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This paper focuses on a generational change taking place in the Polish academic profession: a change in behaviors and attitudes between two groups of academics. One was socialized to academia under the communist regime (1945-1989) and the other entered the profession in the post-1989 transition period. Academics of all age groups are beginning to learn how tough the competition for research funding is, but young academics ("academics under 40"), being the target of recent policy initiatives, need to learn faster. Current reforms present a clear preferred image for a new generation of Polish academics: highly motivated, embedded in international research networks, publishing mostly internationally, and heavily involved in the competition for academic recognition and research funding. In the long run, without such a radical approach, any international competition between young Polish academics (with a low research orientation and high teaching hours) and their young Western European colleagues (with a high research orientation and low teaching hours) seems inconceivable, as our data on the average academic productivity clearly demonstrate. The quantitative background of this paper comes from 3704 returned questionnaires and the qualitative background from 60 semi-structured in-depth interviews. The paper takes a European comparative approach and contrasts Poland with 10 Western European countries (using 17,211 returned questionnaires).

This paper reports on a small-scale project involving an online school exchange between two classes of 12-/13-year olds located in the North of England and the Ruhr area of Germany. The overarching aim of the project was to develop intercultural understanding in foreign language learning through communication in an online environment. Analysing data from website posts, lesson observations, student questionnaires and interviews, the paper investigates the extent to which the project realised this goal, and examines emerging practical and pedagogical issues. Comparing the processes and outcomes of this project in secondary education to similar projects in Higher Education (HE), the research found that the young people learnt more than older students about cultural similarities than differences. They were thus less likely to be party to cultural misunderstandings, developing friendly relationships and openness towards a people of a different culture. However, their failure to notice differences may have been due to a lack of in-depth discussion and absence of more demanding student tasks. The paper concludes that in order to develop more sophisticated intercultural learning, expertise derived from telecollaboration in HE needs to be adapted to the lower secondary school context, drawing particularly on auto-ethnography and ethnographic interviewing.

In the past few years, there has been an increasing interest in Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) as a new form of Technology-Enhanced Learning (TEL), in higher education and beyond. Recognizing the limitations of standalone MOOCs, blended MOOCs (bMOOCs) that aim at bringing in-class (i.e. face-to-face) interactions and online learning components together have emerged as an alternative MOOC model of teaching and learning in a higher education context. In this paper, we present the design, implementation, and evaluation details of a bMOOC course on "Teaching Methodologies" at Fayoum University, Egypt in cooperation with RWTH Aachen University, Germany, provided using the bMOOC platform L[superscript 2]P-bMOOC. In order to gauge the usability and effectiveness of the course, we employed an evaluation approach based on Conole's 12 dimensions rubrics, ISONORM 9241/110-S as a general usability evaluation, and a custom effectiveness questionnaire reflecting the different MOOC stakeholder perspectives.

In this paper we describe a "Train the Tutor" programme (TtT) for developing the metacognitive skills, facilitator skills, and tutor skills of students in a problem based learning (PBL) context. The purpose of the programme was to train 2nd and 3rd year undergraduate students in psychology to become effective PBL tutors for "freshmen" (1st year psychology students). Based on the 3C3R concept of Hung (2006), various instructional problems have been designed and used in a 6 steps training programme. The programme has been evaluated both in a formative and summative approach through a quasi-experimental control group design with pre- and post-measurements before and after the training programme. The study was conducted as part of a curriculum re-design for promoting problem based learning in psychology courses for undergraduate students in a university of applied science. The results indicate the importance of metacognitive skills of the tutor for effectively facilitating the learning process in a PBL context.

The CEFR encourages teachers to resort to task-based activities in the language classroom. However, some resistance has been offered to this approach, due to lack of appropriate training and difficulty in meeting some basic practical conditions, as well as in finding resources and examples of good practices, as shown in a survey conducted within the scope of ETALAGE. PETALL (Pan European Task-based Activities in Language Learning [2013-2016]) seeks to construct a transnational strategy for ICT-based task design management and aims to design tasks that can be implemented in different educational contexts. This paper offers an overview of the internal evaluation procedures to be followed at different levels and stages of the project, and discusses the objectives, underlying principles and criteria applied.

This paper aims to provide Business English and EAP practitioners with a rationale for including the analysis of narrative elements in business addresses in their language teaching in order to encourage critical thinking in learners. By studying these elements, and the rhetorical function of the narrative in particular, students can become more aware of how the use of narratives can be part of a strategy to convey a particular message in order to influence perceptions and to enact change in a company (Moon 2010: 133). This is especially the case when the company has undergone a crisis (Hearit 1995). The business addresses chosen for the study are the annual reports of two global companies, BP and Toyota, both written post-crisis. According to a narrative analysis of both reports, outlined in the paper, there are significant differences between the two papers in the use and effect of rhetoric. The findings of a quantitative study show that Business English students are able to identify differences in rhetorical functions and corporate identity construction within the texts, suggesting that such a contrastive analysis can develop students' critical thinking skills. These findings are supported by a further small-scale study assessing potential classroom applications of the reports in which example activities and tasks were piloted with small groups of EAP students.

In 2002, English-medium degree programmes (EMDPs) became a permanent feature of German higher education (HE). While this action marked an important step towards government-supported institutionalisation of English in Germany, no formal strategy or guidelines governing the role of English in HE have been developed. To date, research in this area in Germany has been predominantly focused on the top-down perspectives of decision-makers comparatively few studies have been conducted into bottom-up perspectives of those directly experiencing such language policy and planning decisions. In this paper, empirical data resulting from a mixed-method case study conducted at a German HE institution will be analysed to reveal hitherto unexplored bottom-up insights into the lived reality of an EMDP in Germany. The paper begins with an introduction to such programmes in Germany, before outlining the methodology pursued and exploring demographics and participant motivations within the programme under investigation. Applying Spolsky's (2004, p. 39) framework for analysing language policy, the de facto language policy experienced by study participants is revealed, providing insights into daily linguistic practices within the programme, and the pragmatic and ideological roles that English and German play in participants' reported experiences. Uncovering this de facto language policy serves to provide policy-makers at the top level with bottom-up perspectives for future policy formulation which may lead to a more well-grounded language policy (Shohamy, 2009, p. 188).

This paper reports follow-up findings for an Mentalization based treatment (MBT) parenting intervention delivered to a community mental health sample. Parents completed the 12-week version of the Lighthouse Parenting Program (LPP) and were evaluated on parenting practices, parent-child relationships, parental mental health indicators, and child problem behaviour levels. We evaluated the extent to which improvements in mentalizing at follow-up mediated changes in parenting, parental adjustment, mental health, and child outcomes. Results included a reduction in parental coercive behaviours and child problems, improved parent-child relationship, and better parental psychological adjustment and mental health. Improvement in self-focused mentalizing were observed. Self-focused mentalizing mediated the changes in most outcomes from baseline to 3-month follow-up. These results provide strong preliminary evidence that the LPP improves parent and child outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

IRIS (Interests and Recruitment in Science; http://iris.fp-7.org/about-iris/) is a European 7th framework project focusing on the challenge that only few young people in general, and women in particular, choose an education and career in science and technology. Project IRIS aims to contribute to the improvement of recruitment, retention and gender equity patterns in higher education. To acquire information about the factors that influence the educational choice of young people, a questionnaire was developed by the IRIS consortium. The IRIS questionnaire is based on the model of achievement-related choices (Eccles, Barber, & Jozefowicz, 1999) and on the theory on the role of self-efficacy beliefs (Bandura, 1997). These theories provide a framework for investigating the central aspects that influence an individual's educational choice. This paper reports the experience and findings of the IRIS survey conducted in Austria and Germany. The data are based on a questionnaire survey with 3680 first-year students. Additionally, interview data from Austrian biology students contribute qualitative data about supportive and hindering factors that influences the study choice. The findings indicate that experiences in the secondary school and good teachers are important in choosing a STEM study. To prevent drop-out key factors are relevance of the study choice for the own life, social and academic integration and supportive mentoring systems.

The inclusion of children with special educational needs (SEN) in general education classrooms in Europe due to education policy and social developments is currently up for debate, especially in Germany. This paper addresses whether or not co-education of students with and without classroom problems and/or disabilities has negative consequences with respect to social and emotional situation within the classroom community. Although international research on inclusion shows an increased risk of social isolation for children with SEN, conclusions are not clear with German populations. In this study, 2,839 first graders were surveyed to determine if children with classroom behavior problems (CBP) and classroom learning difficulties (CLD) are more likely to be socially rejected than their peers. Sociometric interviews and a questionnaire were used to assess social integration, feeling of being accepted by the classroom teacher, academic self-concept, and classroom climate. Results reveal that first grade students with CBP and CLD experienced significantly higher levels of social rejection. An exploratory analysis based on the distribution of social and emotional differences between students with and without CBP and CLD supports these results at the classroom and school levels.

PROFILES is a project of teacher education and curriculum innovation funded by the FP7-programme of the European Union. The aim of PROFILES is implementing innovative science teaching practices incorporating a societal perspective and compassing inquiry-based science learning. The University of Bremen, Germany, as one of the partners, combines teacher continuous professional development with the research-based design of new teaching and learning modules for science teaching. This paper presents--as an exemplary case--how the University of Bremen is operating PROFILES. This case is illustrated according to the development of a teaching and learning module on sugar and sweeteners, incorporating the use of advertising in science education.

This paper has as its aim to analyze how CityVille, a videogame hosted on Facebook and oriented to the construction of a virtual city, can favor collaboration between gamers along with the exchange of strategies, equally contributing to learning transfer and skill acquisition. The first step consists in identifying the opportunities which the said game can offer in order to develop skills and promote learning formats linked with planning and resource management, after which a presentation is made of the opinions expressed by a sample of gamers (N = 105)--belonging to the Fans-CityVille community--about the priorities established by them to communicate with their neighbors and the skills that they believe to have acquired playing this game. 85.7% of them state that they communicate with others to share strategies and expand their city. Unlike women, who value collaboration, men prioritize competition. Designing their city has enhanced a number of gamer skills in different proportions: creative skills (71.4%); organizational ones (68.0%); skills associated with decision-making and problem-solving (67.0%); and interpersonal skills through interaction with others (61.9%). The CityVille game mode favors skill development and helps to create a ludic atmosphere of collaboration and optimal strategy exchange through communication between neighbors by strengthening their mutual relationships. Its formula moves away from the often-criticized competitive practices of other games.

Success in music depends on a number of crucial factors with musical talent figuring prominently in gifted research. However, in the Nuremberg Music-Ecological Approach presented in this paper a different view is taken. Instead of talents and factors, the concept of available resources in an individual's actiotope (Ziegler, 2005) is put in the center of our analysis. Educational Capital refers to exogenous resources and comprises five different forms of resources: Economic Educational Capital, Cultural Educational Capital, Social Educational Capital, Infrastructural Educational Capital and Didactic Educational Capital. Learning Capital refers to endogenous resources and also comprises five different forms of resources: Organismic Learning Capital, Actional Learning Capital, Telic Learning Capital, Episodic Learning Capital and Attentional Learning Capital. Results of an empirical study are reported which was designed to test the claim that successful professional musicians possess more Educational Capital as well as more Learning Capital than their less successful colleagues. The hypothesis was confirmed with a sample of professional musicians who were successful on a local, regional or international level.

Based on the concept of educational quality of the home learning environment, stimulating and responsive family time is crucial for children's development. In turn, time use depends on the developmental stages in childhood. International studies indicate that family patterns of time use are associated with a family's resources (i.e. level of education) and age of the children. To detect assumed time use patterns, this paper distinguishes between caring activities (basic care) and educational activities (play and teaching) of daily family life with children of various age groups (infants, preschool aged children, and primary school aged children). Data are drawn from the Time Use Survey in 2012/2013 conducted by the German Federal Statistical Office (N = 560). Tobit regression analyses show that time use for each activity differs between families with low and families with high level of education, referring to various child age groups. The results indicate that a 'developmental gradient' for time use in the home learning environment is evident.

This article investigates if online evaluation leads to different results than paper-and-pencil evaluation. Given that most previous studies confound the evaluation mode (online versus paper) with the evaluation situation (in class versus after class), we expected that evaluation results would be influenced only by the evaluation situation, whereas the very evaluation mode would not be relevant for the evaluation results. Analysing evaluations of a training programme for university teachers, we compared paper evaluations after class to either paper evaluations in class or online evaluations after class. The response rates were higher for the in-class compared to the after-class evaluations. Likewise, the scale ratings showed that paper evaluations after class were more negative than paper evaluations in class. In addition, participants wrote longer negative comments, but not positive comments, when evaluating after class compared to in class, independent of evaluation mode. The data support the hypothesis that only the evaluation situation, but not the evaluation mode, influences evaluation results.

Power over education and the upcoming generations has always been an important instrument in shaping religious and secular values. As a consequence, control over schools, pupils and teachers was, particularly in periods of war, an important means for bringing about acceptance of the new regime. The aim of this paper is to discuss priest-teachers' wartime memories of German interference in Belgian education during Second World War, on the basis of a survey conducted in the 1970s. By looking at teachers' memories, this paper contributes to a neglected field of study in the history of education and the historiography of Second World War. The analysis of the questionnaires illuminate how certain aspects of German educational policy were remembered by teachers and how they positioned themselves in the landscape of Second World War memory. As a result, this paper demonstrates that the survey not only offers an interesting source for investigating the war itself, but also sheds light on the changing post-war relationship between education, society and the state. (Contains 38 footnotes.)

System thinking is usually investigated by using questionnaires, video analysis, or interviews. Recently, concept-mapping (CM) was suggested as an adequate instrument for analysing students' system thinking. However, there are different ways with which to use this method. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine whether particular features of CM practices affect the valid assessment of students' system thinking. The particular features analysed were the medium (computer versus paper-pencil) and the directedness (highly directed versus nondirected) of CM practices. These features were evaluated with respect to their influence on (a) students' performance in CM and (b) the validity of different CM practices for system thinking. One hundred fifty-four German fourth graders (mean age: 9.95 years) and 93 eighth graders (mean age: 14.07 years) participated in the study following an experimental pre-test-post-test design. Three variations of CM practices were applied: (a) highly directed computer mapping, (b) highly directed paper-pencil mapping, and (c) nondirected paper-pencil mapping. In addition to the CM task, a paper-pencil questionnaire was employed to investigate the validity of the CM practices. Results showed that the computer positively influenced student performance in CM when compared with paper-pencil. By contrast, there was no difference between highly directed and nondirected mapping. Whereas the medium rarely influenced the validity of CM for system thinking, high directedness showed a positive influence. Considering the limitations and benefits of particular CM practices, we suggest highly directed and computer-based CM as an appropriate assessment tool--in particular, with regard to large-scale assessments of system thinking. (Contains 3 tables and 4 figures.)

This paper discusses the results of a study of the requirements for developing a remote radio frequency (RF) laboratory for electrical engineering students. It investigates students' preferred usage of the technical content of a state-of-the-art RF laboratory. The results of this study are compared to previous findings, which dealt with other user groups (technicians in technical colleges and engineers in the RF domain). Based on the results of these analyses, seven essential principles for designing and developing such a laboratory were identified. As a case study, these principles were then implemented into a remote laboratory system. In this paper, the implementation examples are also provided and discussed. The primary aim of this study is to guide remote laboratory platform developers toward the most effective instructional design. This study also determined, from the remote laboratory system case study, what the requirements are of such a laboratory from the students' perspective. (Contains 11 tables and 4 figures.)

Purpose: This paper aims to identify the differences between African and European students with regard to their entrepreneurial intentions, attitudes towards entrepreneurship, role models and entrepreneurial experience. It also aims to set the scene for future comparative research between developing and developed countries in the area of graduate entrepreneurship. Design/methodology/approach: A quantitative empirical research design was applied, using self-administered questionnaires. Questionnaires were distributed to first-year business students at universities in three African countries that are either developing (Uganda and Kenya) or emerging (South Africa) and four European developed nations (Finland, Germany, Ireland, and Portugal). Findings: The results indicate that students from developing/emerging economies are more likely to envisage future careers as entrepreneurs and are more positive towards entrepreneurship than their industrialised European counterparts, even though motivators for employment/self-employment are similar across the samples. The type of role models used and the extent of entrepreneurial experience varied between individual countries. Research limitations/implications: Limitations include the use of a convenience sample and its restriction on the use of statistics, a single data collection point and a sample across seven countries on two continents. Practical implications: The results lead to universal and country-specific recommendations relating to the improvement of student-oriented entrepreneurship activities within universities. Originality/value: The paper extends research on graduate entrepreneurship by providing an international comparison of entrepreneurship intentions, attitudes and experiences between developing/emerging and developed nations, leading to suggestions on how to foster an entrepreneurial spirit and assist new-venture creations for students. (Contains 2 tables and 4 figures.)

This paper presents a comprehensive usability study conducted within the context of a Europe-wide project. The design of the evaluated e-learning platform is based on an innovative approach to the education of young Europeans by integrating into the curricula of a Europe-wide network of 14 schools different state-of-the-art technologies in e-learning. The evaluation methodology brings together end-user assessments and expert inspections, thus providing a detailed students', teachers' and experts' feedback. User testing integrates six empirical methods into a laboratory-based test. Usability inspection ascertains usability problems by means of recognized heuristics and enables an "educational evaluation" of the platform by means of three sets of criteria. The paper aims to present the effectiveness of the engaged evaluation methods as applied to e-learning platforms. It offers implications from the empirical findings of the user-based methods together with a quantitative and qualitative analysis of the employed inspection methods. Special attention is given to the aspect of educational evaluation. The conducted critical usability examination of a large-scale e-learning system across several countries in Europe revealed which of the chosen assessment methods should be combined to provide constructive and valuable improvement suggestions. A more significant contribution of this research is that the used evaluation approach proved successful, providing some general findings and know-how from the experience and could be reused by other researches because of its thorough structure. As there are relatively few existing accounts of usability assessment in the e-learning context, this paper adds to the body of knowledge. (Contains 15 figures.)

The starting point of the paper is the co-construction of gender and technology, that is, the theory that the usage of and the attitude to certain kinds of technology are a way to "do" one's gender. A survey is presented that supports the assumption that with the routinization of e-learning in higher education e-learning loses its character as a technology, which can be used for gender performance. With the routinization of its usage e-learning is becoming a gender-neutral tool with no outstanding technological appeal. However, though doing gender may disappear in certain fields the co-construction of gender and technology is still valid as basic structure. Furthermore, the results show that e-learning meanwhile supports the attitude we call "study as consumption", that is, the expectation that the main e-learning features are usual services to be provided by the educational institution. This attitude is to be found among male and female students alike.

This paper presents an intervention study whose aim was to promote teacher beliefs about mathematics and learning mathematics and student competences in mathematical modeling. In the intervention, teachers received written curriculum materials about mathematical modeling. The concept underlying the materials was based on constructivist ideas and findings from mathematics education. Teacher beliefs about mathematics, learning and self-efficacy were expected to have a major impact on their classroom practices. We therefore assessed teacher beliefs about the usefulness of mathematics, learning (constructivist and socio-constructivist beliefs) and teacher self-efficacy when teaching modeling (teacher or class level variable). The student level variables assessed were modeling competence and other individual factors, such as basic mathematical skills and cognitive abilities. The effectiveness of the intervention was measured in a pre-post control group design using multilevel structural equation modeling. The results showed no direct effect of the intervention on student modeling competence. However, they did reveal that the intervention had a significant effect on teacher beliefs about learning (constructivist and socio-constructivist view) and an effect of these teacher beliefs about learning on student modeling competence. Further, the results showed that students' gains in modeling competence is not only mediated by teacher beliefs, but also influenced by individual factors. Implications for teaching as well as limitations of the study are discussed.

This paper describes the development of a course module on sustainability issues and Education for Sustainable Development in German pre-service chemistry teacher education. The module was inspired by empirical research findings about the knowledge base of student teachers. It was created and cyclically refined using Participatory Action Research. Experience gained during its three-year application will be reflected upon here, including feedback collected from student evaluation sheets. In the end, the participants responded extremely positively to the course. The student teachers stated that the module was interesting, relevant and valuable for their later profession as high school chemistry teachers. They also emphasised that they now felt more competent in the area of sustainability and ESD.

In search of methods that improve the efficiency of teaching and training in organizations, several authors point out that mass customization (MC) is a principle that covers individual needs of knowledge and skills and, at the same time limits the development costs of customized training to those of mass training. MC is proven and established in the economic sector, and shows high potential for continuing education, too. The paper explores this potential and proposes a multidisciplinary, pragmatic approach to teaching and training in organizations. The first section of the paper formulates four design principles of MC deduced from an examination of economics literature. The second section presents amit[TM], a frame for mass customized training, designed according to the principles presented in the first section. The evaluation results encourage the further development and use of mass customized training in continuing education, and offer suggestions for future research. (Contains 2 figures and 5 tables.)

This paper implemented a comparative approach to investigate the relationships between test-based school accountability policies in 2 German states and teachers' acceptance and usage of feedback information. Thuringia implemented mandatory tests for secondary schools based on competency modeling and performance data controlled for socioeconomic variables. In comparison to Thuringia, mandatory testing in Baden-Wurttemberg is rather simple, not based on competency modeling and performance feedback is not controlled for socioeconomic variables. Drawing on a model of quality features of school performance feedback systems, it was hypothesized that mandatory testing in Thuringia leads to higher teacher evaluation of mandatory testing and usefulness of performance feedback. Analysis of quantitative survey data for math teachers (n = 357) showed that teachers in Thuringia rather accept mandatory testing and describe performance feedback information as more useful for educational diagnosis, student tutoring, and repetition. The paper finally discusses to what extent the observed differences can be attributed to the respective testing system. (Contains 5 notes and 8 tables.)

Purpose: Social navigation is an emerging trend for navigation in hypermedia. With social navigation, users can be guided through large volumes of learning content by cues which integrate the browsing history of past users. Earlier papers have shown that social navigation is suitable for navigation not only in classic hypermedia but also in time-based learning media like web lectures by presenting prototype implementations. The purpose of this paper is to report on user experiences with social navigation for web lectures in the classroom. Design/methodology/approach: This paper presents results obtained from a two-term classroom study with a social navigation interface for web lectures. The study comprises both log file analysis and student questionnaires. The interface used in the study implements a footprint-based social navigation approach for time-based continuous media such as web lectures. Findings: The results of the user study show that social navigation cues significantly affect user lecture navigation, causing users to pay more attention to the material previously explored by other users. The users' subjective feedback on the usefulness of the social navigation cues and related navigation components was significantly positive. Originality/value: Social navigation has primarily been implemented and researched in traditional text- and picture-based hypermedia. This paper presents an actual user study of footprint-based social navigation for web lectures. The results of this study are relevant to both practitioners who want to use social navigation in web lectures and researchers who want to improve and research navigation approaches for time-based media. (Contains 6 figures and 4 tables.)

This paper discusses the results of a study of the requirements for developing a remote RF laboratory. This study draws on the perspectives of educators in university electrical engineering departments and in technical colleges, on the teaching of the radio frequency (RF) domain. The study investigates how these educators would like the technical content of a state of the art RF laboratory to be designed. As far as the authors know, no publication exists in the literature that investigates the requirements and needs of remote laboratories in that particular field. The outcomes of this work are expected to guide remote laboratory platform developers towards the most effective design of their platforms. The analysis of the results showed that educators would like the technical content of the laboratory to cover basic communication techniques, microwave circuits and devices, antennas and propagation, RF technology, and radio system design aspects of modern telecommunication systems. They would therefore like the laboratory instrumentation to be designed to that end. The educators also reported the need for advanced experimental setups which require expensive RF measurement devices. The discrepancy between university and technical college views was also considered in this paper. (Contains 6 tables and 4 footnotes.)

This paper reports on a research study of the long-term effects of a high school home-stay experience for German and American students who participated in the Youth For Understanding program in the 1950s, 1960s, 1970s and 1980s. With emphasis on the German sample, this paper (1) briefly describes the study's methodology, (2) provides an overview of major findings, and (3) poses the question: what next? (Contains 1 table and 1 figure.)

This paper reports on the design and evaluation of a UK University's global eLearning MBA programme. The aims of the research were to investigate the learning experiences of the students on the course and to evaluate the effectiveness of the support system so as to improve the programme. The primary research method was a longitudinal semi-structured questionnaire survey, and data were collected from students taking the course during the years 2008-2010. Three rounds of survey were conducted, resulting in 149 valid responses. The first round showed a fairly high level of student satisfaction with the programme, but also indicated areas that needed further improvement. The impacts of subsequent changes in the programme and the learning support system were investigated in the second and third rounds of the survey. Feedback from these has helped develop additional changes in the learning content and delivery approach of the programme. Overall, the findings helped improve the course's delivery approach, enriched the course's content, enhanced its quality, and improved the satisfaction level of the students. It is hoped that these findings can provide useful insights to course managers and eLearning developers of other courses offered in a global context. (Contains 2 figures and 3 tables.)

With the current growth of the Internet, we expect significant changes in how and to what extent companies acquire business information. By comparing two studies on information seeking by small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) carried out in 1982 and 2003 respectively, and comparing the results with other studies, this paper indicates that the reality is rather to the contrary. SMEs remain remarkably stable in their information seeking behaviour, in the sources they use and in the problems they face. The paper concludes with a discussion on the likely causes of this consistency and its consequences for online intermediaries. (Contains 2 tables and 1 figure.)

This paper presents the main results of a recent survey of private higher education institutions from twelve selected European countries (Austria, Germany, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Poland, Estonia, Bulgaria, Romania, Turkey, Ukraine, Russia) [in the framework of the UNESCO-CEPES project on "Private Higher Education in Europe and Quality Assurance and Accreditation from the Perspectives of the Bologna process Objectives," designed and implemented in collaboration with "Leon Kozminski Academy of Entrepreneurship and Management (LKAEM) and the World Bank"]. After a brief review of the current incidence of private education in the selected European countries, the authors give a description of the survey. Then the main findings are structured according to the nine goals of the Bologna Process and their corresponding level of implementation in private higher education institutions, and also to provide comparisons with public higher education institutions. The paper concludes with a discussion of the results and with some general remarks about the role of private higher education institutions in building the EHEA. (Contains 14 tables, 12 footnotes and 3 figures.)

Purpose--The paper seeks to show that self-determination is a widely regarded motivational variable in educational research that relates to intrinsically motivated, self-directed learning at work. This study aimed to find out whether the possibility to provide upward feedback to supervisors contributes to employees' feelings of self-determination. This should only be the case if the subordinates perceive the possibility to provide feedback as a serious possibility of influence and improvement. Design/methodology/approach--The paper finds that in a cross-sectional case study, 76 employees from a high-tech industry enterprise were surveyed for their perception of upward feedback and their feeling of self-determination by questionnaire. Self-determination was measured by the support of the intrinsic needs of autonomy, competence and social relatedness at the workplace. Findings--The paper finds that, as expected, the perceived quality of the upward feedback is related positively to self-determination. Employees who perceive the upward feedback as a chance for improving their working conditions also perceive more support of autonomy, competence and social relatedness at their workplace. Research limitations/implications--In the paper the correlative design allows no conclusions about the direction of causality between the perceived quality of the upward feedback and self-determination. Further, due to the design the results are limited to the specific field. Originality/value--The paper delivers a new aspect of the role of feedback for learning in organisations by casting light on beneficial effects for the provider of the feedback, not the receiver. It emphasises the role of empowerment and participation for establishing an organisational climate that fosters motivation and learning, and shows the possible contribution of upward feedback in this process. (Contains 1 figure and 2 tables.)

This paper reports the findings from an investigation into the distance learning support systems of a UK University's overseas MBA programme. This programme is provided to several countries around the world in alliance with the overseas' local higher educational institutions (HEIs), and is delivered primarily via online courses, but also with periods of face-to-face teaching by both UK and local staff. The aim of the research was to evaluate the learning support mechanisms that are used to deliver this programme overseas, and to determine their impact on the learning experience of the MBA students. The primary research method was questionnaire surveys which were conducted over two periods: April-July 2008, and January-March 2009. The first survey showed a high level of satisfaction with the MBA programme as delivered, but also indicated areas that could see further improvement. The impacts of programme changes were examined in the second survey which revealed students' improved satisfaction with the programme after the implementation of the changes in the programme support systems. The outcomes of this research have not only helped improve the learning support systems and enhanced the quality of this particular programme, but could also help provide guidelines for other HEIs that offer, or intend to offer, blended learning courses globally. (Contains 12 tables and 2 figures.)

This paper reports on the results of an observational parallel study conducted simultaneously at 2 universities--one each in New Zealand and Germany. It deals with university engineering students' difficulties in the formulation step of solving a typical application problem from a first-year calculus course. Two groups of students (54 in New Zealand and 50 in Germany) completed a questionnaire about their difficulties in solving the problem which was set as part of a mid-semester test. The research endeavoured to find reasons most of the students could not use their knowledge to construct a simple function in a familiar context. It was neither lack of mathematics knowledge nor an issue with the context. The students' difficulties are analysed and presented along with their suggestions on how to improve their skills in solving application problems.

The motivation to engage in a task is directly related to its perceived value according to Deci & Ryan (1985). Increasing motivation can lead to a higher enhanced learning achievement for the student. The question is if using digital technologies in inquiry-based learning lessons influences the learners' situationally perceived value of the task and if a higher perceived value leads to a more successful learning outcome. 207 Pupils were questioned with the standardised IMI (Intrinsic Motivational Inventory) after carrying out an experiment in design and technology. The architectural science-based task was to build a bridge out of a couple of sheets of paper. Half of the class used digital technologies for their research and half of them functioned as the control group using traditional media. There was a significant difference between the two groups: the treatment group felt the task to be more valuable than the control group (t[subscript 188.920] = 2.504, p = 0.13). There was a correlation between a higher learning outcome and a higher perceived value of the task, which was considered to be small (r = 0.14, p = 0.45).

Due to global water consumption and an intensification of the resulting consequences there is a need for education regarding sustainable water consumption. Regarding Education for Sustainable Development, the ongoing water use of the industrialized countries needs to be discussed in the classrooms. Therefore, the aim of this paper is to present and use a questionnaire for the survey of students' conceptions of sustainable water use. In order to enable educational reconstruction, conceptions about sustainable development and virtual water have been surveyed. The latter aspect of conceptions has been divided into different spatial conceptions and knowledge about water intense products. It has been shown, that the students' conceptions are similar to scientific concepts, but learners also have their own conceptions. According to these findings conclusions for improved learning and teaching on sustainable water consumption are derived, to achieve more comprehensive students' conceptions.

Purpose: The purpose of the study was to test the usability of the MyLA app prototype by its potential users. Furthermore, the Web app will be introduced in the framework of "Mobile Learning Analytics", a cooperation project between the Cooperative State University Mannheim and University of Mannheim. The participating universities focus on the support of personalized and self-regulated learning. MyLA collects data such as learning behavior, as well as personality traits. Last but not least, the paper will contribute to the topic of learning analytics and mobile learning in higher education. Design/methodology: For the empirical investigation, a mixed-method design was chosen. While 105 participants took part in the conducted online survey, after testing the app prototype, seven students joined an additional eye tracking study. For the quantitative part, a selected question pool from HIMATT (highly integrated model assessment technology and tools) instrument was chosen. The eye tracking investigation consisted of three tasks the participants had to solve. Findings: The findings showed that the students assessed the idea of the app, as well as the navigation positively. Only the color scheme of the prototype was not very attractive to a noticeable amount of the participants. So, it requires slight modifications concerning the app design. For the eye tracking study, it can be stated that the students viewed the relevant parts, and they basically had no difficulties to solve the tasks. Originality/value: Due to the empirical testing of the app prototype, the project team was able to adjust the application and to add further features. Furthermore, the backend was programmed and an additional tool (MyLA dashboard) was developed for lecturers. A mutual understanding of the targets, privacy issue and relevant features are indispensable for further development of the project.

The conveyance of knowledge of the life cycles performed by fungi and plants with spores is a challenge for teaching in university education. The life cycles of fungi, in particular, can be very complex and difficult to understand. This paper presents the development and implementation of a German and English educational software program, including seven animated life cycles of fungi, two animated developments of fungal meiosporangia, and two examples each for ferns, mosses, and algae (cryptogams). We could show that the use of the software supported the study of fungi and spore-producing plants. It was possible to identify attributes of usability that contributed to a high quality of the educational material in concrete teaching situations. Notably, an easy handling of the software and an appropriate amount of information per animation step are crucial. In addition to the didactic insights, the conversations between the animation designers and the mycologist on correct details of developmental processes in the animations lead to interesting questions concerning cell biology. Some of the resulting open questions are at the edge of currently available knowledge, e.g. concerning the transformation of a plasmodium into a high number of small fruiting bodies in myxomycetes or the dikaryotisation of monokaryotic hyphae after spermatisation in rust fungi.

This paper investigates the impact of national policies for improving teaching and the school learning environment (SLE) on student achievement. In each participating country (i.e., Belgium/Flanders, Cyprus, Germany, Greece, Ireland, and Slovenia), a sample of at least 50 schools was drawn and tests in mathematics and science were administered to all Grade 4 students (N = 10,742) at the beginning and end of school year 2010-2011. National policies were measured through (a) content analysis of policy documents, (b) interviews with policymakers, and (c) head-teacher questionnaires. Multilevel analyses revealed that most aspects of national policies for teaching and SLE were associated with student achievement in each subject irrespective of the source of data used to measure them. Implications are, finally, drawn.

Many studies in science education acknowledge the positive effects of context-based learning on students' interest and attitudes. However, little is known about the design criteria of contextual situations generating these effects and how facets of students' situational interest are affected while learning in a contextualised setting. This paper ties in with this initial situation and reports results of two projects analysing the influence of context characteristics on students' situational interest, referring to contexts as task parameters in the first project and as learning activities in the second. In the first project, everyday related and unique contexts are compared, and the effects of different contextual topics on student learning are investigated. Particularly, regarding the feeling- and value-related valence of situational interest, the results of different studies will be compared and interpreted. The second project investigated structures of interest related to activities along an adapted version of the 'RIASEC'-model for different content areas and age groups. The chosen contents were embedded in personal as well as societal and professional context settings. Finally, we summarise the relevance of the different models, results and instruments to better understand different notions of interest and outline implications for further studies about teaching that improves student learning.

The study investigates direct and indirect preschool quality effects on emergent literacy skills (children's letter knowledge, oral skills, and interests and skills in print and communication) using quality indicators at process (ECERS-R, ECERS-E), structure (e.g. class size) and belief (e.g. support creativity) level. The study included a sample of 547 children from 97 preschools and implemented standardised tests and teacher-ratings in the final preschool year, as well as observations and questionnaires throughout the preschool period. Multiple regression models reveal that ECERS-R was significantly related to children's teacher rated interest and skills in communication, and that ECERS-E predicted children's tested letter knowledge. Group size predicted children's interest and skills in print negatively, revealing lower scores in larger groups. With regard to beliefs, teachers' creativity and social support beliefs were negatively related with children's letter knowledge, whereas teachers' knowledge- and cultural-tools-oriented beliefs were positively related with interest and skills in communication. These effects were partly mediated through ECERS-E. Although the study provides evidence for effects of preschool quality on the development of children's emergent literacy skills and some evidence that effects of beliefs are partly mediated through process quality, effects are not consistent through the outcome variables and effect sizes are small.

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is twofold: first, to introduce MEDIA PROTECT, a multi-modal intervention for parents and teachers with six components preventing problematic, and in the long run addictive, use of screen media by children; second, to present results of a formative evaluation of the teacher training, an important component of the intervention. Design/methodology/approach: In presenting the intervention, the authors used a common framework to describe complex interventions systematically. For the evaluation, participants were recruited from German schools and kindergarten for a cluster-controlled trial. As part of a formative evaluation, the participants completed written questionnaires to determine the importance of different components of the intervention in addition to their overall satisfaction. Additional qualitative interviews with teachers were conducted. Findings: The authors recruited n = 50 kindergartens and n = 9 schools; n = 30 received the intervention. N = 222 teachers participated in the training and n = 192 completed the questionnaire (86 per cent). Seven qualitative interviews were conducted. Participants exhibited high levels of overall satisfaction with the training, considered it moderately to highly relevant to their work, and exhibited varying satisfaction levels with different components and multipliers. The qualitative data support these findings. Originality/value: Few interventions to date have pursued a universal approach to the prevention of problematic screen media use. This evaluation of MEDIA PROTECT is the most recent study in Germany, which involves a complex programme through which teachers are taught ways to promote the age-adequate use of screen media in the family, parents are provided with guidance and healthy leisure time activities for children are fostered.

Training designs are critical to the success of intercultural training programmes. A common typology for classifying intercultural training designs distinguishes among the following dimensions: experiential discovery versus didactic expository and culture-specific versus culture-general training. The purpose of this paper is to assess different intercultural training designs referring to this typology. First, a concept of intercultural competence is developed. Based on this concept experiential training designs are favoured as they allow to train the cognitive, affective and behavioural component of intercultural competencies. In the second part of the paper an empirical study in the USA and Germany is conducted in order to assess whether the degree of intercultural competencies differs between the two nations. As no considerable differences can be identified the benefit of culture-general training is discussed. Significant skills to be focused on in intercultural training are described and specific measures for pre-assessment devices in intercultural training are presented. (Contains 1 figure and 1 table.)

This paper shows how PARSEL modules help to realize the German standards in practice. After analyzing the disappointing results of the TIMSS- and PISA-studies, which caused a kind of "PISA-shock" in Germany, and looking at school systems of winning nations, several changes have been initiated in the German educational system. The most radical change to the German school system may be the introduction of national education standards in 2004. These standards do not only focus on the content as did the former curricula, but also stress the development of competences, which should be attained by the ninth and tenth-grade students who reach the middle level (Secondary I) examination. Pre-tests (questionnaire and group interviews) indicated that the students like to do experiments, like to work on topics from their everyday life, and they consider science (chemistry) to be an important school subject. Furthermore, the pre-tests showed that students like to self-regulate their work, to choose their own content and goals, and to invent their own ways to solve problems. But, this was only partly true; deeper interviews revealed that at least low-achieving students aim to be prepared for the next test, and they prefer well-structured lessons, which are usually dominated by a well explaining teacher. More surprisingly, we identified that student opinions changed after studying PARSEL modules. For example, after completing the module "Which soap is best?" students reported that they really enjoyed the feeling of autonomy and the inclusion of everyday life topics during their self-regulated learning process. (Contains 1 table.)

It is widely accepted that employees in small business suffer from a lack of knowledge and skills. This lack of skills means that small companies will miss out on new business opportunities. This is even more evident with respect to the adoption of Internet marketing in Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs). This paper reports a pilot research project TRIMAR, which aims to develop a web-based intelligent training system to aid small business employees in their learning and decision-making regarding the use of the Internet as a new marketing medium. TRIMAR attempts to contribute to the wider debate on the content and style of training most suitable to small businesses. It aims to identify the training needs of small businesses for Internet marketing at a pan-European level and to seek the most effective ways to address training and support needs with web-based systems. Based on training needs analysis carried out within five European countries: UK, Germany, Poland, Slovak Republic and Portugal, a web based system for gaining Internet marketing knowledge and skills was constructed. The system consists of three major subsystems: Self Assessment Tool (SAT), Training Modules (TM), and a Case Retrieval System (CRS). Various users through an online questionnaire tested the system. The initial feedback revealed that the case base training approach delivered on the Internet provided a highly appropriate training medium for SMEs.