Open educational resources for
blended learning in high schools:
overcoming impediments in developing
countries
- Richard C. Larson, M. Elizabeth Murray
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| Author: |
Richard C. Larson, M. Elizabeth Murray |
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Abstract
With today’s computer and telecommunications technologies, every young person can have a quality
education regardless of his or her place of birth. This is the dream that Open Educational Resources
(OERs), when viewed as a right rather than a privilege, are directed to realize. For developing countries,
we propose a type of OER initiative that leverages not only technology but also the skills of the in-class
teacher, that utilizes not only the Internet but also lower-tech delivery platforms, and that is created not
only by developed countries of the West but also by educators in many countries worldwide. We outline
the design of a cross-border, collaborative learning and teaching system called the Blended Learning
Open Source Science or Math Studies Initiative (BLOSSOMS), with an associated partnership network
established for its implementation in developing countries. BLOSSOMS is to develop a large, free
repository of blended-learning video modules for high school math and science classes, created by gifted
volunteer educators from around the world and designed to offer potentially transformative learning
exercises that will enhance critical thinking skills and retain students’ interest in math and science. The
initiative has been designed and developed within a multinational network of partner organizations in the
developing world, a characteristic that distinguishes it from many other OER projects.
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Keywords
Open Educational Resources, OER, blended learning, online repository, international collaboration, high school education, mathematics and science, critical thinking
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Bringing the real world of science to
children: a partnership of the
American Museum of Natural History
and the City University of New York
- Anthony G. Picciano, Robert V. Steiner
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Anthony G. Picciano, Robert V. Steiner |
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Abstract
Every child has a right to an education. In the United States, the issue is not necessarily about access to a
school but access to a quality education. With strict compulsory education laws, more than 50 million
students enrolled in primary and secondary schools, and billions of dollars spent annually on public and
private education, American children surely have access to buildings and classrooms. However, because
of a complex and competitive system of shared policymaking among national, state, and local
governments, not all schools are created equal nor are equal education opportunities available for the
poor, minorities, and underprivileged. One manifestation of this inequity is the lack of qualified teachers
in many urban and rural schools to teach certain subjects such as science, mathematics, and technology.
The purpose of this article is to describe a partnership model between two major institutions (The
American Museum of Natural History and The City University of New York) and the program designed
to improve the way teachers are trained and children are taught and introduced to the world of science.
These two institutions have partnered on various projects over the years to expand educational
opportunity especially in the teaching of science. One of the more successful projects is Seminars on
Science (SoS), an online teacher education and professional development program, that connects teachers
across the United States and around the world to cutting-edge research and provides them with powerful
classroom resources. This article provides the institutional perspectives, the challenges and the strategies
that fostered this partnership.
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Keywords
science education, teacher education, pre-service, in-service, teacher shortage, distance learning, online learning, blended learning, multimedia
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Distance English language teacher training program in Turkey : e-learning opportunities for the right to education - Dilek ALTUNAY & M. Emin MUTLU
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Dilek ALTUNAY & M. Emin MUTLU |
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Abstract
This article presents the Distance English Language Teacher Training Program at Anadolu University in Turkey and how distance education; particularly e-learning opportunities offered in the program contribute to the right to education. The program has contributed to solve the English language teacher education problem in the country and contributes to the right to education mainly in two ways: Firstly, it gives the ones who would like to become English language teachers the right to achieve their aim. Secondly, by increasing the supply of teachers of English, it allows students who want to learn English but cannot learn because of lack of teachers to learn English. The program also includes many applications contributing to the right to education. This practice is important in that it might bring new insights to foreign language teacher education and will be of value to other countries facing with similar problems.
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Keywords
right to education, teacher education, English language teacher education, e-learning, distance education, blended learning
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