 |
|||
 |
Abstracts 2001Keynote Address Our keynote
speaker, Jayne McBryde, will address this year’s theme in her
presentation. Jayne McBryde is an instructional designer and
communications consultant working with organizations in both the
for-profit and non-profit sectors. Presently
on contract to Concordia’s John Molson School of Business, Jayne is
coordinating the inaugural semester of the distance education version of
the Aviation MBA program: GAMBA. This work entails conversion of
classroom-bases courses for distance delivery, student support, and the
development of systems and processes to support this flagship distance
education operation. Other
contract work has included stints as a writer, producer, instructional
designer, content developer, project manager, classroom instructor and
senior communications strategist in fields such as financial services,
pharmaceuticals and public health. Before
becoming involved in educational endeavours, Jayne worked for fifteen
years in the advertising industry where she held a number of senior
positions with advertising agencies and a major airline. Jayne
holds a Master’s degree in Educational Technology and a Graduate Diploma
in Institutional Administration from Concordia University, as well as a
Bachelor of Arts (Honours English) from McGill University.
She is currently pursuing an Advanced Graduate Diploma in Distance
Education (Technology) from Athabasca University in Alberta. Prior Learning Assessment: A
Working Solution for Adult Learners As we move toward a knowledge-based society, it will be this knowledge that further divides those who have from those who have-not. The ability to demonstrate learning and knowledge will be increasingly important in the marketplace. A primary source of learning validation is within the formal education system. However, barriers exist to the formal education system for many adult learners. Prior Learning Assessment is a workable solution for greater access to the formal education system. Prior Learning Assessment (PLA) is a process where credit or advanced standing is awarded to a student who challenges a course and is able to demonstrate the learning they attest to, has in fact occurred. My presentation will be a discussion of the benefits and contradictions of a Prior Learning Assessment program in the formal education system. Cognitive Factors
Effecting Student Understanding of Geologic Time A critical element of geology is reconstructing phenomena in time. A survey of the education literature shows that there has been little attention given to this concept. In this study, I present a model, based on Montagnero's (1996) concept of diachronic thinking, which describes how students reconstruct geological transformations over time. For geology, three schemes of diachronic thinking are relevant:
Three instruments were designed so as to determine the factors which influence reconstructive thinking: (a) the GeoTAT which tested diachronic thinking skills (b) the TST which tested the relationship between spatial and temporal thinking. (c) the SFT which tested the influence of dimensional factors on temporal awareness. Based on the model constructed, it was possible to define the factors influencing reconstructive thinking: (a) the transformation scheme, which influences all other diachronic schemes. (b) knowledge of geological processes (c) extra-cognitive factors. Amongst the test subjects, there was a significant difference between the grade 9-12 students and the grade 7 students in their ability to reconstruct geological phenomena using diachronic thinking. This suggests that between grades 7-8 it is possible to start teaching some of the principles used in geology to reconstruct geological structures. The Piecing of Identity: An
Autobiographical Investigation of Culture and Values in Language Education This study will explore my own perception of my personal and professional roles as a language teacher in Nunavik and in Japan. In this qualitative study, I attempt to understand the negotiation of language and culture both in and out of the classroom. Using the autobiographical narrative method, I investigate questions about language and identity through my own personal lens and voice. My inquiry comprises two elements; it examines and interprets key episodes in my life as a learner and teacher, and as a researcher, I link these topics to the theoretical and empirical knowledge. My narrative begins with the early years of my life as a Francophone immersed in an English neighbourhood in Montreal, grounding it in the particular experiences of my own learning and teaching. The study also includes a comparative analysis of my teaching experiences in Northern Quebec and in Japan. The journals I kept throughout my teaching assignments provide material for analysis, which contributes a unique perspective to the body of literature addressing the relationship between culture, values, language and identity. I close the discussion with recommendations for the improvement of second language teaching and teacher development in intercultural contexts.
The Institutionalization of Early Childhood
Education. How Social-Political Policies Inferred on Early Childhood
Education in Quebec after the Implementation of the Family Policy and the
$5.00 Programme For All Early childhood education has always been the predilection domain of mothers. Home care and education for young children within a home and a family life was, and is still is for many, a traditional way of life. In the sixties, new social tendencies appeared as women started to prefer work for wages as opposed to work for savings and so, early childhood education had to find a new infrastructure to support itself. Each era had its own infrastructure with the outgoing and incoming modes for early childhood education. The seventies and eighties were no different. In Quebec, extraordinary social-political policies were implemented in 1997 creating a social tendency for the institutionalization of early childhood education and the development and reinforcement of the existing infrastructure for care and education of children from 0 to 5 years of age. Existing literature analyses the situation in part, by offering the perspective of quality of services to children offered by day care centre, family day cares and relative care. Many studies analysed structural elements of day care modes as well as some contextual and their consequences on child development. Very recent publications have offered detailed descriptive historical insights about day care modes in Canada offering the perspective of early childhood education as a social welfare service as opposed to an educational service through the twentieth century. Education in early childhood education in its social historical evolution before and after 1997, is the perspective considered in this MA thesis in Child Studies. The informal and formal approaches to early childhood education through community and institutional environments are being considered. The inference of the Family Policy, its subsequent 5.00$ day care program and the creation of a new social tendency for the institutionalization of early childhood education are being analysed by means of a field research into the world of day care centres and family day cares. Descriptive elements are being sought in order to present two different cultures in early childhood education; an informal and a formal culture. Can Jane Austen's Emma be a part of popular culture
or does she become "clueless"? Literature is an important art form as a gateway to understanding the different eras and their history. In particular, the novels of Jane Austen are rich in historical meaning and the social complexities of the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. Nevertheless, it remains a difficult task for today's educators to link traditional education and literature with modern popular culture in a way that would be appealing to students. Thus, the intent of this presentation will be to define popular culture and describe how a classic piece of literature using Jane Austen's (1816) Emma as an example, is presented through a medium to which students can relate readily, such as film. However, has the media correctly represented Austen's novel? Some issues addressed in the novel include education, the role of governesses plus the importance of parental influence in education. Several questions arising from these issues are; how does the lack of parental support affect Emma's education? Ultimately who is responsible for Emma's education? Is true love the main theme of Emma (1816)? Does the mocking of the social system come through in the film versions of Austen' s novel? Do today's youth need special guidance in order to understand some of these complexities? And finally, is film a proper substitute for literature? Examples will be taken from Jane Austen's (1816) Emma, comparing it with the Hollywood film Emma (1996) by Douglas McGrath, as well as Amy Heckerling's (1995) modernized version of Emma (1816), entitled Clueless. Knowing is Not Enough: Developing a Teacher Personal
Portfolio Package The 2000 MEQ programme sets specific guidelines concerning the content of the curriculum and the tools to be used. This program promotes Constructivist oriented instructional aims and recommends the utilization of student portfolios as a means of providing alternative means of learning assessment catering to individualistic learning preferences the integration of multi-media. However, it is not clear whether teachers are equipped to meet the new demands. In order to develop a personal teacher educational portfolio package to enhance understanding and knowledge of Constructivist learning principles, we are exploring the use of photo-image techniques. The central focus of our study will be a pilot project to investigate the effectiveness of the use of photo-image techniques with a group of teachers. Questionnaires will be used to gather information before and after workbook exercises. Interviews with teachers throughout the session will be conducted using video. We believe that this pilot project will contribute to education by providing key insights into the incorporation of photo-image techniques in portfolio processes, and by including teachers in portfolio learning activities, their understanding of the use of alternative methods of evaluation and assessment will be enhanced. Technology Implementation Questionnaire The Centre for the Study of Learning and Performance (CSLP) has recently developed the Technology Implementation Questionnaire (TIQ). The TIQ is being used in a research study conducted by the centre on the wide range of personal and social factors that may affect teachers' perceptions and integration of computer technologies in the classroom. Knowledge gained from this study will assist in the instructional design of training programs as well as indicate where additional services for teachers should be provided. At this point in the research we are preparing to distribute the questionnaire to approximately 1200 teachers in the province of Quebec. The TIQ explores three areas related to teacher
integration of computer technologies in the classroom: In Search of DE Ethical Standards Distance Education (DE) is expanding at an exponential rate. While most institutions have codes of ethics to govern them, DE does not. In many instances, it is governed by the institution that is employing DE to reach its students. Before it becomes unmanageable and too diverse, DE practitioners need to adopt a code of ethics. Part of the problem in doing this, and perhaps one of the reasons it has not been done, is due to DE's diversity in terms of practitioners, audience and technology. Yet, it is this diversity that begs the adaptation of a code of ethics to protect and guide its stakeholders. To date, there has been no attempt to design such a code. From an analysis of the literature dealing with ethics in DE it is evident that it is time to address the need for ethics or ethical sensitivity in distance education. To date, the most comprehensive analysis of DE ethical standards was presented by Reed and Sork in 1990. As a result of this perceived need, a code of ethics was drafted. This code will be the basis of my symposium presentation. Justification will be provided for the inclusion of the 17 ethical standards in the code of ethics. Additionally, audience will be encouraged to debate the standards and their justification. It is hoped that the code of ethics may be refined.
Where Did You Learn Today? Bioregionalism as a
Framework for Learning In researching environmental and experiential education, I have come across a model used in geography that I find quite fascinating. Bioregionalism sees the integration of individuals, communities, their biophysical space, and all the interactions and beliefs that maintain them as parts of a whole. This whole constantly regenerates itself through reciprocal interactions among different levels. The bioregion itself "learns". In order to understand bioregion one must interact within it and not study it from without. Bioregionalism invites us to question the "autonomous" model that sees knowledge as the classifiable and value-neutral end product to process learning. Rather, it is suggested that "knowing" always relates to the spaces it is cultivated in, and which it cultivates. These spaces may be physical (the knowledge of swimming), social (the knowledge of dealing with an angry customer), more abstract (the knowledge of successful investment), or any such combination. The relative emphasis given to these knowledge-spaces of learning is far from haphazard. How do these preferences shape our cognitive sensibilities and values? In the light of globalization and "virtual" spaces, such as the Internet, the implications of a bioregional approach for education are radical and challenging. I would like to share this model with other students, both to foster a dialogue and reflection on it and to receive some feedback and fresh ideas. Multiculturalism and Mind: Building Bridges to
'Higher' Stages of Consciousness In this paper I will argue that the multicultural emphasis on equal recognition and respect for difference makes new demands on the way we think. In it's stand against bigotry, fundamentalism and narrow-mindedness multiculturalism privileges a set of values which include tolerance, respect for difference, sensitivity, autonomy, independence, flexibility and diplomacy. The capacity to live these values depends on qualities of mind that Robert Kegan addresses in his subject-object psychology. In my discussion I outline Kegan's stage theory of consciousness, address criticisms of the theory, and follow the implications of this for Multicultural Education. Ye Gedel Mamitou or Echoes In Ethiopia science text materials and instruction are in Amharic. Content Analysis of the grade two science textbook shows how indigenous knowledge can be drawn on to convey understanding of concepts relating, for example, to the travel of sound. The study suggests that the use of traditional knowledge in the school curriculum, especially when communicated in a familiar language, reduces the disjunction between the culture of the home and the culture of the school, helping children to integrate the world-view they already possess with the understanding of ideas in science. Toward a more Democratic
Classroom Cooperative Learning What is the real contribution of Higher Education to critical thinking skills? How do institutional requirements hinder teaching and learning? What is at risk for professors in a more democratic classroom? Do teacher centered classrooms provide a stimulating learning environment? Does a falseness manifest itself in classroom social interaction that makes it difficult for students to be genuinely present with their professors? Does institution-bred competitiveness stand in the way of learning? How can you teach to many different learning styles, and encourage cooperative learning? How can you motivate a student to learn in a performance culture? How can you handle the injustices of class and opportunity in the classroom? These are some of the questions that I hope to raise in a manner that is relevant to all. I will introduce experimental theories of learning, and approaches to teaching. I will share the cognitive dissonance I have encountered in a shift from an alternative model of education to a traditional one. I will describe the kind of learning that takes place in a classroom where you alone can decide what goes on your record. I will take a critical look at professors' moral engagement with the outcomes of their teaching practices, and finally, I will ask what is at stake in the resolution of these issues. Social Movements as Adult Critical Learning Sites This paper explores the usefulness of social movements in encouraging critical self-reflection in post-modern conditions. In a totally market driven system that relies heavily on technology and where the welfare state has become disfavoured, important social issues and disadvantaged people are forgotten. Adult educators tend to embrace trends and fads and therefore acquiesce to the push for technical training, leaving behind their historical commitment to social change. Freire's theory of conscientization, Mezirow's theory of transformative learning and Habermas' communicative competence show how self-reflection plays a part in deconstructing the hegemonic legacy of the Enlightenment and in keeping social injustices and environmental concerns in the public and political spheres. In his theory of coercive restraint, Ian Baptiste (2000) believes that these theories focus on enlightening the victims, and thus disempower individuals and social movements. This is due to a liberal humanist hegemony, which embraces the belief in the absolute goodness of humans, and therefore acts of injustice are unwittingly committed. Baptiste maintains that true enemies do act freely and knowingly and need to be dealt with by coercive restraint and that the punishment should be according to the severity of the conflict. From Static to Dynamic:
Dynamic Assessment of Achievement The more industrialized and technologically advanced our society becomes, the higher the levels of learning that are required of students, and the higher the levels of learning, the more powerful and specific assessment methods of achievement are needed. Compared to the well-developed aptitude and selection measurement, however, most current methods for assessing achievement and diagnosing learning problems seem underdeveloped. There seems to be a need to reconsider the conventional model and criteria by which academic achievement is evaluated and to come up with more authentic assessment. In order for achievement tests to be practical for instructional purposes, they need to identify performance components that enhance or obstruct current proficiency and the acquisition of eventual higher levels of performance. In order to find out the crucial discrepancies between successful and unsuccessful student performance, test developers need to evaluate the nature of the cognitive content and processes that reveal competence levels in a given domain. The purpose of this presentation is, first, to scrutinize some crucial shortcomings in the current model and procedures for assessing academic achievement, second, to present an alternative model called "dynamic assessment," and third, to consider what may be the goals and benefits of shifting away from traditional assessment. The Fostering of Political Knowledge in Quebec
Youth: an Exploratory Study My thesis is an exploratory study and proposes to focus on (1) The 17 year old CEGEP student's knowledge of political processes and their role as citizens in Quebec; (2) The role the present Quebec education system plays in politicizing students; and (3) How senior high school curriculum changes could better inform students of their role as citizens in the Canadian political process. The Goal of this research is: (1) To find out if the school system adequately educates students about politics so that they feel they can participate in Canada's democracy; (2) To find out the student's awareness of their political knowledge and their ability and desire to create change through the present political system. I would like to present some of the findings I have gathered so far and I would also like to get some feedback from my colleagues regarding 1) the research questions, 2) ways to analyze the findings, 3) my way of proceeding with my research subjects. Multiculturalism and Multicultural Education: A
Canadian Perspective This article reviewed the literature of Multiculturalism and Multicultural Education of Canada. Its Liberal democracy contains ethnic diversity and maintains social harmony through multicultural policy. Canadian model of multiculturalism has become an example for the rest of the world. Since the declaration of multiculturalism as a state policy, Canadian government started to implement the policy in every sphere of Canadian life and society where education sector got the highest priority. In a rapidly changing world, Canadian concept of multiculturalism needs more accommodating ability towards diversity. Not only racial and ethnic minorities, but also all Canadians should be included to the mandate of Multiculturalism. Failure to do so runs the risk of marginalizing ethnoracial concerns. Multiculturalism must be defined as a framework for social equality and justice. An empowered multiculturalism with redefined multicultural education with a dual commitment to social equality and justice will inspire us to predict that the twenty first century also belong to Canada. Introducing…EMMA! In the area of short-term educational interventions, program evaluation attempts to assess curriculum on many levels, such as participant satisfaction, achievement, behaviour and outcome. This is typically carried out using objective measures, a common tool of the scientific paradigm of evaluation. Although this method may be useful in evaluating corporate training where skills are measurable through paper and pencil questionnaires or performance-based observations, there are areas where it is less appropriate. In the continuum of educational interventions, there exist programs where participants make use of discourse and analysis as tools to deepen knowledge and understanding. This acquisition of "soft skills" and use of analytical processes is usually more challenging to assess than basic knowledge or skills. While rigorous, objective methods advocated by the scientific paradigm are designed to work in theoretical vacuums where environments are static and individuals are seen as simple organisms, all interventions take place in dynamic environments with complex individuals. In light of this reality, the descriptive/prescriptive Evaluation Model of Motivation-Achievement (EMMA) is proposed. This holistic, learner-centred model is designed to balance the use of objective measures while acknowledging the importance of humanistic and constructivist concepts (e.g. phenomenological and adult education principles). The EMMA is a dual-function model for both formative and summative evaluation. In its formative function, the EMMA can indicate specific areas of improvement as well as offer techniques to revise instruction. In its summative function, the EMMA adopts a more holistic framework in providing data used in deciding an educational intervention's future. NICENET - Free Web-Based Learning Environment for
Classrooms, Distance Learning Programs and Collaborative Academic Projects What is NICENET? A virtual classroom where class members can share information, ask questions and get extra help. Nicenet is an asynchronous Internet Computer Mediated Conferencing System. Similar to a chat service and e-mail rolled into one. Nicenet provides a FREE alternative to FirstClass. Nicenet is a conferencing software that resides on the Net. It is free and currently in use by many educators in the U.S. Some educational professionals who have managed to get free services from an Internet service provider and a software developer developed it. The result is a structure that you don't have to download! You simply bookmark Nicenet in your browser and go there when you're online to read and send messages. This workshop will introduce you to the Nicenet environment and give you hands-on experience in setting up your own Virtual classroom. NICENET features:
Junior Accountant: An interactive CD-ROM Junior Accountant is a prototypical CD-ROM being proposed to accompany an introductory accounting textbook Financial Accounting: Introduction to Decision Making by Henry Dauderis and Dave Annond. Currently, this textbook is being used at Athabasca University in a distance education environment; approximately 2,000 undergraduate students take this course each year. In general, distance education courses have a high dropout rate. When courses are offered at a distance, students usually do not have the same opportunity to listen to lectures during which the professor explains and demonstrates concepts. Some students may require more guidance and practice than is provided from a textbook and from the often limited online communication with a professor. Students taking Athabasca's introductory accounting course usually experience difficulty with accounting concepts, particularly at the beginning of the course. This initial material focuses on recording financial transactions using an algebraic equation methodology, and students find it difficult to deal with its structured format. Difficulty with absorbing this structure and integrating it with the course material delays acquisition of subsequent subject matter as the course progresses; some learners get hopelessly behind. An interactive multimedia-based CD-ROM has the potential to address the problems of insufficient demonstrations of content and inadequate practice of concepts by exposing students to accounting tasks through simulation-based scenarios. In this session, we will demonstrate the prototype and highlight the instructional design principles that have been applied. e-Learning in the Faculty of Arts and Science at
Concordia University With the exponential growth of the Internet worldwide, as well as major shifts in demographics, technology, and globalization, the learning process is undergoing a major evolution. The convergence of technology, the World Wide Web, and learning at all levels has given rise to a new form of knowledge-acquisition: e-Learning. e-Learning makes use of several applications and processes including: computer-based learning, virtual classrooms, web-based instruction, and digital to offer accessible, consistent, and cost-effective education to anyone, anywhere, and at anytime. Having realized the potential, flexibility, and ease of integration of e-Learning, the Faculty of Arts and Science at Concordia University has been working avidly to update its course materials. In keeping with the University's commitment to open, accessible and innovative education, the Faculty has been steadily increasing its courses' e-Learning capabilities. Whether it is through on-line videos of lectures, web-based course notes, discussion forums, or courses that are offered entirely on the Internet, the shift to e-Learning is being felt within the walls of this very educational institution. This presentation will first centre on the e-Learning trend on a global scale before concentrating on the ways that the Faculty of Arts and Science has been meeting the challenge incurred by this phenomenon. Virtually Real
Presentation about Real Virtual Reality How many times a day do we hear or read the word "virtual?" There is a virtual world around us! "Virtual" becomes part of us. But what is " virtual?" We modify a word reality by adding a modifier with an instinctive understanding that what is virtual is not real. As if adding a modifier to reality made the concept any clearer. Don't we have to define what reality is before we modify its meaning to reflect its negation? Virtual reality has become a common concept. This presentation attempts to put some discipline into how we use language in our daily life. A commonsensical understanding of virtual reality has also become a part of educational vocabulary. As educators we attempt to teach using technology associated with virtual reality. Are we teaching virtually or are we teaching virtual skills, or maybe we prepare for virtual world? This presentation contains more questions than answers.
|
||
|
|
|||
 |
|
|
|