Developing critical thinking in e‐learning environment: Kuwait University as a case study     

Salah Al‐Fadhli  Abdulwahed Khalfan 《Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education》2009,34(5):529-536

This article investigated the impact of using e‐learning models' with the principles of constructivism to enhance the critical thinking skills of students in higher education institutions. The study examines the effectiveness of e‐learning model in enhancing critical thinking of students at university level. This effectiveness is measured by a critical thinking test. The target population for this study is undergraduate information systems' students enrolled in Spring 2005 and Fall 2006 semesters at Kuwait University.  相似文献   

Soccer and integrating Europe’s Muslim minorities: the good,and bad and the ugly     

Saeb Farhan Al Ganideh 《Sport in Society》2018,21(9):1258-1278

Drawing from recent debates about Muslim immigrants’ lack of integration into European societies, the current article advances a main argument regarding the nexus between soccer and Muslim immigrants’ integration within their host European societies by reviewing dominant theoretical models and focusing on elite European male Muslim soccer players. Considering the growing recent debate about the role of Muslim immigrants in their European societies, soccer has the potential to assist European countries to increase Muslims’ integration level. Elite Muslim soccer players are among the most influential immigrants in European societies. Muslim soccer players could contribute to increase understanding and community unity between different social groups within European societies as many of them prove that identity hyphenation and combining ethnicity and European nationality is possible for Muslim immigrants. Soccer could give more confidence to the generation of young Muslims about being accepted by European majorities.  相似文献   

Preparing special educators to teach reading and use curriculum-based assessments     

Stephanie Al Otaiba  Vickie E. Lake 《Reading and writing》2007,20(6):591-617

Preparing special educators who are knowledgeable about evidence-based interventions for teaching reading to students with reading difficulties and who are capable of using curriculum-based assessments to monitor student progress and differentiate interventions is vital to the success of current school reform efforts. The primary purpose of this exploratory study was to examine the effect of tutoring and using assessment to monitor the progress of struggling readers on preservice teachers’ (PSTs’) knowledge and preparedness to teach reading. Also of interest was whether reading scores of tutored students improved. PSTs (n = 18) in an undergraduate reading methods course tutored at-risk second graders using an evidence-based intervention and monitored students’ progress weekly. PSTs made significant growth on a measure of teacher knowledge about the structure of language and on a survey of their preparedness to teach reading. A qualitative analysis of PSTs’ weekly reflections and final reports revealed that the majority used curriculum-based assessment data to describe students’ response to tutoring and were beginning to use that data to make instructional decisions. On average, tutored students improved reading fluency, but did not demonstrate significant growth in reading relative to national norms. Implications and limitations of the study are described and directions for future research are discussed.  相似文献   

Students’ intention to take online courses in high school: A structural equation model of causality and determinants     

Masood Badri  Asma Al Rashedi  Guang Yang  Jihad Mohaidat  Arif Al Hammadi 《Education and Information Technologies》2016,21(2):471-497

Offering an online integrated high-school course or subject for the first time involves many challenges. Better understanding the factors that affect students’ willingness to participate in the experience could provide support for better implementation of such a strategic initiative. In addition, it is important to understand how personal factors can influence the success of such an endeavour. This study develops a comprehensive structural equation model that captures most causal factors related to offering a high-school course online for the first time. A sample of public and private secondary school students (Grades 10, 11 and 12) in Abu Dhabi were administered an online survey regarding offering free online courses. The instrument was reviewed by other experts in curriculum, information technology and teaching and learning. The final instrument contained dimensions related to student perception of ease of use of e-learning, usefulness, self-efficacy, skills, style, student self-reported performance in certain subjects, use of social media, school support, teacher support, general support, access to the internet, and preferences behavioural intentions to use e-learning. The analysis provides a structural equation model with acceptable statistical fits and with many significant causal relationships. The paths representing direct and indirect effects of the construct predictors on intention to use provided statistical evidence of the validity of the 13 component predictors. Results show significant links between intention to use e-learning, perception of easiness, perception of usefulness, and other factors such as user characteristics and support. Use of social network affect intention to use e-learning indirectly thorough other variables. Limitations and implications of the study in general and as it concerns Abu Dhabi are highlighted.  相似文献   

VIEWPOINTS     

Ben Williamson  Dr. Yousef H. Al‐Maini  Saima Rana 《Learning, Media and Technology》2008,33(1):71-79

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Ambivalent journey: Teacher career paths in Oman     

David W. Chapman  Thuwayba Al-Barwani  Fathiya Al Mawali  Elizabeth Green 《International Review of Education/Internationale Zeitschrift für Erziehungswissenschaft/Revue internationale l'éducation》2012,24(4):387-403

This study investigated the career paths of 625 university graduates who prepared to be secondary school teachers in Oman, their assessment of their current work situation, and the extent to which their initial commitment to teaching was related to their subsequent career satisfaction and intention to remain in teaching. While nearly all graduates entered teaching, their decision was marked by ambivalence. Nearly half of the graduates reported being only somewhat or not at all committed to teaching as a career when they graduated. It also appears that initial commitment to teaching operates as an important lens through which teachers view their subsequent careers. Those initially more committed to teaching were more likely to be satisfied with the progress they made in their career, more likely to think that their current teaching position offered them opportunities for advancement, and more likely to want to remain in teaching than were graduates who had a lower initial commitment to teaching. The authors discuss both the theoretical and practical implications of these findings.  相似文献   

The componential model of reading: predicting first grade reading performance of culturally diverse students from ecological, psychological, and cognitive factors assessed at kindergarten entry     

Ortiz M  Folsom JS  Al Otaiba S  Greulich L  Thomas-Tate S  Connor CM 《Journal of learning disabilities》2012,45(5):406-417

This study, framed by the component model of reading (CMR), examined the relative importance of kindergarten-entry predictors of first grade reading performance. Specifically, elements within the ecological domain included dialect, maternal education, amount of preschool, and home literacy; elements within the psychological domain included teacher-reported academic competence, social skills, and behavior; and elements within the cognitive domain included initial vocabulary, phonological, and morpho-syntactic skills, and alphabetic and word recognition skills. Data were obtained for 224 culturally diverse kindergarteners (58% Black, 34% White, and 8% Hispanic or other; 58% received free or reduced-price lunch) from a larger study conducted in seven predominantly high poverty schools (n = 20 classrooms) in a midsized city school district in northern Florida. Results from a hierarchical multiple regression (with variables in the ecological domain entered first, followed by the psychological and cognitive domains) revealed a model that explained roughly 56% of the variance in first grade reading achievement, using fall-of-kindergarten predictors. Letter-word reading and morpho-syntactic skill were the strongest significant predictors. The findings largely support the CMR model as a means to understand individual differences in reading acquisition and, in turn, to support data-based instructional decisions for a wider range of children.  相似文献   

Stress intensity factors under combined bending and torsion moments     

Al?Emran?IsmailEmail author  Ahmad?Kamal?Ariffin  Shahrum?Abdullah  Mariyam?Jameelah?Ghazali  Mohammed?Abdulrazzaq  Ruslizam?Daud 《浙江大学学报(A卷英文版)》2012,13(1):1-8

This paper discusses stress intensity factor (SIF) calculations for surface cracks in round bars subjected to combined torsion and bending loadings. Different crack aspect ratios, a/b, ranging from 0.0 to 1.2 and relative crack depths, a/D, ranging from 0.1 to 0.6 were considered. Since the loading was non-symmetrical for torsion loadings, a whole finite element model was constructed. Then, the individual and combined bending and torsion loadings were remotely applied to the model. The equivalent SIF method, F*_EQ, was then used explicitly to combine the individual SIFs from the bending and torsion loadings. A comparison was then carried out with the combined SIF, F*_FE, obtained using the finite element analysis (FEA) under similar loadings. It was found that the equivalent SIF method successfully predicted the combined SIF for Mode I. However, discrepancies between the results determined from the different approaches occurred when F _III was involved. It was also noted that the predicted F*_FE using FEA was higher than the F*_EQ predicted through the equivalent SIF method due to the difference in crack face interactions.  相似文献   

The contributions of vocabulary and letter writing automaticity to word reading and spelling for kindergartners     

Young-Suk Kim  Stephanie Al Otaiba  Cynthia Puranik  Jessica Sidler Folsom  Luana Gruelich 《Reading and writing》2014,27(2):237-253

In the present study we examined the relation between alphabet knowledge fluency (letter names and sounds) and letter writing automaticity, and unique relations of letter writing automaticity and semantic knowledge (i.e., vocabulary) to word reading and spelling over and above code-related skills such as phonological awareness and alphabet knowledge. These questions were addressed using data from 242 English-speaking kindergartners and employing structural equation modeling. Results showed letter writing automaticity was moderately related to and a separate construct from alphabet knowledge fluency, and marginally (p = .06) related to spelling after accounting for phonological awareness, alphabet knowledge fluency, and vocabulary. Furthermore, vocabulary was positively and uniquely related to word reading and spelling after accounting for phonological awareness, alphabet knowledge fluency, and letter writing automaticity.  相似文献   

“Sharing My Bias”: We're From the Government,and We're Here to Help     

Al Carlson 《Journal of Interlibrary Loan, Document Delivery & Electronic Reserve》2013,23(1):61-64

This article describes reference skills as a sharable resource, particularly in light of the development of e-government and the demands it places on public services staff in libraries.  相似文献