Designing a Web-based assessment environment for improving pre-service teacher assessment literacy

Teacher assessment literacy is a key factor in the success of teaching, but some studies concluded that teachers lack it. The aim of this research is to propose the “Practicing, Reflecting and Revising with WATA system (P2R-WATA) Assessment Literacy Development Model” for improving pre-service teacher assessment literacy. WATA system offers personalized learning resources and opportunities for pre-service teachers to assemble tests and administer them to students on-line. Furthermore, WATA system facilitates performance of test analysis and item analysis, and enables pre-service teachers to review statistical information from the test and item analyses to revise test items. Sixty pre-service teachers participated in this research. The research results indicate that pre-service teachers using P2R-WATA Assessment Literacy Development Model have better effectiveness in improving their assessment knowledge and assessment perspectives.     

Differences in pre‐service teachers' knowledge and readiness to use ICT in education

The aim of this paper is to provide insights into differences between pre‐service teachers based on the areas of technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK) and the areas of theory of planned behaviour (TPB) in the context of using information and communication technology in education. The target group consisted of 267 first‐year pre‐service teachers at 3 Finnish universities. Differences between pre‐service teachers were outlined using cluster analysis based on their knowledge of different TPACK areas (the respondents' weak and strong areas). To see how the TPB areas aligned with the 4 TPACK clusters, 1‐way analysis of variance was used. Statistically significant differences between the 4 clusters were found in all the TPB areas except subjective norms. These results provide insights into the differences among pre‐service teachers in the context of TPACK and the TPB. They also suggest that instead of considering pre‐service teachers as one homogenous group, we need to understand the variations among their abilities and knowledge in order to be able to provide them with support they need within teacher education.     

Effects of real‐time visual feedback on pre‐service teachers' singing

This pilot study focuses on the use real‐time visual feedback technology (VFT) in vocal training. The empirical research has two aims: to ascertain the effectiveness of the real‐time visual feedback software ‘Sing & See’ in the vocal training of pre‐service music teachers and the teachers' perspective on their experience with VFT. Forty participants from an undergraduate music teacher education programme were randomly assigned to three groups. The first two groups were assigned the teacher and student versions of Sing & See, respectively, and the third group served as a control group without access to the software. The experimental groups were given 12 weeks to use the software for vocal training on a self‐regulated basis. The technique of complex selections (TCS) was designed to assess the pitch accuracy and richness of vocal timbre. Pre‐ and post‐test singing tasks showed that the participants from the experimental groups significantly improved their vocal timbre. A questionnaire survey conducted after the training period found that most of the participants in the experimental s were positive about the effectiveness of VFT software in vocal training. As future leaders in the implementation of music education technology, pre‐service music teachers expressed a positive attitude towards the use of VFT as a technology‐enhanced learning (TEL) component in music education.     

Examining pre‐service teachers' Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge as evolving knowledge domains: A longitudinal approach

The aim of this study is to outline the development and changes in pre‐service teachers' technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK) assessments during the first 3 years in teacher education. Specifically, research was conducted at three measurement points over a 3‐year teacher education period. The target group consisted of pre‐service teachers (N = 148) from three Finnish universities. Results indicate a growth in confidence related to all TPACK areas during the research period. The strongest gains were in pedagogical content knowledge. In addition, the gains were larger in other areas related to pedagogical knowledge than areas related to technology or content knowledge. In areas without pedagogical knowledge, the changes were more moderate. In the discussion section, recommendations are provided on the potential of longitudinal use of the TPACK model to study and improve the development of pre‐service teachers' TPACK.     

Finding the crack in everything: Exploring the causal promise in science education

Abstract:

The author argues that there is a causal promise in pedagogic assumptions about the teaching and learning of science. That is, if teacher educators convince pre‐service teachers a concept is important, they will use it. As a result of a study of five beginning teachers, the author came to question this promise, through a critical ideological frame. In this study, the beginning teachers, who were taught critical science education as pre‐service students, claimed that they embraced this approach in their own teaching practices. However, on investigation, it was found that the teachers were not doing critical science education, as presented in their pre‐service course. This presented a paradox: What does it mean when the dualism of either taking up a theory or resisting it is shattered? Using a feminist post‐structuralist analysis to explore this paradox, the author critiques modernist notions of self, language, and desire to offer another way of making sense of what these teachers discussed. Upon reflection, the author outlines how feminist post‐structuralism has influenced her own practice teaching critical science education.     

A Web-based model for developing assessment literacy of secondary in-service teachers

This research investigates the effect of a web-based model, named ‘Practicing, Reflecting, and Revising with Web-based Assessment and Test Analysis system (P2R-WATA) Assessment Literacy Development Model,’ on enhancing assessment knowledge and perspectives of secondary in-service teachers, and adopts a single group experimental research design. The WATA system provides teachers with personalized learning resources and situated environment to practice assembling, administering tests on-line, and appraising test-related statistical information to reflect and revise test items. The sample consisted of forty-seven secondary in-service mathematics and science teachers in a summer program for 36 h within six weeks. This research collects and analyzes quantitative data, including the pre-test and post-test of teachers’ knowledge and perspectives on assessment. The major results generally confirm the effectiveness of P2R-WATA model. Firstly, the assessment knowledge of the participants has improved after training, especially for teachers with low-level prior knowledge. Secondly, the findings also reveal that there is a significant improvement on teachers’ assessment perspectives.     

基于Web的教师教学质量多元评价系统设计与实现

基于高职教育的职业性、教育性构建了基于Web的具有高职特性的教师教学质量评价系统。该系统具有较高的实践应用价值和推广价值,该系统的推广应用对改善教风、学风起到了积极的推动作用。     

基于插件技术的VWESA平台的研究与设计

针对当前企业资源计划(ERP)系统在中小型企业实施成本高、失败率高、个性化需求无法得到满足的问题,提出了基于Eclipse插件技术的ERP系统开发平台—VWESA.该平台按照面向服务架构(SOA)规范对企业业务流程及其功能进行小粒度服务抽取,并使用页面编辑环境和ERP-BPEL(业务流程执行语言)进行业务流程建模,最终由平台的解释引擎解释、生成基于Web service的ERP Web系统.经实践证明,采用本平台来构建符合企业个性化需求的ERP系统所需的开发时间比传统开发方式大幅度减少、开发效率大幅度提高,开发的灵活性更强;本平台适合用于个性化需求多变的中小型企业的ERP系统开发.     

Achieving educational technology standards: the relationship between student teacher's interest and institutional support offered

Having in mind the need for an increased attention to the importance of pre‐service teacher development concerning technology, this study examined teachers' interest to attain educational technology standards (Interest) in terms of their computer attitude (Attitude) and the professional support they received to attain these standards (Support). The study used a sample of 39 mathematics student teachers and 62 elementary student teachers. The two groups only differed in Support favouring elementary student teachers, who, contrary to mathematics student teachers, received some basic instruction concerning ET standards.Despite these differences in Support, the two‐group path analysis applied revealed that, for both student teachers, the direct effects of Support on Attitude and of Attitude on Interest were positive and significant. On the other hand, the total and direct effects of Support on Interest, although positive, were insignificant. However, because of significant indirect effects, the impact of Support on Interest was mediated through Attitude in both groups. These findings support the view that in order to develop Interest, Support should focus on developing Attitude, which may hold true in general not depending on student teacher type and the level of Support. Implications for further research and (pre‐service) teacher professional development are examined.     

Issues in modified problem‐based learning: A self‐study in pre‐service science‐teacher education

Abstract:

In this self‐study, the author gained in‐depth understanding of how to plan and implement problem‐based learning (PBL), a student‐centred approach to teaching and learning that is driven by messy, open‐ended problems. This paper focuses primarily on the issues and concerns that arose as she developed and implemented a modified form of traditional PBL (Barrows, 1996) in large, pre‐service science‐teacher education classes. To view the research from many perspectives, a variety of data collection methods and sources were used, including field notes, semi‐structured interviews, student‐generated documents, and student journals. The outcomes of this study describe challenges (problem development, facilitation of groups, and assessment) encountered by the author as she planned for and implemented PBL. Furthermore, changes in the author's classroom practice, the connection between these changes and constructivist learning principles, and implications for science‐teacher education are addressed.     

Arithmetical and algebraic types of reasoning used by pre‐service teachers in a problem‐solving context

Abstract

The problem concerning the linkage between arithmetic teaching and algebra teaching involves the relationship that the instructor—or the pre‐service teacher—inherently adopts towards these two fields, especially because this relationship has an impact on the teaching choices that he or she will eventually make when introducing algebra. An experiment to test whether pre‐service teachers manage to establish a dialectic between these two types of reasoning in the context of problem solving was conducted with three groups of pre‐service teachers (164 participants). A series of interviews conducted with several participants, primarily in dyads, highlight the gap that exists between the modes of reasoning deployed by participants in each group.     

基于Web服务的分布式销售智能系统的研究

构建基于Web服务的分布式销售智能系统(DSIS)是提升现代企业竞争力的有效手段.通过分析DSIS的两个关键技术:Web服务和数据挖掘技术,设计了以Web服务代理作为注册中心、以销售智能模块作为服务提供者的DSIS的框架结构,并对销售智能模块及Web服务代理的功能进行了分析.     

Moodle系统中的教学评价

传统的教学评价大都是由老师批改学生的作业和考卷,或凭主观印象给出成绩,这种评价方式存在着一定的弊端。随着教学信息化改革的推进和计算机的普及,在网络环境下进行教学评价已成为可能。本文以开源学习管理系统Moodle为平台,讨论了一种将教师评价、同侪互评以及学生自评相结合的评价模式及其特点,并探讨了其在计算机基础教学中的应用设想。     

基于空间领域本体的动态工作流模型研究

OGC(Open Geospatial Consortium)提出的Web服务编排方法可以通过组合、协调各种空间信息Web服务,形成一种服务的工作流OWS2(OGC Web Services2),但这属于精确匹配的静态工作流。提出了一种基于本体和规则的动态工作流模型(Dynamic Work Flow Model based on Ontology and Rule,DWFMOR),它是对OWS2的改进。本模型首先针对空间信息的领域特征建立了相应的领域本体,基于这些本体设计了用于推理的工作流规则引擎,并使用protégé本体编辑器和Jena推理机进行了实现,最终建立了一个用于空间信息服务的工作流原型系统。实验表明,基于空间领域本体的工作流模型不仅可以根据业务的需求自动地查找和匹配空间信息Web服务,还可以动态地形成空间信息Web服务工作流。     

基于CCFlow 工作流引擎的教师管理考核系统研究

At present, the paper form is still used in the annual management assessment of teachers in many schools, which is not con- venient for management, also easy to make mistakes, and it is unable to view and analyze teachers' information in real time. In order to solve this problem, this paper designs an online teacher management assessment and data analysis platform based on the open source CCFlow workflow engine, which realizes the functions of annual assessment and declaration of teachers, data analysis, report printing, data archiving and so on, which improves the management level and efficiency of the school.     

基于SSM框架的学术论坛管理系统设计与实现

针对高校师生之间学术交流的实际需求,开发了一套基于SSM(Spring+Spring MVC+MyBatis)框架的学术论坛管理系统。该学术论坛管理系统前端主要分为教师端和学生端,学生端提供发表帖子、帖子评论、帖子收藏和关注他人等功能;教师端提供帖子审核、用户管理和话题分类管理等功能。系统前端使用jQuery框架进行数据交互,采用Bootstrap框架进行页面样式渲染;系统后端基于SSM框架进行开发,数据库采用MySQL,结合模板引擎进行数据的渲染操作。系统经使用表明,系统能够在一定程度上加强师生之间课余时间的学术交流,有利于促成良好的学风氛围,可为高校学术论坛管理系统的设计和实现提供参考。     

Developing and assessing an intelligent forex rolling forecasting and trading decision support system for online e‐service

An effective foreign exchange (forex) trading decision is usually dependent on effective forex forecasting. In this study, an intelligent system framework integrating forex forecasting and trading decision is first proposed. Based on this framework, an advanced intelligent decision support system (DSS) incorporating a back‐propagation neural network (BPNN)‐based forex forecasting subsystem and Web‐based forex trading decision support subsystem is developed, which has been used to predict the directional change of daily forex rates and provide intelligent online decision support for financial institutions and individual investors. This article describes the forex forecasting and trading decision method, the system architecture, main functions, and operation of the developed DSS system. A comparative study is conducted between our developed system and others commonly used in order to assess the overall performance of the developed system. The assessment results show that our developed DSS outperforms some commonly used forex forecasting and trading decision systems and can provide intelligent e‐service for forex traders to make useful trading decisions in the forex market. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Int Syst 22: 475–499, 2007.     

In search of online pedagogical models: investigating a paradigm change in teaching through the School for All community

Following a preliminary evaluation of the Web‐mediated School for All in 2002, this study further examines the online teacher role and explores the possible pedagogical models in this Web‐based informal lifelong learning context through a long‐term innovative e‐learning project over a 2‐year period. The author documents the educational rationale, reviews related literature on Web‐based instructional design, and presents longitudinal in‐depth study results based on empirical data collected from the four Web‐course contests held over 2 years from the perspective of outstanding online teachers. Significantly, three categories of six Web‐based pedagogical models induced from this research project are presented, and the rationale for how and why teachers would prefer to use certain teaching models is discussed. In addition, the characteristics of the outstanding online teachers and issues inherent in this alternative mode of a Web‐based informal educational setting are discussed. Finally, more research issues, questions, and possibilities for future research work are raised or identified for further study.     

基于Web Service架构元搜索引擎的研究

介绍了Web Service及元搜索引擎技术,认为这两者的结合能解决元搜索引擎跨网络、跨平台数据通信以及系统间灵活集成的问题。给出了一个基于Web Service架构元搜索引擎系统体系结构,阐述了设计思想,介绍了系统的工作原理,并重点说明了各模块的工作机理。     

一个面向服务契约的Web服务适配器

Web服务适合于分布、松散耦合的应用环境.针时企业应用系统中的Web服务适配器开发问题,提出并实现了一个面向服务契约的Web服务适配器.详细介绍了适配器所包括的分析引擎、框架代码生成引擎、基于Web的WSDL文档编辑器等关键技术和实现方法.同时,将本方法与相关工具进行了性能分析和对比,表明了本方法的良好交互性和稳定性.