Towards Video Conferencing Mode of Teaching and Learning Mathematics

Written by HETS Admin on July 30, 2014. Posted in English, Fall Issue: November 2013, Volume IV

 By: Dr. Alexander Vaninsky
Professor of Mathematics
Hostos Community College
The City University of New York

Abstract

The paper presents an experience of providing students with online office hours in the video conferencing mode. Blackboard Collaborate was used in a post – calculus course taught in a community college, providing additional office hours for students from the convenience of their homes and workplaces. Most students demonstrated positive attitudes, while some of them were not fully comfortable with the online environment and preferred personal communications. We discuss short- and long-term perspectives of this teaching technique that is a step towards an efficient and affordable way of online teaching and learning of mathematics.

• Continue Reading
• No Comments

The Clash of Epistemologies: A Study of the Transformative Learning of Bilingual Pre-service Teachers Engaged in Simulations in a Virtual Environment

Written by HETS Admin on July 30, 2014. Posted in English, Fall Issue: November 2013, Volume IV

By:

Dr. Leticia De León

Associate Professor
College of Education Student Success Initiative Coordinator
University of Texas- Pan American

Abstract

The entrenched epistemologies of pre-service teachers were challenged when they encountered a new way to learn using virtual reality.  This mixed methods study examined the extent to which pre-service teachers were willing to transform their views of knowledge.  Transformative Learning Theory (Mezirow, 2000) scrutinizes how adults learn, and so it was the lens used for determining epistemic change.  Data collection was accomplished with two online instruments that represented mixed data sets.  Past epistemologies clashed with new ones as participants considered how their past experiences could be reconciled given new learning tools. Findings indicated that most participants exhibited some transformation despite the fact that the initial disorienting dilemma was seemingly insurmountable. These transformations were only possible for those who were able to find value and motivation in their learning experiences, as well as discern a positive change in themselves as learners and as future teachers.

• Continue Reading
• No Comments

¿Quién está en línea? A Five Year Longitudinal Study of Online Hispanic American Student Demographics

Written by HETS Admin on July 30, 2014. Posted in English, Fall Issue: November 2013, Volume IV

By:

Dr. Ben Meredith

Executive Director, EWU Extended Campus
Eastern Washington University

and

Dr. Stephen R. Burgess

Professor of Psychology
Southwestern Oklahoma State University

Abstract

In a five-year longitudinal study of Hispanic-American students taking online courses at a U.S. South Central University, the researchers sought to describe the demographic makeup of the typical online Hispanic-American student and the demographic makeup of the successful online Hispanic-American student. Using archived data it was determined that the profile of the online Hispanic-American students closely mirrored the profile of white populations.

Introduction

While already a decade old, the Pew Internet study on Hispanics and the Internet (Spooner and Rainier, 2001) found that Hispanic-American Internet users behave much like other Internet users, and in many instances are more likely to use the Internet for entertainment or as a source of information than white Internet users. Additionally, the study found that Hispanic-American households, even those living in modest economic circumstances of less than $40,000 perhousehold[ , were as likely to have a computer and Internet connections in the household as white households. In the areas of personal and economic advancement, Hispanic-American Internet users use the Internet in roughly the same way that Caucasian-American Internet users do.

Now a decade past this report and already into the second decade of online education invading the halls of higher education, the questions of who is online, who is successful online, and what of the Hispanic-American student onlinemust be asked. Several studies (Coldwell, Craig, Paterson and Mustard, 2008; Diaz, 2000, 2002; Guernsey, 1998; Hoskins and Hooff, 2005; MacGregor, 2000, 2002; Meredith, 2011; Moore & Kearsley, 2005; Smith-Jaggars & Xu, 2010; Thompson, 1998; Wojciechowski & Palmer, 2005) over the last two decades have begun to ask the first two questions, but very little research exists asking the final question. This study seeks to add to that body of literature.

• Continue Reading
• No Comments

Metaevaluando Programas de Educación a Distancia

Written by HETS Admin on July 30, 2014. Posted in Authors, Dr. Juan Meléndez, Fall Issue: November 2013, Spanish, Volume IV

By: Dr. Juan Meléndez

Full Professor
University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras Campus
Consultant, Ana G. Méndez University System, Virtual Campus

Introducción

El mundo ha cambiado y con ella la necesidad de cambiar la forma en que educamos a nuestros ciudadanos. Las escuelas y universidades no puedan funcionar de la misma manera como lo han hecho por los últimos 50 años. La internacionalización y la crisis económica mundial nos obliga a cambiar, y las nuevas tecnologías han revolucionado la forma de transformarnos.

Estos cambios explican por qué muchos países del mundo, como Puerto Rico, están luchando por encontrar su lugar en una nueva economía del conocimiento. En los últimos años, se ha informado en los medios de comunicación, sobre muchas políticas, leyes y proyectos, que se promueven con la esperanza de pasar sus países en esta nueva economía. Por ejemplo, en el Reino Unido, el Department for Business Innovation and Skills (2011) propuso nuevas políticas sobre el futuro de la educación superior, que en esencia ofreció cambios dramáticos en la forma en que el país educará a los estudiantes y financiar sus instituciones educativas. En Puerto Rico, se debate sobre las formas más apropiadas para desarrollar la economía, y conjuntamente se debate como las universidades deben establecer unos currículos del siglo 21, que contengan estándares altos y con evaluaciones rigurosas. Pero ¿cómo se implantará este currículo? ¿Cómo se evaluará? Esta última pregunta es lo que motivó el inicio este proyecto de investigación.

• Continue Reading
• No Comments

Meaningful Online Interactions and Writing Improvement

Written by HETS Admin on July 30, 2014. Posted in English, Fall Issue: November 2013, Volume IV

By:

Dr. Brenda Ann Camara-Walker

Associate Professor
University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras Campus

and

Dr. Vanessa Irizarry

Full Professor
University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras Campus

Abstract

This paper reports on a research study on a teaching strategy that successfully incorporates conditions that support optimal second language learning in the classroom environment of two low proficiency level English courses at the University of Puerto Rico. Results of the study indicate that providing opportunities to meaningfully interact through the performance of authentic purposeful tasks significantly increases student learning. In this paper, the results and conclusions from a study conducted at the UPR that investigated the effect that online writing strategies have on students’ writing fluency performance will be discussed. In addition, a research based model that can be used to integrate technology to the curriculum of General Education courses is proposed.

• Continue Reading
• No Comments

La Percepción de los Docentes de un Distrito Escolar de Puerto Rico, Sobre la Deserción Escolar y el Programa Desarrollo Educativo General (GED) en la Escuela Superior

Written by HETS Admin on July 30, 2014. Posted in Fall Issue: November 2013, Spanish, Volume IV

By: Dr. Dámaris Velázquez

Technology Professor

Department of Education of Puerto Rico

Resumen

Este estudio indagó la percepción de los docentes de un distrito escolar de Puerto Rico, sobre la deserción escolar y el Programa Desarrollo Educativo General (GED) en la escuela superior. Permitió conocer la percepción de los docentes acerca de una serie de variables. Entre éstas, las que describieron (a) la situación de deserción en Puerto Rico y la gestión que se realiza para atender la crisis, (b) los factores que inciden en la deserción y la responsabilidad asociada, (c) el conocimiento de los docentes acerca del programa GED, la gestión que se realiza para promoverlo y los factores que inciden en que un desertor complete o no el GED; (d) la responsabilidad asociada al éxito del programa GED en Puerto Rico y el rol social en el éxito de los desertores. Así también, (e) explorar la conceptualización del término deserción escolar, y (f) la viabilidad de propuestas para lidiar con la crisis y aumentar la efectividad del programa GED. Entre las propuestas se auscultó la integración de las nuevas tecnologías y la Educación a Distancia para los desertores escolares y la capacitación para los docentes.

• Continue Reading
• No Comments

La Educación Presencial, a Distancia y el uso de las TIC en Puerto Rico y República Dominicana.

Written by HETS Admin on July 30, 2014. Posted in Fall Issue: November 2013, Spanish, Volume IV

By: Mr. Víctor Robles

Information Systems and Distance Learning

Resumen

Este artículo recoge los principales acontecimientos cronológicos ocurridos en la educación superior y a distancia, haciendo un énfasis en el uso de la tecnología, en República Dominicana (R.D.) y Puerto Rico (P.R.) desde la época colonial hasta el presente. Las influencias y orígenes en aspectos de educación general de República Dominicana y Puerto Rico tienen bases y sistemas diferentes; ya que uno, en el caso de Puerto Rico, tiene sus raíces en el sistema educativo norteamericano y el otro, entiéndase República Dominicana, proviene de Europa, no obstante en la Educación a Distancia, el asunto es un poco diferente, la misma es universal y casi todos los países tienen en común un propósito, el cual es anular las barreras de la distancia y proveer educación de excelencia a aquellos que por alguna razón u otra no pueden estar físicamente en un lugar específico para tomar sus clases. Ambos países tienen similitudes en cómo han desarrollado e implementado el uso de las Tecnología de Información y la Comunicación (TIC) en la Educación  a Distancia (EaD).

Palabras Clave: Educación a Distancia, Educación Superior, TIC, Universidad, Virtual.

Abstract

This article summarizes the main chronological events occurring in higher education and distance learning, with the emphasis on the use of technology in the Dominican Republic (DR) and Puerto Rico (PR) from the colonial era to the present. The influences and backgrounds in general education aspects of the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico have different bases and systems, as one, in the case of Puerto Rico, has its roots in the American educational system and the other, this is Dominican Republic, comes from Europe, however in distance education, the issue is a little different, it is universal and almost all countries have a common purpose, which is to nullify the barriers of distance and provide excellent education for those who for some reason or another, cannot physically be in a specific place to take their classes. Both countries have similarities in how they have developed and implemented the use of Information Technology and Communication (ICT) in Distance Education (D.E).

Keywords: Distance Education, Higher Education, ICT, University, Virtual.

• Continue Reading
• No Comments

Las experiencias de los egresados de un programa a distancia en Puerto Rico

Written by HETS Admin on July 30, 2014. Posted in Authors, Dr. Marcos Torres, Fall Issue: November 2013, Spanish, Volume IV

• Continue Reading
• No Comments

Encouraging and Motivating Minority Engineering Students through Summer Research Initiative

Written by HETS Admin on July 30, 2014. Posted in English, Fall Issue: November 2013, Volume IV

By:

Dr. Nieves Angulo
Associate Professor
Department of Mathematics
Hostos Community College
City University of New York

and

Dr. Tanvir Prince
Assistant Professor
Department of Mathematics
Hostos Community College

 Key words: Engineering, Education, Summer Research, Motivating, Minority

Encouraging and Motivating Minority Engineering Students through Summer Research Initiative

Key words: Engineering, Education, Summer Research, Motivating, Minority

Abstract

The 21st Century ushered in a new era of globalization with accelerated rate of technological developments demanding a work force highly trained in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) fields. The current US administration has recognized this challenge by making education a priority and focusing particularly on the restoration of America’s leadership in Higher Education with special emphasis on the role played by Community Colleges. We have been charged with preparing a well-trained student population in the STEM fields to meet these challenges and stay competitive in the global markets. Consequently, innovative educational programs must begin at an early stage of students’ education with the theoretical and practical applications needed to become front-runners in this competitive world. There is an imperative to introduce students to a research environment where students can experience career relevance motivating them to continue pursuing these fields. By conducting research through internships with faculty members, students will be empowered to develop skills and will be motivated to succeed within STEM areas. Therefore, the Summer Internship Initiative will narrow the gap between theory and application by making the theory relevant to existing research projects and making the learning process exciting and interactive for students, thus increasing retention in the STEM areas. Hostos Community College of CUNY has partnered with senior colleges in CUNY and the Goddard Institute of Space Studies (“GISS”) in New York City to expand the educational horizon of our students, enabling them to compete and win in global markets. The latter is possible through collaborative research initiatives that develop and improve critical thinking and creativity skills, hands-on, team oriented, and interdisciplinary learning via collaborative research projects.

• Continue Reading
• No Comments

El significado del lenguaje escrito en un ambiente educativo virtual

Written by HETS Admin on July 30, 2014. Posted in Fall Issue: November 2013, Spanish, Volume IV

The significance of written language in a virtual educational environment

By: Ms. Angélica Ricaurte-Avendaño

National Sub director of E-learning

Universidad Cooperativa de Colombia 

RESUMEN

Este artículo pretende aportar a los investigadores y a los docentes que trabajan en aulas virtuales en cursos presenciales, bimodales o cien por ciento virtuales, para que puedan hacer un acto comprensivo del significado del lenguaje escrito en un ambiente de aprendizaje.

Un significado que aporta a las construcciones comunicativas de hoy, que no deben ser descalificadas por utilizar la micro-redacción como una estrategia de inmediatez y simplificación de la idea. Muy posiblemente la experiencia de los profesores de hoy, que hacen uso de herramientas de comunicación virtual, les permite identificar fácilmente el significado de un texto que lleva una “k” o una “q” como un que.

Pero existen otros elementos como el tono y la forma que se pueden distinguir para comprender los mensajes con los cuales se comunican los estudiantes. Para mayor comprensión del texto, el lector realiza varios hallazgos, que son producto del análisis de los datos de la investigación fuente de la publicación, cruzados con las teorías de John Austin.

PALABRAS CLAVE

Lenguaje, ambiente virtual, significado, oración realizativa, educación.

ABSTRACT

This article pretends to enrich investigators and educators that work on virtual classrooms for traditional courses, bi-modal or completely virtual subjects, so they may comprehend the significance of written language in a learning environment. Significance which contributes to the communicative constructions of this day and age, which should not be disqualified for its use of “micro-redaction” as an immediacy strategy and simplification of the subject. Probably the experience of today’s educators, that make use of virtual communication tools, allows them to easily identify the meaning of a text that replaces a “q” for a “k” when writing “que”. But there are other elements such as tone and form that can be identified for the comprehension of the messages that students establish. To better comprehend the text, the reader elucidate concepts resulting of the data and source of publication analysis, combined with John Austin’s theories.

Keywords

Language, virtual environment, significance, written, proposition, phrase, education.

• Continue Reading
• No Comments

Building a Sense of Global Identity through Artifacts in Freshman Composition Classrooms

Written by HETS Admin on July 30, 2014. Posted in English, Fall Issue: November 2013, Volume IV

By: Dr. Jean Darcy

Associate Professor

Queensborough Community College

The City University of New York

Article Abstract:

Queensborough Community College, part of the City University of New York, is an Hispanic

serving institution with 26% Hispanic population.  Students learn alongside students from 143countries bringing language experience in Spanish, French, Urdu, Hindi, Punjabi, Chinese, Pushto, and Farsi. We are preparing our students for a future in which information networks are readily available, situating our students in a global search engine. In addition, increasingly our students come into academic communities with transnational identities. This requires that our students be prepared to create connections, to synthesize identity and information in a way that facilitates the bonds of relations that create coherences and communities.  Broad based networks rely on deep, personal abilities to both present ourselves and understand others in technological environments.  Our colleges welcome students from around the world into new learning spaces to join in learning experiences that must also connect to authentic meaning making that is rooted in communities of origin at the same time that those origins are incorporated into an understanding of a future self in a new space.

In this article we argue that the use of artifacts in technological spaces not only help students express an authentic self but also create an authentic audience. Integrative learning practices that begin with the student and move that student to imagine a future self in a broad network of relations with an authentic audience transforms the classroom space into a social network based on disciplined ways of knowing.

     Teaching composition to entering freshman in the multicultural classroom is a rich challenge for teachers.   Many teachers focus on providing content that represents the diverse backgrounds within the class.  This approach might be called the “heritage” approach. The teacher draws on family experiences, knowledge of cultures of origin, religious communities, and meaning making that has been a part of the student’s life as memories are preserved.  In another approach, teachers focus on what is bringing students from diverse backgrounds into new communities, cultures and neighborhoods.  This might be called the “adaptive” approach as students from around the world share a common environment and create new artifacts and languages that express their desire to be a part of concerns in a new geographical location.  The first approach stresses building on already existing structures of meaning making while the second opens up into the dynamics of selection of new opportunities and relationships.

     Using technology to structure learning objectives around artifacts, teachers can begin to combine both approaches to bring the student an integrative experience in learning.  By juxtaposing artifacts with a rich cultural heritage against artifacts encountered in their immediate experience students can begin to build on prior knowledge to analyze and synthesize new knowledge in ways that makes learning visible.

     Donald R.Schon in The Reflective Practitioner  stresses that it is a combination of these approaches that best prepares students for careers in the 21^st C.  By understanding how technology can be folded in sociological change and how artistic practices that stress design and flexibility can organize such change, Schon’s thought prepares students for the shifting surfaces of exchange and decision making that characterize 21^st C. collaborations (p.266).   New technologies used in the classroom connect students who have “transnational identities” not only to their homelands but to larger global networks within which they can begin to communicate. Beyond the classroom, new career opportunities offer positions in institutions that draw on technology to gain shared information and perspectives.  Being able to negotiate between knowledge that is familiar and a part of one’s “heritage,” and the unfamiliar knowledge that belongs to a vastly different set of experiences is a required skill, one that combines both social intelligence and the ability to communicate in meaningful ways in technological collaborations.     

• Continue Reading
• No Comments

Breaking with Tradition: Video Games as an Alternative Tool for ESL Instruction in Puerto Rico’s Public Schools

Written by HETS Admin on July 19, 2014. Posted in Authors, English, Fall Issue: November 2013, Prof. Kenneth Horowitz, Volume IV

By: Prof. Kenneth Horowitz, Adjunct Instructor — Pontifical University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez Campus

 Abstract

Puerto Rico’s public school system has been teaching English as a second language for more than a century but has been unable to increase proficiency rates among students at all levels. A lack of physical and economical resources, combined with a disconnect at the governmental and educational levels, have resulted in an island population that not only does not speak English but sees the language as little more than a tool for employment. Many Puerto Ricans have little or no opportunity to actively connect what they learn in the English classroom to their daily lives due to the absence of a true English-speaking environment. It is possible that video games may serve to bridge the gap between academic content and home life by offering persistent opportunities to use English in authentic contexts and in real time.   

• Continue Reading
• No Comments