Learning Discussion Research Articles

The Cutting Edge in Print

This article explores how Scholastic notions of the body, mind and cognition inform the didactic principles structuring the Opera nova (1536) by Achille Marozzo (1484-1553). A Bolognese fencing master, Marozzo belonged to a tradition of institutionalized martial training which had historically emphasized its connections to academic discourses of learning. In spite of this, Marozzo’s own work has been interpreted as following a straightforward tradition of copying forms and patterns, without much of an underlying theoretical argument. This article argues that Marozzo does present several conceptual references to Scholastic ideas about the workings of the brain, however, in particular to the mind’s dependence on mental images provided by the senses. Delving into these references not only helps to understand the didactic principles at work in the Opera nova as a whole, but also the specific role Marozzo seems to have attributed to the many woodcuts included in his book. In presenting this argument, this article then argues for the fruitful insights that can be gained from connecting fight books to both medieval and early modern Scholasticism, and the history of early modern art and science.

Жанры учебного онлайн-дискурса: от учебного сайта до синхронного онлайн-урока

The article aims at the substantiation, definition and genre characteristics of a new sphere of Internet communication – learning online discourse, which is becoming increasingly important in modern educational practice due to various social processes and technological development of society, but has not yet become the subject of linguistic and genre analysis. The research is based on observation and comparison of various genres emerging in online learning and illustrated by the online discourse on studying foreign languages. The basis for the analysis is the model of the Internet genre, which includes media, pragmatic, structural and linguistic parameters. The paper gives the definition of the online learning discourse as a computer mediated communicative activity for the formation of subject knowledge and skills of students. The given definition illustrates that it is important to include the leading media and pragmatic parameters in determining the type of discourse or a particular genre. Among the genres of online learning discourse the author singles out asynchronous (based on written speech format) and synchronous (oral) communication forms. Examples of the former are a learning website and its types (a learning website covering a separate course of lessons, a learning website as part of a personal site, a learning site as part of a learning portal), the latter is illustrated by a synchronous online lesson, its video recording and a recorded video lesson. Different genres of online educational discourse are characterized by the explication of the steps of the lesson. In the structure of the genre there is an instructive component, which is characterized by addressing, directiveness and the use of computer vocabulary, as well as an explanatory component, where the vocabulary of the studied subject area and thematic vocabulary are used.

An exploration of the ideological becoming of online educators

AbstractAs online education continues to proliferate that there is a need to understand how institutions can better support faculty in the transition to online education. Building on work that has suggested the importance of learning spaces for faculty to engage in discussion and reflection on their move to online education, this paper employs Bakhtin's notion of ideological becoming to provide a theoretically grounded understanding of how the design of such spaces can better facilitate this move. The paper reveals how learning spaces designed to develop critical awareness empower faculty to navigate discourses of online education, enabling them to build on their existing knowledge and skills as educators. The findings reveal how engaging faculty in critical dialogue can enable a cumulative shift in thinking from discussions dominated by authoritative discourses of online education that create an initial confusion between performance and pedagogy to the development of critical awareness that enables them to challenge dominant discourses and reconnect with the self as an experienced educator. The paper provides an important insight into an approach that might enable institutions to better support faculty buy‐in and acceptance of online education. Practitioner NotesWhat is already known about this topic Institutions struggle to understand how best to engage faculty in the transition to online education. A number of frameworks and models have been proposed to facilitate the transition, but these mostly take a managerial perspective. The transition to online teaching is most effective when supported by opportunities for faculty to engage in critical reflection and discussion. Less is known about how opportunities for critical reflection support the transition process and there is a need to theoretically ground such understanding. What this paper adds The paper draws on Bakhtin's notion of ideological becoming to explore how learning spaces for educator discussion and reflection can be used to facilitate the transition process. The findings show how learning spaces can be designed to enable faculty to develop the skills to navigate and challenge dominant discourses of online learning. The development of critical awareness among educators can also facilitate the development of educational practices for both classroom and online teaching. Implications for practice and/or policy The transition to online education is not an individual activity, but a collaborative and dialogical process. Faculty need time and space to critically challenge dominant discourses of online education and to re‐establish their existing skills and experience within an online context. This should not be a one‐off event but an ongoing process and conversation in a constantly changing and evolving higher education context. At the policy level, we should not expect online educational practice to be based on one approach or model, but to celebrate individuality and innovation.

CAN REFLECTION ENABLE TEACHERS TO PROVIDE A MORE HUMANE LEARNING PROCESS?

This study aims at exploring the practice of teachers’ reflection as a potential medium to disentangle the rigid teaching and learning interactions where teachers take control or dominate learning discourses. Utilizing the qualitative method of narrative inquiry, this study offers insight into how teachers’ reflective practices can set the ground for more humane pedagogic practices for students to express their voices in learning. The stories from two teachers contribute to a deeper understanding of how the simple acts of reflection can deconstruct the rigid teachers-learners interactions and create opportunities for a more collaborative and equal position of knowledge-sharing practices between teachers and learners.

Does Gendered Language Exist in a Foreign Language Context? A Study in Written Discourse of Saudi Male and Female EFL Learners

This investigation aims to verify the hypothesis that gendered language exists in foreign language usage as manifested in the EFL learners’ writing output in a Saudi university. The motivation behind this is to, ultimately, check and weed out elements of gendered language that are early on embedded amongst the genders which, with the passage of time, lead to various biases. Though it may be utopian to think of eradicating linguistic bias, yet this study hopes to contribute meaningfully to curb it and substitute the temptation of allowing it to seep into communication, by educating and training EFL users to substitute these with gender-free language and helping ensure greater gender equality. The writing output of 42 EFL learners was analyzed using an electronic parsing tool called Stanford Parser (v. 3.7.0), and all components classified as grammatical dependencies. Results showed that differences existed in male and female writings in the use of noun in subject position which occurred more frequently in female text at 69.15 mean dependency occurrence. This has long been held as a marked feature of female language use. The same dependency stands at a much lower 51.28 mean occurrence in males. Further, female writing has long been associated with a great deal of use of ‘empty’ modifiers, such as ‘very’ which act as modifiers to adverbs and adjectives. The current study upheld this contention as well. Lastly, backchanneling occurred more in female output in EFL than their male counterparts.

Exploring L2 Motivational Dynamics Among Chinese EAP Learners in an EMI Context From a Socio-cultural Perspective

This paper reports the findings pertinent to the motivational dynamics in learning English for Academic Purposes (EAP), which are a part of a large-scale mixed-methods study. The study was aimed to explore the adaptation of a cohort of Chinese tertiary students when transiting to an English-as-Medium-of-Instruction (EMI) university from Chinese-medium schools in China. Data sources include a questionnaire survey and semi-structured interviews over a 10-month length of time. Analysis of the quantitative data revealed that the participants became much more strengthened in the overall and dimensional level of motivation after being engaged into EAP learning at the EMI context for two semesters. The qualitative results indicated that the consolidation of the participants’ motivation might result from the newly mediational roles of socio-cultural elements at the EMI environment pertaining to the learning discourses, cultural artifacts, important others and the study of content subjects with the target language. This study crystallizes the situationally constructed disposition of second language (L2) motivation which is responsive to context. The pedagogical implications for EAP teaching are also discussed.

The Dialectical Questions: Erotemata dialectices, by Philip Melanchthon, trans. and with an introduction by Jeanne Fahnestock

The Dialectical Questions: Erotemata dialectices, by Philip Melanchthon, trans. and with an introduction by Jeanne Fahnestock

Student perspectives on the challenges of an online orientation at a large South African university during the COVID-19 pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic that began in March 2020 gave rise to a number of challenges for first-year experience activities at universities globally. One of the key challenges was the process of onboarding first-year students through an orientation programme that could not take place face-to-face as per the norm. In 2021, the first-year orientation at a large South African university in this study moved to an online platform, becoming a week-long programme conducted on Microsoft Teams and comprising a variety of live and pre-recorded videos. The programme included seven core learning sessions designed to introduce the students to key services available at the university and to lay the foundation for student success. Using data from the university’s 2021 Orientation Week (O-Week) Survey, this paper seeks to explore – from the perspective of the students – the core challenges associated with an online orientation during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study employs descriptive statistics to decipher the profile of the survey respondents as well as participants’ experience of various learning sessions. A thematic approach was used to analyse the open-ended questions to provide the contextual perspectives on the challenges that students experienced with online orientation. The study identified five categories of challenges, which had a negative impact on their process of transitioning into the university environment. The study’s findings will help universities to understand the drawbacks of online orientation as well as provide empirical guidance for them as to how they could leverage online orientation for student success in shaping the remote, blended, and hybrid learning discourse. The particular university under discussion subsequently used these findings as guidelines to conceptualise a new three-week blended orientation programme, Gateway to Success, which was introduced at the beginning of 2022.

Influence of Phonological Errors in English Academic Discourse of Cebuano-Visayan Learners

Oral communication always demands clarity in producing a language such as English in order to minimize or avoid communication failure. However, in the context of using English as a medium of communication among speakers who consider it as their second language, regardless of their acquired proficiency, they still commit phonological errors, either intended or otherwise. Ironically, the commission of errors in the expected phonology in English consequently facilitated the communication process instead of constraining it as contended. Thus, it is interesting to know what are these phonological errors in English committed by the learners and how the commission of these phonological errors influenced the academic discourse of native Cebuano-Visayans learners. Through a qualitative single-case study, data were gathered and analyzed following the thematic analytical framework of Miles and Huberman. Findings reveal that these phonological errors fall generally within segmental and suprasegmental areas along with specific identified phonemes and elements. Moreover, the commission of these phonological errors is associated with the alignment of proficiency disparity and its factors and assessment for improvement. Therefore, it is concluded that as English as second language speakers orally communicate, either intentionally or not, the phonological errors committed facilitated the exchange of concepts in the academic discourse as speakers begin to share an abstract concept of meanings that are associated with the produced phonological error.

Development of metaphorical production in learner language

This article details a longitudinal corpus-based exploration into the development of metaphorical production of L2 learners of English. The study tracks the progress of five secondary school pupils aged 13-17 in Norway, with the data consisting of texts written for end-of-semester exams: two texts per pupil over four consecutive academic years.
 The overall goal is to shed light on how metaphorical production changes as pupils progress through different semesters and grades in their school careers. To do so, three subordinate aims are addressed. First, the study investigates how metaphor density varies over time, both for the group of pupils and for the individuals. In this regard, patterns for open-class versus closed-class metaphors across grade levels are also compared, to identify whether there is any particular level at which the use of the former overtakes the latter, as has been uncovered in previous research. A second aim is to examine the distribution of metaphor clusters over time, since clusters have been found to serve important discoursal functions and might therefore be expected to increase with improved proficiency over time. The third aim is to focus more closely on the identified metaphor clusters to explore the functions they serve in the written discourse of these language learners.

The Effectiveness on the use of Zoom Application in Learning Discourse Analysis at 6th Semester of English Education Department Universitas Muhammadiyah Sidenreng Rapp

This study aims to determine the effectiveness of using the Zoom application in learning Discourse Analysis during the Covid-19 pandemic in the sixth semester of the English Education Department at Muhammadiyah University of Sidenreng Rappang. The data was collected through questionnaires and interviews. This research includes qualitative research with descriptive qualitative. The subject of this research are 30 students. Sampling in this study using purposive sampling, where's the sampling technique is to take 15 students. The results showed that the effectiveness on the use of zoom application in learning discourse analysis during the covid-19 pandemic carried out by students was less effective. Because of the many obstacles experienced during the learning process, such as being constrained by the lack of a network that makes it difficult for students to understand the material presented by the lecturer. As conclusion, zoom application is less able to help in learning, especially online discourse analysis learning.

THE CHALLENGES OF HIGHER EDUCATION IN INDONESIA AFTER COVID 19: Online and Offline Perspectives; Meaning of Religiosity and Spirituality (Divine Value)

Nowadays, it can be seen and found easily in higher education environment, namely the online learning phenomenon. Since COVID-19 pandemic, online learning has become a very common phenomenon both in public and private higher education. The learning system has become a pattern or design that is "ingrained" in our higher education. The implication made the learning shifts from "the process of changing the student's self" to "only getting cognitive value". As a consequence, the learning process does not touch the substantive dimensions of education that actually provide a foundation of faith and knowledge simultaneously and in integrated manner. Learning is only interpreted as the process of getting a "final grade" symbolizing having carried out learning. For this reason, the researcher tried to provide a reflection on this phenomenon by trying to map out the problems of higher education learning after COVID-19 pandemic; and also tried to explain this problem critically to provide an explanation or description of conditions on education learning after pandemic. Researcher tried to offer a concept to be discussed together as a higher education learning discourse. Indeed, this reflection is focused on observations of the hybrid learning pattern that is oftenly carried out by lecturers at the state and private universities. It can be considered as a form of anxiety regarding the conditions of higher education learning after pandemic; or also as an explanation of the challenges faced by higher education.

Integrating fluency and prosody into multidimensional analysis

AbstractInvestigation of the characteristics of spoken learner language has increased in recent years but has been primarily limited to the investigation of one linguistic level (e.g., lexico-grammar), which gives a limited picture of learners’ overall linguistic competence (e.g.,Skarnitzl & Rumlová, 2019). In this study, we investigate lexico-grammar, fluency, and prosody in LINDSEI (German, Czech, and Spanish) alongside British and American English comparable corpora, using multidimensional analysis, a statistical procedure that identifies co-occurring linguistic features and leads to functional interpretation of the discourse. Results show significant differences between L1 and L2 groups on four of six dimensions and reveal novel patterns of co-occurrence. Dimension 1, for example, identifies correlates of informationally driven discourse on all three linguistic levels under investigation. These findings show the importance of including multiple linguistic levels in the analysis of learner discourse and have implications for a more holistic and functionally based approach to language instruction.

Abstracts Teaching Kitchen Research Conference Los Angeles, California October 18–19, 2022

Abstracts Teaching Kitchen Research Conference Los Angeles, California <i>October 18–19, 2022</i>

Od nowa? Edukacja przez całe życie w polskiej polityce publicznej

Introduction: This article concerns the public policy of lifelong learning in Poland after 2000, with particular emphasis on adult education. Research Aim: The purpose of the research is to evaluate this policy from the andragogic point of view, identified with the humanistic and social approach, which places man and his well-being at the centre of social life. Evidence-based Facts: The challenge of Polish public policy is the low participation of Poles in adult education in the light of comparative studies of the European Union and the external (i.e. on the part of employers) motivation of adults to learn. The analysis of the LLL strategic documents in Poland published after 2000 proves that there has been a broadening of the understanding of lifelong learning to the areas of non-formal and informal education, with a simultaneous tendency to standardize and quantitatively approach lifelong learning powered by the theory of rational choice. It was on this basis that the main tool for implementing the LLL policy in Poland, i.e. the Integrated Qualifications System, was constructed. The contemporary model of implementing LLL in adult education is characterized by the compensatory nature of goals, a market-based approach at the organizational level, and a mixed financing system. Summary: From an andragogic point of view, LLL public policy in Poland requires a re-evaluation of the basic assumptions, i.e. the placing of democracy over the economy, social inclusion over competition, citizenship and personal development over profit and productivity. In the discourse of lifelong learning in Poland, it is the administration of competences that prevails, and not the question of their meaning and significance, as andragogues would like. The implementation of the Integrated Qualifications System means a new beginning for the Polish LLL public policy, burdened with a high risk.

SCIENCE LEARNING DISCOURSE BASED ON CLASSROOM REPRESENTATION PRACTICE TO PROCESS CONCEPT OF MATERIAL PRESSURE

Science learning should involve the use of active representation as a medium of communication between teachers and students. This is because representation becomes a medium of communication in the processing of science concepts provided by teachers, and the abilities produced by students themselves during science learning. This study aims to explain class discourse in science learning at SMPN 1 Jetis, based on the focus of discussing the relationship between knowledge representation, and communication patterns. The instruments in this study are questionnaires, and representation ability tests. The data obtained is tabulated in Microsoft Excel, then it is analyzed descriptively. The results showed that science learning at SMPN 1 Jetis was mediated with three types of existing representations, namely active, iconic, and symbolic alternately and simultaneously. The representation ability of students of SMPN 1 Jetis during the learning of the concept of material pressure, reached a score of 81.25 in the category of excellent representation ability; and 2) the shift of the three patterns of combination of representations that exist in science learning at SMPN 1 Jetis directs learning to dialogical, and authoritative communication patterns.

The Role of Input in the Use of Metaphor in L2 Writing

In comparison with the important number of studies devoted to metaphor comprehension by L2 speakers, scant attention has been paid to metaphor production, which would also require an account of where to find support for metaphor use. This paper explores the role that topic-based input may play in written learner discourse after exposure to metaphor-mediated instruction. MIPVU (Steen et al.), a well-known method to identify metaphor, was applied to one textbook unit as well as to essays on the same topic produced by L2 learners of English (N = 22) preparing for B2 level. The analysis revealed a remarkably high density of open-class metaphors ranging from 17.9% to 19.8% across both input and output texts. Furthermore, some similarities between input and output were found regarding not only metaphor density but also types (open- vs. closed-class metaphors) and distribution by word class. These findings suggest preliminary insights into how topic similarity may provide some support for metaphor use in metaphor-mediated instruction.

"Are you good at dating?"

Within various everyday practices there is a tendency to talk about, categorise and deal with what happens through discourses of learning. Popular culture reveals clear examples of how learning vocabularies and repertoires are used across activities like cooking, parenting, private finances and dating to attain what is displayed as better practice. Drawing upon perspectives highlighting the social dynamics in encounters, I have explored the issue of dating portrayed in a lifestyle television show through the research question: How is learning made relevant in talk on dating practices, and in what ways are subjectivities shaped through such discursive work? A close-up analysis of talk sequences indicates how the interlocutors use discursive resources to frame what happens as a learning event claiming pedagogical subjectivities, relationships and activities. Dating evolves around knowledgeability defining the novice positioning with the need to prepare oneself and cultivate adequate skills through practising. Addressing and promoting knowledgeability, practising and skilfulness as the key to success can empower adults, however, in establishing an aura of normalcy – a “natural” way of operating in daily life – this also becomes a powerful tool for governing oneself and others. A main concern is therefore to critically discuss how the talkative business of learning unfolds in practices beyond formal education.

Fostering students’ systems thinking competence for sustainability by using multiple real-world learning approaches

For a sustainable future, equipping sustainability change agents with relevant sustainability competencies is crucial. Among these competencies is system thinking competence – the understanding of complex interrelationships among the dimensions of sustainable development and the impacts of the interrelationships. Learning approaches relevant to fostering sustainability competencies have been studied. However, research is rare on fostering systems thinking competence by simultaneously using multiple, real-world, and innovative learning approaches. To address this gap, we conducted a pre-test–post-test exploratory experimental study involving higher education students (n = 36). The study explored the contributions of field trips and collaborative learning in combination with mobile learning and paper-and-pencil note taking. The study simultaneously implemented a combined set of learning approaches in a real-world environment. The results suggest that the learning approaches and the real-world environment contribute to fostering the systems thinking competence of participants by exposing them to complex real-world systems and enabling the exchanging of diverse ideas among collaborating participants. As such, our study contributes to social constructivist learning discourses in education for sustainable development by indicating specific combinations of learning approaches and environments that facilitate the meaningful engagement and motivation of learners through self-regulated learning.

Visual methodologies as effective tools in reflecting on aspects of identity as an educator for inclusion and social justice

As an educator for inclusion and social justice, it is essential to be self-reflective about all aspects of identity that relate to diversity and differential power relations. As part of this commitment, I am part of a group of critical academics and practitioners who comprise the South African Education Research Association (SAERA) Special Interest Group on Self-Reflexive Methodologies. In this paper, I include reflections on two artworks I created during self-reflexive exercises using visual methodologies. The first artwork led to my interrogating aspects of meaning and identity as a white person in post-apartheid South Africa. What emerged was, first, the need to confront my privileged racial identity that had been fashioned in a divided and exclusive past and second, I needed to reposition myself beyond my white socialisation, recognising the possibility of new frames of understanding and new identities, new social spaces, and new communities beyond the historical differences that keep South Africans separated and alienated. Critical reflection on the second artwork reveals embedded commentary on the need to challenge patriarchal articulations of the professional identity and dominant discourses of learning and teaching in academia. What emerged was the possibility of how lost feminine aspects of knowledge could inform teaching and learning strategies. These strategies could then contribute to a critical pedagogy that challenges the prevailing system of social relations and disrupts and unsettles the stereotypical assumptions of a dominant masculine discourse in academia. Here, I highlight the effectiveness of using visual methodologies to explore various aspects of identity, especially relevant for educators as transformative agents educating for inclusion and social justice.