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Debates in Second Language Education (Debates in Subject Teaching)
by Ernesto Macaro Robert WooreDebates in Second Language Education provides an up-to-date account of the key debates and areas of controversy in the field of second language learning and teaching. Adopting a broad and comparative perspective and emphasising the importance of considering a variety of learning contexts, it encourages students and practising teachers to engage with contemporary issues and developments in learning and teaching. Chapters are designed to stimulate thinking and understanding in relation to theory and practice, and help language educators to make informed judgements by arguing from a position based on theoretical knowledge and understanding. Bringing together leading contributors in the field, the book discusses a wide range of issues relating to second language learning and teaching including: the relationship between age and success in language learning aptitude versus motivation as predictors of successful language learning linguistic diversity and plurilingualism the teaching of grammar and vocabulary the value of phonics learning pronunciation the second language only versus the multilingual debate With reflective points in every chapter, Debates in Second Language Education will be a valuable resource for any student or practising teacher, as well as for those engaged in initial teacher education, continuing professional development or Master's level study. It will also be of interest to second language acquisition researchers and those studying applied linguistics.
Debates in Second Language Education (Debates in Subject Teaching)
by Ernesto Macaro Robert WooreDebates in Second Language Education provides an up-to-date account of the key debates and areas of controversy in the field of second language learning and teaching. Adopting a broad and comparative perspective and emphasising the importance of considering a variety of learning contexts, it encourages students and practising teachers to engage with contemporary issues and developments in learning and teaching. Chapters are designed to stimulate thinking and understanding in relation to theory and practice, and help language educators to make informed judgements by arguing from a position based on theoretical knowledge and understanding. Bringing together leading contributors in the field, the book discusses a wide range of issues relating to second language learning and teaching including: the relationship between age and success in language learning aptitude versus motivation as predictors of successful language learning linguistic diversity and plurilingualism the teaching of grammar and vocabulary the value of phonics learning pronunciation the second language only versus the multilingual debate With reflective points in every chapter, Debates in Second Language Education will be a valuable resource for any student or practising teacher, as well as for those engaged in initial teacher education, continuing professional development or Master's level study. It will also be of interest to second language acquisition researchers and those studying applied linguistics.
Debates on Early Childhood Policies and Practices: Global snapshots of pedagogical thinking and encounters
by Theodora PapatheodorouGlobally, Early Years policies and documents have set out aspirational outcomes and benefits for children, their families and the wider society. These policies have emphasised the place of early childhood provision within the wider global agenda, by tackling inequality and disadvantage early on in children’s lives. However, these strategies have also raised further debates regarding the way they have informed and shaped curricula frameworks and pedagogical approaches. The international team of contributors to this book argue that if these issues are not explicitly acknowledged, understood, critiqued and negotiated, emerging policies and documents may potentially lead to disadvantaging, marginalising and even pathologising certain childhoods. Divided into two parts, the volume demonstrates the dialectic nature of both policy and practice. The chapters in this wide-ranging text: explore and articulate the philosophical premises and values that underpin current early childhood policy, curricula and pedagogies explicitly acknowledge and articulate some of potential conflicts and challenges they present provide examples of divergent and creative pedagogical thinking highlight opportunities for enabling pedagogical cultures and encounters. Debates on Early Childhood Policies and Practices is aimed at a wide readership including academics and researchers in early years education, policy makers, undergraduate and postgraduate students, practitioners and early childhood professionals.
Debates on Early Childhood Policies and Practices: Global snapshots of pedagogical thinking and encounters
by Theodora PapatheodorouGlobally, Early Years policies and documents have set out aspirational outcomes and benefits for children, their families and the wider society. These policies have emphasised the place of early childhood provision within the wider global agenda, by tackling inequality and disadvantage early on in children’s lives. However, these strategies have also raised further debates regarding the way they have informed and shaped curricula frameworks and pedagogical approaches. The international team of contributors to this book argue that if these issues are not explicitly acknowledged, understood, critiqued and negotiated, emerging policies and documents may potentially lead to disadvantaging, marginalising and even pathologising certain childhoods. Divided into two parts, the volume demonstrates the dialectic nature of both policy and practice. The chapters in this wide-ranging text: explore and articulate the philosophical premises and values that underpin current early childhood policy, curricula and pedagogies explicitly acknowledge and articulate some of potential conflicts and challenges they present provide examples of divergent and creative pedagogical thinking highlight opportunities for enabling pedagogical cultures and encounters. Debates on Early Childhood Policies and Practices is aimed at a wide readership including academics and researchers in early years education, policy makers, undergraduate and postgraduate students, practitioners and early childhood professionals.
Debating Education: Is There a Role for Markets? (Debating Ethics)
by Harry Brighouse David SchmidtzDebating Education puts two leading scholars in conversation with each other on the subject of education-specifically, what role, if any, markets should play in policy reform. David Schmidtz and Harry Brighouse each advance nuanced arguments and respond to each other, presenting contrasting views on education as a public good. Schmidtz argues on behalf of a market-driven approach, making the case that educational opportunities do not need to be equal in order to be good. The ideal of education is not equally preparing students to win a race but maximally preparing each student to make a contribution. Harry Brighouse instead focuses on inequality, particularly the unequal distribution of rewards. He argues that justice requires prioritizing the prospects of the bottom 30% of the population, whose life prospects are much worse than justice would demand, given the current wealth of society. The moral imperative of education should be to improve this group's range of opportunities. Brighouse expresses serious skepticism that market mechanisms are capable of this task, due to imperfections in educational markets, a lack of appropriate regulations, political influence, and other systemic obstacles. At its heart, Debating Education is concerned with the nature, function, and legitimate scope of voluntary exchange as a form of social relation, and how education raises concerns that are not at issue when it comes to trading relationships between consenting adults. It will appeal to scholars and students of ethics alike, specifically those who study political philosophy, philosophy of education, as well as individuals interested in educational and public policy.
DEBATING EDUCATION DEBETH C: Is There a Role for Markets? (Debating Ethics)
by David Schmidtz Harry BrighouseDebating Education puts two leading scholars in conversation with each other on the subject of education-specifically, what role, if any, markets should play in policy reform. David Schmidtz and Harry Brighouse each advance nuanced arguments and respond to each other, presenting contrasting views on education as a public good. Schmidtz argues on behalf of a market-driven approach, making the case that educational opportunities do not need to be equal in order to be good. The ideal of education is not equally preparing students to win a race but maximally preparing each student to make a contribution. Harry Brighouse instead focuses on inequality, particularly the unequal distribution of rewards. He argues that justice requires prioritizing the prospects of the bottom 30% of the population, whose life prospects are much worse than justice would demand, given the current wealth of society. The moral imperative of education should be to improve this group's range of opportunities. Brighouse expresses serious skepticism that market mechanisms are capable of this task, due to imperfections in educational markets, a lack of appropriate regulations, political influence, and other systemic obstacles. At its heart, Debating Education is concerned with the nature, function, and legitimate scope of voluntary exchange as a form of social relation, and how education raises concerns that are not at issue when it comes to trading relationships between consenting adults. It will appeal to scholars and students of ethics alike, specifically those who study political philosophy, philosophy of education, as well as individuals interested in educational and public policy.
Debating in Teaching and Learning English: Theory and Practice for Pedagogy and Curriculum
by Ben WIlsonThis book offers the first full-length treatment of the topic of debating as a method of developing English Foreign Language (EFL) speaking, inviting scholars and practitioners to reflect on the demands of the current age for moving forward educational practice. While debating is a well-known method of dialogic speaking and is widely practiced, the extent to which it is integrated in adult TEFL has not been established, and an understanding of its affordances for developing foreign language speaking is also limited.This book fills the gap in the field of TESOL and applied linguistics on the affordances of debating as a form of dialogic speaking that can promote a holistic understanding and improvement of experience of education, and indeed academic outcomes. The two main themes that situate the work are those of dialogic speaking and affect (at times referred to as 'humanistic', 'positive psychology' and 'social and emotional learning'). The book details the experiences of an adult EFL debate group in a private language school in the North of Italy. It reports how the participants experience the pedagogy so as to offer insights into it as a form of teaching speaking in adult EFL, as well as providing a practical framework with lesson plans and curriculum. The affordances of debating emerge as being social, cognitive, educational and communicative, and are discussed alongside the work of language teaching scholars Curran and Freire, and more broadly within a Social Constructivist approach to education. As such, debating is discussed as being a holistic and dialogic form of pedagogy. Particular attention to experience - often affective - is also found to be fundamental in planning and assessing educational outcomes for both teachers and learners.
Debating in Teaching and Learning English: Theory and Practice for Pedagogy and Curriculum
by Ben WIlsonThis book offers the first full-length treatment of the topic of debating as a method of developing English Foreign Language (EFL) speaking, inviting scholars and practitioners to reflect on the demands of the current age for moving forward educational practice. While debating is a well-known method of dialogic speaking and is widely practiced, the extent to which it is integrated in adult TEFL has not been established, and an understanding of its affordances for developing foreign language speaking is also limited.This book fills the gap in the field of TESOL and applied linguistics on the affordances of debating as a form of dialogic speaking that can promote a holistic understanding and improvement of experience of education, and indeed academic outcomes. The two main themes that situate the work are those of dialogic speaking and affect (at times referred to as 'humanistic', 'positive psychology' and 'social and emotional learning'). The book details the experiences of an adult EFL debate group in a private language school in the North of Italy. It reports how the participants experience the pedagogy so as to offer insights into it as a form of teaching speaking in adult EFL, as well as providing a practical framework with lesson plans and curriculum. The affordances of debating emerge as being social, cognitive, educational and communicative, and are discussed alongside the work of language teaching scholars Curran and Freire, and more broadly within a Social Constructivist approach to education. As such, debating is discussed as being a holistic and dialogic form of pedagogy. Particular attention to experience - often affective - is also found to be fundamental in planning and assessing educational outcomes for both teachers and learners.
Debating medieval Europe: The early Middle Ages, <i>c.</i> 450–<i>c.</i> 1050 (Manchester University Press)
by Craig Caldwell Paul Fouracre Jinty Nelson Simon Loseby Charles Insley T. J. McCarthy Paul Oldfield Robert PortassDebating medieval Europe serves as an entry point for studying and teaching medieval history. Rather than simply presenting foundational knowledge or introducing sources, it provides the reader with frameworks for understanding the distinctive historiography of the period, digging beneath the historical accounts provided by other textbooks to expose the contested foundations of apparently settled narratives. It opens a space for discussion and debate, as well as providing essential context for the sometimes overwhelming abundance of specialist scholarship. Volume I addresses the early Middle Ages, covering the period c. 450–c. 1050. The chapters are organised chronologically, and cover such topics as the Carolingian Order, England and the ‘Atlantic Archipelago’, the Vikings and Ottonian Germany. It features a highly distinguished selection of medieval historians, including Paul Fouracre and Janet L. Nelson.
Debating medieval Europe: The early Middle Ages, <i>c.</i> 450–<i>c.</i> 1050 (Manchester University Press)
by Craig Caldwell Paul Fouracre Jinty Nelson Simon Loseby Charles Insley T. J. McCarthy Paul Oldfield Robert PortassDebating medieval Europe serves as an entry point for studying and teaching medieval history. Rather than simply presenting foundational knowledge or introducing sources, it provides the reader with frameworks for understanding the distinctive historiography of the period, digging beneath the historical accounts provided by other textbooks to expose the contested foundations of apparently settled narratives. It opens a space for discussion and debate, as well as providing essential context for the sometimes overwhelming abundance of specialist scholarship. Volume I addresses the early Middle Ages, covering the period c. 450–c. 1050. The chapters are organised chronologically, and cover such topics as the Carolingian Order, England and the ‘Atlantic Archipelago’, the Vikings and Ottonian Germany. It features a highly distinguished selection of medieval historians, including Paul Fouracre and Janet L. Nelson.
Debating Obesity: Critical Perspectives
by Emma Rich, Lee F. Monaghan and Lucy AphramorThis book brings together critical perspectives on some of the recent claims associated with the obesity crisis. It develops both theoretical and conceptual arguments around the obesity debate, as well as taking a more practical focus in terms of implications for the health professions to outline an agenda for a 'critical weight studies'.
Debating Special Education
by Michael FarrellDebating Special Education is a provocative yet timely book examining a range of criticisms made of special education in recent years. Michael Farrell analyses several key debates in special education giving balanced critical responses to inform policy and practice for the future of special education. The book identifies possible limitations to the current special education knowledge base and provision. Michael Farrell examines the value of labelling and classification, and asks if intelligence testing may have detrimental effects; and addresses a number of complex issues such as: how practitioners work within special education; and if, sometimes, professionals may be self-serving whether there is distinctive provision for different types of disabilities and disorders inclusion as mainstreaming offered as an alternative to special education, and the challenges this presents. The author's conclusion is that in responding to these challenges, special education demonstrates its continuing relevance and strength. Presenting a range of international, cross-disciplinary perspectives and debates – which are vital to an understanding of special education today, and written in Farrell's typically accessible style – this book will be relevant for teachers of special children in ordinary and special schools; those on teacher training courses and anyone whose work relates to special education.
Debating Special Education
by Michael FarrellDebating Special Education is a provocative yet timely book examining a range of criticisms made of special education in recent years. Michael Farrell analyses several key debates in special education giving balanced critical responses to inform policy and practice for the future of special education. The book identifies possible limitations to the current special education knowledge base and provision. Michael Farrell examines the value of labelling and classification, and asks if intelligence testing may have detrimental effects; and addresses a number of complex issues such as: how practitioners work within special education; and if, sometimes, professionals may be self-serving whether there is distinctive provision for different types of disabilities and disorders inclusion as mainstreaming offered as an alternative to special education, and the challenges this presents. The author's conclusion is that in responding to these challenges, special education demonstrates its continuing relevance and strength. Presenting a range of international, cross-disciplinary perspectives and debates – which are vital to an understanding of special education today, and written in Farrell's typically accessible style – this book will be relevant for teachers of special children in ordinary and special schools; those on teacher training courses and anyone whose work relates to special education.
Debating the Canon: A Reader from Addison to Nafisi
by L. MorrisseyOver the past two decades, the debate over the 'Great Books' has been one of the key public controversies concerning the cultural content of higher education. Debating the Canon provides a primary-source overview of these ongoing arguments. Many of these contributions to this debate have achieved 'canonical' status themselves; through the focus on the canon, the full spectrum of approaches to literary studies can be seen in the essays. Therefore, this collection places the recent debate within a larger context of literary criticism's development of a canon, going back to the eighteenth century.
Debating Yoga and Mindfulness in Public Schools: Reforming Secular Education or Reestablishing Religion?
by Candy Gunther BrownYoga and mindfulness activities, with roots in Asian traditions such as Hinduism or Buddhism, have been brought into growing numbers of public schools since the 1970s. While they are commonly assumed to be secular educational tools, Candy Gunther Brown asks whether religion is truly left out of the equation in the context of public-school curricula. An expert witness in four legal challenges, Brown scrutinized unpublished trial records, informant interviews, and legal precedents, as well as insider documents, some revealing promoters of "Vedic victory" or "stealth Buddhism" for public-school children. The legal challenges are fruitful cases for Brown's analysis of the concepts of religious and secular.While notions of what makes something religious or secular are crucial to those who study religion, they have special significance in the realm of public and legal norms. They affect how people experience their lives, raise their children, and navigate educational systems. The question of religion in public education, Brown shows, is no longer a matter of jurisprudence focused largely on the establishment of a Protestant Bible or nonsectarian prayer. Instead, it now reflects an increasingly diverse American religious landscape. Reconceptualizing secularization as transparency and religious voluntarism, Brown argues for an opt-in model for public-school programs.
Deborah Meaden Talks Money (Talks)
by null Deborah MeadenTHE empowering intro to money and finance that EVERY young person needs right now, from Dragons’ Den investor and entrepreneur DEBORAH MEADEN. Finance made fun? YES, REALLY! Dragons' Den investor and entrepreneur, Deborah Meaden, makes finance exciting, relatable and personal – AT LAST! Money is such a huge part of our lives, so learning how to make it work best for YOU is a crucial skill. Knowledge is power! Whether you want to earn money, save money, set goals, or set up and grow a business, Deborah will be your personal guide, demystifying the world of finance, and sharing the knowledge and insights that have made her one of the UK’s most successful entrepreneurs. Fearful of finance? You are not alone! TALKS MONEY is packed with podcast-style interviews with ordinary young people, as well as top business people and personalities, including STEVEN BARTLETT, JOE LYCETT, GARY NEVILLE and SOPHIE ELLIS-BEXTOR, who reveal the secrets to their success – and the mistakes they’ve made along the way. Create great money habits! With Q&As, quizzes, tips and challenges, TALKS MONEY is the ONLY guide you need to building the skills and confidence you need to manage finances and reduce money worries. The empowering finance book that EVERY young person needs right now. Book 2 in the TALKS series coming in August 2024.
Deborah's Daughters: Gender Politics and Biblical Interpretation
by Joy A. SchroederJoy A. Schroeder offers the first in-depth exploration of the biblical story of Deborah, an authoritative judge, prophet, and war leader. For centuries, Deborah's story has challenged readers' traditional assumptions about the place of women in society. Schroeder shows how Deborah's story has fueled gender debates throughout history. An examination of the prophetess's journey through nearly two thousand years of Jewish and Christian interpretation reveals how the biblical account of Deborah was deployed against women, for women, and by women who aspired to leadership roles in religious communities and society. Numerous women-and men who supported women's aspirations to leadership-used Deborah's narrative to justify female claims to political and religious authority. Opponents to women's public leadership endeavored to define Deborah's role as "private" or argued that she was a divinely authorized exception, not to be emulated by future generations of women. Deborah's Daughters provides crucial new insight into the history of women in Judaism and Christianity, and into women's past and present roles in the church, synagogue, and society.
Debt-Slavery in Israel and the Ancient Near East (The Library of Hebrew Bible/Old Testament Studies)
by Gregory C. ChirichignoThis original study concerns itself with the manumission laws of Exodus 20, Deuteronomy 15 and Leviticus 25. It begins with the social background to debt slavery and the socioeconomic factors encouraging the rise of debt slavery in Mesopotamia. After a comparative analysis of the Mesopotamian and biblical material Chirichigno examines the social background to debt slavery in Israel, the various slave laws in the Pentateuch (in order to delimit the chattel-slave laws from the debt-slave laws), and the biblical manumission laws themselves.
Debunking the Grit Narrative in Higher Education: Drawing on the Strengths of African American, Asian American, Pacific Islander, Latinx, and Native American Students
by Angela M. Locks Rocío Mendoza Deborah Faye CarterDebunking the Grit Narrative in Higher Education examines pressing structural issues currently impacting African American, Asian American, Pacific Islander, Latinx, and Native American students accessing college and succeeding in U.S. postsecondary environments. Drawing from asset-based work of critical race education scholars such as Yosso, Ladson-Billings, and contributing author Solórzano, the authors interrogate how systems and structures shape definitions of academic merit and grit, how these systems constrain opportunities to attain access and equitable educational outcomes, and challenge widely held beliefs that Students of Color need grit to succeed in college. Dominant narratives of educational success and failure tend to focus mostly on individual student effort. Contributing authors explore the myriad ways that institutional structures can support Students of Color utilizing their strengths through critical perspectives, asset-based, anti-deficit perspectives to access postsecondary environments and experience success. Scholars, scholar-practitioners, students affairs professionals, and educational leaders will benefit from this timely edited book as they work to transform postsecondary institutions into entities that meet the needs of Students and Communities of Color.
Debunking the Grit Narrative in Higher Education: Drawing on the Strengths of African American, Asian American, Pacific Islander, Latinx, and Native American Students
Debunking the Grit Narrative in Higher Education examines pressing structural issues currently impacting African American, Asian American, Pacific Islander, Latinx, and Native American students accessing college and succeeding in U.S. postsecondary environments. Drawing from asset-based work of critical race education scholars such as Yosso, Ladson-Billings, and contributing author Solórzano, the authors interrogate how systems and structures shape definitions of academic merit and grit, how these systems constrain opportunities to attain access and equitable educational outcomes, and challenge widely held beliefs that Students of Color need grit to succeed in college. Dominant narratives of educational success and failure tend to focus mostly on individual student effort. Contributing authors explore the myriad ways that institutional structures can support Students of Color utilizing their strengths through critical perspectives, asset-based, anti-deficit perspectives to access postsecondary environments and experience success. Scholars, scholar-practitioners, students affairs professionals, and educational leaders will benefit from this timely edited book as they work to transform postsecondary institutions into entities that meet the needs of Students and Communities of Color.
Debunking the Myth of Job Fit in Higher Education and Student Affairs
by Brian J. Reece Vu T. Tran Elliott N. DeVore Gabby PorcaroCo-published with This groundbreaking book examines a concept that has gone unexamined for too long: The concept of “job fit” in the student affairs profession. Fit is a term used by nearly everyone in student affairs throughout the hiring process, from search committees and hiring managers to supervisors and HR professionals. This book opens a conversation about the use of “job fit” as a tool for exclusion that needs to be critically investigated from multiple standpoints.This edited collection brings together a number of voices to look at the issues involved through various lenses to explore the ways policies, procedures, environments, and cultural norms provide inequitable job search experiences for individuals from various marginalized groups. These include looking at the legal aspects, employer definitions, communication barriers, as well as scholarly personal narratives looking at the concept from the perspective of class, race, gender and sexual orientation.Emerging from the Commission for Social Justice of ACPA, the personal narratives and critical explorations in this book are an attempt to provide graduate students and professionals with a resource that is relevant to the job search in an increasingly competitive job market, while taking into account the complex realities of their identities. The normative assumptions of “fit” are analyzed by the authors to make visible the barriers those assumptions create for those with non-dominant identities.The student affairs profession strives for inclusion and acceptance as a core value, and an essential competency. The profession has made progress in the way it serves students, but there is a disconnect between the conversation about students and the way those same values play out in the treatment of practitioners and scholars in the field. This book aims to help job seekers looking to evaluate fit in their current and possible future positions, as well as hiring managers who face challenges in creating equitable hiring processes.Challenging the norms and rhetoric about job fit in student affairs means that scholars and practitioners alike must be able to incorporate this topic explicitly into various aspects of the profession.
Debunking the Myth of Job Fit in Higher Education and Student Affairs
Co-published with This groundbreaking book examines a concept that has gone unexamined for too long: The concept of “job fit” in the student affairs profession. Fit is a term used by nearly everyone in student affairs throughout the hiring process, from search committees and hiring managers to supervisors and HR professionals. This book opens a conversation about the use of “job fit” as a tool for exclusion that needs to be critically investigated from multiple standpoints.This edited collection brings together a number of voices to look at the issues involved through various lenses to explore the ways policies, procedures, environments, and cultural norms provide inequitable job search experiences for individuals from various marginalized groups. These include looking at the legal aspects, employer definitions, communication barriers, as well as scholarly personal narratives looking at the concept from the perspective of class, race, gender and sexual orientation.Emerging from the Commission for Social Justice of ACPA, the personal narratives and critical explorations in this book are an attempt to provide graduate students and professionals with a resource that is relevant to the job search in an increasingly competitive job market, while taking into account the complex realities of their identities. The normative assumptions of “fit” are analyzed by the authors to make visible the barriers those assumptions create for those with non-dominant identities.The student affairs profession strives for inclusion and acceptance as a core value, and an essential competency. The profession has made progress in the way it serves students, but there is a disconnect between the conversation about students and the way those same values play out in the treatment of practitioners and scholars in the field. This book aims to help job seekers looking to evaluate fit in their current and possible future positions, as well as hiring managers who face challenges in creating equitable hiring processes.Challenging the norms and rhetoric about job fit in student affairs means that scholars and practitioners alike must be able to incorporate this topic explicitly into various aspects of the profession.
Decade Ahead: Applications and Contexts of Motivation and Achievement (Advances in Motivation and Achievement #16, Part B)
by Stuart Karabenick Timothy C. UrdanVolume 16 of "Advances in Motivation and Achievement" is presented in two books. In both books, leading researchers in the field review the current state of the knowledge in their respective sub-disciplines and offer their prognostications about where the research is likely to proceed in the decade ahead. In this book, "Volume 16B", chapters examining the associations between motivation and other constructs, such as emotion and self-regulation, are presented. In addition, "Volume 16B" includes chapters examining sociocultural approaches to the study of motivation, the motivation of African American students and teachers' motivation, the application of motivation research in classrooms, and the policy implications of motivation research. In the first book, "Volume 16A", seven prominent theories of motivation are examined, including research on self-efficacy, achievement goal theory, expectancy-value theory, self-determination theory, self-concept research, implicit motives, and interest. By providing chapters that both summarize and look forward, the two books in this volume offer a useful roadmap for the future of motivation research in a variety of areas.
A Decade of MOOCs and Beyond: Platforms, Policies, Pedagogy, Technology, and Ecosystems with an Emphasis on Greater China
by Irwin King Wei-I LeeThis book is an academic publication about the global development of massive open online courses (MOOCs) and major MOOC platforms worldwide in the past decade, as well as the outlook of MOOCs in the future, with an emphasis on Greater China. The book also discusses the upsurge of the demand for online learning and MOOCs during the COVID-19 pandemic.The book is divided into three main parts - Part I: Overview of MOOCs introduces the origin and history of MOOCs and the development of MOOC platforms in Greater China and the global context; Part II: Key Issues discuss the MOOC policies, innovative pedagogy, technology, and ecosystems worldwide; and Part III: Beyond MOOCs probes into the roles and benefits of MOOCs in times of crises, as well as the outlook of MOOCs in the future. In terms of topic diversity, the book contains a comprehensive investigation of the past and latest MOOC developments, extracting and elaborating on relevant information regarding platforms, policies, pedagogy, technology, and ecosystems. Subsequently, in-depth analyses of MOOC data are utilized to deduce the current trends related to the MOOC movement and to extrapolate the likeliest direction of development for MOOCs in the years to come. The book can inform policymakers, education institutions, course instructors, platform developers, investors, researchers, and individual learners of MOOCs about critical information on the present and future of MOOC development, assisting them in making crucial decisions on what initiatives can optimize their advantages in the sector.
A Decade of Research Activities at the Department of Industrial Engineering: From Five Existing Departments to the Excellence in Research (Springer Aerospace Technology)
by Sergio De Rosa Nicola Bianco Agostino De Marco Michele GrassiThis open access book celebrates the decennial of the Department of Industrial Engineering of Università di Napoli Federico II, Italy. It covers the main research achievements developed at the department in the fields of aerospace, marine, energy, statistical, mechanical and management engineering. Five pre-existing departments merged in 2013, and the research results are here summarized to certify how important it was to join skills, expertise, and projects. The industrial engineering area is huge, but it is now dominated by the need to conceive and analyze new solutions, human and climate oriented to face with the actual challenges which dictate the new paradigm, which evolved from “is it feasible?” to “is it compatible with the environment and the human beings?”. There is still a lot to do, but the contents of this book demonstrate that the first steps have been done. All the researchers of the department have contributed to this book, more than 140 authors, and thus, it isthe collective outcome of the path they were able to perform all together, including administrative officers and technicians. It highlights the international relevance and multidisciplinarity of research at the university as well as the planned research lines for the next years.