The purpose of this study was to determine what choices directors of selected teaching and learning centres in universities made with respect to the design of the homepages of their centre Websites. This was a study to explore how selected directors approach the use and design of their sites, a study to specifically examine what design elements these directors consider in conceptualizing the homepage. The themes of visibility, engagement, and sustainability were used as a framework for the study.<p> The study used the case study research methodology, examining the perspectives of four directors who were responsible for managing the teaching and learning centres in their respective universities. The study was an opportunity to explore how directors conceptualized the design of the homepages of their centre Websites and what design elements were used.<p> It was clear that the directors regarded the scholarship of teaching and learning in their own specific ways and that each particular view guided choices regarding homepage design. The directors interviewed regarded the homepage as an important and powerful communication tool and each dedicated resources to its development and ongoing scrutiny.<p> Directors recognized the variety of user needs they faced and they admitted that the homepage design choices they made was a balancing of constituent needs, institutional priorities, and their professional stance within the scholarship of teaching and learning field. Directors were keen on building internal and external communities. Directors continually asked themselves the question, What is the user looking for? Directors spoke of the increasing use they made of technology in the choices regarding the use and design of the homepage. They recognized that building momentum and advocacy within the scholarship of teaching and learning using the homepage was a difficult task.<p> Directors demonstrated a heightened level of commitment to the scholarship of teaching and learning and to the development and enhancement of teaching practice. They were aware that they made decisions about the tone of the homepage through their management of the use and demand of homepage space. They were continually challenged to stay abreast of the evolving scholarship of the teaching and learning landscape and their style of decision-making was flexible.<p> Directors play many roles in the administration and management of teaching and learning centres (Cook & Sorcinelli, 2005; Wright, 1999). As a result of this study and the use of the case study method, it is apparent, in the examination of the four cases, that the design of the homepage evolved from the director role as design researcher (Laurel, 2003). Directors epitomized the type of self-reflection that characterizes scholarship generally (Kreber, 2007); these directors were reflective practitioners and researchers in the design of their homepages.<p> Directors identified the need for increased interactivity on the site and the prominence they believed the site will have in the role of desktop professional training and development of faculty. Examining the implications for future homepage design as the critical mass of scholars in teaching and learning moves through the professional education ranks within and among universities would be an intriguing research topic.

The principal aim of this essay was to study why some teachers at upper secondary school choose to work with alternative material in the English classroom, whereas others choose a combination of alternative material and coursebooks. The investigation further deals with how alternative material is used. What students think about various kinds of material and whether they are encouraged to influence the choice of material has been considered as well. The method used was interviews with three teachers and six students. The results of the study showed that all three teachers agreed that coursebooks should not be the only teaching material used in the classroom; they believed that the use of course-books alone would be boring and not very stimulating for the students. Coursebooks combined with alternative material were considered to work very well as teachers and students benefit from the advantages of both. Furthermore, alternative material would be used more if it were not such a time-consuming business for the teachers. Concerning how the three teachers made alternative material, practise varied. One teacher for who mainly used alternative material and also made it herself, had many different sources, whereas the other two teachers mostly used books and movies. Regarding the students, their requests of teaching material varied. The majority however preferred either alternative material or a combination with coursebooks. They also declared that they are encouraged to influence the choice of material.

The Kod

Ever since the Ministry of Education handed down the policy ¡§One guiding principle, different versions,¡¨ criticizing voices had emerged from everywhere. Parents, teachers, and students all had something to say. What has gone wrong with the education reformation previously claiming to take our children to a better place? Thanks to my current part-time job, I soon learned that there seemed to be existing a noticeable gap between the vocabulary taught in junior high school and senior high schools. Also, vocabulary teaching methods adopted in different school levels might as well take place as pivotal element and lower students¡¦ learning efficiency. There are presently eighteen senior high schools, public or private, in the Kaohsiung city and three versions(¤T¥Á, »·ªF, ÀsÄË) of English text books are used in these schools. The situation, however, in junior high schools is a bit more complex because six different versions(±d°a, «n¤@, ®Ô¤å, ¿«ªL, ¦ó¹Å¤¯, ¦XÁn) are randomly selected from semester to semester simply based on the opinions of teachers in charge of different grades. Knowing how the teaching materials are selected, I decided to conduct a research by choosing three most frequently used versions of English textbooks from both junior high and senior high schools and to, based on Dr. Gao(°ª·Ó©ú)¡¦s word-frequency-checking program, figure out that into which levels the vocabulary taught at two levels falls. The study is, furthermore, attached with two sets of interviews aiming at junior and senior high school teachers and a questionnaire directing to students of both levels with the purpose of a better understanding of the authentic EVT situations in the academic environment. Contrary to the common perception, that there is a vocabulary gap between the two high school levels, the figures surprisingly show us that the junior and senior high English textbooks are very much consecutive on vocabulary. This result reveals one fact that even the vocabulary is consecutively compiled, all of the efforts will still be in futility if the time given to students to absorb new knowledge isn¡¦t enough. As for the interview section, almost all of the interviewees agreed that the conception to emphasize ¡§word frequency¡¨ is rather critical in vocabulary learning. Nonetheless, other factors such as time limit and personal background also get involved to influence the expected goal. The researcher, by means of the gained data, tried to set forth the outcome and come up with a solution hoping to provide the English learners a sounder set of learning tools and the relevant authorities an alternative of selecting textbooks while promising our people a ¡§consecutive¡¨ academic curriculum.

<p>The principal aim of this essay was to study why some teachers at upper secondary school choose to work with alternative material in the English classroom, whereas others choose a combination of alternative material and coursebooks. The investigation further deals with how alternative material is used. What students think about various kinds of material and whether they are encouraged to influence the choice of material has been considered as well. The method used was interviews with three teachers and six students.</p><p>The results of the study showed that all three teachers agreed that coursebooks should not be the only teaching material used in the classroom; they believed that the use of course-books alone would be boring and not very stimulating for the students. Coursebooks combined with alternative material were considered to work very well as teachers and students benefit from the advantages of both. Furthermore, alternative material would be used more if it were not such a time-consuming business for the teachers. Concerning how the three teachers made alternative material, practise varied. One teacher for who mainly used alternative material and also made it herself, had many different sources, whereas the other two teachers mostly used books and movies. Regarding the students, their requests of teaching material varied. The majority however preferred either alternative material or a combination with coursebooks. They also declared that they are encouraged to influence the choice of material.</p>

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 2000. / Typescript. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 273-280). Also available on the Internet.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Oklahoma State University, 2009. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph.D.) - Simon Fraser University, 2006. / Theses (Faculty of Education) / Simon Fraser University. Also issued in digital format and available on the World Wide Web.

Thesis (M.S.)--West Virginia University, 2002. / Title from document title page. Document formatted into pages; contains vii, 25 p. : ill. Vita. Includes abstract. Includes bibliographical references (p. 21-22).

Thesis (M.S.)--West Virginia University, 2002. / Title from document title page. Document formatted into pages; contains viii, 110 p. : ill. Vita. Includes abstract. Includes bibliographical references (p. 60-63).