FOCI-VII Standardization: what are we sacrificing? Eskisehir Osmangazi University 9th & 10th May 2013

You can now access the focus group presentations from the Past Events page.

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FOCI-VI @ ÖZYEĞİN UNIVERSITY 13th & 14th December 2012

group-photo

You can now access photos and documents from this event from the Past Events Page.  Many thanks once again to all at Özyeğin for hosting us and to all the participants who made the event such a success.  It was especially nice to see so many participants from state universities and we hope that this trend will continue.

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FOCI-VI @ Özyeğin University

Flexibility within Limitations

9am-5pm Thursday 13th Dec 2012 and 9am to 1pm Friday 14th Dec 2012

There are different reasons why some students are unable to meet the expectations of the program. Sometimes it may be due to a lack of effort but sometimes even students who tried their best cannot succeed. Following suggestions from the last FOCI event, the theme of FOCI-VI will therefore be Flexibility within Limitations and the forum will aim to explore the issues about what we can or would like to try to do for the students in the latter group.  Do we really consider the fact that everybody learns a language at a different pace while designing our mainstream and repeat programs? Is it possible to provide sufficient flexibility within the limitations of our programs to ensure maximal success?

See Future Events for more details and to register.

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Getting Your Struggling Students to Succeed: Tips for Educators

Anyone who’s ever been in school knows that the educational experience can vary greatly from one person to the next. Some thrive in an academic environment and seamlessly get straight A’s on every assignment that comes their way. Then there are the well-rounded multi-taskers. They may not always make the highest grade but, considering that they are involved in everything from yearbook to basketball, their GPA is not too shabby. Then there are those that seem to struggle with their scholastic endeavors.

No matter how much time and effort they put into something, they just can’t seem to get it right. For educators, these students can often pose a huge challenge, but they can also offer the biggest pay out and reward. The life of an educator is rarely all roses and straight A’s. If this is the professional path you have chosen, prepared to have your patience tested, your faith tried and your mind and body exhausted. Just remind yourself, every student deserves a chance, and as their teachers, it is up to you to give it to them.

If during your career, you are presented with a student that just doesn’t get it and needs help getting out of their educational rut, take a deep breath, find your patience and consider employing some of the tips mentioned below.

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How technology revolutionizes the traditional educational syllabus

When done improperly, a syllabus can be a drab and time consuming document for both students and educators to go through. I’m sure more than a few people can recall moments from their college days when a professor would drag out the process of going through the syllabus. There’s the obligatory overview of what the class actually is; extensive time would be devoted to the grade breakdown; the clause about cheating would be summed up as “common sense;” and there would be much understanding for those who hadn’t yet acquired all the necessary texts for the semester. Syllabi were handed out on paper, and if students lost their one copy they were usually out of luck.

But the advent of ubiquitous internet access, mobile technology, and a host of great educational tech programs have changed the entire pedagogical landscape. Cutting edge education technology has not only changed the nature of the physical syllabus, but it has changed the way that many educators—from grade school through college—structure courses and teach their lessons. Let’s explore a few ways in which these amazing technologies have reshaped syllabi and the course works within them.

The appeal of educational technology

There’s tremendous appeal for educational technology in today’s generation of students, from kids learning their multiplication tables in elementary schools to young adults learning the finer points of philosophy in an ethics lecture. The appeal of educational technology is great news for educators, many of whom are desperately trying to get their students more engaged in the course materials.

Education technology has advanced on several fronts. In mobile technology alone there are thousands of apps designed for students of every age, from organizational apps meant to help busy college students (think Evernote) to simple and entertaining educational games that can help a child learn arithmetic on a tablet (think ArithmeTick). Students respond to these educational technologies in ways that they never did to traditional pen and paper style learning. There’s something about the technological medium that simply translates better to this digital generation.

Online syllabi as digital portals to advance the online learning experience

I’d like to talk a little about educational technology with regard to online syllabi in particular. There are more than a few great online services out there specifically designed for web-savvy teachers who want to take their class online for projects and group discussions. Services that come to mind are Edmodo or Edublogs, both of which aim to create safe, stable, and most importantly education-centric spaces that cater to students with a firm grip on web technologies.

These services not only allow educators to create interactive syllabi on personalized (and private) websites, but they also encourage them to create a dynamic space for the class to interact in novel ways. Students might discuss key concepts in a private forum or they might share news stories that might relate to the course on a classroom blog. The limits to online learning in the classroom are only restricted to an educator’s imagination and willingness for innovation!

About the author

Lenore Holditch is a freelance writer and blogger covering education stories for toponlinecolleges.com. Lenore has a journalism background with an emphasis in covering higher education policies, student lifestyle, and the cost of college. Feel free to send some comments her way!

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FOCI VI: Özyeğin University – December, 2012

The next FOCI event will be held at Özyeğin University Çekmeköy Campus in Istanbul on Thursday 13th and Friday 14th December. Details of the theme and registration will be announced shortly.

Click here to download the pre-event Exploration and Innovation task.

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Why a Curriculum is Important for Education

Curricula are designed to teach a variety of subjects, giving students access to an education that is not exclusive but open to all mediums of understanding and knowledge. Curricula allow schools to teach all general academic subjects in a uniform and organized way, providing students with all the knowledge they need to make educated choices throughout life.

Below are three reasons why they are so important to education.

  • Curricula develop many areas of the mind: Most curricula vary in subject matter. They teach reading, writing, math, science, social studies, art, music, human health and nutrition, etc. These are all important subjects needed to enrich all areas of our lives. Learning all of these subjects also helps to strengthen the weak areas of our brains. Science has shown that some people are “left brained,” while others are “right brained.” Left brained people are often interested in math and science and logic, while right brained people are interested in aesthetics and the arts. When students who are left brained are asked to complete an art project, they actually strengthen their minds, and when students who are right brained are asked to complete a math problem, the same is true.
  • Curricula prepare students for a career: Even though a career is thought to be about one particular subject or task, life after school actually requires a lot more than just special knowledge of one topic. Life is all encompassing, and all careers require people to know a little bit about everything. Learning about a variety of subjects in school helps students understand their world better and make wiser decisions throughout life.
  • Curricula open more doors of opportunity: If a student is only exposed to select subjects, they will lose out on opportunities to discover hidden interests and talents. By teaching a wide range of topics, students are able to dabble in various areas, finding the subjects that interest them most and can be used toward a successful career.

In many parts of the world, most primary and secondary-level schools require students to take similar classes all throughout their education. Once students are believed to have learned a general knowledge of all subjects, they are allowed to begin choosing courses that fit their individual interests. This usually occurs in junior high or high school, when students are allowed to choose courses with more narrow topics, such as painting, drafting or psychology.

In colleges throughout North America and Europe, students are required to spend the first few semesters completing core coursework, which is made up of a variety of subjects. It is designed to help students narrow down their degree choice, and all courses count towards your degree requirements.

This curriculum system has thus far been successful for most students. However, within the last few years, more questions have been raised about the actual effectiveness of the education system in the United States, as well as in other countries. Although major changes may be on the horizon, it is certain that the curriculum system will never disappear. It will only be modified to meet new education goals.

About the author

Kate Willson is a researcher/writer for www.CollegeCrunch.org, a great online resource for all things related to higher education and campus life. Her articles cover several topics related to learning, including trends in online schooling, advice for new college students and recent grads and college preparation for high school students. Please leave any questions or comments for Kate below.

 

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3 Ways to Improve your Academic Writing in English Immediately

If English is your second language, then you probably know full well how difficult it can be to pursue an advanced course of study in this language. Conversational English is arguably much easier to pick up than is the rarefied and sometimes inscrutable nuances of academic prose. At the same time, it’s not impossible.

There are some very specific steps that you can take to improve your academic writing in English almost instantaneously. As someone who used to tutor English to foreign nationals who were pursuing PhD degrees in America, I learned a few quick ways to improve their academic writing. Here are the tips and tricks I found to be most effective:

1. Read academic works.

Of course, this goes without saying. The more academic writing in English you immerse yourself in, the more quickly you’ll understand how academic prose in English works. Read papers, essays, and reports in your field with a careful eye. When you read each sentence, ask yourself, “Why did the author use these specific words?” and “What is the author setting out to accomplish?

2. Aim for clarity, not for sophistication.

Unfortunately for those who are trying to learn academic English, many academics from English-speaking countries write very poorly. A trend, at least in American institutions, is to write in such a way that the reader ends up being confused. With academic writing, you are aiming to teach your readers something, you aren’t aiming to impress them with your florid and fancy prose. As such, aim for clarity. Don’t use very advanced words until you know exactly what they mean and you’ve seen them used in context many times before. Keep your sentences relatively short. Don’t condescend to your reader, but don’t assume that she understands everything either.

3. Watch lectures online of professors teaching in English.

While reading academic prose can help tremendously, sometimes it’s better to see an academic speak in English. With the proliferation of lectures available online, you can watch thousands, if not millions, of professors in your field speak English in a more academic manner. This method can be more effective because you’ll understand how to have a conversation in academic English, which sometimes translates into more lucid, engaging, and clear prose on paper.

As with learning anything new, it’s important to practice, practice, practice. If you know other academics whose native language is English, ask them to read and edit your work with you, so they can highlight common mistakes that you’ve been making. For more information, check out this resource about academic English. Good luck!

About the author

Angelita Williams is a freelance blogger who specializes in education-related content. She’s familiar with educational practices for every age and lifestyle, from online college courses to homeschooling to traditional learning. You can read more of her writing on www.onlinecollegecourses.com, and you can contact Angelita anytime at [email protected].

 

 

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FOCI-V @ Koç University – 10th and 11th May, 2012

FOCI-V: PATHWAYS FOR PROGRESS/ION: WHAT WE DO DO, DON’T DO AND COULD DO was held at Koç University on 10th and 11th May.

Participants from 16 different university foundation/preparatory programmes came together to discuss the different ways we are all aiming to develop a programme that optimises our learners’ motivation, deals with their failure and maximizes their success.  The forum explored issues such as number, length & pace of courses/levels/whole programme, modular or non-modular approach, exit-levels, supporting weaker students, dealing with repeat courses and learners who are unable to complete the programme in the expected time.  Documents from the focus groups and photos from the event will soon be available here. 

Many thanks to William and the Koç University team for hosting such an enjoyable and successful event!

If you attended FOCI-V, please feel free to add your comments on the event here.

 

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FOCI V: Koç University – May 10th-11th, 2012

The fifth FOCI event will be held at Koç University in Istanbul on 10th & 11th May, 2012 .

As a result of the success of the format of the last event, FOCI-V will be a one-and-a-half day event.

Click here for full details regarding the rationale, aims, expected outcomes and participation details and a link to the registration form are available in the FOCI V announcement document.

Click here to download the pre-event Exploration and Innovation task

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