Search

Topics discussed in 14 papers concerned with software design, curriculum development, evaluation, and intelligent systems include teaching and learning systems, development of computer-assisted learning (CAL) courseware (music and reading), evaluation of CAL packages for mastery learning and modelling, assessment of CAL in physics and the primary curriculum, and technical management. (BBM)

Since 1980, national university departmental ranking exercises have developed in several countries. This paper reviews exercises in the U.S., U.K. and Australia to assess the state-of-the-art and to identify common themes and trends. The findings are that the exercises are becoming more elaborate, even unwieldy, and that there is some retreat from complexity. There seems to be a movement towards bibliometric measures. The exercises also seem to be effective in enhancing university focus on research strategy.

This paper explores student teachers' understandings of child sexual abuse and strategies to deal with it that are appropriate for the primary school classroom. Evidence of surface and deep learning were obtained from a content analysis of student teachers' responses to an essay-type exam question, using Bloom's taxonomy of educational objectives. The results show that participants were most likely to be rated as having achieved at intermediate levels, and less likely to be at either the lowest or highest levels. The data suggest that greater provision should be made for addressing child sexual abuse during the training of such professionals to enhance their deeper thinking about child sexual abuse and strategies to deal with it. Since pre-service teacher education plays a significant role in enhancing the quality of future teachers, it is important that they are helped to achieve the highest levels associated with understanding universals, principles, generalizations and abstractions. The implications of these results for teaching in primary schools strongly suggest the importance of comprehensive, enhanced, longer, and on-going programmes on child sexual abuse across pre-service education. (Contains 3 figures.)

Purpose: What kinds of online cultural heritage exhibitions are now available on the internet? How far have these cultural heritage institutions voyaged in terms of harnessing the power of information and communication technology and the interactivity of multimedia systems to exhibit cultural heritage resources? This study aims to highlight the major initiatives and developments across libraries, archives and museums, and to provide an overview of the characteristics and features of current major initiatives--specifically of the objectives and purposes of the exhibitions, their contents, the available information retrieval (search and browse facilities) and interactive features. Design/methodology/approach: Reports the findings of a personal investigation of 15 online exhibitions, conducted between February and June 2004. Findings: A number of key characteristics of the information retrieval features of the surveyed online exhibition sites are identified. Research limitations/implications: This is by no means a comprehensive or all-inclusive survey of all relevant initiatives. It is meant to be an exploratory study of the current landscape and architecture of major cultural heritage online exhibitions available on the web. Changes in the online exhibitions after June 2004 are not reflected in this paper. Originality/value: Based on the findings of this survey, major areas of research that would improve the features of online exhibition systems are indicated. (Contains 5 tables.)

This paper describes new approaches to assessment in dance and dance education. The first part examines assumptions behind traditional models of evaluation in academic and performing arts contexts. I consider whether it is useful to understand human ability as unitary or if it is meaningful to evaluate people according to a single dimension of competence, such as a general intelligence or a unique talent. I argue that pluralistic models of human intelligent performance--and "intelligence-fair" assessments--more accurately portray the richness, multidimensionality, and diversity in human behaviour. The second part uses this theoretical meta-structure to define key requirements for multidimensional assessment. Recent approaches to assessment in dance are considered in light of these requirements: the United Kingdom's National Curriculum (1988), United States' National Assessment of Educational Progress (1998), and Warburton's (2000a) Multidimensional Assessment in Dance. Implications for dance and dance education are discussed.