University Instructors Research Articles

A Potter's Progress: Emanuel Suter and the Business of Craft

In A Potter's Progress: Emanuel Suter and the Business of Craft, Scott Hamilton Suter explores the life and work of upper Shenandoah Valley potter Emanuel Suter—the author's great-great-grandfather. The result is a deeply researched and telling example of how we can tell far-reaching stories by focusing on a person and a region. Too often today, scholars look down upon regional cultural histories, but Scott Suter argues successfully that delving into a Mennonite craftsman who lived from 1833 to 1902 not only illuminates issues of US culture and the Progressive era broadly, but also is a useful addition to folklore and ceramics scholarship. The author provides a more academically rigorous companion to his previous work Shenandoah Valley Folklife (1999) and other recent ceramics catalogs and pamphlets, adding historical context and a deep reading of primary sources that historians, museum professionals, folklorists, and material culture scholars will appreciate.Because the first and second chapters are so brief—with the first having only 10 pages—Suter's book is somewhat uneven. In chapter 1, he provides an overview of the Shenandoah Valley as a cultural region, and in chapter 2, he shows that Emanuel Suter is a supporter of Progressivism in his Mennonite community. He expands upon these arguments in chapters 3 and 4, which focus on Suter's life as a potter at his New Erection Shops and the Harrisonburg Steam Pottery Company. The heart of the book is thus Scott Suter's examination of Emanuel Suter's pottery business in the ever-changing world of nineteenth-century technology, craft, and regional cultural expression.Whether at church, on his farm, or at his pottery, Emanuel Suter was dedicated to “progress.” Nowhere is that more evident than in his businesses and his response to the changing needs of his Shenandoah Valley clientele. Suter learned how to be a potter from relatives; at first, his craft and his business were intimately connected to the Pennsylvania hearth region. He and his family even lived briefly in Pennsylvania during the Civil War. As his clientele's needs changed, so did technology, transportation, and the region's connectedness with other regions beyond Pennsylvania. By the end of his career, Suter left that cultural hearth and ventured into the broader mid-Atlantic and Midwestern industrial potteries. The Shenandoah Valley was more connected than before to nationwide structures of business and manufacturing. Like others, Suter adapted not only to stay in business, but also to operate a successful commercial enterprise. The author demonstrates that as Emanuel Suter's pottery changed, so did his pottery shop, delivery methods, and the technology that he employed. Suter's life and work underwent a tremendous evolution, and the author uses Suter's accounts and diaries to make solid arguments about this transformation.The sources are what makes this a rich book. Emanuel Suter left behind account books, business papers, diaries, and personal and business letters, and Scott Suter makes good use of them. True to form as a folklorist, he also conducted oral history interviews and used interviews done by Elmer Smith, one of the founders of the Shenandoah Valley Folklore Society. Although material culture and decorative arts scholars will certainly benefit from this work, they might be disappointed that it does not contain detailed analyses of the pieces themselves or a catalog of all known extant Suter pieces. For such a short book, Scott Suter can do only so much, and he does well in exploring the transitions that Suter's life and craft—from traditional to industrial—underwent over the course of the mid- to late nineteenth century.Although this work will appeal to those both inside and outside the academy, the target audience is ceramics scholars, folklorists, and business historians. It not only contributes to the field of folklore studies but is also a much-needed academic work on nineteenth-century Shenandoah Valley culture (beyond the Civil War). University instructors will find portions of it useful in their introductory US history courses, as well as in specialized courses in American Studies, material culture, and decorative arts. While Scott Sutter could have done more to analyze the objects and buildings of Emanuel Suter's life (and thus strengthen his arguments), A Potter's Progress will make an impact on those who work in folklore, ceramics, and Shenandoah Valley studies.

Pandemic Response: A Reflection on Disease and Education

Pandemic Response: A Reflection on Disease and Education

The Sidney Sperry/Heber Snell Debates: Critical Biblical Scholarship and Mormon Tradition

The Sidney Sperry/Heber Snell Debates: Critical Biblical Scholarship and Mormon Tradition

SWOT Analysis of Blended MOOC from Ghanaian University Instructors’ Perspectives

Through blended Massive Open Online Courses (b-MOOC/bMOOC), universities in the global south can integrate their courses wholly or partially with the global north for free. Despite adopting such a strategic move in higher education, instructors’ or tutors’ experiences have been rarely explored. The fundamental goal of this research was to ascertain how bMOOC is being used and how it can be incorporated into the on-campus classroom setting to enhance effective teaching and learning in higher educational institutions. The instrument used was mainly online interview question items containing elements of SWOT analysis. A purposively and multi-stage sampling technique was used to select the twenty-five (25) Instructors in the University of Cape Coast (UCC), Ghana who had already used the bMOOC instructional delivery strategy. The result showed that there were available facilitating conditions such as computers, internet access, and ICT laboratories. However, these were inadequate for the sustained and smooth implementation of bMOOC. It was revealed that the university could obtain numerous benefits if bMOOC is implemented appropriately at UCC. These benefits include expanding the distance education program, increasing student enrolment, reducing physical infrastructure costs, and enhancing its public image. It was recommended that before running bMOOC, universities must have and maintain reliable and robust internet connectivity, which should be made accessible to all users. Finally, the universities must make provisions for adequate ICT laboratories.

Colonialism’s Currency: Money, State, and First Nations in Canada, 1820–1950

Many historians are exploring evidence of Canada’s abuse of Indigenous peoples, contributing to the journey of reconciliation. In Colonialism’s Currency: Money, State, and First Nations in Canada, 1820–1950, Brian Gettler contributes to this body of scholarship by presenting a new interpretation of Canada’s traditional national history. Focusing on how money has been, and continues to be, used by British and Canadian colonial powers, Gettler presents a complex story that forefronts an intersectionality among capitalism, colonialism, and state formation during the late nineteenth to mid-twentieth centuries. He clearly and comprehensibly details the ways in which money provided British and later Canadian colonial powers with the means to disinherit Indigenous peoples of their territory, on the one hand, while strengthening state legitimacy on the other.Based on his doctoral dissertation, Gettler’s Colonialism’s Currency is a meticulous, thorough, and understandable exploration of state-Indigenous relations, specifically in Ontario and Quebec, wherein Indigenous experiences with colonial monetary policy was far from homogenous and simultaneous. Although the introduction is clearly a remnant of rigorous academic training, weighed down by laborious historiography and theoretical discussions (making the book perhaps less interesting for popular crowds), his narrative is nevertheless enticing and naturally leads the reader toward the core of his argument.Beginning with an overview of how money was historically used in the fur trade and later by the Canadian state, Gettler proceeds to demonstrate how monetary policy intersected with official colonial Indian policy. He focuses on three Indigenous communities with distinct historical contexts—the Moose Factory Cree, the Wendat of Wendake, and the Innu of Mashteuiatsh—elaborating on how each (re)purposed money within their respective interactions with colonial fur trading and government institutions. By demonstrating how each community dealt with the transition from beaver money to cash and the tensions Indigenous cash use created with colonial officials and government policy, Gettler’s narrative presents his main argument comprehensively: the ways in which Indigenous societies (re)purposed money in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries was fundamentally different from the ways they experienced it in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, due to the symbiotic evolution of liberalism and negative perceptions of Indigenous peoples within the formation of the Canadian state.Using the Department of Indian Affairs Archives, the Hudson’s Bay Company Archives, Library and Archives Canada, and the National Currency Collection/Bank of Canada Museum, Gettler effectively triangulates his historical evidence into a well-written narrative, showcasing the complex dynamics present within policy and practice, commerce and government. Gettler’s methodological approach of “bureaucratic colonialism” is particularly insightful as it not only provides a nuanced and complex account of the chaos within bureaucracy and government but also emphasizes the ways in which a law is not always practiced nor always representative of reality. He encourages his readers to question basic assumptions about the Canadian colonial system, its function, and its history—making this monograph a useful tool for university instructors introducing students to Canadian or British colonial history.However, for all its usefulness, Colonialism’s Currency’s biggest failing is that it does not adequately present Indigenous agency, being mostly bereft of Indigenous voices. Considering its sources are mainly colonial in origin, and Gettler foregoes the use of oral history or any community engagement with the Indigenous communities in question, his work presents scarce little of their perspective and relies solely on reading in between the lines and against the grain. Despite this useful methodology, Gettler’s approach results in presenting these communities as homogenous units, omitting women and their role in Indigenous governance for example, instead of exploring their own complex ways of navigating relationships with these colonial institutions. Although he acknowledges that Colonialism’s Currency is not a history of First Nations, including Indigenous voices would have made this work more relevant for reconciliation.Colonialism’s Currency is a good example of a work that translates a complex history containing multiple interlocking variables into an understandable narrative, while also revealing what historians of Canadian history have yet to accomplish to better contribute to the movement of reconciliation.

Challenges to Implementing Partnerships in a College of Teachers’ Education and Secondary Schools in Hosanna Town, Southern Ethiopia

The study investigated the challenges of implementing effective partnerships in a College of Teachers’ Education and schools in Hosanna town, Southern Ethiopia, using the study used a descriptive design. The study was conducted in Hosanna town which had two public secondary schools, one private secondary school and one College of Teacher’s Education. The total number of educators was 150. The researchers sampled 37 instructors and 41 school teachers to make a total of 78 respondents. While there are benefits of forming partnerships among Colleges of Teachers’ Education and schools, bridging the gap between theory and practices of trainees is one of the main established challenges. Other challenges include gaps between theoretical and practical parts of teacher education programs, lack of finance in implementing partnerships between the college and schools and lack of collaboration between college instructors and teachers. The study recommends that the Ministry of Education should allocate a budget for developing effective partnerships. The regional education office should give training to develop trust among partners. Training should be given to change the pattern of the top to down work order and solve the cultural differences between the colleges and schools.

A Study on Native English Instructors’ Experience with Online Asynchronous and Synchronous Classes

The purpose of this study was to investigate the experiences of English instructors in terms of asynchronous classes and synchronous classes during the COVID-19 pandemic. To this end, an online survey was conducted regarding the methods of each type of class in terms of strengths and weaknesses, class activities, assignments, quizzes, midterm exams, and communication tools. A total of 19 native English-speaking college instructors participated in the survey. The results of this study showed that the instructors pointed out the low level of learner participation among the students for both types of class, and that they recognized the different strengths and weaknesses of each class type. The advantages of LMS-based classes were that students were able to learn in a self-directed manner and the instructors could easily manage their classes. The disadvantages were that it was impossible for the students and the instructors to interact in real-time, and that it was difficult to build rapport with the learners and to motivate them as well. Therefore, the LMS-based method needs to be mixed with face-to-face classes or online synchronous classes.<br/> The perceived advantages of Zoom-based classes according to the instructors were that interaction, English practice opportunities, and class material sharing was possible in real-time. The disadvantages were that it was difficult for instructors to generate participation among the learners, and to reduce their level of “Zoom fatigue.” To cope with these issues, instructors used several strategies in order to get their students to turn on their cameras and to engage more actively in the class. In the LMS classes, learning activities were used to give chances to the students for self-directed learning, while in the Zoom classes the students were encouraged to participate in real-time. Quizzes were used to check the progress of the learners in the LMS classes, whereas in the Zoom classes, the students were given real-time speaking opportunities to practice their English skills. There was no significant difference between the two types of classes in regards to homework nor the type of midterm tests that were given. However, the communication tool was used more frequently in the asynchronous classes. The results of this study have implications for instructors, and should be taken into consideration when they are designing their online classes in the future.

Virtual laboratories as a tool to support learning

Abstract When university instructors face the need to train students on an experimental science, it means there should be a strong load of learning how to work in a laboratory, to understand the techniques, and to interpret results. However, it is often the case that there are difficulties associated e.g. to the lack of laboratory space, instrumentation or time in the course schedule. This article presents some guidance that may help in choosing, designing and particularly implementing practices around virtual laboratories and other simulations of experimental environments and techniques. The objectives are to provide a more active and significant learning, by engaging students in the process, to support and facilitate the practical sessions and, in cases where real experiments are not feasible, to provide some alternative exposure of the students to the laboratory work.

BASIC PRINCIPLES OF TEACHING PROFESSIONAL DISCIPLINES DURING PROFESSIONAL TRAINING OF INTERPRETERS AND TRANSLATORS

The article analyzes the problems of modern vocational education. An example of such education is the system of training professional translators and interpreters. The author raises the issue of using the general principles of teaching professional disciplines in the training of translators and interpreters, which contribute to the formation of the competence of the translator and interpreter. The paper analyzes ways to optimally organize the training of translators and interpreters, based on current theoretical and practical principles. The article’s main topic is the structural and functional analysis of key types of speech activity: listening, speaking, reading, and writing in the training of translators/interpreters during the professional discipline “Communicative Strategies”. The article’s emphasis is placed on the basic methodological principles of the modern process of training future translators. Translator training takes many forms. Translator training is associated with the skills needed to achieve translation competence. Translator education, on the other hand, recognizes the need for students to acquire key types of speech activity: listening, speaking, reading, and writing. Theoretical research and practical verification of efficient pedagogical means, forms, and methods facilitating the formation of the future translators’ professional competence within the system of university training confirm the urgent demand for the determination and grounding of a corresponding set of curricular and constituents of their professional speech training. Students’ academic success, while being trained in English much depends on their language awareness, which is to be fostered. Therefore, we might assume that teaching (future translators) English plays a significant role in their professional training. Teaching tools used skillfully by university instructors facilitate students’ development in terms of their proficiency.

Impact of Transitioning to Remote Learning on Student Learning Interactions and Sense of Belonging Among Public Health Graduate Students

Student learning interactions and a sense of belonging are imperative to academic success within distance education settings. In March 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, students who intended to be educated through in-person learning environments had to shift to remote learning suddenly. In public health, a field that emphasizes experiential and interactive learning, instructors and graduate students enrolled in residential in-person programs transitioned to remote learning with limited knowledge of how this transition would impact student learning interactions and a sense of belonging. To address these gaps, we examined how remote learning impacted Master of Public Health students’ learning interactions with peers, instructors, course content, as well as their sense of belonging in an overall sample and stratified by program year. We found that students perceived challenges interacting with peers, content, and instructors, such as a lack of community and an inability to interact with instructors during course discussions. Students reported not feeling a sense of belonging when engaging with peers and instructors. Findings from this study shed light on the challenges that emerged after students transitioned to remote learning, namely disrupted student learning interactions and a decreased sense of belonging. The study provides recommendations for future remote teaching, which may be of utility to university instructors and administrators tasked with creating and implementing an interactive remote learning curriculum that provides students with a community to foster learning.

Caught Unprepared: Consequences of Getting Full Online During a Pandemic Autori:

Although the concept of remote working is not new, and it has been in use for a while, billions of people and workplaces were caught in surprise during the COVID-19 pandemic. Due to full-scale lockdowns people got stuck with their family members. And in a very short time they were expected to set up home-offices and continue working. Balancing family relations with daily work schedule was hard for many. Drawing on a sample of instructors, this study investigates how people felt and dealt with it. Homogeneous purposive sampling technique was employed. The authors contacted with people from their network and asked them to fill in the online questionnaires. The people contacted also help to reach others in their network and consequently a total of 435 people participated. Most of the sample is comprised of university instructors (44.4%); followed by secondary school (22.8%), primary school (18.6%), and high school teachers (14.3%). We developed a theoretical model based on boundary theory and study the relationships among eWork-Life interferences with technostress and psychological well-being. The results supported our hypotheses and we found that timely IT assistance might decrease the felt technostress. Implications and further study suggestions are made accordingly.

Rubric Usage Knowledge for Group Assignment: An analysis of Vocational Colleges

Rubrics are tools used to measure student performance through group work. Instructors should know the use of rubrics to assess student assignments in groups. This study was conducted to identify the level of knowledge in rubric usage for group assignments among Vocational College instructors in the state of Johor, Malaysia. Differences in instructors’ rubric usage knowledge for group assignments based on gender and the relationship between the knowledge and teaching experience were also studied. A total of 293 instructors were involved in this study. A quantitative approach using survey design was applied. The questionnaire containing 15 dichotomous items was administered using the google form application. Data were analysed using SPSS 23. Findings showed that instructors’ knowledge of rubrics used in group work assessment is high. The level of knowledge in rubric usage for group assignments among the instructors was found to have a significant mean difference based on gender. It also has a significant relationship between the level of knowledge in rubric usage for group assignments and teaching experience. In summary, this study is expected to provide input to stakeholders in improving the existing alternative assessment practice in Vocational Colleges in Malaysia. Therefore, suggestions for improvement are given for the intervention.

Blended Learning in Foreign Language Education

In the process of teaching, it can be noticed that instructors can use different ways of information delivery methods to achieve the educational goals that they want to achieve. Various paths can be followed by the instructors when they want to present the information to their students. Whether the method of information delivery is a traditional one, an electronic one, or an approach that blends both of the traditional and the electronic type, the final outcome is the development of the knowledge inside the learners. However, the different ways of information delivery bring with them various advantages and disadvantages. This study is an attempt to give brief information about the blended approach of learning. This study is important since it tries to give brief information for the Iraqi EFL college instructors about this approach. It was not possible to conduct the research empirically because it was done in 2020 when blended learning was applied in Iraqi universities for the first time. An empirical study is recommended to examine college students and instructors’ attitudes towards blended learning and the obstacles they face in its application. . Furthermore, it also remains important the need to establish various workshops that discuss such approach of learning and how to benefit from it

Feedback Strategies Used by University Instructors in the Classroom Setting

This study aims to explore the feedback strategies used by Libyan university instructors in the classroom setting, particularly in the context of teaching English. 35 Libyan instructors from different universities took part in the study. A questionnaire with 32 items was utilized for data collection. The data analysis revealed that providing students with timely feedback was reported to be dominant. It was also found that verbal feedback was the most preferred technique by many instructors. Encouraging students to ask clarification questions to avoid any misunderstanding after offering feedback was another significant result. The data also showed that many instructors didn’t feel encouraged to keep a record of their students’ achievements. Unexpectedly, most of the participants either never used online feedback or rarely used it.

토픽모델링을 통한 우수 원격수업 특성 및 요소 연구

Objectives The purposes of this study is to identify the characteristics and elements of exemplary remote learning, provide factors that control the quality of effective remote learning, and present implications according to the educational environment changed by the COVID-19 situation. Methods For this study, a total of 324 students(1,178 case) and 459 instructors(459 case) in University A located in Seoul were surveyed using Google Survey, and the collected data was analyzed through topic modelling’s LDA method. Results Survey results show that instructors and students each perceived four topics of remote learning elements. Topics extracted from the students’ surveys are “prompt response to problems that occur”, “difference in the quality of lectures according to the instructors’ design of remote lectures”, “systematic preparation of remote learning and good communication”, and “recreating a curriculum that is suitable for remote learning”. Topics extracted from the instructors’ survey are “supporting the environment and equipment needed for remote learning”, “specific guidelines for remote learning”, “provision of clear grading guideline for remote learning”, and “good communication in remote learning.” Conclusions The results of this study present practical implications for smooth remote learning, such as the need for both students and instructors to have basic media literacy necessary for remote learning and the need to redesign teaching and learning to fit the remote learning environment(e.g., systematic redesign of lectures, interaction, class evaluation criteria, etc., appropriate for remote learning), and propose future research topics.

An Evaluation of Online Courses in English Departments at Palestinian Universities during Covid-19 Pandemic Using the IHEP 2000 Quality Benchmarks

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected students all over the world. Unfortunately, Palestinian students feel the compounding effects of an ongoing occupation paired with a global pandemic. This study observes Palestinian university students and instructors perceptions toward using online learning applications and the extent to which these applications meet Institute of Higher Education Policy (IHEP) benchmarks during the COVID-19 pandemic. The researchers used a quantitative tool to collect data from students and instructors from twelve Palestinian universities. For data collection, two online questionnaires were distributed. The sample of this study consisted of 375 students and instructors from different Palestinian universities. The results show that instructors agree that online learning meets most IHEP benchmarks. Whereas, students don’t agree that online learning meets IHEP benchmarks.

University Instructors’ Enactment of Professional Agency in Teaching Spoken English as a Foreign Language

Although previous studies on teacher agency have examined its manifestations and significance from the socio-cultural perspective, university English as a foreign language (EFL)-speaking instructors’ professional agency has been underrepresented in the Chinese context. Based on a narrative inquiry approach and cross-case analysis, this qualitative multiple case study explores how four university EFL-speaking instructors exercise their professional agency and the key factors facilitating their agency enactment. The study finds that EFL-speaking instructors work as agentic practitioners to translate their career pursuits into concrete teaching duties, teacher learning, and researching. Their different professional agency enactment is closely related to their agency competence, agency disposition, and identity commitment as well as multifarious contextual factors. The findings imply that understanding the trajectories of teachers’ career development and fostering their teacher agency can assist more practitioners in getting ready for future challenges. It is suggested that frontline teachers hold onto the notion of life-long learning, build academic research profiles, and conduct active reflections to enhance their agency. University administrators should consider creating a more conducive environment to boost EFL-speaking instructors’ agency to facilitate their professional development.

Perceptions of effective foreign language teaching

Abstract Differences between teacher and student perceptions of effective language teaching methods can have an immense effect on learning outcomes, and discrepancies between what teachers believe and practice can likewise have a great impact. This study investigated how the perceptions of college instructors and learners on effective Chinese language teaching can be compared. It also explored what consistencies and inconsistencies existed between what teachers believed were effective practices and what they actually practiced. The results displayed several differences between teacher and student perceptions. It was also discovered that most of the teachers taught according to their perceptions of effective teaching. Applying this knowledge implies that teachers should incorporate culture into their teaching, introduce Chinese characters earlier, use communicative teaching methods and a variety of learning activities to ensure a good learning outcome. Instructors should also increase their awareness of their perceptions of effective teaching and attain regular feedback from their students.

Teaching English for Polytechnic Purposes: Guidelines for an Integrated, Communicative Approach

To help ESP college instructors improve the English curriculum taught at polytechnic institutes, colleges and universities, the current study proposes a model for designing English for Polytechnic Purposes (EPP) courses for undergraduate students majoring in mechanical engineering, chemistry, technology, economics, textile industry and other applied sciences. It aims to show instructors the following: how to identify students’ needs; how to assess students’ proficiency level in English; how to define the EPP learning outcomes (course objectives); how to identify the language skills and language elements that should be taught to a particular group of students; how to select technical terms and topics related to the students’ area of specialization; how to select the course content and material to be used; how to integrate the content and skills while teaching, i.e., how to teach content and listening skills, content and speaking skills, content and reading skills, content and writing skills, content and technical terms, content and grammar, and how to integrate current global events in the course; how to develop students’ prior knowledge in their area of specialization; teaching students how to search for information in online resources; the types of technologies that can be integrated in EPP instruction; the kind of assignments, practice and application activities to give to the students and assessment.

An Associate Professor and A Doctoral Student Learn From Each Other: Critical Friendship

Teaching evaluation mechanisms are often a process of isolated reflection on teaching. In some cases, university lecturers also do not have support systems for their teaching development. Feelings of isolation and the absence of support systems, when taken together, hinder positive teaching-related changes in university instructors’ future classrooms. In this paper, the authors promote the idea of forming a critical friendship (CF) through the successful building of trust. This qualitative case study reports on a CF between an associate professor (as an observed lecturer) and a doctoral student (as a critical friend) at a state university in the USA. More specifically, the paper explores teaching lessons that both participants can gain from the CF. Data were garnered from video recordings of teaching practices from a course on methods for teaching English language learners, observation notes, and semi-structured interviews. This study reports on the CF’s success based on explicit principles around trust, reflection, peer observation, and interaction between the observed lecturer and the critical friend. Limitations of the current study and directions for further research are discussed.