Authentic Resources Research Articles

Three new anti-HBV active constituents from the traditional Chinese herb of Yin-Chen (Artemisia scoparia)

Ethnopharmacological relevanceYin-Chen is a famous traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) in China for the treatment of acute and chronic hepatitis. Two species, namely Artemisia scoparia and Artemisia capillaris, are documented in Chinese Pharmacopoeia as the authentic resources for Yin-Chen. Previous investigation has proved that chlorogenic acid analogs and phenolic acids are two main types of the anti-HBV active constituents of A. capillaris. However, there is no investigation concerned with the anti-HBV components of A. scoparia. Aim of the studyThe aim of the present study is to recognize the new anti-HBV constituents of A. scoparia by detailed LCMS analyses. Materials and methodsLCMS and bioassay-guided fractionation on the active part of A. scoparia led to the isolation of three new compounds. Their structures were determined by detailed spectroscopic analyses. Anti-HBV assay involving inhibition on HBsAg and HBeAg secretions and HBV DNA replication were performed in virto on HepG 2.2.15 cell line. ResultsThe 90% ethanol extract of A. scoparia was revealed with anti-HBV activity for the first time, which was further separated into several fractions by column chromatography. Fr. D-4 was revealed with the highest anti-HBV activity, from which three new compounds including one unusual 4-pyridone glucoside (1) and two polyacetylene glucosides (2–3) were isolated under the guidance of LCMS analyses. Compounds 1–3 exhibited activity against the secretions of HBsAg and HBeAg, and HBV DNA replication. In particular, compounds 2 and 3 inhibited HBV DNA replication with IC50 values of 0.07±0.04 and 0.012±0.05mM, with SI values of 23.6 and 17.1, respectively. Based on the MS/MS experiment, the fragmentation pathways of 1 in both positive and negative modes, and 2 and 3 in negative mode were proposed. The ion pairs of 388–208 (positive) and 432–206 (negative) for 1, 503–341 (negative) for 2, and 503–203 (negative) for 3, could be recognized as their respective diagnostic ions. ConclusionsThe first time investigation on the anti-HBV constituents of A. scoparia yielded three new active compounds, which will provide valuable information for understanding the ethnopharmacological usage of Yin-Chen, as well as the chemical difference with A. capillaris.

Using web-based exploratory tasks to develop intercultural competence in a homogeneous cultural environment

This study adapted web-based exploratory tasks using WebQuests as a means of enabling students to understand and reflect on both the target and their own culture. Learners actively used various authentic resources selected to meet their linguistic and cognitive needs to complete the tasks. The aim of this study was to help Japanese university students in a homogeneous cultural environment enrolled in an intercultural communication class to understand various cultural contexts through a systematic inquiry-based approach using WebQuests, with the goal of eventually improving their intercultural competence. Quantitative data were collected through pre- and post-surveys and an adapted version of the Generalised Ethnocentrism-scale questionnaires, whereas qualitative data included analyses of students’ reflection in weekly online forums and a final essay. The results of the study showed students’ reduction in ethnocentricity and suggested students had acquired a deeper understanding of both their own culture and other cultures.

Relationship between Learners’ German Language Communicative Abilities and Their Prior Performance in a National Ugandan Certificate Examination

This article presents research draws on the Communicative Approach to understand the connection between learners’ German language communicative abilities (GLCA) and their prior performance in German examinations.The purpose of the research was to establish whether a relationship existed between learners’ prior performance in Uganda Certificate of Education (UCE) German examinations and their performance on a GLCA testing tool. A correlational research design was used in this study. Findings indicated a significant relationship between learners’ prior performance on the UCE examination and their performance on the GLCA. Indeed, learners that performed better in the UCE examinations were also more likely to perform equally well on GLCA. It was concluded that during the process of preparing learners for UCE German examination, they acquired some basic competencies required to modestly communicate in real-life situations. However, students lacked several other vital competencies that they needed to perform better in more challenging higher level communicative situations outside the classroom. Therefore, it was recommended that teachers of German be provided with a variety of authentic resources that could be used to enhance the teaching and assessing of German in real-life-related communicative contexts.

Hands-On Russian Culture Lessons

The global diverse society necessitates that teachers develop cultural competency and use authentic resources for teaching. This article presents classroom-tested materials for teaching elementary students about aspects of Russian culture, developed by a native Russian and two education professors. Multiage, multi-racial American Midwestern students from a homeschooling cooperative learned vocabulary and concepts with statistically significant increases from pretest to posttest and a large effect size. The lessons began with recognition of human commonalities between Russian people and Americans, in accordance with omniculturalism theory. Lessons then highlighted and celebrated cultural differences through an exploration of Russian literature and culture. Culminating creative craft-making activities included simulating a Gzhel porcelain statue in white air-dry clay with blue markings, making a pop-up version of a matryoshka nesting doll set, constructing a papier-mache building with onion-domed towers and a Maslenitsa holiday scene, and decorating a paper-covered plastic egg with gems to make a Faberge-style jewelry box. The lessons, greeted with enthusiasm from students, included classification tasks, observation activities, and a Bingo-type game. Students evidenced deeper learning by continuing to connect their lives to Russian cultural content after the lesson unit had concluded.

Educational Authentic Video Resources as an Essential Method of Studying English Pronunciation and Intonation in the Conditions of the Ukrainian Carpathians

The paper deals with the issues of teaching and learning the English language for youngpupils at mountainous areas of Ukrainian Carpathians. During the first two decades of the thirdmillennium the decline of educational and social services financing is seen in Ukraine. The resultsof this is very noticeable in the mountains schooling: closure of schools, lack of school buses, poorsupply of equipment and studying materials, extra-long winter holidays because of lowtemperature in classrooms. The demographic factor is also important: many parents are forced tomigrate abroad in order to support their children in the Eastern Carpathian villages. At the sametime there is a growth in the use of ICT. The internet coverage leaves much to be desired but thesituation is expected to be gradually improved. The schools are still use outdated computing andvideo equipment, although some enthusiastic teachers and students are willing to use ownportable video devices in order to study English and learn to communicate effectively at schooland home. The article emphasizes some important aspects of using authentic video resources toteach pronunciation and intonation.

Next Big Thing: Collaborative Planning Tools accelerating Supply Chain Management

The purpose of this research is to study the impact of collaborative planning tools on supply chain management. Method adopted in this study is to conduct a review of different surveys, case studies, paper and articles collected from authentic resources. The outcome of the review is a table indicating the “name of references” and relevant “drivers”.

A Linguistic Analysis of AEC News in an English Newspaper for Language Learning and Teaching

An English newspaper, as an authentic English resource, provides a view of global knowledge and English usage in a physical world as it contains manifold issues and discourses valuable for English teaching and learning in a contemporary classroom. This study employed Systemic Functional Grammar of Halliday’s approach to analyze texts of news linguistically. The purposes of the study were 1) to explore prevalent topics of AEC news as a reflection of Thailand and communicative purposes for the upcoming ASEAN Economic Community in 2015, 2) to specifically analyze grammatical sentence structures used in an English newspaper aiming for English teaching and learning in Thai context. AEC news’ articles were chosen for this study as it has become a considerably important event which shares multilateral information to ASEAN country members. The Nation newspaper was chosen for data collection for the period from January to August, 2013. Results showed that economics, tourism, and transportation were the most important topics and were reflective of Thailand’s movement towards AEC. The news was mostly organized the idea by particular to general technique and mainly conveyed to the readers with informing as a communicative purpose. The most prevalent sentence structures were complex sentence. Active voice was more prevalent than Passive voice. The conclusion of the study was drawn descriptively. This study implicated that an English newspaper was beneficial for English teaching and learning as it contained a variety of language usage that could be used as a teaching material to improve students’ grammatical and writing skills.

Iranian EFL Learners’ Vocabulary Development through Wikipedia

Language teaching has passed through a long way in search of a remedy for language learners and teachers. Countless theories, approaches, and methods have been recommended. With all these, however, more inclusive L2 theories and models ought to be considered to come up with real classroom practices. One of such crucial practices is authenticity, being straightforwardly found in web-based materials in general and Wikipedia texts and tasks in particular. In the same line and based on sound theoretical underpinnings, the place of Wikipedia is investigated in this study as a prospective tool to teach and learn a major language component with practical procedures i.e. vocabulary knowledge. To this end, 36 intermediate Iranian EFL students assigned to two control and experimental groups took part in the study. The results of the tests administered divulged that the learners in the Wikipedia group surpassed those of the control group. Hence, Wikipedia is considered as an encouraging authentic resource to assist EFL learners in improving their vocabulary knowledge. Implications of present findings and suggestions for further research are discussed.

Combining Learner Autonomy and Authentic Written Texts for the Acquisition of Business English Terminology

Learning of Business English at tertiary level comprises the acquisition of specific linguistic and general competences together with the ability to learn the language autonomously. This paper presents the results of a study conducted with 123 first-year university-level students of Business English engaged in autonomous learning of business-related terminology by reading authentic business news over a period of five months. The data were collected over three academic years. The students were asked to rate the improvement of their linguistic competence, their attitudes towards autonomous learning and the use of authentic resources, and their improvement of the knowledge of business topics. The results showed that the students approved of reading authentic texts of their own choice as a way to develop their competences. The implication of this study is that autonomous learning should be encouraged and that authentic news articles are a good way to motivate students to learn Business English. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/nelta.v18i1-2.10331 Journal of NELTA, Vol 18 No. 1-2, December 2013; 65-76

Editorial

Welcome to Volume 5 of the Journal of Teaching and Learning for Graduate Employability. This web-based journal is an open access publication of peer-reviewed publications disseminating research and best practice in higher education teaching and learning for graduate employability. As universities continue to direct attention to graduate capabilities (also referred to as attributes) and employability, the momentum in curriculum development designed to improve employability continues to grow. It is now widely accepted that it is not sufficient for universities to merely articulate graduate capabilities, they must also accept that they have a responsibility to create a curriculum in which the explicit teaching, learning and assessment of these capabilities is embedded.  While on the surface it seems a straightforward matter, the practicalities of designing a curriculum to achieve this are far from simple, and require academics to review their beliefs and behaviours related to teaching and learning. In particular, they are faced with the dilemma of how best to design teaching and learning activities, including work integrated learning opportunities, which will not only enable students to develop and practice ‘employability’ skills, but also engage them. Whilst not appropriate for all courses, one approach to addressing this dilemma is through the integration of authentic resources and experiences into the curriculum.

Good student questions in inquiry learning

Acquisition of scientific reasoning is one of the big challenges in education. A popular educational strategy advocated for acquiring deep knowledge is inquiry-based learning, which is driven by emerging ‘good questions’. This study will address the question: ‘Which design features allow learners to refine questions while preserving student ownership of the inquiry process?’ This design-based research has been conducted over several years with advanced high-school biology classes. The results confirm the central role of question elaboration as an interactive process that leads from vague to complex and adequate. To make this happen, the inquiry process must extend over a long time, learners and teachers should share a knowledge improvement goal, and text produced by students should be structured by question–answer pairs addressing a single concept using authentic resources. Further features are discussion with peers, teacher feedback with respect to answer elaboration and conceptual differentiation, and finally, teacher guidance that should fade out in successive inquiry cycles to ensure student responsibility.

A corpus-assisted comparative genre analysis of corporate earnings calls between Korean and native-English speakers

This study explores the value of earnings call transcripts as authentic resources for the investigation of English for Specific Purposes (ESP) in an international corporate context. Earnings calls are a company’s periodic reporting of financial results through teleconferencing with prospective investors or potential business partners. As English has emerged as the lingua franca of international business, corporate earnings calls would seem to be a natural arena for the study of the fluency of business English among non-native speakers. In this study, the authors argue for the pedagogical benefits of comparing the macro-textual and micro-textual distinctiveness of Korean participants’ use of English during earnings calls relative to their native English-speaking counterparts. The findings suggest that Koreans have low-level genre awareness of earnings calls, which causes confusion or misunderstanding for native English-speaking participants during the calls. This study highlights the importance of promoting awareness of professional genre specificity in teaching business English, which may lead to improved communication between personnel of international corporations.

Form-focused social repertoires in an online language learning partnership

This study explores how mutual language learning partners, a native speaker (NS) and learner of Italian as a foreign language, use conversational repair as an authentic resource for out-of-class social interaction and focus-on-form during online text chat sessions. Specifically, it analyses the sequential organization of prototypical form-focused exposed correction sequences where the NS both initiates and completes repair of the learner's non-target grammar in the same turn, also known as recast. Findings indicate that despite the face-threatening nature of exposed correction within an unequal speech exchange system, participants maintain social solidarity by orienting to expert-novice roles and integrating recasts into phatic action-accepting and appreciation routines to bring form-focused trajectories to a polite conclusion prior to returning to topical talk. The learner's role as interaction manager is evident in her regular transformation of NS-initiated pedagogical actions-in-progress into social ones. Comparison of these form-focused pedagogical-social trajectories with a prototypical teacher-fronted instructional repertoire, the Initiation-Response-Feedback (IRF) sequence, reveals previously unidentified differences in how participants manage their interactions, especially exposed correction, in a formal-pedagogical and an informal social-pedagogical environment. While IRF is only one of many instructional repertoires in which correction activity is nested, fundamental structural differences suggest that online dyadic chat within language learning partnerships provides a potentially empowering and spontaneous alternative to classroom-based instructional repertoires, in preparation for real-life interaction in the target language.

The development of online learning designs for patients with type 2 diabetes.

A case study in the development of online educational material for a patient with type 2 diabetes (T2DM) is presented in this paper. Analysis of an interview of a patient with T2DM was conducted and analysed using Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis. Emerging themes were identified and used as the basis for the development of online educational material and the online platform for hosting this material is discussed. The method presented in this paper for the development of online learning environments for one patient with T2DM is considered to be one way of developing authentic and patient-centred educational resources.

AUTHENTICITY IN ENVIRONMENTAL HIGH-QUALITY DESTINATIONS: A RELEVANT FACTOR FOR GREEN TOURISM DEMAND

Even though natural spaces form authentic tourism resources, scientific literature has devoted little attention to study the authenticity of the environmental heritage. Therefore the purpose of this work is to analyze the antecedents and behavioral consequences of the perceived authenticity of high-quality environmental destinations. Destination image and quality are proposed as the main antecedents. Global satisfaction and loyalty are displayed towards the destination as the possible consequences. The results of this work demonstrate that cognitive and affective image influence the perceived authenticity, while this in turn has an impact on the global satisfaction and loyalty.

Realising the Potential of an Authentic Context to Understand the Characteristics of NOS and NOT: You, me and UV

A group of preservice primary teachers (46) in their third year of a Bachelor of Education degree were overtly taught the nature of science (NOS) and nature of technology (NOT) within an authentic context of the issues of UV radiation. The research question asked was, ‘What characteristics of NOS and NOT are identified, illustrated and justified within an authentic context by the preservice teachers?’ This context was accessed via a web-based resource, ‘You, Me and UV’ (www.sciencelearn.org.nz), which provided preservice teachers with virtual access to the science research community. The goal of this research was to explore the potential of providing a virtual authentic resource, accompanied by explicit teaching of NOS and NOT, to develop preservice teachers' understandings of NOS and NOT. A data collection instrument where preservice teachers were required not only to identify examples of NOS and NOT, but also to justify and contextualise them from this context, was able to capture their level of understanding. It also showed the potential of an authentic context and the possibilities of a virtual resource to provide access to communities of practice of science and technology research.

Teaching English through cultural lenses. A perspective on initial teacher training programs

1 IntroductionThis paper consists of two parts: the first one intends to provide details regarding the intertwined relationship between and language and the reasons for which this connection should be applied in the field of foreign languages, while the second aims to present a study that has been conducted in order to better understand the would-be teacher's interest in addressing different objectives. In order to provide more details about the students' profile there has been organized a feed-forward session and there have been applied some follow-up questions.2 Language and cultureLanguage and cannot be viewed apart since ''language is not a culture-free code'' (Kramsch, 1998:8). The interlocutor inevitably makes use through language of different social roles that are appropriate for a specific situation. ''Language need to attend to variables (e.g. age, status, age, gender and education) that are especially sensitive to different cultural interpretations, which in turn, may result in miscommunication'' (Meier in Guerra, Flor, Juan 2003:195) even if the intended message obeys the rules of grammar. Kramsch (1998:32) suggests that the register, the tone of one's voice, the distribution of the silence and the choice of lexical and grammatical structures are markers of identity. These details should be taken into account by any interlocutor who wants to engage effectively in a conversation. Knowledge of these details can also offer a perspective on the complex manner of interpreting a message.Acquiring a new language also implies the learning of the conceptual structures available in the foreign language because learners have not only to master the grammatical structures and communicative peculiarities of the new language but also, in order to be native like, they have to learn to think as native speakers do, perceive the world the way native speakers and use the language metaphorically as native speakers do (Kecskes, Papp 2000:9). Since most foreign language are exposed to this reconceptualization in an artificial environment in which sociocultural knowledge is constructed with the help of course books and other authentic resources there might appear grammatical and lexical problems due to a negative language transfer from the mother tongue.3 Initial teacher training programs - A general philosophyInitial teacher training programs should focus on a constructivist approach to and learning since this perspective ''aims to prepare the individual for an active integration in a democratic society'' (Boco? 2007:55). Boco? (2007:56) suggests that a constructivist design would place the learning activity in contexts that are relevant for the learner, would favour the self-reflective attitude towards the learning process and would include learning within social experience. These also represent some of the guidelines promoted by the intercultural education.Would-be teachers enrolled in initial teacher training programs need to be fully aware that [A] foreign language environment presents a unique challenge to the language because they have to enhance background knowledge and sociocultural competence without direct contact with the target language environment and culture (Kecskes, Papp 2000:108). This lack of genuine contact with the sociocultural background should be sustained with activities and resources that focus on developing students' cultural knowledge, communication skills and interaction abilities in the target language. These represent according to Byram (1997: 34-37) the key elements for attaining intercultural communicative competence. Still, being able to speak in a foreign language does not transform the speaker into an intercultural speaker endowed with intercultural competence since the latter (...) is not a 'natural' or 'automatic' result of foreign language teaching Meyer (1991: 157). …

Teaching Social Studies to the Media Generation

Research has shown that middle and high school students, historically, have had a less than favorable opinion of social studies instruction (Hobbs & Moroz, 2001), a situation widely attributed to teacher reliance on textbooks, lectures, and worksheets (Protano, 2003). Today, this problem is exacerbated as teachers are faced with students from a Media Generation who have grown up with “cell phones that have grown to include video game platforms, e-mail devices, digital cameras, and Internet connections” (Rideout, Roberts, & Foehr, 2005, p. 4). Recent studies, however, have found that student attitudes toward, and interest in, social studies can be greatly influenced by knowledgeable, passionate teachers who include them as active participants in the learning process through lively discussions and thought provoking activities (Alazzi, 2007; Chiodo & Byford, 2004). Teachers can further enhance this instruction by using the Internet to connect students to a wealth of authentic print, audio, and video resources (McGlinn, 2007). For students of the Media Generation, effective social studies teachers are those who foster inquiring minds and employ the tools that allow history to come to life in their classrooms.

Learning about Teachers’ Accomplishment in ‘Learning Skills for Science’ Practice: The use of portfolios in an evidence‐based continuous professional development programme

The study in this paper was carried out in the framework of an evidence‐based continuous professional development (CPD) programme in which teachers documented evidence about their practice in a portfolio. The context of the CPD was related to the ‘Learning Skills for Science’ (LSS) programme, which advocates the incorporation of high‐order learning skills and capabilities into science school curricula, in addition to content knowledge. The LSS comprises high‐order scientific communication skills such as information retrieval, scientific reading, scientific writing, listening and observing, information representation, and knowledge presentation. The main goal was to study what can be learned from evidence‐based portfolios about teachers’ LSS practice. More specifically we studied the dimensions and levels of teachers’ practice, the profiles of teachers’ accomplishment, and their ability to present evidence about their practice. We analysed 12 teachers’ portfolios (34 pieces of evidence) using a diagnostic tool that reflected the various dimensions of teachers’ accomplishment in LSS practice: P: Perceptions of LSS instruction; M: Model of instruction; T: Using learning materials; A: Assessment; I: Influence in the school system; E: Evidence preparation. For each of these dimensions we identified a hierarchy of levels on a scale of 1–5. The diagnostic tool revealed diverse LSS multidimensional professional profiles which demonstrated strong and weak aspects in teachers’ performance. We concluded that evidence‐based portfolios about teachers’ practice can serve as tools for assessment of teachers’ accomplishment (for example, for accreditation purposes) and as an authentic resource for customising professional development programmes to the needs of individual teachers.

Designing Mathematics Lessons In Mozambique: Starting From Authentic Resources

This article describes research on the design of student-centred instruction in Mozambique. The starting point was the use of real-life resources, such as traditional art craft objects and authentic newspaper clippings. The research was based on an instructional design model, which attempts to align theory with practice and which is geared towards improving practice. In two parallel studies, one on geometry and one on statistics, student-centred instruction was facilitated through the use of worksheets with open-ended questions tailored for group work. In a cyclic process, the prototype materials and the associated instructional method were formatively evaluated. The evaluations showed that the designs were useful even in classrooms packed with more than sixty students.