Syndrome, and of strategies to facilitate the learning of students with this diagnosis in regular classrooms (Myles, 1998; Attwood, 1998). While it is imperative that teachers acquire broad information about the condition, this does not preclude the need to be closely attuned …

The Use Of Embedded Tools And Support Materials Within A Classroom Simulation To Support Quality Teaching, Janice B. Turbill, Lisa K. Kervin, Brian Ferry, Brian L. Cambourne, John Hedberg, David Jonassen, Sarah Puglisi

Faculty of Education - Papers (Archive)

This paper focuses on the use of embedded tools and support materials within a web-based simulated classroom environment. The developed simulation prototype allows the user to adopt the role of a Kindergarten teacher where they have to “teach” a typical literacy episode that we have called “days of the week”. During this episode the user is asked to make decisions about the organisation of the classroom, management of the classroom, and the teaching and learning experiences to be offered.

A key component of this on-line simulation is the incorporation of an embedded tool, referred to as a thinking space, at …

The Quality Teaching Model: Does It Apply To Special Education Contexts In Nsw Public Schools, Roselyn M. Dixon, Leanna Formosa

Faculty of Education - Papers (Archive)

In May 2003, the NSW Department of Education and Training introduced the Quality Teaching framework to NSW public schools for discussion and possible implementation. Principals and teachers were encouraged to use the framework for the twofold purpose of improving both teaching practice and student learning. While versions of the framework have been successfully used in USA and Australia, there is a paucity of research which reports on its merit, worth, or value for teachers of children with moderate intellectual disabilities. The aim of this study is to explore the degree of congruence and/or “fit” between the Quality Teaching framework and …