The path to xenopedagogy

2021 ◽  
Vol 17 (4) ◽  
pp. 613-631
Author(s):  
Gary Shank

Abstract Thomas Sebeok coined the term zoosemiotics and defended it and its eventual successor biosemiotics consistently. These terms revolutionized semiotics by expanding its scope and moving it theoretically closer to Peirce and away from semiology. In this spirit, I would like to introduce the concept of xenopedagogy, or the process of teaching and learning applied to extraterrestrials. While there is a body of work around astrobiology, xenobiology, and xenocommunication, there is nothing on record about xenopedagogy. Given an obvious kinship between edusemiotics and xenopedagogy, there is value in moving forward with the purely speculative work (so far) of exploring the dynamics and challenges of how humans and extraterrestrials might create educational opportunities for each other. An outline of potential key issues and possible directions will then be presented.

2021 ◽  
Vol 66 (1) ◽  
pp. 135-155
Author(s):  
Diana-Crina Marin ◽  
Mușata Bocoș

"In the context in which the teaching, learning, and assessment processes take place in the online environment, the question arises whether the currently organized learning situations are as effective as the learning situations carried out in the classroom, before the beginning of the pandemic. One of the disadvantages of online learning is related to the teacher’s low control over students’ activity. Factors such as initiative, creativity, efficient time management, intrinsic motivation, responsibility, and intellectual curiosity play an important role in students’ success in learning activities. Attendance at courses should not be formal and superficial and should be a process that involves the active and interactive participation of the students in the learning process. Providing high-quality educational opportunities to all students is a goal that is increasingly difficult to achieve in the context of the absence of face-to-face interactions. Also, applying a curriculum focused on the needs of the learner is becoming hard to achieve. Through this research, we aim to investigate issues related to how online learning takes place and to establish ways in which we can increase the efficiency of current teaching and learning processes. The study revealed that in the opinion of most of the students, the current epidemiological context has influenced in a negative way the quality of teaching and the student-teacher educational relationship. Keywords: Interactive learning, eLearning, independence in learning, higher education, efficient strategies "


Author(s):  
B. Noroozi ◽  
M. Valizadeh ◽  
G. A. Sorial

Traditional education for engineers has shifted towards new methods of teaching and learning through the proliferation of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT). The continuous advances in technology enable the realization of a more distributed structure of knowledge transfer. This becomes critically important for developing countries that lack the resources and infrastructure for implementing engineering education practices. The two main themes of technology in designing e-Learning for engineering education in developing countries focus either on aspects of technological support for traditional methods and localized processes, or on the investigation of how such technologies may assist distance learning. Commonly such efforts are threefold, relating to content delivery, assessment and provision of feedback. This chapter is based on the authors ‘10 years’ experience in e-Learning, and reviews themost important key issues and success factors regarding the design of e-Learning for engineering education in developing countries.


2014 ◽  
Vol 43 (1) ◽  
pp. 52-57
Author(s):  
Katelyn Barney

This article takes the form of an interview with Sandy O’Sullivan, who is a partner on the Australian Indigenous Studies Learning and Teaching Network, about key issues that have arisen through Network discussions. She is a Wiradjuri woman and a Senior Aboriginal researcher at the Batchelor Institute of Indigenous Tertiary Education. O’Sullivan emphasises the strengths of the Network and difficulties the Network participants have had in defining ‘Indigenous Studies’. She also discusses the important work for the Network to do into the future, to continue to strengthen relationships between educators and improve teaching and learning of Indigenous Studies at tertiary level.


2003 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 59-72 ◽  
Author(s):  
Liam Heaney

This article explores some of the key issues associated with the use of information and communications technology in the classroom. It discusses the relevance of an education technology strategy and the implications of such a strategy for both teachers and pupils alike. The integration of ICT into the curriculum is considered by many as the means whereby pupils, and learners in the broader context of education, can enhance their knowledge, skills and understanding. As a way of demonstrating how this might be achieved, a detailed teaching project is presented for the reader's consideration. The project focuses on a topic on ‘Dinosaurs’ which has been developed with pupils aged 10 to 11 years of age. A detailed scheme of work and lesson plans are included, as are teaching notes, for those who wish to carry out the project for themselves. The article concludes with the proposition that ICT has the potential to enhance the quality of teaching and learning within the classroom. Inevitably this will require facing a number of challenges. One such challenge is that of coping with the change that will inevitably result from the new technologies.


Author(s):  
Matthew A. Schnurr ◽  
Alanna Taylor

In 2016, Dalhousie University’s Research Ethics Board created an interdisciplinary working group to identify the key ethical challenges of SoTL research, with the overarching aim of recommending best practices and communicating these to researchers in order to support and expand the conduct of ethically sound SoTL research. This essay reflects on the lessons learned through this process and shines a light on the three most contentious arenas that emerged: using class time to conduct SoTL research, integrating Students Ratings of Instruction (SRI) into SoTL, and incorporating student work as a data source. This essay contributes to the emerging conversation around ethical SoTL research in two important ways. First, we argue for more lenient REB protocols that encourage SoTL research by exposing how restrictive interpretations of key issues serve as obstacles for student-centered research. Second, we introduce new tools designed to address these impediments, including the first-ever interactive user guide. The overarching aims of this essay are (a) to help SoTL researchers navigate this complex terrain, and (b) to encourage other Canadian REBs to consider implementing more permissive regimes.


Author(s):  
Gary Spruce ◽  
Oscar Odena

This article focuses on music teaching and learning during the adolescent years by identifying and exploring key issues, concepts, and debates that particularly impact on, or are significant for, the musical experiences and development of young people during this period of their lives. A number of key themes emerge from the discussions that cause us to question assumptions about the role of music in the lives of adolescents, including how young people use and relate to music, and the way music educators can best meet the challenges of addressing young people's musical and wider needs in the range of contexts in which their musical learning and experiences take place.


Author(s):  
Tony L. Talbert ◽  
Adeline Meira

The future of distance education is certainly promising but frenetic as well. With the aid of technologies easily accessible to students and teachers alike the geographic barriers that once allowed only the few to engage in educational opportunities are now geographic bridges that promote distance learning where students and teachers from diverse latitudes and attitudes are able to engage in real time teaching and learning interactions. This teaching and learning environment is called “Viral Education,” where the process of education can be symmetrical or asymmetrical in the teaching and learning process as well as multi-task oriented in both product and idea development. This chapter looks at the future of distance education and provides a brief survey of emerging technologies that are just moments or months away from reality. In addition, this chapter explores the notion of customized education which is a continuation of democratic movements within and outside the classroom.


Author(s):  
Linda D. Grooms

The knowledge explosion, the increased complexity of human life, and the ubiquitous, 24/7 nature of technology coupled with the globalization of the marketplace herald the need to embrace the most effective methods and platforms of teaching and learning. Currently providing powerful educational opportunities, the science and technology of distance teaching and learning continues to multiply at unprecedented rates. While historically traveling from village to village verbally disseminating knowledge was the only process of training those at a distance, today's learners eagerly embrace the rapidly expanding cloud-based technologies of the 21st century, offering a plethora of informational and educational opportunities. With this exponentially expanding global educational landscape, one must question what exactly distance teaching and learning is, how it has evolved, what the current state of affairs is, and what we anticipate in the future?


Author(s):  
Jared Keengwe ◽  
David Georgina ◽  
Patrick Wachira

One of the unprecedented benefits of campus-wide distance learning strategies has been the incorporation of more technology-based pedagogy into traditional classrooms, thus, increasing faculty and student teaching and learning opportunities. This “hybrid” or “blended” teaching has emerged largely due to a desire to widen access to educational opportunities, continuing education, and university resources (Curran, 2004; Garrison & Kanuka, 2004). However, a major challenge to this technologically enhanced pedagogy has been the training of higher education faculty. This article focuses on faculty technology literacy, the implementation of technology into traditional faculty pedagogy, and the need for effective faculty training to enhance appropriate technology integration into classroom instruction (Keengwe, 2007). In this paper, the authors recommend two tier training as a possible strategy to technology integration training challenges that instructors face in their pedagogical practices.


2017 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 15
Author(s):  
Rukaia Islam

This paper seeks to address some key issues, which can influence as well as determine the nature of teaching and learning practices in an ELT classroom directly or indirectly. This paper views an EFL or ESL classroom as a dynamic and multi-dimensional platform open to different interpretations of teaching and learning. Factors like teachers’ beliefs, teacher talk, teachers’ questioning, diversity and complexity of ELT classroom, classroom values and individual learner differences require thoughtful attention irrespective of teaching methods and approaches. However, these issues are not straight forward, rather inherent in the activities related to classroom interaction and management and demand proper conceptualization by teachers, ELT practitioners and researchers.


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